In “Al-Anfal” there are verses for those who remember the Kurdish martyrs

The 14th of April marks the thirty-eighth anniversary of the crime committed by the former Iraqi regime against the Kurds, when it carried out the “Anfal” operations. Around 183,000 innocent civilians from a peaceful population were buried alive in a genocide that the world failed to properly recognise, and for which the federal government has failed to compensate the victims’ families.

We all know that “Al-Anfal” is the name of the eighth chapter of the Holy Qur’an. Many do not realise that it is also the name given by the former Iraqi regime to a series of military operations against defenceless civilians – including women, children, and the elderly – among the Kurdish people. Their only “crime” was that God created them as Kurds among other nations and peoples.

The Anfal crime

The word “Anfal” refers to the spoils of war obtained by Muslims from their enemies. In a deeply deceptive misuse of language, the former Iraqi regime appropriated the name of the noble Surah “Al-Anfal” to disguise and legitimise its crimes against the Kurdish people, whom it falsely portrayed as enemies of Islam. This explains the brutality of its operations against a Muslim people who believe in God, His messengers, and His books.

The Kurds: victims of murder and displacement

The Anfal operations, carried out under the name of a blessed Qur’anic chapter, resulted in the killing of approximately 183,000 Kurdish citizens and the complete destruction and depopulation of more than 4,000 Kurdish villages. Thousands of Kurdish towns and cities were also emptied of their inhabitants – people whose families had lived on this land for generations, long before the emergence of other groups in the region.

There was no legitimate reason for the Anfal campaign against a peaceful people who believed in God and lived securely on their land – except that they were Kurds.

Overnight, more than 183,000 children, women, and elderly people in Kurdistan were buried alive in a crime so horrific it defied imagination.

One of the most heinous crimes against humanity

In full view of a world that claims to uphold democracy, peace, and human rights, the former Iraqi regime committed one of the most heinous crimes in modern history. Yet the global response was largely silence, limited to occasional expressions of sympathy.

This atrocity passed without meaningful condemnation or legal action by major powers or the United Nations. No decisive position was taken against the perpetrators or in support of the victims. While some attributed this silence to media suppression at the time, even widespread Kurdish protests abroad failed to prompt meaningful governmental responses.

Revelations from British National Archives

Upon examining documents from the British National Archives, it becomes clear that governments claiming to defend democracy and human rights were aware of the Anfal crimes. Some may even have supplied the regime with modern weaponry, effectively becoming indirect partners in the destruction of Kurdish communities and the largest campaign of ethnic cleansing carried out by a ruling regime in contemporary history.

Ongoing injustice

Despite the passage of 38 years, the federal government has neither compensated the victims’ families nor fulfilled its constitutional and legal obligations towards them. Nor has it supported meaningful development in the affected areas. Instead, it has continued policies of delay, obstruction, and pressure regarding the Kurds’ most basic rights – including their entitlement to salaries as stipulated in the state budget.

The right to compensation

While we emphasise the right of victims’ families to compensation, we also affirm that no material wealth can equal a single drop of the martyrs’ blood. Continued disregard by Baghdad for this crime risks serious consequences, deepening mistrust and leaving lasting internal scars among the Kurdish people.

This is offered as sincere advice: compensating the victims of the Anfal campaign and the chemical attacks – in a manner proportionate to the scale of the crimes – is no less important than the government’s responsibility to protect the Kurds from internal and external threats. The Iraqi constitution does not absolve the central government of its duty to safeguard the security of Kurdistan.

The Kurdish people and the Iraqi government

The Kurdish people continue to carry a deep sense of injustice stemming from repeated historical crimes against them. So frequent are the anniversaries of these tragedies that they now outnumber their celebrations of national and religious holidays. Yet despite this, the Kurds continue to make sacrifices in defence of Iraq.

The Anfal campaign stands as a stark example of the most cynical and destructive misuse of religion for political ends. Despite this, the Kurdish people demonstrate profound faith through their patience, tolerance, and commitment to coexistence. They do not forget their rights, nor do they seek justice from anyone but God – even as political leaders continue to ignore their suffering and turn away from their rightful claims.