Halabja Trends on Twitter – Social Awareness Campaign
Photo: Hawri Tofik (@iirwaH)
Alliance For Kurdish Rights has been using social networking tools to raise awareness for Halabja genocide, which took place on March 16, 1988. We have written about what happened in the massacre here, why it is important to remember it here, and briefly highlighted the history behind it here. Today, Kurdish activists helped trend #HalabjaNeverAgain on Twitter by highlighting the atrocities that were committed by the former Iraqi regime.
Please sign this petition to recognise Halabja as a Genocide in United Kingdom, launched by MP Nadhim Zahawi, which has over 500 signatures so far. We have a separate campaign for this petition in the coming months, for now, read this selection of tweets and our Strorify here.
Pro-Kurdish activist and blogger Mark Campbell helped raise awareness about this campaign on TwitterKurd’s Facebook and Google group. In a short statement he said, “The world must remember Kurdish people, and their complicity in the Kurdish genocide. We will not forget, and we will never give up hoping for an independent Kurdistan”.
Today the #Kurdish people remember a tragic day in history for all of Humanity. March 16th 1988, #HalabjaNeverAagain twitter.com/kurdyouth/stat…
— KAYO Kurdish Youth (@kurdyouth) March 16, 2012
We’ll be tweeting with this HT #HalabjaNeverAgain to raise awareness about the Halabja genocide & Kurdish struggle in Turkey, Syria & Iran. — Ruwayda Mustafah (@RuwaydaMustafah) March 16, 2012
Today is the 24th anniversary of the Halabja genocide. The former Iraqi Baath regime tried to wipe Kurds out in 1988. #HalabjaNeverAgain
— Ruwayda Mustafah (@RuwaydaMustafah) March 16, 2012
I remember a victim who ws blinded by chemical weapon in 1988 who stayed at our home for weeks untill he found his family #HalabjaNeverAgain
— Shakawan (@Shakawan) March 16, 2012
Halabja is not just crime againt humanity but a symbol of oppression against Kurdish people #HalabjaNeverAgain — Sazan M. Mandalawi (@Sazan_Mandalawi) March 16, 2012
Streets of Halabja were piled with corpses.Children playing in the streets who were killed instantly #HalabjaNeverAgain twitter.com/SayaReb/status… — Saya Reben (@SayaReb) March 16, 2012
24 yrs ago today Saddam launched his Genocidal campaign against Halabja. As innocents died, the world remained silent. #HalabjaNeverAgain
— Qubad Talabani (@qubadjt) March 16, 2012
#HalabjaNeverAgain in memory of 1988 genocide of #Kurds in Iraq, and in the awareness that in 2012 kurdish rights arent yet granted
— Ines Fezzani (@TunisianAmazigh) March 16, 2012
Saddam Hussein ordered the chemical attack on the Kurdish city of Helebce 5000 died instantlyhalabja.org” #HalabjaNeverAgain — Hevallo(@Hevallo) March 16, 2012
One survivor’s witness account of #Halabja youtube.com/watch?v=TSj1zK… #HalabjaNeverAgain with English subtitles — Sazan M. Mandalawi (@Sazan_Mandalawi) March 16, 2012
How can we be silent? Speechless. #HalabjaNeverAgain twitter.com/RazhanK/status…
— Razhan Kawa (@RazhanK) March 16, 2012
Today marks the 24th anniversary of the Halabja genocide – 24 years later & the media still acts like it never happened. #HalabjaNeverAgain
— Nusaybah Khalil (@FromNusaybah) March 16, 2012
The day evil was personified and a paradise became a living hell. We will never stop claiming what is ours; Kurdistan! #HalabjaNeverAgain — Delal Sindy (@delalsplace) March 16, 2012
Overwhelmed by all these images of dead Kurdish children, women & men in Halabja. #HalabjaNeverAgain — Saya Reben (@SayaReb) March 16, 2012
Saddam gassed 5000 Kurds in Halabja in Mar1988.Long before him,Winston Churchil was in favour of using gas against Kurds of Halabja in 1920s
— kurdish blogger (@kurdishblogger) March 16, 2012
Many sought refuge in their basements and cellars unaware that it was a chemical attack. #HalabjaNeverAgain
— Akhink Omer (@Akhink) March 16, 2012
Witnesses described blinding gas that dropped people dead in their tracks. #HalabjaNeverAgain — Akhink Omer (@Akhink) March 16, 2012
Every genocide murders a piece of the whole world. #HalabjaNeverAgain
— Yekbun (@Yekbuns) March 16, 2012
5000 civilians in Halabja were gassed to death and thousands others suffered long-term effects from chemicals.#HalabjaNeverForget
— Hevallo(@Hevallo) March 16, 2012
We remember, we remember #HalabjaNeverAgain
— Shyee Salihy (@ShyeeS) March 16, 2012
those doors in the town of halabja. they look like the doors in the town of qamişlo. #HalabjaNeverAgain? it is happening now.
— naila bozo (@nailabozo) March 16, 2012
This is our brother, this is our sister. Mourn for them, remember them. #HalabjaNeverAgain #TwitterKurds twitter.com/PoetryinMotion…
— Sarah Naz (@PoetryinMotion3) March 16, 2012
Halabja is still not recognised internationally – why?? do we still have Saddam sympathisers. #HalabjaNeverAgain
— Gelawêj (@UnitedKurds) March 16, 2012
Baath regime in Iraq massacred thousands of Kurds & in Syria continues to do the same. No more! #HalabjaNeverAgain
— Ronahe Mustafah (@Ronaeh) March 16, 2012
Halabja Genocide is still not globally recognised. Thousands of Kurds perished in a couple of hours. #HalabjaNeverAgain
— Ronahe Mustafah (@Ronaeh) March 16, 2012
Comments
Have the Kurdish leaders got a real lesson from Halabja? if yes, then they should know that whenever the Iraq-Arab leaders have a strong regime, they won’t hesitate to do what Saddam did to the Kurds!
How can we be silent? Halabja is a crime against humanity!
http://www.islamicthinkers.com/massacres/albums/userpics/10001/2003-12-20-spiegel-halabja.jpg