Iraqi Kurdish people carry wreaths of flowers to
place at a monument of a 1988 poison gas
attack in Halabja, Iraq, Tuesday,
Jan. 26, 2010. AP Photo/Yahya Ahmed
place at a monument of a 1988 poison gas
attack in Halabja, Iraq, Tuesday,
Jan. 26, 2010. AP Photo/Yahya Ahmed
By Hawjin Rashadaddin
The Kurdish Globe
Kurds demand Halabaja gas attack be recognized as genocide.
The Kurdish people have long wished for the execution of Ali Hassan Majid for his genocidal crimes against Halabja.
Ali Hassan Al-Majid, the Anfal Campaign executor known as Chemical Ali for murdering over 5,000 Kurdish women, children, and elderly, and wounding 10,000 others via banned chemical weapons in Halabja city, was executed in the Iraqi capital city of Baghdad on January 25. He was hung one week after the death penalty was imposed upon him. Four years ago, the court issued death a sentence against Majid for crimes against Halabja.
Thousands of Kurdish people especially the people of Halabja-reveled in Majid's hanging.
"I think I was born on January 25, 2010. As a person from Halabja, I think Majid should have been hung long ago; unfortunately, it was only recently done without Kurds' participation," said Sirwan Rau'f Mam Raza. Mam Raza said that few mass murderers in the history of humanity did what Majid did to the innocent people of Halabja.
The head of Halabja Victims Group, Luqman Abdulqadir, congratulated the relatives of victims. "We are sorry we didn't execute Majid on the dossier of the Halabja chemical attacks. We wished the decision would have been carried out after the recognition of the Halabja chemical attacks as genocide."
Abdulqadir explained to the media that his group asked the court to name Halabja genocide, but they've yet to receive a reply. "This is the right of victim's relatives. Unfortunately, the court has not given this right to them. But we are happy that Majid was executed for being a criminal of the Anfal Campaign against Kurdish people," he noted.
The Committee of Martyrs, Victims, and Political Prisoners in the Council of Representatives demanded a clearer understanding about the process of executing Majid. "The committee asked for court's action to carry out the decision concerning the execution of Majid much earlier. Although we have our own comments about the method of executing Majid, we are happy," said Muhammad Ahmed, head of the Committee. He noted that the decision should have been carried out more clearly and obviously so that other oppressors would learn from it.
Majid got the death penalty because of his role in the Anfal campaign, said Ali Dabagh, the speaker of the Iraqi government declared. "The execution of Majid was done in the presence of a judge, attorney, doctor, and a number of other people in the legal field," said Dabagh. He said no bad words were used and there were no violations by anybody during the execution.
Kemal Kirkuki, Speaker of Kurdistan Parliament, said that criminals like Majid should be punished to become good examples for other criminals.
"Although we are not supporting the idea of execution against any human being, the crimes committed by such criminals should be subjected to punishment, and other regimes and criminals who hold the idea of imposing their chauvinistic policies should take lessons from him," said Kirkuki during a press conference soon after Kurdistan Parliament held its session.
"Those who carried out the decision to execute Chemical Ali should have implemented the decision after the passage of the legal amount of time, one month, over the court's announcement of the order; this takes into consideration the feelings of Halabja and all other Kurdish people."
During the press conference, Kirkuki stated: "As the Parliament of Kurdistan, we demand that Halabja's atrocious case be called genocide."
Ahmed underlined that the Committee of Martyrs, Victims, and Political Prisoners has made preparations on March 16 (the Halabja anniversary)--also be the last day of Iraqi Parliament's session--to recognize the case as genocide. "Consent from other sides has been given to recognize the Halabja chemical attack anniversary as genocide, similar to what has been declared for the Anfal Campaign day," he said.
Ali Hassan Al-Majid, the Anfal Campaign executor known as Chemical Ali for murdering over 5,000 Kurdish women, children, and elderly, and wounding 10,000 others via banned chemical weapons in Halabja city, was executed in the Iraqi capital city of Baghdad on January 25. He was hung one week after the death penalty was imposed upon him. Four years ago, the court issued death a sentence against Majid for crimes against Halabja.
Thousands of Kurdish people especially the people of Halabja-reveled in Majid's hanging.
"I think I was born on January 25, 2010. As a person from Halabja, I think Majid should have been hung long ago; unfortunately, it was only recently done without Kurds' participation," said Sirwan Rau'f Mam Raza. Mam Raza said that few mass murderers in the history of humanity did what Majid did to the innocent people of Halabja.
The head of Halabja Victims Group, Luqman Abdulqadir, congratulated the relatives of victims. "We are sorry we didn't execute Majid on the dossier of the Halabja chemical attacks. We wished the decision would have been carried out after the recognition of the Halabja chemical attacks as genocide."
Abdulqadir explained to the media that his group asked the court to name Halabja genocide, but they've yet to receive a reply. "This is the right of victim's relatives. Unfortunately, the court has not given this right to them. But we are happy that Majid was executed for being a criminal of the Anfal Campaign against Kurdish people," he noted.
The Committee of Martyrs, Victims, and Political Prisoners in the Council of Representatives demanded a clearer understanding about the process of executing Majid. "The committee asked for court's action to carry out the decision concerning the execution of Majid much earlier. Although we have our own comments about the method of executing Majid, we are happy," said Muhammad Ahmed, head of the Committee. He noted that the decision should have been carried out more clearly and obviously so that other oppressors would learn from it.
Majid got the death penalty because of his role in the Anfal campaign, said Ali Dabagh, the speaker of the Iraqi government declared. "The execution of Majid was done in the presence of a judge, attorney, doctor, and a number of other people in the legal field," said Dabagh. He said no bad words were used and there were no violations by anybody during the execution.
Kemal Kirkuki, Speaker of Kurdistan Parliament, said that criminals like Majid should be punished to become good examples for other criminals.
"Although we are not supporting the idea of execution against any human being, the crimes committed by such criminals should be subjected to punishment, and other regimes and criminals who hold the idea of imposing their chauvinistic policies should take lessons from him," said Kirkuki during a press conference soon after Kurdistan Parliament held its session.
"Those who carried out the decision to execute Chemical Ali should have implemented the decision after the passage of the legal amount of time, one month, over the court's announcement of the order; this takes into consideration the feelings of Halabja and all other Kurdish people."
During the press conference, Kirkuki stated: "As the Parliament of Kurdistan, we demand that Halabja's atrocious case be called genocide."
Ahmed underlined that the Committee of Martyrs, Victims, and Political Prisoners has made preparations on March 16 (the Halabja anniversary)--also be the last day of Iraqi Parliament's session--to recognize the case as genocide. "Consent from other sides has been given to recognize the Halabja chemical attack anniversary as genocide, similar to what has been declared for the Anfal Campaign day," he said.
