The Tragedy of the Missing Barzanis

The Barzani tribe had long been a thorn in the flesh of the Iraqi central government. Hostilities reached boiling point during the Iraq-Iran War when Saddam Hussein accused them of collaborating with the Iranians. Soon afterwards between 5,000 and 8,000 Barzani tribesmen were abducted and never seen again.

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Survivors of Kureme

In 1988 the Iraqi army launched a ferocious attack on Kurdish communities south of the Turkish border. Fleeing towards Turkey, the villagers of Kureme found their route blocked by Iraqi soldiers and were captured. The male villagers were put in front of a firing squad – yet six survived to tell their story.

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‘I didn’t know the flag I made for the Kurds would be so important’

A flag sewn by a 14-year-old girl called FATIMA ASSAD SHAHIN became a powerful symbol for the short-lived Kurdish Republic of Mahabad in Iran. Fatima's flag has since become an icon in Kurdistan.

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