Iraq: The Cemetery at Barzan

Facebook
Twitter
Email
WhatsApp
Print

by Sam Jerome, delegation member

The Barzani: a clan, a people from Barzan;
Barzani: their leader, inciting rebellion against Saddam;
Saddam: the intolerant, hatred untamed;
He storms in and transports 10,000 of the clan
to the south,
to Baghdad.
And killed,
mass graves.
Anonymous,
unnamed.

But now, after years,
the graves are exhumed.
Brought north, to Kurdistan,
to their home: Barzani land.
A hilltop among hills.
At home, among mountains.

There’s an old Kurdish saying: 
“We’ve no friends,
but the mountains.”
And so now, after years,
they rest.
Among friends.

Subscribe to the Friday Bulletin

Get Ryan’s thoughts and the entire bulletin every Friday in your inbox, and don’t miss out on news from the teams, a list of what we’re reading and information on ways to take action.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Read More Stories

Crisis and community

As we enter 2026, we are adjusting to a world in flux. Last week the United States invaded Caracas and abducted Venezuela’s president Maduro. He

A military base in the distance

Sand in the gears

The PKK-Turkey peace process has been underway since February this year. Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, ordered the PKK to

Vegetation growing out of a wall

Belonging to the land

In occupied Palestine, access to one’s own land is never guaranteed. The simple act of farming can become a battle over identity and survival.

Skip to content