Thirty eight years ago today the sky over Halabja rained poison. On March 16, 1988 Saddam Hussein’s regime used chemical weapons against the Kurdish city of Halabja killing more than 5,000 civilians and injuring thousands more. The truth reached the world because courageous investigators listened to Kurdish survivors. KHRW board member Margareta Hansen documented atrocities against the Kurdish people and helped bring international attention to the suffering of Halabja. Peter Galbraith and Chris Van Hollen, then staff members of the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee, traveled to Kurdish refugee camps, interviewed survivors, and gathered evidence including hair samples that helped prove Kurdish civilians had been attacked with chemical weapons. Halabja became the symbol of the Anfal genocide against the Kurdish people. Thirty eight years later Kurds remember. But Kurds also warn the world. From Halabja to Rojava, from Mahabad to Bakur and Rojhelat, the Kurdish people still face repression, displacement, and attempts to erase their identity. The curse of Sykes-Picot divided Kurdistan and left millions of Kurds under states that denied their rights. Şehîd namirin. Martyrs never die Halabja will never be forgotten. @LindseyGrahamSC
@SenBlumenthal
@MarkWarner
@timkaine
@ChrisVanHollen
@ChrisCoons
@SenatorShaheen
@marcorubio
@SenTomCotton #Rojhelat #StandWithKurds #HumanRights #Federalism #Decentralization #Kurds #Kurdistan #SDF #Rojava #RojavaDefend #YPG #KurdsAndJews #SharedHistory #NeverAgain #Ezidi #IndependenceForRojava #IndependenceforKurdistan #SavetheKurdsAct #Federalism #FederalismforKurdsinIran #FederalismforRojhelat #FederalismforRojava #FederalismforKurds #Rojhelat #StandwithKurdsAct #Halabja #Anfal #Kurdistan #NeverForget #JinJiyanAzadi #Rojava #Rojhalat #decentralization

Developments in northwestern Iran are still unfolding and reports remain unclear, but one truth is undeniable. The Kurdish people across Rojhelat, Rojava, Bashur, and Bakur share a common aspiration for dignity, unity, and democratic self governance. For decades Kurds have resisted authoritarian regimes, defended their communities, and stood on the front lines against extremism including ISIS. The courage of Kurdish fighters and political leaders has repeatedly demonstrated that the Kurdish people are a force for stability and pluralism in the Middle East. This moment must also be a reminder of the importance of Kurdish unity. Political divisions have historically weakened the Kurdish cause. Unity among Kurdish movements and parties is essential if Kurds are to secure lasting rights and protection. The future of the region cannot be built on centralized authoritarian states that suppress ethnic and religious communities. The only sustainable path forward is democratic federalism that guarantees autonomy, cultural rights, and political representation for all peoples. Federalism has already proven to be a stabilizing model in places such as the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the Autonomous Administration in northeast Syria. Similar frameworks can ensure peace, coexistence, and democratic governance throughout the region. The Kurdish people are not seeking chaos or war. They seek recognition, security, and the right to govern their own affairs within democratic federal systems that protect all communities. Kurdish unity and federalism remain the path toward stability, justice, and lasting peace. @POTUS @realDonaldTrump @EmmanuelMacron @SecRubio @SecWar @SenateDems @HouseGOP @HouseDemocrats @SenateGOP @LindseyGrahamSC @netanyahu @ElhamAhmadSDC @ChrisVanHollen @MarkWarner @timkaine @ChrisMurphyCT @SenatorShaheen @gidonsaar @YairNetanyahu @MOSSADil @Israel @kurdistan @Kurds @USAMBTurkiye @amberinzaman @Charles_Lister @MazloumAbdi @sinam56 @ElhamAhmadSDC @Samira_Ghaderi #Federalism #Decentralization #Kurds #Kurdistan #SDF #Rojava #RojavaDefend #YPG #KurdsAndJews #SharedHistory #NeverAgain #Ezidi #IndependenceForRojava #IndependenceforKurdistan #SavetheKurdsAct #Federalism #FederalismforRojava #FederalismforKurds