Assassinated Turkish American activist Eygi's life dedicated to Palestine, her messages reverberate across world

By Nuray Tuncay

ANKARA (AA) – Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish American activist, was shot and killed by Israeli forces while protesting in the West Bank on Sept. 6.

Eygi, 26, had traveled to the region to support Palestinian resistance against Israeli occupation, according to reports from the International Solidarity Movement.

On Sept. 3, Eygi went to observe a protest in the town of Beita in Nablus, in the West Bank, to stand against the illegal Israeli settlements there.

The movement reported that on Sept. 6 Eygi was intentionally targeted and killed by an Israeli sniper standing on a nearby rooftop.

Eyewitnesses reported that Eygi was far from the protest area when she was shot by the sniper. She was taken to a Palestinian hospital but could not be saved despite doctors’ best efforts.

Eygi, born in the Turkish Mediterranean city of Antalya in 1998, pursued a double major in psychology and Middle Eastern languages and cultures at the University of Washington in Seattle, in the US Pacific Northwest.

She had graduated just this June, and was well known for her commitment to activism and community service.

- Journey ‘in full submission to Allah'

Referring to the translation of Islam as “submission to God,” Eygi described her work as a "journey in full submission to Allah," while those close to her remembered her as an incredible wife, daughter, sister, friend, and ally to both those she knew and those she did not.

In recent years, Eygi was actively involved with Wasat, a group that focused on activities for Muslims in the US.

Following her death, a photo taken during one of her activities in 2019 was widely shared.

In the photo, Eygi is holding a note saying: "Wasat to me is the ummah (community) I need to support my journey in full submission to Allah. A community dedicated to supporting each other to the straight path."

Following her killing by the Israeli army, Wasat released a message of condolences quoting a verse from the Quran: "And do not say about those who are killed in the way of Allah, ‘They are dead.’ Rather, they are alive, but you perceive (it) not."

The group continued: "We are content with the decree of Allah and yet we grieve as one community. This morning we woke to the sobering news that a beloved community member Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was murdered by the IOF (Israeli occupation forces) while protesting the illegal annexation of the West Bank in Palestine. Aysenur had been a member in community with several of us and someone who always tied her spirituality to her work in community activism. She was volunteering with the International Solidarity Movement, the same organization where (American activist) Rachel Corrie was martyred while peacefully protesting for Palestinians in 2003.

“Like Imam Husayn (a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad who died in the fifth century), Malcolm (X), and the greats of our tradition, Aysenur sacrificed her life for the principles she believed in: standing up for the voiceless, being with the oppressed, embodying faith through action. Her final march protest against illegal Israeli settlements on Mount Sbeih in Beita, south of Nablus, was a prayer of the feet which inshallah leads her, as a martyr, to the throne of God.

“Yet, it’s incredibly difficult to imagine our immediate community without Aysenur. She embodied our highest ideals marrying her faith, activism, and artistry. However, many of us in community with her know her to be so much more. She was an incredibly nuanced, graceful 26 year old woman. She was an incredible wife, daughter, sister, friend and ally to those whom she knew and those that she did not. Our condolences to her family and friends. May Allah have mercy on her soul."

-'Driven by a passion for making a positive impact'

On her LinkedIn account, Eygi described her work and aspirations: "I have a strong foundation in mentoring, behavioral therapy, and marketing, with a deep commitment to community service. My diverse professional experience includes guiding students to academic success, applying ABA (applied behavior analysis) techniques to support children with autism, and creating impactful marketing strategies within the service industry. My volunteer work has allowed me to make an impact both locally and internationally, from event coordination to offering rehabilitative support in under-resourced communities. I'm driven by a passion for making a positive impact and continuously seek opportunities to learn, grow, and contribute to meaningful projects."

After Israeli forces killed Eygi, a forensic report by the Palestinian Institute of Forensic Medicine said the fatal bullet "hit her from the left side, traveling almost in a straight trajectory."

Eygi, who worked for a law firm and some food companies, was also a volunteer for the International Solidarity Movement, which supports Palestinians using peaceful and civil means against the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.

A fellow volunteer for the group who requested anonymity said of Eygi: "I don't know how to say this, there’s no easy way. I wish I could say something meaningful, but I can't when I'm sobbing.

"My friend, comrade and traveling partner to Palestine has just been shot in the head and killed by Israeli occupation forces. May she rest in peace. She is now one of the many martyrs in this struggle."

- 'One of the sweetest, gentlest souls I’ve met'

Lubna Alzaroo, a lecturer at the University of Washington, remembered her friend Eygi on Facebook.

"I woke up this morning to the news that she was killed in Beita, Nablus by Israeli soldiers while standing in solidarity with Palestinian farmers," Alzaroo wrote alongside photos of Eygi.

"The woman in this picture is Aysenur Eygi, also known as Aysha. I only met Aysha once. I had invited cousins and friends to a BBQ as a thank you for helping me move from Renton to Bellevue (Washington state). My cousins brought Aysha with them so she could meet me. Aysha had just graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Psychology. She was applying for graduate school in anthropology in California and elsewhere.

“Aysha was one of the sweetest, gentlest souls I’ve met. She made brownies and brought them with her. For a week after we took those brownies everywhere with us and shared them with friends and family. She laughed at how loud the Arab guys were, ate my food, chatted with my aunt, told me about the challenges of bargaining with UW administration about the (Gaza protest) encampment.

“She asked for a prayer mat at some point in the evening and then prayed in a corner of my house. She told me about her plans for that summer. She was excited to visit her extended family and friends in Turkey and extremely excited to finally visit Palestine. She promised to visit my family in Hebron and meet my grandmother and parents and then she left after an exchange of numbers and a promise to meet up for coffee once she was back. I only met Aysha once and I am devastated beyond words. My condolences to her family and friends and may she rest in power."

*Writing by Gizem Nisa Cebi in Istanbul