Candidates warned against using Halabja chemical attack monument in upcoming electoral campaigns

HALABJA — Muhammad Muhammad Said, director of the Halabja Chemical Attack Martyrs’ Monument, issued a warning Sunday that the monument cannot be used for electoral campaigns ahead of the Kurdistan Region’s long-delayed parliamentary elections scheduled for Oct. 20, 2024.

Election campaigning is set to begin on Sept. 16, 2024, following multiple postponements.

“We do not want the monument to be a source of discord or to offend any group or individual,” Said told 964media. “The primary message of the monument is one of peace.”

In a written statement, Said informed candidates, political entities, and media outlets that the use of the monument for campaign purposes is strictly prohibited. The ban also extends to the symbolic cemetery of the martyrs of the chemical attack.

The attack on Halabja remains one of the deadliest chemical weapons assaults against civilians. Saddam Hussein’s forces bombarded the town with lethal gas in 1988, resulting in over 5,000 deaths and more than 10,000 injuries.

“The monument is a national landmark that holds a message of peace,” Said reiterated. “We do not want it to become a place of conflict or a medium for false messages. Therefore, until the end of the campaign, no candidate, political party, or channel will be allowed to use the monument.”

Said emphasized that the warning applies to all candidates, political entities, and media outlets without exception.

Halabja, located near the Iran border and about 83 kilometers southeast of Sulaymaniyah, was officially recognized as a governorate by the Kurdistan Regional Government in recent years.

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