31 July 1983, 8,000 members of Barzani tribe killed by Arabs

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Monument for Barzan genocide victims

On July 31, 1983, an estimated 8,000 members of the Barzani tribe were rounded up, abducted from their homes in the Zagros mountains and taken to the deserts of southern Iraq where they were killed on the orders of the Baath regime

The remains of 596 Barzanis have been found in mass graves in southern Iraq. They were returned home, to the Barzan area where they have been laid to rest in unmarked graves, without being identified through DNA testing. Thousands of others are still missing.

The atrocity was an act of collective punishment of the Barzanis, whose leaders were active in Kurdish revolts against the Iraqi regime. Men and boys were the primary targets, but women, children, and the elderly were all victims. Thirty-eight years later, the wounds are still fresh for the survivors and family members.

"My mother and others have been waiting for their loved ones to return for 38 years. They were forced from their homes and people never saw them again, except for some fragments of bone and clothing,” said Rebwar Ramazan, head of Barzani martyrs and Anfal affairs.

A new monument to honour the memories of the dead and missing has been built in Barzan, northern Erbil province. The tear-drop shaped monument represents the tears shed by the mothers who weep for their sons. Construction began in 2012 and it will be opened to the public on Saturday, the 38th anniversary, though there will be no ceremony because of coronavirus restrictions.

Every village in Barzan bears the scars of the genocidal campaign

In the Christian village of Bedyal, two people were killed simply because they wore the red jamana (turban) of their tribe. Georges Yohenna’s brother was one of those killed. He had been told that if he wore a blue turban instead of the Barzan red, his life would be saved. “How can I throw it away? It is my identity. We are Barzanis,” was his brother’s response.

“They took him away like a partridge in a cage and never brought him back,” said Yohenna

The crimes against the Barzan tribe were part of the Baathist regime’s genocidal Anfal campaign to exterminate the Kurds. Anfal – the eighth chapter, or Surah, in the Quran – was the codename used by Baathists for the slaughter. It literally translates as the spoils of war. More than 182,000 people were killed and over 4,500 villages destroyed in eight phases of the Anfal campaign in the 1980s that culminated with the chemical weapon attack on Halabja.

The Iraqi Supreme Court has recognized the Anfal campaign as constituting genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, however, the international community is largely yet to do so.

Link to Article - Video:

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/27072021

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Kurdish leaders remember Barzani Anfal victims

Kurdistan Region’s leaders on Saturday commemorated the 38th anniversary of the Barzan genocide, calling for compensation for victims

“As we mark this notorious day, we salute the innocent Barzani victims of the Anfal; we pay tribute to all victims of the infamous Anfal campaigns and honor all the fallen heroes of Kurdistan,” President Nechirvan Barzani said on Saturday.

“We reassure the families of the victims that we will spare no efforts to assist them, and that all evidence of the genocide will be collected and documented to help bring about an international recognition of the Anfal campaigns as genocide ... We urge Iraq’s Federal Government to reimburse all the victims,” he added.

On July 31, 1983, an estimated 8,000 members of the Barzani tribe were rounded up, abducted from their homes in the Zagros Mountains and taken to the deserts of southern Iraq where they were killed on the orders of the Baath regime.

The remains of 596 Barzanis have been found in mass graves in southern Iraq. They were returned home, to the Barzan area where they have been laid to rest in unmarked graves, without being identified through DNA testing. Thousands of others are still missing.

The atrocity was an act of collective punishment of the Barzanis, whose leaders were active in Kurdish revolts against the Iraqi regime. Men and boys were the primary targets, but women, children, and the elderly were all victims. Thirty-eight years later, the wounds are still fresh for the survivors and family members.

The Iraqi Supreme Court has recognized the Anfal campaign as constituting genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, however, the international community is largely yet to do so.

“Today, as we commemorate the victims of that genocide, the families of the victims have yet to be compensated by the Iraqi government - even though the Iraqi criminal court has already recognized the Anfal as a genocide,” Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region said. “It is a moral and legal duty of the government to offer compensation to those affected by the crimes against the Kurdish nation.”

“On this day, we reiterate the Kurdistan Regional Government’s commitment to serving the families of Anfal victims and martyrs, and we will do everything in our power to support them.”

On this day in 1983, systematic acts of ethnic cleansing and #genocide committed against 8,000 innocent #Barzani men and boys by the former Ba’athist regime. We remember and honor the victims of this massacre and all other victims of genocidal campaigns across Kurdistan. pic.twitter.com/iVxYItDWOF
— Safeen Dizayee (@SafeenDizayee) July 31, 2021

Iraqi President Barham Salih has called for compensating survivors and unity in preventing similar atrocities.

“Protecting the people’s rights and prevention of the resurgence of dictatorship and criminality needs unity to serve the people facing struggles and the hardships of this age.”

A new monument to honour the dead and missing has been built in Barzan. The tear-drop shaped monument represents the tears shed by the mothers who weep for their sons. Construction began in 2012 and it was opened to the public on Saturday.

The crimes against the Barzan tribe were part of the Baathist regime’s genocidal Anfal campaign to exterminate the Kurds. Anfal – the eighth chapter, or Surah, in the Quran – was the codename used by Baathists for the slaughter. It literally translates as the spoils of war. More than 182,000 people were killed and over 4,500 villages destroyed in eight phases of the Anfal campaign in the 1980s that culminated with the chemical weapon attack on Halabja.

“That crime was committed against the Barzanis, and all the crimes committed against the people of Kurdistan were because they were Kurds defending freedom … But the will of our people was much stronger than violence, intimidation, genocide and Anfal … Therefore, this lesson must become a lesson for the enemies of the people of Kurdistan and give up the chauvinistic mentality and denial towards the oppressed Kurdish nation,” Masoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) said in a Facebook statement.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/310720212

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Remains of Barzan genocide victims

The remains of dozens of Barzan genocide victims have been recovered and will return home by the end of this month, an official told Rudaw on Monday

The remains of 100 Barzanis were recovered from Iraq’s southern deserts and will be returned to the Kurdistan Region to lay to rest on July 30, Adel Mala Saleh, spokesperson for the Region’s Ministry of Martyrs and Anfal Affairs said.

The remains were identified through DNA testing conducted in Baghdad, Saleh added.

On July 31, 1983, an estimated 8,000 members of the Barzani tribe were rounded up, abducted from their homes in the Zagros Mountains, and taken to the deserts of southern Iraq where they were killed on the orders of the Baath regime.

The remains of 596 Barzanis have been found in mass graves in southern Iraq. They were returned home, to the Barzan area where they have been laid to rest in unmarked graves, without being identified through DNA testing. Thousands of others are still missing.

The atrocity was an act of collective punishment of the Barzanis, whose leaders were active in Kurdish revolts against the Iraqi regime. Men and boys were the primary targets, but women, children, and the elderly were all victims. Thirty-nine years later, the wounds are still fresh for the survivors and family members.

A new monument to honor the dead and missing have been built in Barzan. The tear-drop shaped monument represents the tears shed by the mothers who weep for their sons. Construction began in 2012 and it was opened to the public last year in July.

The crimes against the Barzan tribe were part of the Baathist regime’s genocidal Anfal campaign to exterminate the Kurds. Anfal - the eighth chapter, or Surah, in the Quran - was the codename used by Baathists for the slaughter. More than 182,000 people were killed and over 4,500 villages were destroyed in eight phases of the Anfal campaign in the 1980s that culminated with the chemical weapon attack on Halabja.

The Iraqi Supreme Court has recognized the Anfal campaign as constituting genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. However, the international community is largely yet to do so.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/180720221

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Remains of Barzani Anfal reburied

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The bodies of dozens of Kurdish victims of the former Saddam Hussein regime's atrocities have been exhumed from Iraq's southern desert and will be reburied in the Kurdistan Region's Erbil province on Saturday

The 100 corpses, the identities of whom were determined through DNA testing, will be buried in Erbil's Barzan region. Top officials from the Kurdistan Region will attend the burial.

Barzani civilians, all male, were rounded up in camps by the former Saddam Hussein regime on July 31, 1983, in Erbil. Eight thousand of them were murdered that year. A number of their bodies were found in Iraq's southern desert after that regime was deposed in 2003.

In 2005, a Kurdish team led by the former Kurdistan Region Minister of Human Rights visited remote areas close to Iraq's borders with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. They were able to uncover the remains of 500 Barzani victims. Those bodies were brought back to Barzan in 2007 and, in the first funeral procession of its kind, reburied in graves there.

The Barzani genocide preceded the Anfal campaign mounted by the Saddam regime against the Kurdish people in the late 1980s.

At least 182,000 Kurdish civilians were killed in the Anfal, and thousands of villages were leveled.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/29 ... 27s-Barzan

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40 years following Barzanis' genocide

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Marking the 40th anniversary of the Barzanis' genocide, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) President Masoud Barzani said Monday that the chauvinistic mindset based on which the genocide was committed still exists

Barzani civilians, all male, were rounded up in camps by the former regime of Saddam Hussein on July 31, 1983, in Erbil. Eight thousand of them were murdered that year. A number of their bodies were found in Iraq's southern desert after that regime was deposed in 2003.

“We still notice chauvinistic mindsets and intentions in the behaviors of a number of people and entities that seek to harm the Kurdish people,” Barzani said in his statement, adding the mindset has been the source of instability in Iraq and the region.

The genocide was part of a “systemic” genocidal campaign committed against the Kurdish people, including forcefully disappearing 12,000 Feyli Kurds, Garmiyan’s Anfal campaign as well as the chemical bombardments of Halabja, the Kurdish leader said, who served as the Kurdistan Region president from 2005 to 2017.

The regime bombarded the Kurdish city of Halabja with chemical bombs, killing around 5,000 people and displacing thousands of others in the late 1980s. Thousands of other civilians were rounded up and displaced from their rural areas as part of the Anfal campaign.

Barzani hailed the generosity and support of the people in Erbil plains for the relatives of the Barzanis who were forcibly disappeared by the former regime.

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani similarly marked the 40th anniversary of the genocide, calling on the Iraqi government to compensate the victims according to the constitution.

In 2005, a Kurdish team led by the former Kurdistan Region Minister of Human Rights visited remote areas close to Iraq's borders with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. They were able to uncover the remains of 500 Barzani victims. Those bodies were brought back to Barzan in 2007 and, in the first funeral procession of its kind, reburied in graves there.

The Barzani genocide preceded the Anfal campaign mounted by the Saddam regime against the Kurdish people in the late 1980s.

At least 182,000 Kurdish civilians were killed in the Anfal campaign, and thousands of villages were leveled

In July last year, at least 100 remains of human bodies were recovered from the southern desert region in Iraq and were buried in the Barzan area in northern Erbil province.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/32 ... KDP-leader

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Forty-first anniversary of the Barzani Anfal

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – On the solemn anniversary of the Barzani Anfal, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani reaffirmed his commitment to gaining international recognition for the Barzani Anfal and other tragedies that befell the Kurdish people as acts of genocide

This declaration was made in a statement issued today, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, marking the forty-first anniversary of the Barzani Anfal.

In his statement, the Kurdistan Region's President Barzani reflected on the harrowing events of 1983:

"On the 41st anniversary of the Barzani Anfal, we remember with reverence the eight thousand young men, women, and elderly Barzanis who disappeared between July 31 and mid-August 1983 in a brutal campaign launched by the Iraqi regime against forced settlements in Erbil, and then were liquidated in mass killings. May their pure souls rest in peace. We bow in reverence and honor to them and salute their families and relatives."

The Kurdistan Region's President Barzani emphasized the intent behind the atrocities:

"The goal of the Barzani Anfal, like all crimes in history, was to break the will of the people of Kurdistan who yearned for freedom. Instead, it became a black mark on the foreheads of its perpetrators and fueled the Kurdish liberation movement with greater strength, enthusiasm, and determination to confront injustice and dictatorship."

He praised the resilience of the Barzani people, particularly the women who endured immense suffering:

"The compassionate Barzani mothers, and the Barzanis in general, confronted the pain and negative repercussions of that tragedy. They stood firm, raising and educating their children, who were deprived of affection, with pride and dignity, producing a loyal and competent generation. I salute all the dear mothers, wives, and sisters who stood firm with dignity in the face of all that pain and hardship and did not surrender. I kiss their hands."

The Kurdistan Region's President Barzani extended his gratitude to those who supported the Barzani victims during those dark times:

"Thanks and appreciation to all the generous people who helped the Barzani victims in those difficult days. Their services and dedication will never be forgotten."

He concluded his statement with a pledge for continued efforts and unity:

"On this anniversary, we confirm that we will continue our work and efforts to define the Barzani Anfal and other tragedies that befell the people of Kurdistan as crimes of genocide at the international level. We also emphasize the unity of ranks, harmony, and cohesion between the political parties and components of Kurdistan and the compensation of the families of the Anfal victims."

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/36 ... ecognition

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How one Barzani tragedy survivor fought back

Among the many tragic stories from the Baath regime’s 1983 genocide against the Barzani tribe is that of Khasraw Mohammed, who chose a personal path of resistance by replanting landmines to target the toppled Iraqi regime’s soldiers

On July 31, 1983, Iraq's former Baathist regime, led by ousted dictator Saddam Hussein, abducted and disappeared around 8,000 Barzani men and boys. Thousands were forcibly taken from the Zagros Mountains and transported to southern Iraqi deserts, where many were executed.

Khasraw’s father, Mohammed Mirkhan, and two of his brothers, Sultan and Shawkat, were among those killed.

"After the martyrdom of my father and two brothers, my brother Khasraw began collecting and replanting mines in the path of Baathist soldiers to avenge them," his brother, Asaad,told Rudaw.

Following the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), the Baath regime heavily mined the Kurdistan Region’s borders. Born in 1971, Khasraw married in 1988 and had one daughter, who is now a university lecturer and PhD candidate. For nearly six years, Khasraw repurposed the Baath regime’s landmines to retaliate against Iraqi forces.

“He was successful in this and targeted the Baathist enemy multiple times,” Asaad said. However, in 1989, Khasraw was killed when one of the mines exploded while he was handling it.

The campaign against the Barzanis was part of Saddam’s broader Anfal campaign, which resulted in the deaths of more than 182,000 Kurds and the destruction of over 4,500 villages. The campaign culminated in the notorious 1988 chemical attack on Halabja.

Since then, the remains of many Barzani victims have been recovered from Iraqi deserts and buried throughout the Kurdistan Region. These include 1,010 victims in Chamchamal, 399 in Garmian, 80 in Topzawa south of the Kurdistan Region, as well as 696 in Badinan and 256 in Dukan in the Region’s north.

On Thursday, Kurdish leaders commemorated the
42nd anniversary of the attack on the Barzanis

Speaking at the event, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said the Baathist regime failed to "subjugate the people of the Kurdistan Region and erase their existence" due to the Kurdish people’s "resilience and determination." He urged the Iraqi government to compensate the victims’ families.

The atrocity was an act of collective punishment against the Barzanis, whose leaders had been active in Kurdish revolts against the Iraqi regime. While men and boys were the primary targets, women, children, and the elderly also suffered greatly.

Although Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court has recognized the Anfal campaign as genocide, survivors say little has been done to provide justice or reparations. The genocide has yet to receive widespread recognition from the international community.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/310720254

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Kurdish leaders commemorate
Barzan Anfal on 42nd anniversary

Kurdistan’s top leaders on Thursday commemorated the 42nd anniversary of the previous Baathist regime’s notorious Anfal campaign against the Barzanis that killed around 8,000 members of the tribe

“The Anfal campaign against the Barzanis, perpetrated by the former Iraqi regime, was part of a broader series of atrocities aimed at subjugating the people of Kurdistan and erasing their existence. However, it ultimately failed due to the resilience and determination of the people of Kurdistan, leaving a grim stain on the conscience of the perpetrators,” President Nechirvan Barzani said in a statement.

On July 31, 1983, an estimated 8,000 members of the Barzani tribe were rounded up, abducted from their homes in the Zagros Mountains, and taken to the deserts of southern Iraq, where they were killed on the orders of the Baathist regime.

President Barzani further reiterated calls on the Iraqi government to compensate the victims’ families and extended his condolences to their families.

“It is imperative that the Iraqi government take all necessary steps to deliver justice and provide compensation to the victims’ families,” he said.

That call was echoed by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, who also urged Baghdad to compensate the victims of the genocide.

“The patriotic people of Kurdistan will never forget these crimes, and generation after generation must know that the people of Kurdistan, with all its components, have made great sacrifices to preserve their national identity and legitimate rights,” he said.

Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani also commemorated the tragedy, lamenting that some parties and people in Iraq have not learned from the mistakes of the past.

“The mentality behind this crime and others was one of chauvinism and denial, which has been a source of tragedy and backwardness for all of Iraq,” he said. “Unfortunately, there are still some people who have not learned from history and continue to pursue politics with this same mentality.”

“All parties must understand that as long as this mentality remains, Iraq will never find peace,” the KDP leader stressed.

The atrocity was an act of collective punishment of the Barzanis, whose leaders were active in Kurdish revolts against the Iraqi regime. Men and boys were the primary targets, but women, children, and the elderly were all victims.

It was part of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s broader Anfal campaign against the Kurds. More than 182,000 people were killed and over 4,500 villages were destroyed in eight phases of the Anfal campaign in the 1980s that culminated with the chemical weapon attack on Halabja.

Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court has recognized the Anfal campaign as constituting genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, but little has been done to compensate the survivors of the victims’ families.

The campaign has also yet to be recognized as genocide by the majority of the international community.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/31072025