Some 70 children and their families gathered in Halabja’s main public park to commemorate the chemical attack on March 16, 1988, that killed thousands of people including many children.
“I am so happy that I have March 16 as my birthday,” Shagul Hasan told Rudaw English, on her 13th birthday.
Shagul, accompanied her father, plans to take part in such joyful events for years to come.
Hasan, 48, recalled the family’s welcoming of their daughter’s birth in 2005.
“We were happy that her birth happened to coincide with this [historic] date. It also made us happy since she is our only child,” he said as he stood next to his daughter wearing traditional Kurdish clothing.
Children with other birthdates also attended the event to enjoy the moment.
Yad, 6, came with his young cousin and father, Izat.
Izat was only 8-years-old when Iraqi fighter jets bombed his city bringing death and destruction. He fled to neighboring Iran like the other survivors.
Injured and having lost his grandfather, grandmother, and a young family member, Izat was missing for two months in Iran before reuniting with his family in 1988.
He hopes events like this can allow future generations to remember, but not be burdened by overwhelming sadness.
“We went through sadness, but this should not happen to our children,” Izat said.
“Commemorating Halabja does not necessarily mean remembering by being sad, we can also make children happy. This will help them know what March 16 is, but through a different method by being happy,” he added.
Towards a New Life, a local organization, organized the event for the fourth year in a row.
The event is to help explain the event to children in Halabja, explained Sarko Halabjai, the local head.
“This is us trying to bring prosperity to Halabja [through these children] instead of being locked up in the past,” he said.
“It is to say that we want the new generation to rescue Halabja,” added Halabjai.
Photos by author
Related: Halabja remembers the 30th anniversary of chemical weapon attack
