Despite mandate
Unmarked graves in Erbil highlight broader regional issues
ERBIL – In Erbil’s Kasnazan Cemetery, a significant number of unmarked graves hold the remains of unknown individuals, leaving many without identity or family connections. This situation is echoed in Sulaymaniyah’s Siwan Cemetery, where blank headstones often represent women who fell victim to gender-based violence.
In 2020, the Kurdistan Regional Government mandated that existing graves be marked with “life” and new ones with names and birthdates.
Wshyar Rasul, a gravedigger since 1998, shared his experiences with 964media, emphasizing the community focus in the early days of his career. “We started by burying friends, neighbors, and relatives. Over time, we found ourselves also burying unidentified bodies, including foreigners and locals without known families, regardless of the circumstances,” he said.
Rasul expressed profound sadness over these anonymous deaths. “It’s distressing to see people who die alone under various circumstances. We bury them when they arrive here,” he noted.
The number of unmarked graves remains uncertain, but such burials are legally sanctioned by the Erbil Medical Court. “We receive permission and then we bury them,” Rasul explained.
Highlighting the anonymity issue, Rasul said each body comes with a report, and many of the unidentified are foreign workers who cannot be repatriated due to costs, or women who suffered from “social issues,” a euphemism used to refer to honor killings.
Despite laws against domestic violence enacted in 2011 to foster an image of stability and progress in the Kurdistan Region, challenges persist due to entrenched social norms and political instability. Amnesty International reports that at least 30 women were killed in Iraqi Kurdistan in 2023, with 40 the previous year.
Reflecting on the fate of the unclaimed, Rasul shared a personal fear of dying unrecognized. “I always keep a grave ready for emergency night burials. I’ve instructed friends that if I die on a night with no other bodies, to bury me there,” he said. However, he stressed that the location of his burial is immaterial. “Wherever I die, bury me there. All earth belongs to God. The world is God’s, and only God is immortal,” Rasul stated.Unmarked graves in Erbil reflect broader regional issue
Ancient multifaith cemetery remains a resting place for the departed in Sulaymaniyah
