Dr. Berwarî: There is a lesson to be learned from Halabja

Dr. Kamuran Berwarî stated that the use of chemical weapons in Kurdistan continued after Halabja, and that there is an international silence since Kurdistan is an international colony.

Dr. Kamuran Berwarî, a lecturer at DUhok University in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq), spoke to ANF on the 34th anniversary of the Halabja Massacre.

Dr. Berwarî stated that this atrocity against humanity should never be forgotten and that the massacre should not be addressed with merely its use of chemical weapons, saying, “These atrocities go a long way back to the depths of history. There were no chemical-biological weapons at the time, but massacres were carried out using a range of tools and methods. The Kurdish people were not the only ones targeted in the attacks. Many people were massacred, including Assyrians, Syriacs, and Armenians.”

“KURDS WERE BURNED ALIVE”

Dr. Berwarî recalled the Turkish state’s massacre in the village of Gûnde Sor in Duhok in the 1960s, as well as the massacres targeting the Kurdish people since the 1970s, such as the Amude Cinema massacre, saying, “All kinds of weapons, including chemical-biological weapons, were used in the massacres. The Kurdish people were massacred and burned alive. The Iraqi regime used chemical weapons everywhere, not just in Halabja, but also on the borders of Sulaymaniyah and Hewler, in Balisan, Germiyan, Behdinan, and many more areas stretching from the Zakho border to Kelaşîn. Halabja was a large city: 5,000 people were killed, and another 12,000 were injured. When compared, victims of the other massacres in South Kurdistan are not fewer than those who died in Halabja.”

“KURDISTAN IS AN INTERNATIONAL COLONY”

Dr. Berwarî stated that water sources were spoilt,  trees and gardens burned down and villages devastated by bulldozers after the Halabja Massacre in an attempt to destroy the sources of life in Kurdistan and to drive the people into migration. In addition, the sites of the “Kurdistan Revolution” were declared as forbidden zones.

“Why do people remain silent and do not stand up against the attacks on Kurds and Kurdistan, or the use of prohibited chemical weapons?” The reason is self-evident: Kurdistan is an international colony. It is not only Turks, Arabs, and Persians that have occupied and divided Kurdistan among themselves. This occupation and division are also shared by international states. Kurds have suffered as a result of three factors: geopolitics, subterranean and terrestrial sources, and a rich history.”

“THEY REMAIN SILENT BECAUSE THEY ARE PARTNERS IN CRIME”

Dr. Kamuran Berwarî stated that chemical weapons had been used throughout Kurdistan since 1988 and added “Constant bombardments have been targeting Rojava since 2011, and South Kurdistan for 31 years. The Turkish state, Iran, and Iraq are conducting artillery attacks and bombardments against Kurdistan. So far, the people of the region have not had a moment of peace. Some regional and international powers have decided to completely demolish the Kurdistan Freedom Movement, ensuring that there would be no guerrillas or fighters left in Kurdistan by 2021. As a result, chemical weapons were used approximately 350 times against the people and guerrillas in South Kurdistan. In six months, 323 chemical assaults were carried out. The entire world should have spoken out against it, yet the international powers have stayed silent. This demonstrated that they were also involved in the massacres and that these weapons were utilized with their permission. If this is not the case, why has the international community, including the United Nations, the United States, Russia, the European Union, the Arab Union, and China, remained silent? They all want the Kurdish people to be left defenseless. Regional and international powers recognize that Kurdish guerrillas are the ones who protect Kurdistan. Without a doubt, if there were no guerrillas, fighters, or peshmergas, these people would be prey for wolves looking to invade Kurdistan.”

“THERE IS AN INTERNATIONAL CONSENSUS”

Underlining that the gains made in Rojava, Bakur and Shengal are wanted to be destroyed after South Kurdistan, Dr. Kamuran Berwarî continued, “Attacks on the Kurdish language and culture, demographic changes, the silence and inaction to the destruction of the interests of Kurdistan national unity demonstrate that there is an international consensus. They want to demolish the Kurds’ national achievements. The Kurdish people’s consciousness, organization, ideas, and philosophy, as well as their use of the Democratic Confederal system and an alternative line as a foundation, prevent this plan from being accomplished.”

“THE ENEMY IS ONE AND THE SAME”

Stating that all social components, religious communities, and political parties in Kurdistan should come to the understanding that the enemy is one and the same, Dr. Kamuran Berwarî added, “If we do not learn from the mistakes of Halabja, Anfal, and the Shengal Massacre, the Kurdish people will inevitably end up like Shengal and Halabja. Whoever joins the invaders of Kurdistan and fights alongside them will be responsible and an accomplice of Halabja and Anfal. Whoever reaches out to the enemy and stands in the way of Kurdistan’s liberation will be responsible for what happened at Halabja and whatever will occur afterwards. To prevent future massacres, Kurds must form a national unity.”