The unforgettable pain of the people of Halabja

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Halabja Conference on Kurdish genocide

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The conference "Genocide as Reflected in Literature and Art" began in Sulaimani on Monday under the supervision of Hamay Hama Saeed, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Minister of Culture and Youth

18 researchers and academics presented their studies about the former Ba’athist regime’s Anfal Campaign and genocide of the Kurds at the conference, according to Kurdistan 24 reporter Dalia Kamal.

In addition, artists at the conference presented their paintings, depicting the brutal nature of the campaign. Musicians also performed traditional Kurdish folk music.

The artist Bakhtiar Halabjaee, told Kurdistan 24 "This conference is important for us as Kurds because we do not have a lot of documentation [of the crimes], especially during the Anfal campaign."

On July 31, 1983, the Ba’athist regime kidnapped 8,000 members of the Barzani tribe, including children, and relocated them to the deserts in the Iraqi south. There, members of the tribe were summarily executed and buried in mass graves.

Some remains of the deceased have been repatriated to the Kurdistan Region for reburial, but the whereabouts of most of the victims remain unknown.

Iraq’s High Criminal Court has deemed the Anfal campaign a genocide and a deliberate attempt to ethnically cleanse Iraq of its Kurdish population.

The campaign resulted in the deaths of an estimated 182,000 Kurds and the destruction of 5,000 villages between 1986 and 1989

The main perpetrator behind the campaign was then Ba’athist Party Northern Bureau Chief Ali Hassan al-Majid, infamously known as “Chemical Ali.” In 2010, the Iraqi courts executed Majid after finding him guilty of a number of war crimes.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/33 ... in-Halabja

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Prioritize Halabja Status

Iraqi President Latif Rashid has formally requested the Speaker of Parliament to prioritize the vote on making Halabja a province, emphasizing the need for justice and recognition for the victims of the chemical attacks and genocide that devastated the city

In a letter addressed to acting Speaker Mohsen al-Mandalawi, Rashid called for the bill to be included on the parliamentary agenda as soon as possible. He stressed the importance of holding a second reading of the bill to elevate Halabja to provincial status and subsequently putting it to a vote for final approval.

Although the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) initially decided to make Halabja a province on March 13, 2014, the matter was not resolved at the federal level until this year.

In 2015, the issue was presented to the Iraqi Council of Ministers under then-Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, but the bill remained stagnant. It was not until March 13, 2023, that the current Iraqi cabinet under Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani approved the bill and forwarded it to the Iraqi parliament.

On April 2, 2023, the Iraqi parliament conducted the first reading of the bill, with a second reading following on May 4, 2023. The bill, comprising four articles, seeks to address the growing population and development needs of Halabja, alongside the enduring legacy of the chemical attacks.

It outlines that Halabja will become Iraq's 19th province, falling within the administrative boundaries of the Kurdistan Region, with Halabja city serving as the provincial capital.

Article 2 of the bill specifies that the KRG, in coordination with the Iraqi Ministry of Planning, will delineate the administrative boundaries and units of Halabja province. The legislation also mandates cooperation between the KRG and the federal government to implement the law and officially recognize Halabja as a province.

Halabja, located southeast of Sulaimaniyah city, consists of the districts of Sirwan, Khurmal, Biara, and Bamo. The city gained international attention on March 16, 1988, when it was targeted in a chemical weapons attack by the former Iraqi regime, resulting in the deaths of 5,000 Kurdish civilians and injuries to thousands more. Despite its tragic history, the city's residents have yet to receive adequate compensation for the devastation they endured.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/857834

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Parliament candidates debate

province status of Halabja

Candidates for the Kurdistan Region's parliament from Halabja debated the challenges surrounding the city’s status and recognition as a province during a Rudaw program, criticizing the government for the city’s lack of essential services and infrastructure

Participants of Rudaw’s Chwar Bazna (Four Constituencies) expressed dissatisfaction with the administration of Halabja, citing neglected projects, including an uncompleted hospital project for the chemical attack survivors, and blaming the ruling parties for poor governance.

“We have been officially recognized as a province by the Kurdistan Regional Government [KRG] since 2014. But [the city’s] needs have not been met necessarily. There has been some work done here and there, but they have neither met our expectations nor been at the level of the sacrifices of the city,” Shahin Hamaraza, a candidate for the Change Movement (Gorran), told Rudaw’s Sangar Abdulrahman on Tuesday's show.

The Iraqi cabinet in March 2023 approved a bill to make Halabja a province in recognition of the 35th anniversary of Saddam Hussein’s brutal chemical attack against the city. For the decision to be finalized, the Iraqi legislature needs to pass the bill through a vote, but a vote continues to be postponed.

“What has happened in the past few years and is happening now is the price that Halabja pays for being a district,” said Kawa Ali, a candidate for the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU), adding, “The Kurdistan Regional Government has had an abysmal governance in Halabja province, marginalizing [the province] in the past nine years and four months.”

Halabja used to be a city within Sulaimani province. Some residents have complained that not much has changed since its status has been changed to province by the KRG.

“We have 186 [service] projects worth 254 billion dinars [approximately 190 million US dollars]; I can say most of these projects have been halted,” Ali added. “It's only during election times, and only four or five months before elections, that they start considering Halabja and propose few projects.”

Abbas Mohammed, the Kurdistan Justice Group’s (Komal) candidate, echoed the KIU’s candidate, stating, “The Kurdistan Regional Government [KRG] has definitively failed to prioritize Halabja in reconstruction and providing essential services. Similar to the [local] administration of Halabja.”

There are allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement in Halabja, with calls for more transparency and fair resource distribution.

“We do not say that Halabja’s rights have been taken away, but they may not allocate to us the same amount of funds they are allocating to other [provinces],” said Shahin Hamaraza, a candidate for the Change Movement (Goran).

A candidate for Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Sangar Hewrami, shifted the blame to the rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), saying the KRG is “sending 43 percent of the Kurdistan Region's budget and revenue to Sulaimani, go and ask the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. They are treating Halabja like a Dukan [a small] district.”

On March 16, 1988, in the final days of the eight-year-long war between Iran and Iraq, warplanes of the former regime of dictator Saddam Hussein rained down a lethal cocktail of chemical weapons on the city of Halabja, killing at least 5,000 people, mostly women, and children, and injuring hundreds of others.

The Halabja chemical attack- recognized as an act of genocide by Iraq's High Court in 2010 - has left a permanent scar in the collective memory of the Kurdish people. It was part of the Baathist regime’s Anfal campaign against the Kurds that killed over 182,000 people.

A few years later, the international community imposed a no-fly zone over northern Iraq to protect the Kurdish population. This gave Kurds the space they needed to establish their own parliament, and their autonomy was formally recognized by Iraq in 2005. In recent years, rulings by the Iraq's federal supreme court have been criticized by Kurdish officials as detrimental to the KRG as a political entity, sparking concerns over the Kurdistan Region's semi-autonomous status in Iraq.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/08102024

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President Barzani’s deep connection

to Halabja’s suffering

“No one feels the pain of the people of Halabja as much as President Barzani, and no one knows the value of this twice-martyred city like he does,” Sidad Barzani stated

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — In a heartfelt address during the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) election campaign in Halabja province, KDP President’s representative for the KDP Election Campaign Sidad Barzani emphasized the profound empathy President Barzani holds for the people of Halabja, a city marked by historical tragedy.

“No one feels the pain of the people of Halabja as much as President Barzani, and no one knows the value of this twice-martyred city like he does,” the representative stated.

“Halabja has become a symbol of the suffering and sorrow inflicted upon our people throughout history,” he added.

The representative highlighted Halabja's pivotal role in the Kurdish liberation movement, recalling its significance since the September Revolution.

“Halabja has been a stronghold against the enemy, with its people steadfastly supporting the KDP and the late Barzani,” he noted.

“We have not forgotten that Halabja, Hawraman, and Sharazoor played vital roles during the May Revolution, becoming arenas of resilience under President Massoud Barzani’s leadership,” he stressed.

He further stressed the unwavering support from the people of Hawraman, Halabja, and Sharazoor during tumultuous times, declaring, “The KDP and President Barzani will never forget the warm embrace of the people of Halabja.

Following the uprising, they emerged as strong supporters of the KDP and its Peshmergas, as well as advocates for the legislative parliament of the Kurdistan Regional Government.”

The representative concluded by acknowledging the sacrifices made by the people of Halabja in their pursuit of freedom and independence.

“We understand your suffering. We know how crucial it is to alleviate the burden of genocide, chemical attacks, and the Anfal campaign by ensuring peace and prosperity for all,” he remarked.

As the KDP campaign progresses, the party continues to reinforce its commitment to the people of Halabja and the shared history that binds them.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/80 ... -suffering

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Anfal Abhorrence:
Another mass grave in Samawa proves Kurd's genocide

The former regime in Iraq executed about 180,000 Kurds during the so called Anfal operations that dated back to 1980s

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – From a series of campaigns to find mass graves across Iraq, a new one was recently found in the Samawah desert, where 150 Kurdish women, children and elders, bearing bullets in the remainder of their corps.

It is believed that the wounds and bullets indicate to have been subjected to mass executions before being buried under the ground with their own belongings and clothing, that crime thought to happen more than forty years ago.

The mass grave is located in the Tal al-Sheikh (Hill of Sheikh), an area in the al-Salman district, by 130 kilometers away from the city of Samawah, the grave was revealed by the satellite images discovery assistance, last May and it was officially announced on Sunday, December, 22nd, 2024.

Beside the skeletons and skulls, there is a remain of women and children's clothing, shoes, accessories like necklaces, and some small house-items are still preserved in.

The Governor of al-Muthana, Muhanad al-Atabi stated "efforts continue to coordination between the local authorities and relevant departments to excavate, record and document the mass graves," He referred "to noting that the number of mass graves in the Samawah desert is 23 graves"

Dhiaa Karim, the Director General of the organization of Mass Graves, gave details about the procedure which took eight-continuous days, noting that it contains dozens of remains of different ages, and all of them were wearing Kurdish traditional clothing"

"The remains will be transferred for the Forensic Medicine in Mortuary department in Baghdad to match-and-find with blood samples taken from the families of the missing people, by following the DNA tests and results to identify the victims" Karim added.

The former regime in Iraq executed about 180,000 Kurds during the so called Anfal operations that dated back to 1980s.

The Iraqi official departments and organisations estimated that the number of people went missing between 1980 and 1990, as a result of the regime's repression amounted to almost 1.3 million people across Iraq including Kurdistan Region.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/81 ... s-genocide

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Man identifies clothing in Anfal mass grave

A glimpse of a familiar sweater lying crumpled and dirtied in a mass grave has finally ended one man’s nearly four-decade search for his family

Ahmed Hamid pointed out his family in an old photograph, naming them one by one.

“This photo is of four Anfal victims. Three of them are my family. Two of my sisters and one brother,” he told Rudaw on Thursday.

The Anfal campaign began in 1986. Then-president Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime killed more than 182,000 Kurds in two years of slaughter and demolished around 4,500 villages in the Kurdistan Region

Many of the victims were brought to prisons in the south of the country, where they were killed and their bodies buried in mass graves.

Hamid is from the village of Bakrashal in the Kifri district of southern Sulaimani province. When their village was attacked, he and his three sisters were away from home and were able to escape. However, his mother, brothers, and sisters, about 30 of their fellow villagers were captured.

On December 22, several mass graves were discovered via satellite images in the Tal Sheikhiya area of Samawa city in Muthana province, where it is estimated that about 150 Kurdish women and children were killed.

Watching Rudaw’s coverage of the grave, Hamid spotted the outfit his 12-year-old brother was wearing at the time he was killed. He said that he had bought the clothes for his brother.

Hamid visited the Baghdad forensic department.

“I went there and showed them photographs. They were moved by it. I said I had come for the files of Omar, Galawezh, and my mother,” said Hamid.

About 60 bodies have been recovered from the mass grave in Samawa. The exhumation has been slow because of the small size of the grave and the fact that many of the children were in the embrace of their mothers, according to the Iraqi mass graves directorate.

The remains were discovered tightly packed into a grave measuring two meters by sixteen meters, and a depth of 1.25 meters.

Many well-known Kurdish figures, including Iraq’s first lady and members of parliament, were present when the exhumation process began.

“Their graves have been missing for 38 years, since 1988, so our main demand is to bring the bodies of the victims back to their ancestral homeland or the Kurdistan Region,” said Anwar Hamlaw, a member of an Anfal rights advocacy association.

This is not the first mass grave discovered in the area. The first was exhumed in July 2019, according to Dhia’ Karim, head of mass graves protection affairs at the Iraqi state-affiliated Martyrs Foundation, who said that "new sites containing victims, all of whom were women and children, were discovered" during analysis of aerial images.

Iraq’s Supreme Court recognized Anfal as a crime against humanity in 2008. Years later, however, very little has been done for the survivors or the families of the victims.

So far, 2,551 bodies have been returned to the Kurdistan Region.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/10012025

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Search for Halabja’s Missing Children

KRG’s Ministry of Justice spokesperson, Kurmanj Osman, told Kurdistan24 that a top delegation would be sent to search for the missing children of Halabja

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) –The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in coordination with the Iraqi government and Iran, is actively pursuing solutions to locate the children missing from Halabja following the chemical bombardment in 1988.

KRG’s Ministry of Justice spokesperson, Kurmanj Osman, told Kurdistan24 that a top delegation would be sent to search for the missing children of Halabja. DNA testing plays a key role in the ongoing efforts of the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and Iran representatives. Osman confirmed that representatives from the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and Iran are working together on this matter, but noted that the process is lengthy and requires significant time.

Dilsoz Jalal, secretary of the Board of Decision on the Fate of Missing Children, informed Kurdistan24 that 211 children from Halabja, belonging to 74 families, are still unaccounted for. 36 families have registered their missing children with the Halabja court, and 18 have been found and returned. However, only 10 children have been reunited with their families, and four others have failed their DNA tests. The fate of four more children remains unclear.

Dilsoz acknowledged that the search for the missing children is a lengthy process, fraught with challenges, but reiterated that the authorities are committed to continuing their efforts to reunite families with their missing loved ones.

The Halabja chemical attack, carried out by the Iraqi regime in 1988, resulted in the deaths of thousands and left the city devastated. The use of chemical weapons marked one of the most brutal acts committed against Kurdish people, causing widespread suffering and long-term health consequences for survivors. The attack remains a dark chapter in history, symbolizing the suffering and resilience of the Kurdish people.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/81 ... -continues

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Mass Grave of 155 Kurdish Victims

Found in Southern Iraq Desert

The Iraqi Martyrs Foundation announced on Saturday that the bodies of 155 people, including Kurdish women and children, have been discovered in a mass grave in the Tal al-Sheikhiya desert, located in Muthanna province, about 300 kilometers south of Samawah, the provincial capital

The discovery was made by the Department of Affairs and Protection of Mass Graves and Missing Persons, who recently completed the excavation of the second mass grave of Anfal victims in the area.

According to the foundation’s statement, the victims were killed by the regime of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein during the brutal Anfal campaign in the late 1980s.

"The bodies of 155 people, all Kurdish women and children, who were killed by the former regime, have been recovered from the mass grave," the statement read. "The victim identification process is currently underway."

In addition to the mass grave that has been excavated, the foundation revealed that seven other graves have been discovered in the same region. These additional graves are now part of the Martyrs’ foundation’s future excavation plans, with the potential for more mass graves to be uncovered in the area

Between 1986 and 1989, Saddam Hussein’s regime orchestrated a horrific campaign against Kurdish and other minority groups in the Kurdistan Region.

The Anfal Campaign, which included the use of chemical weapons against Kurdish civilians, resulted in the destruction of 4,000 Kurdish villages and the deaths or injuries of between 50,000 and 100,000 men, women, and children. Many others were forcibly displaced from their homes during the campaign.

This discovery serves as another grim reminder of the atrocities committed during that dark chapter of Iraq’s history. The ongoing work to identify and honor the victims remains a crucial step in the process of seeking justice for the families of those who suffered during the Anfal Campaign.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/872641

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Iraq Yet to Approve Martyrs’ Salaries

for 5,000 Halabja Victims

The Iraqi federal government has yet to approve compensation and martyrs’ salaries for 5,000 victims of the Halabja chemical attack, despite the issue being raised in parliament over a decade ago, a senior Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) official said on Sunday

Dinar Zebari, the KRG’s Coordinator for International Recommendations, told Kurdistan 24 that the compensation bill for Halabja was submitted to the Iraqi parliament in 2013 but remains unapproved

“The Iraqi government has not yet agreed to provide martyrs’ salaries for 5,000 Halabja martyrs,” Zebari stated, adding that Baghdad has also failed to formally recognize the Anfal campaign and chemical attacks against the Kurdish people as acts of genocide.

His remarks came on the 37th anniversary of the Halabja chemical attack, in which the Ba’ath regime used deadly gas against the city’s population, killing 5,000 Kurdish civilians and injuring tens of thousands more.

The effects of the attack remain visible on survivors to this day

Kurdish officials have repeatedly called on Baghdad to fulfill its legal and moral obligations toward the victims and their families, as well as to formally acknowledge the atrocities committed against the Kurdish people.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/878213

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37th anniversary of 1988 Halabja chemical attack

The Kurdistan Region’s leaders on Sunday honored the victims of the 1988 Halabja chemical attack and called for the compensation of victims on its 37th anniversary, saying the attack was part of a broader campaign to erase Kurdish identity

“On the painful memory of the chemical attack on Halabja, we pay tribute to the souls of more than 5,000 martyrs of Halabja and we honorably remember all the martyrs of Kurdistan who died for freedom. Greetings and respect to the families of the martyrs, wounded and victims who are still suffering from the consequences of this terrible crime,” Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said on X.

President Barzani stressed that the genocide was part of a broader goal to “eliminate the people of Kurdistan.”

“On this occasion, we emphasize once again that the people of Halabja and all the victims of genocide and Anfal must be compensated and provided with the best services in all areas,” he reiterated. “If there was true justice, this tragedy alone would be enough to recognize all the legitimate rights of the Kurdish people.”

President Barzani called on the Iraqi government to shoulder the responsibility of compensating the victims and to ascend Halabja’s status to a province.

Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani also commemorated the massacre, stating that “the wounds and pain of the chemical attack on Halabja will remain forever in the hearts of all Kurds and will not be forgotten."

He also labeled Baghdad as responsible for compensating the victims.

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani marked the anniversary and urged the federal government to formalize Halabja as a province, a goal the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has worked towards for more than a decade.

“On the anniversary of the chemical attack on Halabja and its surroundings, we commemorate the martyrs of this massacre by the former Iraqi regime. We are very grateful for the sacrifices of the patriotic and struggling people of Halabja, especially the wounded of the tragedy and the proud relatives of the martyrs,” Barzani said in a statement.

He criticized the federal government for failing to meet its constitutional and legal obligations regarding the ascension of Halabja to a province and the compensation of victims

“Unfortunately, the federal government has not fulfilled its constitutional and legal responsibility to compensate the families of the victims and martyrs of Halabja and Anfal. Even now, the parliament has not approved the process of making Halabja a province,” the Kurdistan Region’s premier lamented.

On March 16, 1988, towards the end of the eight-year war between Iran and Iraq, the city of Halabja was targeted with chemical weapons by the regime of former dictator Saddam Hussein. The attack resulted in the deaths of at least 5,000 people, primarily women and children, and injured thousands more

The massacre was part of the former Iraqi Baathist regime’s Anfal campaign against the Kurds that killed over 182,000 people.

In December 2013, the Iraqi Council of Ministers approved a bill to make Halabja the country’s 19th province. However, tense relations between Erbil and Baghdad, coupled with disagreements between Sunni and Shiite blocs in parliament, have impeded the bill’s passage.

The Kurdistan Region’s Council of Ministers in 2014 issued a decision to turn Halabja into a province, making it the fourth province in the Region. Four years later, the Iraqi interior ministry recognized it as a province.

Halabja used to be a city within Sulaimani province. Some residents have complained that not much has changed since its status was changed to province by the Region. It has a population of about 120,000 and consists of four subdistricts: Khurmal, Biyara, Bamo, and Sirwan. It is also a tourist destination.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/160320251

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Kurdish Leaders Urge Iraq to Fulfill

Obligations to Halabja Victims

Kurdish leaders on Sunday criticized Iraq’s federal government for failing to compensate victims and officially recognize Halabja as a province, as they marked the 37th anniversary of the chemical attack that killed over 5,000 people

Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), said the Iraqi state bore full responsibility for the attack and its consequences, including reparations to the victims' families.

"The wound and pain of the crime of bombing Halabja with chemical weapons will remain forever engraved in the conscience and hearts of all Kurdistanis," he said in a statement, emphasizing that this attack was a crime against humanity, and its effects remain deeply felt.

Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region, described the attack as part of a broader genocidal campaign against the Kurdish people. "If true justice existed, this tragedy alone would be enough to recognize all the legitimate rights of the Kurdish people," he said

The president also called on the Iraqi government to "fulfill its legal and moral responsibilities toward the victims," urging compensation and improved services for survivors. "The international community must also continue its efforts to ensure that such crimes are never repeated anywhere in the world," he added.

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani lamented that, 37 years later, Halabja remains neglected by the federal government. "It is deeply regrettable that on this painful occasion, the federal government has failed to fulfill its constitutional and legal responsibilities in delivering justice and compensation to the families of the victims and martyrs of Halabja and the Anfal campaign," he said.

The Kurdish prime minister criticized the Iraqi Parliament for not yet finalizing Halabja’s status as a province. "We emphasize the necessity of acknowledging its great sacrifices, ensuring fair and just compensation, and expediting the decision to grant Halabja its rightful status as a province as soon as possible," he added.

On March 16, 1988, warplanes of Saddam Hussein’s Baath regime dropped chemical bombs on Halabja, a town in the Kurdistan Region near the Iranian border, in one of the deadliest chemical attacks on civilians in history. The attack killed over 5,000 people instantly and left thousands more injured, many of whom continue to suffer from chronic illnesses

Though key figures such as Ali Hassan al-Majid, known as "Chemical Ali," were tried and executed for their roles in the attack, Kurdish leaders argue that justice remains incomplete.

The Halabja chemical attack was part of a wider campaign of repression against the Kurds, which also included the execution of thousands of Barzanis in 1983 and the Anfal campaign of 1988, in which an estimated 180,000 Kurds were killed

Commemorations took place across Halabja on Sunday, with survivors and officials gathering to honor the victims. The Halabja Victims Society and local authorities organized events to remember those who perished, as well as those still suffering from the long-term effects of the attack.

Despite its historical significance, Halabja remains in administrative limbo. While it was recognized as Iraq’s 19th province in principle in 2014, the necessary legal procedures have not been finalized. Kurdish leaders have long accused Baghdad of neglecting the province and failing to provide adequate support for its people.

"The Kurdistan Region, with its constitutional and federal status, is the product of the struggle and sacrifices of the martyrs," Nechirvan Barzani said. "Honoring the victims of Halabja and all Kurdistan’s martyrs requires unity and cooperation to safeguard the rights of the Kurdish people."

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/878129

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Life brought to a standstill
in memory of Halabja victims

Thirty-seven years ago, the Saddam regime's air force covered Halabja with a poisonous blanket. In a matter of hours, some 5,000 people were horrifically murdered, and more than 10,000 were left with scars that will never be erased

Halabja was just one episode in a systematic process of extermination. The Anfal campaign between 1987 and 1988 sought to wipe the Kurdish presence off the map. Thousands of villages were razed to the ground, some 200,000 people were brutally murdered and their bodies dumped in mass graves in the desert.

Southern Kurdistan

As in every year, the victims of the Halabja Massacre were commemorated with many events and ceremonies in the cities and towns in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Life stopped at 11.30 am when the Kurdish city of Halabja was subjected to a chemical attack by the Baath regime in 1988.

In Halabja, three days of commemoration ceremonies started. In addition to political statements, artistic events, panels and seminars will be held to pay tribute to the victims.

A commemoration ceremony was held in the Chamchamal district of Sulaymaniyah on the occasion of the 37th anniversary of the Halabja massacre. The ceremony demanded that the Iraqi government officially apologize to the Kurdish people and compensate the victims of the chemical attack.

Eastern Kurdistan

In Eastern Kurdistan (Iran), religious scholars, citizens and children commemorated the martyrs of the chemical attack in Halabja. Children recited poems at a ceremony in Tifl village of Sewlawa town in Sine (Sanandaj) province.

Halabja martyrs were commemorated with events organized in Saqqez and Mariwan cities of Eastern Kurdistan as well.

The commemoration event in Saqqez was attended by residents of the city as well as many environmental activists. Dozens of beech and oak saplings were planted at the event.

At the commemoration event in Mariwan, members of the Mountain Environmental Group and students from the city planted many trees.

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Halabja Chemical Attack:
The Tragedy That Still Echoes

The Kurds, the largest stateless people in the world, have endured multiple massacres and acts of genocide throughout modern history. However, the chemical attack on Halabja remains the defining symbol of the immense sacrifices they have made to survive as a nation

On March 16, 1988, warplanes of the Baath regime unleashed chemical bombs on the civilians of Halabja in the Kurdistan Region, killing over 5,000 people instantly and leaving more than 1,000 injured.

Even after 37 years, the effects of this tragic attack are still evident, with many Halabja children still missing and hundreds continuing to suffer from their wounds. To honor the victims, the local administration and the Halabja Victims Society have organized various commemorative events in the city.

The Halabja chemical attack was part of a broader genocidal campaign against the Kurds, which also included the massacre of thousands of Kurdish Failis in the 1970s and 1980s, the execution of thousands of Barzanis in 1983, and the Anfal campaign in 1988

Regarded as the second most horrific crime against humanity after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II, the Halabja chemical attack remains a dark chapter in history.

Following the capture of Baath regime officials and years of trial, Ali Hassan al-Majid—Saddam Hussein’s cousin and a top general—was found guilty of orchestrating the Halabja chemical attack. He was sentenced to death, and the execution was carried out on January 25, 2010.

Link to Article - Photos:

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/878116

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Iraqi Parliament Postpones Vote
on Halabja’s Provincialization

Sherwani noted an unusual distraction, revealing that a large television screen had been set up in the parliament cafeteria where MPs were watching the ongoing football match between Iraq and Palestine, rather than participating in the critical vote on Halabja's bid to become a province

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Iraqi parliament has postponed the vote on the provincialization of Halabja until Wednesday due to an insufficient quorum. Kurdistan24 reporter Dilan Barzan, who was on the ground in the parliament, reported that the session had already been delayed an hour earlier in the day because of the absence of several MPs.

Sipan Sherwani, a member of the Iraqi parliament, confirmed to Kurdistan24 that 129 members were present at the session, but the required number of lawmakers was still not met. Sherwani also noted an unusual distraction, revealing that a large television screen had been set up in the parliament cafeteria where MPs were watching the ongoing football match between Iraq and Palestine, rather than participating in the critical vote on Halabja's bid to become a province.

Sherwani expressed his concerns, stating, "There is still a mentality that is not ready to vote for the victims and the thousands of medals awarded for the chemical attack on Halabja to become a province."

This delay is not the first time that the bill to provincialize Halabja has faced setbacks. There are multiple parties within the parliament advocating for the governorship of other Iraqi districts, which has contributed to the ongoing deadlock. The people of Halabja, however, continue to hope for a successful vote that would grant the region the recognition it deserves.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/83 ... -wednesday

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Iraqi Parliament to Vote on
Halabja’s Provincial Status

Iraq’s Parliament is set to convene on Wednesday at 8:00 PM local time to vote on a long-awaited bill granting Kurdish city of Halabja official status as the country’s 19th province

The vote was initially scheduled for Tuesday but was postponed due to a lack of quorum. Deputy Speaker Shakhawan Abdullah expressed confidence in the bill’s passage, citing positive discussions with major parliamentary blocs and broad consensus on the legislation.

Efforts to elevate Halabja to provincial status have been ongoing since December 2013, when the Iraqi Council of Ministers approved the proposal. However, political and administrative hurdles have delayed its implementation.

The session will also include the second reading of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) law and discussions on other legislative matters.

For the residents of Halabja, the vote represents a long-sought milestone, promising formal recognition and the administrative benefits of provincial status.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/879146