Crimes Against the Kurds (Book 1)
Crimes against the Kurds, Genocide in Iraq: The Anfal Campaign against the Kurds (Book 1)
ISBN/EAN: 978-90-834526-1-6
Title: Crimes Against the Kurds (Book 1)
Subtitle: Genocide in Iraq: The Anfal Campaign Against the Kurds
Editor: Shanidar Publisher Group
Contributor: Kurdistan Chronicle
Publisher: Shanidar Publisher
Bibliographic Imprint: Shanidar Publisher
NUR Code: 689
NUR Description: War and Peace
Series: The Anfal Campaign
Series Number: 1
Edition: 1
Illustrations: Kurdistan Chronicle
Pages: 84
Language: English
Format: Paperback / Softback
Publication Date: 2025
Crimes Against the Kurds
Genocide in Iraq – The Anfal Campaign Against the Kurds (Book 1)
by Miran Abraham
The Eight-Year War Between Iran and Iraq: The Suffering of the Kurds: From 1980 to 1988, Iran and Iraq waged the longest conventional war of the 20th century—a brutal conflict that reshaped the region through relentless violence and widespread destruction. Cities and villages were obliterated, chemical weapons poisoned the air, and countless lives were forever scarred. Yet, while the war remains a defining chapter for those who endured it, it is a conflict that is often misunderstood or overlooked in much of the world, especially in the West.
Among the countless victims of this devastating war, the Kurds suffered disproportionately. Their lands, situated along the contested border between Iraq and Iran, became a deadly battleground. For centuries, the Kurds have been viewed with suspicion and hostility by neighbouring powers, regarded as perpetual enemies. During the war, this historical mistrust culminated in unimaginable atrocities.
Over a thousand Kurdish villages were reduced to rubble, and more than half a million Kurds lost their lives. Fertile plains and rolling hills, once the lifeblood of Kurdish communities, were scarred by craters and stained with blood. The air, which once carried the melodies of Kurdish songs and the whispers of nature, now reverberated with the sounds of explosions, the screams of the wounded, and the laments of those mourning their loved ones.
In scenes reminiscent of a dystopian nightmare, chemical weapons cast a toxic shadow over the landscape. Clouds of poison drifted silently, leaving behind trails of death and unspeakable suffering. Men, women, and children, their skin blistered and eyes burning, collapsed in convulsions, gasping for breath. Survivors of these attacks, marked by both physical scars and psychological torment, carried the weight of these horrors for the rest of their lives.
Yet even amid such devastation, the Kurdish spirit remained unbroken. Families sought refuge in makeshift shelters, clinging to unity as their only solace. Elders, the keepers of Kurdish culture and memory, recounted tales of a life before the war, nurturing resilience and identity in the younger generation. Despite centuries of oppression, the Kurds persevered, their fight for survival and recognition undeterred by the atrocities they faced.
The Iran–Iraq War, with its unprecedented destruction and staggering human cost, stands as a powerful testament to the horrors of conflict. For the Kurds, it represents a chapter of profound suffering, yet also of unyielding resilience and hope. Their story, deeply intertwined with the history of the region, is one that demands recognition beyond its borders—a reminder of the enduring impact of war on those who are too often forgotten.
Through the lens of Kurdish suffering, this narrative serves not only as a record of loss but also as a call for justice, understanding, and an end to the cycles of violence that have defined the region for far too long.
