The Monument Of Halabja Martyrs In Iraq

Comments

1. Linguist-in-Waiting says:

   February 4, 2011 at 7:17

   Wow, you’ve traveled quite a bit in northern Iraq! I wonder what the extent is of the fire damage when it was set ablaze.

   Reply
   • Anil P. says:

     February 4, 2011 at 9:35

     Definitely tried in the time I had! The PBS link below shows a small bit from the fire to give you an idea, though it’s not the greatest picture:

     http://www.pbs.org/americarebuilds2/memorial/memorial_halabja.html

     Reply
2. Laura says:

   February 4, 2011 at 18:15

   Really impressed with your travels in Iraq. I’m sure it was a memorable experience.

   Reply
   • Anil P. says:

     February 6, 2011 at 4:22

     Thanks Lauren, it certainly it very high on my list!

     Reply
3. Danee Gilmartin says:

   February 5, 2011 at 13:58

   Such an unique building! It’s really cool to see such established and interesting sites to see in Iraq.

   Reply
   • Anil P. says:

     February 6, 2011 at 4:26

     This one is certainly in the minority of modern sites I’d say. There aren’t too many in Iraq just yet.

     Reply
4. turkey's for life says:

   February 6, 2011 at 3:37

   I guess many monuments like this attract controversy (money spent building them / whether there should be a monument at all) but they’re so important, too, especially for future generations.
   Julia

   Reply
   • Anil P. says:

     February 6, 2011 at 4:28

     I look at these places like an investment; assuming travel to northern Iraq takes off, visitors to this memorial can not only be educated about what happened in Halabja, but also fund the town for many years to come. (Ideally, of course.)

     Reply
     • Priyank says:

       February 7, 2011 at 20:34

       I think its quite a sensitive topic for developing economies to spend their budgets. However, building such structures like bridges, museums, libraries, temples, etc. have a lot of intangible value – for example the residents “feel good” about their city, get a place to relax and wind down, and then a small commercial economy kicks off (which helps in the long run as you said). These benefits cannot be measured and there will always be critics who say its a waste of money.

       Reply
5. Mark H says:

   February 8, 2011 at 17:42

   Having been to quite a number of poor countries that have giant monuments and edifices to events or people past, I get this mixed feeling of whether it is a waste of money (should they be doing more to supply water, food, schools and basic infrastructure) or an important marker in that nation’s history and hence important for their culture and their pride and an assurance that it recalled in future times. Would a more modest memorial have a similar effect? What did you feel as you viewed it?

   Reply
   • Anil P. says:

     February 9, 2011 at 9:12

     I think in this case, since it’s a memorial of so many people who were killed in an act of genocide, a memorial that were too small might be underwhelming or even inappropriate. I may be a bit naive on this one, but all indications are that the local government is hoping to drive tourism to a town that otherwise nobody would have reason to visit.

     The interior is quite touching honestly and the museum candidly shows the violence that took place in 1988. Personally I felt that it was a memorial designed for the outside – which is fitting considering how repressed information about the events there were at the time.

     Reply

Trackbacks

1. Tweets that mention The Monument Of Halabja Martyrs In Iraq | foXnoMad -- Topsy.com says:

   February 4, 2011 at 4:32

   [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Rose John and Turkey's For Life, Marcello Arrambide. Marcello Arrambide said: RT @foxnomad The Monument Of Halabja Martyrs In Iraq – Located in the northern Iraqi city of Halabja, visiting the M… http://ow.ly/1baO6x [...]

   Reply
2. Optimistic, Forgotten, And Burdened: The Plight Of 3 Unrecognized States Around The World | foXnoMad says:

   October 29, 2011 at 6:30

   [...] W. Bush; Kurdish rights were consistently suppressed and abused during Saddam Hussein’s rule, often to horrific extremes.These days the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) flies their own flag (concurrently with the [...]

   Reply