-
by Ayub Nasri
A man from Qasrok in Duhok has constructed what he believes to be the longest rosary in the world at 1,600 meters.
But the length is second to the significance of Huner's efforts.
"Creating the 182,000 beads rosary is a gesture of tribute to the Anfal martyrs of 1988. I also aim to record my achievement in the Guinness book," he says.
Anfal was a series of atrocities culminating in the Halabja genocide, which many Kurds feel was ignored and forgotten by the world.
The rosary, or tasbih, beads are made from olive pits, which are bountiful in Kurdistan.
"It was at the beginning of 2015 at the highest of ISIS, I got this idea. I told my friends that I would do it," explained Huner.
While Huner does the stringing, his community has helped to gather the olive pits.
"And they told me they would support me and back me if I did, 'It is difficult. But we will be alongside you. Then students brought me [the olive pits]. Then households brought me [their olive pits]," said Huner.
The Yezidi town of Lalish pitched in to help with the project.
"Then some of my friends and acquaintances told me that there are olive pits in Lalish. I went to their leaders, and I got about eight sacks. I gathered about 20 sacks for me to have 182,000," he said.
Every year Kurdistan remembers Anfal through ceremonies. March 16 will be the 30th anniversary of the chemical attack on Halabja that killed 5,000 people and injured another 10,000.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment