The month of March in the Kurdish calendar brims with significant events, commemorations, tragedies, and triumphs. One of the most poignant moments in Kurdish history was the tragic chemical attack on civilians in Halabja and its vicinity in 1988 that were unfurled on the Kurds in the closing months of the Iran-Iraq War. On March 16, Halabja's residents woke to a horrifying and indiscriminate onslaught of mustard gas and other nerve agents from Iraqi aircraft that killed over 5,000 innocent people. In this edition of Kurdistan Chronicle, we explore special reports and articles recounting the Halabja tragedy.
March 1 marks the occasion to remember the esteemed leader of the Kurds, General Mustafa Barzani, who passed away in 1979. Kurds both in the Kurdistan Region, neighboring countries, and around the world honor this day, acknowledging Barzani as the visionary behind Kurdish liberation and the vanguard of the modern Kurdish struggle for freedom. General Barzani’s legacy epitomized humanism, freedom, and peace for all individuals, irrespective of faith or nationality. As in previous years, multitudes across the Kurdistan Region paid homage to him this year, with thousands visiting his resting place and museum in his hometown of Barzan. In this issue, we feature an article about Barzani and shine light on a chess tournament held in Erbil in his memory. General Barzani was a passionate chess player throughout his life.
Meanwhile, March 11, 1970, marked a significant milestone after years of armed conflict between the Iraqi government and the Kurdish population striving for recognition, freedom, and democracy. A ceasefire agreement signed on that day had granted autonomous rights to Iraq’s Kurds, but the Algiers Agreement, signed on March 6, 1975, between Saddam Hussein and the Shah of Iran, dealt a severe blow. Saddam conceded control over the Shatt al-Arab waterway to Iran, leading to the withdrawal of Iranian support for the peshmerga, thereby allowing the Iraqi army to crush Kurdish resistance. Moreover, the Iraqi regime intensified its campaign of Arabization of Kurdish regions, resulting in the death and displacement of thousands of peshmerga fighters and civilians.
Another pivotal historical moment came in 1991, with the Kurdish uprising against Saddam’s regime following the Gulf War. It marked the first instance in history where Kurdish towns and cities were liberated from Saddam's oppression, culminating in the liberation of Kirkuk on March 20.
Finally, March also holds profound significance for Kurds worldwide as they celebrated Newroz, the Kurdish New Year, which aligns with the vernal equinox and thus usually falls on or around March 21. Newroz symbolizes Kurdish resilience in the face of adversity and serves as a testament to solidarity amidst political, economic, and social challenges. This year, celebrations reverberated across the Kurdistan Region, with Akre, the capital of Newroz, taking center stage. On the eve of Newroz, thousands lit torches in a procession to the mountaintop in Akre on March 21, heralding the year 2,724 in the Kurdish calendar. These torchbearers hailed not only from the Kurdistan Region but also from Kurdish territories in Iran, Syria, and Turkey.
While the world observed International Theatre Day on March 27, this issue features an article on the first Kurdish theatre play that was held in Chicago in 1893 as part of the World’s Columbian Exposition. Though history cannot be rewritten, this discovery indisputably validates the existence of Kurdish theater dating to at least to the late nineteenth century, serving as a catalyst for further research into this rich and undiscovered cultural heritage.
Dr. Nahro Zagros is the Editor-in-Chief of Kurdistan Chronicle and a Senior Fellow at Gold Institute for International Strategy in Washington, D.C.
