Kurdish-Syrian politician Salih Muslim dies at 75
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Prominent Kurdish politician Salih Muslim died on Wednesday at the age of 75 due to kidney failure at a hospital in Erbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).
His body is scheduled to cross the Semalka Border Crossing between KRI and Northeast Syria at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, according to local sources.
Muslim held several political positions in Syria. He previously served as co-chair of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and most recently was a member of the party’s presidential council.
During the fight against the extremist group Islamic State, Muslim lost his son, Shervan Muslim, who was killed during the battle to repel the group in Kobani.
Mazloum Abdi, Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), mourned Muslim’s death in a post on the X.
“With deep sadness and sorrow, we received the news of the passing of Salih Muslim, a member of the co-presidency body of the Democratic Union Party (PYD),” Abdi wrote.
He added that Muslim “played a pioneering role in the Kurdish people’s struggle for freedom over the past 40 years and was repeatedly arrested and exiled by the Baath regime.”