The Kurds and Their Struggles

Razhan Ahmad – Activist

The Kurdish people have faced some of the most severe hardships in history, enduring numerous tragedies and injustices. One of the most brutal periods of oppression came under Saddam Hussein’s regime, which inflicted immense suffering on Kurdistan. The chemical attack on Halabja alone claimed the lives of over 5,000 people and left thousands more injured, marking one of the darkest moments in Kurdish history.

Another horrific crime against the Kurds was the Anfal campaign, during which entire villages and regions of Kurdistan were wiped out. Thousands of innocent people were murdered merely for being Kurdish, as the regime sought to erase their identity and existence.

In 1991, the Kurdish people rose in a historic uprising, reclaiming their land and expelling the oppressive Ba’ath’s regime.However, despite this victory, internal political divisions have continued to hinder Kurdish unity and progress. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) have significantly delayed the realization of the Kurdish people’s aspirations. By dividing Kurdistan into separate zones.

Even more troubling, both parties have been involved in violent conflicts, leading to the deaths of civilians, journalists, teachers, traders. The civil war between the PUK and KDP following the 1991 uprising claimed as many Kurdish lives as the Anfal campaign and chemical attacks. One of the most painful betrayals in Kurdish history occurred on August 31, when the KDP invited the Iraqi army into Kurdistan to fight against the PUK.

The suffering of the Kurdish people continues.These ongoing injustices raise the question:
When will the Kurdish people finally experience the peace and prosperity that others enjoy?

Editor: Diyar Harki