UOD – August 26, 2025 | University Press Office (UNPO) | On the 37th anniversary of the Anfal genocide’s final phase in Badinan, the University of Duhok’s Center for Genocide Studies, in collaboration with the Organization of 88 for the Recognition of Anfal Crimes, hosted a forum that rigorously examined the brutal reality of this atrocity and reaffirmed the university’s commitment to genocide studies, documentation, and public awareness.

President Dr. Dawood Sulaiman Atrushi opened the forum, stressing that “genocide is a multidisciplinary field,” and emphasizing the necessity of continuous expert engagement to ensure scholarly excellence. He also announced that the center will soon publish eight new books on Anfal.

Forum Highlights & Key Discussions

The forum featured three thematic panels that shed new light on the Badinan phase of Anfal:

• Geopolitics of Destruction
  Dr. Salim Jasim Haji analyzed the distinct nature of this operation, noting the deployment of approximately 200,000 troops, use of chemical weapons, and intensive reconnaissance across a vast geopolitical landscape that bordered four countries. Human Rights WatchRefworld
  
  
• Regime Motivations Explored
  Mr. Omed Mohammed Tahir elucidated the Ba’athist regime’s strategic drivers—including control over agriculturally rich land, Peshmerga suppression, and the forced demographic engineering of Kurdish areas.
  
  
• Literature as Witness and Resistance
  Mr. Mohsen Abdulrahman addressed how poetry and literary expression preserve memory and convey the emotional weight of genocide. He cited poetry’s ability to articulate unspeakable trauma and foster empathy beyond prose. LSE Blogs
  
  

A survivor's testimony provided the most poignant moment: “Out of 33 people, 28 were killed, and only 5 of us survived”—a stark reminder of the human devastation at the heart of Anfal.

Legacy of the Badinan Anfal

The Badinan phase, which began on August 25, 1988, saw widespread use of chemical weapons on dozens of villages, mass executions, and forced displacement to camps such as Nugra Salman—all part of a genocidal campaign meticulously orchestrated by the Ba’athist regime. Wikipedia

The Genocide Research Center: Advancing Scholarship and Memory

Founded in 2018, the Genocide Research Center at UoD is devoted to collecting, preserving, and archiving documents related to genocides against Kurds—particularly Anfal and Sinjar. It also compares these events with other global genocides such as the Holocaust, and organizes academic forums, including this one, under its emerging strategic framework.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MEDIA COVERAGE FOR THIS EVENT

University Press Office, August 26, 2025
Reported by: Ismat Mahmoud Mohammed, Fatima Mahmood Ali
Photography by: Mohammed. A. Tahar

The News Keywords

• Anfal Genocide Badinan
  
  
• Genocide Research University of Duhok
  
  
• Chemical Weapons Kurdistan 1988
  
  
• Kurdish Genocide Documentation
  
  
• Literary Memory of Anfal