Peregraf- Sangar Salar
One sister and four brothers, with the eldest being only 12 years old. They are going through a very tough situation, away from their parents. Nevertheless, they do not lose hope towards a new life.
31 years have passed since the Halabja’s massacre. These five children, who had not been affected by the bombardment, including the sister, are living a quite success life.
"Despite the tough life we had in the past, we did not give up. We are the successors of the martyrs and should not be giving up and be depressed. We should do our best to serve the homeland, the city and relatives of the victims," Hassan Morad told Peregraf.
Hassan was only 10 on the day of Halabja chemical attack on 16 March, 1988. Himself and his three younger brothers along with his sister found a way to survive. His other sister had been isolated.
"Halabja must regain its identity as the city of humanity and science once again as it was in the past. We must erase the relic of the Black Hand on Halabja so as the next generations can be free of the victimhood condition," Hassan said as a message to the city’s people to stop living in the past, at the moment of the massacre, but rather shift it to a successful life, just as they did.
Hassan’s family consists of four brothers and three sisters. Days before the 16th of March 1988, due to the ongoing bombardment, they had hid themselves in a basement in Anab village (The closest village in the east of Halabja). In the evening of the event of the chemical attack, some people had come in the basement and told them the news: Saddam Hussein’s regime had attacked Halabja using chemical weapon.
Immediately they collected blankets and coal at the basement in order to be used to prevent themselves from being affected by the chemical gas if they were attacked too. These preparations were not enough to ensure the family’s safety. Thus they decided to leave the city. The seven-member family was divided; four brothers and a sister have gone by a neighbor’s car, "Late in the evening, amidst lots of tears, we got in the car and bid farewell to our parents for the last time, as we never saw them again."
Slman Hamasaid and Morad Mohammad, the parents of Hassan who martyred at the attack
Back then, Hassan was in grade four at primary school. He was with Hussein, 7 years, Hoshmand, 4 years, Hoshyar, 2 years and a 12-year-old sister.
While trying to escape Halabja, they inhaled the chemical gas which caused vomiting. They had seen many corpses on the road, affected by the attack.
When they had reached Balkha School, it was full of hungry and thirsty people, all escaping the chemical gas, "My sister tried to get something to Hoshyar, but she got nothing."
At night, Hassan’s and his father’s uncle managed to reach them. Hoshyar’s was silent and his body was cold. They thought he was dead and wanted to bury him, "My sister Gashaw and my uncle’s wife said we would take him with us wherever we go. When we reached Iran we realized he was not dead."
Hassan, alongside his sister and brothers, reached a village close to the city of Paveh in Iran. The next day, they realized that they could not see and perhaps had all lost their sight due to having been affected by the gas. Their clothes were burned and breastmilk was used to cure their eyes. After a few days, they could see again.
Hassan Morad and his brother Dr. Hussein at a camp in Iran 1990
The village was the main road for the people of Halabja who fled, "On a daily basis, we went to the streets to check the cars and the passengers, looking for mom and dad, until we found my father’s uncle. He hugged us, telling us not to look for them anymore, they had all been martyred."
Only Hassan’s sister, Bafraw, could survive and reach them to Iran. Otherwise, his parents, a sister and 20 more relatives had all been martyred during the massacre.
Those children alone were sent to a camp and settled in a tent until they found their grandfather who looked after them since then.
They were in a bad condition in Iran and their grandfather did not let them go to school. "But my sister secretly made a bag for Hoshmand and sent him to school."
Gashaw Morad, Dr. Hussein Morad, Bafraw Morad
After the Kurdish uprising in 1991, a new phase in the life of those five children had started. They went back to school, trying to surpass what they had suffered from in the past.
Their grandfather died in 1996. The four brothers and the two sisters had to face a lot of difficulties again, but they did not give up and strived.
"When I was 18 years old, my elder sister and I took the responsibility of growing our sister and brothers," Hassan said, who left school when he was at secondary level, with a view to feed his family from Iran to Baghdad.
After returning from Iran, Hussein’ grandfather took them back to their village (Kharpani) to work
Finally, some of the children completed school. Hoshyar, who was thought to be dead and was about to be buried, graduated from the College of Medicine, with a high degree. Hoshmand became a doctor as well, Hassan also went back to study and is now a teacher in Halabja’s fine art institute.
"My sister Gashaw was in grade six at the time of the attack. Later she left school and dedicated her entire life to educate us. After we completed our studies, she went back to school once again and now she is at the fifth grade of Computer Institute in Halabja."
Hassan does not want to live within the pain of Halabja. On the 25th anniversary of the attack, he has drawn the famous Omar Khawar’s picture differently. In his drawing, the child has grown up and is carrying his father on his back, "The meaning is that we have to stand up again."
The drawing of Omar Khawar and his child by Hassan
"It is always said Halabja was the city of science, art, intellectual and poets in history. But we have to ask ourselves what do we need to do now. We have to go back to the right way and keep going towards the humanity and advancement approach."