The Islamic Movement's position on the chemical bombing of Halabja

Abstract

The initial capture of the city of Halabja was part of a joint plan between Iran and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), later joined by other Kurdish parties. Although the Islamic Movement had participated in all the joint meetings of the Kurdish and Iranian forces, and its troops had even carried out military exercises, the general leadership of the Islamic Movement issued orders a few days before the attack prohibiting its forces from taking part. Consequently, the movement did not participate in the seizure of the city.

Prior to the chemical bombardment of Halabja, the Islamic Movement attempted to evacuate the civilian population, but stronger opposition within the movement prevented the plan from being carried out. After the massacre, the movement rushed to assist the wounded and document the victims, becoming the first Kurdish party to record and widely disseminate images of this crime. The movement also made considerable efforts to raise international awareness of the massacre, initiating contact with other Kurdish parties to cooperate in delivering the victims’ voices to the world.

Mullah Ali Abdul Aziz became the first Halabja witness to testify before the international court against the Ba’ath regime. On the media front, the Islamic Movement organized several exhibitions displaying images of the victims and published articles and reports in Nafeer magazine, among others, while also sending memoranda and documents to relevant international organizations.

This research relies on the descriptive–analytical historical method, addressing and analyzing the events related to the attack and capture of Halabja, while also evaluating historical sources and highlighting the role of the Islamic Movement in documenting and publicizing this crime at both the local and international levels.