Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, you are all most welcome. It is an honor to have you here.
I am very pleased to have this opportunity to be at your service today.
Allow me to welcome our dear friends and brothers for their presence at this significant conference dedicated to the operations of mass murder and genocide in Kurdistan. Your presence is a testament to your concern and your solidarity with our grief.
The images we witnessed moments ago, depicting these crimes, are heart-wrenching. We pray to God that Paradise be the eternal home of the martyrs, and that He grants us and their families patience and solace.
Throughout history, the destiny of the people of Kurdistan has been marked by pain, suffering, and oppression. Particularly in the last century, a systematic and planned genocide against the Kurdish people was initiated. From 1975 to 1980, it began with the Feyli Kurds. According to available information, besides the deportation of thousands of Feyli families who had lived in Iraq for centuries and the looting of all their assets, 12,000 young men aged between 18 and 30 were disappeared. To this day, no one knows the location of their graves.
What has become clear to us is that a number of Feyli and Barzani youths were taken to Akashat and Nugra Salman to be used as subjects for testing chemical weapons. This was followed by the Anfal of the Barzanis in 1983, and then the widespread, nationwide Anfal across Kurdistan in 1987 and 1988, following the chemical bombardment of the Khoshnaweti Valley, Balisan Valley, and the Nerwa region in Amadi, where Peshmerga headquarters and the KDP’s First Branch office were repeatedly targeted. Upon the conclusion of these Anfal operations, the chemical attack on Halabja occurred on March 16, 1988, serving as the “culmination” of the atrocities that had been set in motion.
The final major genocide, which makes the human heart bleed, was the genocide of the Yezidis in 2014. All of this demonstrates the stages of injustice and tyranny inflicted upon this nation, and the immense sacrifices it has made for the freedom it has achieved. These crimes are so monumental that they can never be forgotten; they will never be forgotten.
Yet, look at the greatness of this nation. From the day God granted the people of Kurdistan authority, they did not seek revenge. Specifically, during the 1991 Uprising, when two corps of the Iraqi army fell into the hands of the people, the Peshmerga, and the masses, not a single Iraqi soldier was killed or humiliated. These were the same soldiers who had leveled 4,500 of our villages; they were the ones who carried out the Anfal and committed all those crimes. However, the true criminals were those who made the decisions to launch those atrocities.
Today, while the families of the martyrs and the victims of Anfal have lost their most beloved ones, those martyrs went before their Creator with dignity, reaching the rank of martyrdom. Conversely, the perpetrators departed in disgrace and ignominy. I never imagined that God would provide an opportunity where revenge would not be taken, but the people of Kurdistan taught me and the entire world a lesson. Unfortunately, to this day, the value and merit of this noble stance by the people of Kurdistan have not been fully recognized.
There is talk of peace and national reconciliation in this country and others. What happened in Kurdistan has happened nowhere else. In which other country has a government chemically bombarded its own people? The people of Kurdistan were gassed. A country might use chemical weapons against another state, but it does not gas its own people. Yet in Kurdistan, as we saw in the photos, infants and pregnant mothers were all martyred, whether by chemical gas or by bullets—the bullet holes are visible in their skulls. How can these crimes be forgotten?
It is vital that these crimes are not forgotten, and that future generations know what happened to their forefathers. They must know the price at which this freedom was gained. It was not a gift from anyone, nor was it an act of charity toward us. More importantly, we must ensure these crimes never recur. There must be guarantees that such atrocities never happen again, neither in Kurdistan nor anywhere else. How can innocent people be murdered in cold blood as if it were nothing?
This reality proved that when a people possesses will and resilience, victory will always be theirs. Never in history has a dictator succeeded. All dictators have left in shame. As I understand, a number of “Sole Survivors” (Taqana) of the Anfal are present with us in this hall. I welcome them warmly. The word “sole survivor” is painful, but you are not alone. You are the symbols of resistance and the honor of this nation. You are the beloved ones of every Kurdish home, and you are cherished by every person of conscience worldwide. Everyone is your family, and you belong to all of us.
I know, and I deeply feel, the pain and suffering you have endured, and the hardships your mothers went through for you. But all of this is a source of pride for you and for us. What is required today, from both the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Federal Government of Iraq, is that these people be compensated. Compensation does not mean we are trading blood for money; no wealth in the world can match the value of the blood that was shed. Rather, it is a moral and symbolic act to ensure justice is served. These crimes must not be dismissed lightly. A massive crime was committed, and compensating these people is the duty of the Federal Government, as they are the legal successors to the government that committed those crimes. It is their obligation; they must not evade this responsibility. Likewise, it is the duty of the KRG to continue advocating for this cause.
It is very important that these crimes be recognized as genocide on an international level. We thank the Iraqi Parliament for its 2008 decision, although it was not acted upon by the government. We also thank the Swedish Parliament (2012) and the British Parliament (2013) for recognizing it as genocide. I call upon the parliaments of European countries and the rest of the world that have investigated this matter to also take this decision. It is a sacred duty for the KRG and the Federal Government to cooperate on this. Under Article 132 of the Iraqi Constitution, the government is mandated to compensate these victims.
I hope that following the next Iraqi parliamentary elections, a safer and healthier environment emerges—one where the current Constitution acts as the arbiter between Erbil and Baghdad, and between the citizen and the government. If the Constitution is the arbiter, we will have no problems. However, if personal whims are the decision-makers, our problems will persist and grow. Unfortunately, some people still remain under the influence of the culture that produced the Anfal. This culture must not remain in Iraq.
I wish to extend my profound gratitude to the people of Al-Muthanna Province, who were immensely helpful to our teams in discovering mass graves. May God reward you; we will not forget your kindness. I also thank the KRG and all relevant institutions for their efforts, and I specifically thank Professor Dr. Yassin for his role in identifying the crimes, locating mass graves, and repatriating the remains. We promise all our loved ones that until our last breath, we will strive to ensure that not a single bone of our martyrs remains undiscovered or unrepatriated.
In conclusion, thousands of salutations to the pure souls of the martyrs. Once again, I thank you all for your presence. You are most welcome.
