Week end in Halabja

I spent the week-end in Halabja. I try to here pictures from there, but as I have said sometimes earlier, the Iraqi internet system is not the same than the European one....


So I succeeded in putting here two pictures from Halabja monument. I did my best to put more. Don't ask me how much time I used trying to do it. And I am now in Suleymania, not in Halabja. There internet is very, very slow.

Back in Kurdistan and Kalar

I returned to Kurdistan at the end of September. I live now in Kalar and work in the university (Sulaimani University, College of Education, Kalar).

Kalar is most southern town in Iraqi Kurdistan controlled by KRG. Kalar lies about 150 km south from Sulaymania and 40 km north to Khanaqeen. The distance to Baghdad is about 200 km.

Kalar is the center of Guermian. Historically it is part of Kirkuk province. The Ba'ath rgime put Kalar to Diyala province, as part of the Kurdish genocide process. It was an act of statistical genocide: the boarders of provinces were changed to increase the proportion of Arabs in the population. The boarder of the areas controlled by KRG and the Baghdad government lies only a few kilometres from here. On the other side is one of the disputed areas, where people desperatively wait the Referendum as described in Article 140 to be put on action.

I did not write any blogs during the summer, but now I will do my best to keep the readers of Sahmaran informed about the life in Kalar and Guermian. I try to put also pictures if I have access to a good internet connection. Here in Kalar its capacity does not seem to be enough to add pictures here.

I will continue blogging

If there happens still to be some one checking what Sahmaran thinks: I have not given up blogging.

But during this summer I have had more problems with lap top than all together during ten years. Now I learn how to use new Windows programme, new photo editing programme and new Power Point programme. I published a new book in Finnish language, it took VERY MUCH TIME to complete it, and now I have spent hours with Finnish journalists interviewing me (not to say anything about being in front of the camera lens instead of being behind it....)

I am still in Finland on so called holidays. I will return to Kurdistan after Eid al-Fitr.

Reparation in Kirkuk Citadel

Kirkuk is again in top news. There was the 20th June 2009 a massive suicide bomb attack - once again. With my condolences to the families of the victims and my respect to the Kirkuk police, which battles against terrorism, I tell some good news from Kirkuk.
Like so many other Kurdish cities and towns, also Kirkuk has an ancient citadel. I visited it for the first time in May 2008; pictures from that journey are in Sahmaran the 23rd June 2008.
One year later in May 2009, I visited it again. There is at least one good news from Kirkuk: the reparation of the Citadel has started in a small scale.

The destruction done by Saddam Hussein is so huge, that it might be impossible to repair completely the Citadel before there is peace in Kurdistan, but this is good start. This is how the Old Town of Kirkuk still looks, after the visit of Saddam’s caterpillars.



Until the destruction of this area, Kurds and Turkmen lived in the Citadel, both groups in their own streets which had been inhabited for centuries.

To repair these houses is huge work which has not yet even started.

But the reparation of the religious monuments is going on.


See the how the minaret looked one year ago:


Now the minaret has been painted:

The history of Kirkuk is thousands years old and it is holy town for many religions, for example for Jews and Christians. Kirkuk was the home town of Prophet Daniel and his grave is supposed to be in Kirkuk. Well, no one knows where it exactly is, but this old building is built as the grave of Prophet Daniel to honour him.

Prophet Daniel's grave 2008:



Prophet Daniel's grave 2009:



Let’s hope that Kirkuk Citadel will be soon in the UNESCO World Heritage Program!

Funeral of Anfal Victims in Rizgari the 14th April 2009

I am now back in Finland after spending nine months in South Kurdistan. I have thousands of pictures and as I have finally possibility to use internet which is fast and working every day, I will put some of my pictures to Sahmaran during the coming weeks.

I start with pictures from funeral of Anfal victims in Rizgari the 14th April 2009.

Anfal, the Kurdish genocide, happened in eight waves in 1989. We mourn now the twentieth anniversary of Anfal.

These bodies were found 2008 in Najaf, where has been found until now 45 mass graves where are both murdered Kurds and Shia Arabs.

Bodies of 187 Anfalized Kurds were identified and returned to Hewlêr the 21st November 2008. They were buried to their home region the 14th April which is the anniversary of the Guermian Anfal. In Rizgari, near Kalar, is a grave yard for these Anfal victims.

When the bodies arrived November 2008 from Najaf to Erbil International Airport, president Masoud Barzani received them. But he did not appear in the funeral in Rizgari, which was a disappointment to the families of the Anfalized martyrs. Neither came president Jalal Talabani (but he sent his wife Hero) or prime minister al Maliki.

Here are pictures from the funeral:














Pictures by Kristiina Koivunen

I have not given up blogging....

... but recent weeks I have been very busy and often away from Hewlêr (in Kirkuk, Halabja, Kalar and Sulaymania) without access to internet. When I have been in Hewlêr, Arianet has been usually not functioning. Iraqi internet system in general has had lots of problems this spring. I heard that they are caused by too many users on limited capasity. Any way, the situation should became soon better.

I will travel soon to Finland, and then I try to put pictures and information to Sahmaran.

Bus journey through South Kurdistan

I travelled from Kalar to Hewlêr the 22nd March 2009 (also the next day after Newroz). I took these pictures from the bus window during the journey. I wanted to put them quick to Sahmaran but it has been delayed due to me being busy and the problems of Arianet (and the Iraqi internet in general).

Isn't Kurdistan beautiful??
Kalar

Darbandikhan

Darbandikhan

Near Sulaymania

Near Sulaymania

Sulaymania garage (bus station)

Near Chamchamal

Chamchamal

Chamchamal

Kirkuk

Kirkuk