Halabja Monument Gallary

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Halabja Monument to Kurdish victims of gas massacre

In September 2003, six months after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the autonomous government of Iraqi Kurdistan built a towering memorial on the outskirts of the farming town of Halabja, near the border with Iran. At its opening ceremony, cheering crowds greeted Secretary of State Colin Powell and other U.S. officials. “What I can tell you is that what happened here in 1988 is never going to happen again,” Powell said.  But the sleek, modern museum and monument stood in stark contrast with the town it was built to honor. Halabja itself remains largely in rubble, and the Halabja Monument is the only new building that the regional government has constructed in more than a decade. With a population of 80,000, the town has no paved roads, poor infrastructure, and scarce water and electricity supplies. Intended to serve as a symbol of civilian suffering under Saddam Hussein’s regime, the monument became a flash point for frustration about the lack of development in Halabja. The Halabja Monument commemorates one of the worst atrocities of the Saddam Hussein era. On March 16, 1988, Hussein ordered army planes to drop mustard gas and the deadly nerve agent Sarin on the Kurdish farming town. About 5,000 men, women and children were killed in the attack. Another 10,000 were injured and many still suffer from respiratory illnesses, physical deformities, cancer, and other diseases. Over time, many Halabja residents came to view the memorial as a symbol of the government’s persistent inaction, incompetence, and corruption. On March 16, 2006, the 18th anniversary of the attacks, 150 demonstrators gathered in front of the memorial to block an official visit. Security forces fired shots into the crowd. A 17-year-old was killed in the resulting riot, and a dozen people were wounded. By the end of the day, between 3,000 and 5,000 town residents had joined the protest. In a seemingly spontaneous fashion, the demonstrators set the memorial on fire. At present the structure remains standing but is severely damaged. Ninety-five percent of the museum’s artifacts and art pieces were burned. Shortly after the riot, the Kurdish government pledged US$30 million to rehabilitate Halabja. Their efforts now focused on basic services such as water, roads, and health care. Lack of funds has indefinitely delayed any progress in refurbishing the damaged memorial. In June 2006, Sarkhel Ghafar Hama-Khan, a former teacher, was hired as the memorial’s new director. He said that engineers have assessed the amount of work needed to restore the monument, but that concrete steps have yet to be taken.  

 Halabja Monument Official website

dubiz mass grave

 گۆری بە کۆمەلی قەزای دبس – کرکوک  روفاتی ( 104   )   منالی کورد و دوو ئافرەتی تێدا دۆزرایەوە ،دەگەرێتەوە بۆ شالاوەکانی ئەنفال کە رژێمی بەعسی دەرهەق بە گەلی کورد ئەنجامی دا کە زیاتر لە   (  180000)  کەسی بێ سەر وشوێن کرد و ( 4000 ) گوندی خاۆور و وێرانکرد و لەگەل زەوی راست کران ، روفاتەکانی ئەم گۆرە بە کۆمەلە گواسترانەوە بۆ مۆنۆمێنتی چەمچەمال و بە خاک سپێردران .

Three mass graves were discovered in the sub district of Dubiz in Kirkuk, the remains of 104 Kurdish children and two women from a mass grave,The remains of these anfaled victims discovered recently in a mass grave ,These are the victims of Anfal Campaigns waged by Saddam Hussein on 1980s against Kurds. It is estimated that 180,000 Kurdish men, women and children abducted during anfal campaigns and buried alive

Topzawa Mass grave

Topzawa Mass grave

Topzawa Popular Army camp which was the first holding centre during Anfal where they gathered the Anfals before the men, women and elderly were separated from each other and [women and children] were sent to Dibs, [the elderly to] Nugra Salman and [the men and some families were sent] to the mass graves. The remains of 34 Kurds killed in a military campaign in the 1991.

تۆبزاوە

سەربازگەی تۆبزاوە دەكەوێتە 15 كیلۆمەتری باشووری رۆئاوای كەركووك و لە پرۆسەكانی ئەنفالدا رێژیمی پێشوو كردبوویە گرتیگەیەكی گەورە و خەڵكی سڤیلی تێدا كۆ كردبووەوە و هەر گرتییەك لەوێ بمردایە، لە گۆڕەپانی سەربازگەكەدا دەنێژرا، ئەم گۆرە بەكۆمەڵە لە ئەیلوول/سێپتێمبەری 2009دا لەلایەن پسپۆڕانەوە هەڵ درایەوە و دەركەوت پرووسكی دەیان كەسی تێدایە لە سێ گۆری بە کۆمەل کە ٣٤ روفاتی تێدابوو کە لە فەرمانگەی توب عەدلی کەرکوک هەلگیراون ..
بۆ بەرز ڕاگرتن و یادكردنەوەی ئەم قوربانییانە،وابریارە کە مۆنۆمێنتێكیش دروست بكرێ لەم ناوچەیە.

The Anfal (Genocide) Museum

Anfal museum is located in Red Security Museum in Sulaimani

from  kurdish-guide.com

National Geographic Traveler picks Kurdistan Iraq as one of the top 20 trips of 2011

National Geographic Traveler picks Kurdistan Iraq as one of the top 20 trips of 2011

National Geographic Traveler picks Kurdistan Iraq as one of the top 20 trips of 2011.

considered an oasis of peace and stability in a historically volatile region, the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in northeastern Iraq is drawing a growing stream of curious Western visitors to its ancient cities, snowcapped mountains, and bustling bazaars. The 2010 expansion of Erbil International Airport—located in the provincial capital and main commercial center—has improved access to the region and helped fuel tourist infrastructure development. Recent advances include construction of several new luxury and business hotels and additional escorted small group tours focused on Kurdish ethnic heritage and historic sites.

Experienced guides such as Hinterland Travel and Kurdistan Adventures lead 8- to 16-day cultural tours. Highlights include Erbil’s historic citadel and Grand Mosque, the ruins of Salahaddin’s Fortress in Shaqlawa, and the Jarmo Neolithic village archaeological site (7,000 B.C.) located in the foothills of the Zagros Mountains. Some itineraries include excursions into Kurdish ethnic regions in eastern Turkey and northwestern Iraq.

kurdistan

The Remembrance Day ( 24 ) of the kurdish Genocide- anfal badinan

After 24 years of waiting

After 24 years of waiting the relatives of the Anfalized people talk about the tragic event of Anfal.

Kurdistan land of Beauty

Kurdistan “Land of the Kurds” also formerly spelled Curdistan; ancient name: Corduene is a roughly defined geo-cultural region wherein the Kurds form a prominent majority population, and Kurdish culture, language, and national identity have historically been based.
Contemporary use of Kurdistan refers to parts of eastern Turkey (Turkish Kurdistan), northern Iraq (Iraqi Kurdistan), northwestern Iran (Iranian Kurdistan) and northern Syria inhabited mainly by Kurds. Kurdistan roughly encompasses the northwestern Zagros and the eastern Taurus mountain ranges,and covers small portions of Armenia.

Four young Kurds under 18 were executed at the hands of the Baath Party in Saddam Hussein’s rule in 1986

Four young Kurds under 18 were executed at the hands of the Baath Party in Saddam Hussein’s rule in 1986 in Arbil, were taken from their families the cost of bullets, and destruction of their homes, including the furniture, in front of the eyes of the people there party officials.