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The unforgettable pain of the people of Halabja

A place to post daily news of Kurdistan from valid sources .

Re: 10 mass graves from Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath regime

PostAuthor: Anthea » Tue Dec 12, 2023 2:13 am

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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Re: 10 mass graves from Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath regime

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Re: Halabja Conference on Kurdish genocide - never trust Ira

PostAuthor: Anthea » Mon Aug 19, 2024 9:30 pm

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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Re: Finally bill to elevate Halabja to provincial status

PostAuthor: Anthea » Tue Oct 08, 2024 8:39 pm

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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Re: Parliament candidates debate provincial status of Halabj

PostAuthor: Anthea » Sun Oct 13, 2024 8:54 pm

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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