Barzani issues message on 40th anniversary of 1983 massacre

ERBIL, July 31 – Kurdish Democratic Party leader Masoud Barzani delivered a message on Monday marking the 40th anniversary of the Barzani Massacre and affirming that misery and instability in Iraq are the result of inhumane attitudes.

Barzani’s speech read:

“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Forty years ago, the Baath regime carried out a heinous and conscienceless campaign, arresting eight thousand Barzanis, including young men and the elderly, with ages ranging from nine to ninety years old. They were brutally massacred in the southern deserts of Iraq.

This crime is part of a series of tragedies and sacrifices organized to destroy and harm the people of Kurdistan, from the disappearance of twelve thousand young men in Faili, to the Anfal in Garmiyan, the chemical attacks on Halabja, and other parts of Kurdistan, and the attempts at Arabization and demographic change in certain areas of Kurdistan.

Forty years have passed since this crime, but unfortunately, we still witness chauvinism, ill-intentions, and attempts to harm and annihilate the Kurdish people in the imagination and actions of some individuals and parties. This problem itself is the main issue our people face in confronting the inhumane mentality that causes misery and instability in Iraq and the region.

On the occasion of the Barzani Massacre, I express my gratitude to our people, especially the people of Sulaymaniyah, Erbil, and Soran, who bravely and with a national spirit sympathized and supported the Barzanis during difficult times.

I would like to thank the relatives of the Anfal victims, especially the Barzani mothers and women who endured the pain of losing their loved ones for many years and became the epitome of Kurdish resistance and ethics.

Masoud Barzani

July 31, 2023”