Peregraf
On the 5th of March, 1991, amidst heavy rainfall, news reached Raniya from the sub-district of Chwarqurna. The news was as follows: a resident of Chwarqurna, named Hama Himbal who was not in a stable mental condition, covered a portrait of Saddam Hussein with mud, the then-president of Iraq, which had been erected within the sub-district, with mud. At that moment, a group of young individuals began to applaud. This event became the catalyst for the initiation of protests and the escalation of tensions within the sub-district.
A few hours after the news of the protest and the commotion caused by the actions of the man named Hama Himbal reached Raniya, the Peshmerga sleeper cells and activists of that district seized the opportunity and amplified the protest in Chwarqurna, spreading rumors among the people that a martyr had fallen. This marked the beginning of the uprising of the people of Raniya, which started on the same day and two days earlier than the planned date. This is according to Niyazi Hama Aziz, one of the participants and activists of the initial uprising, who documented all the events of that day and the following days in a book of records.
On the 5th of March, the people of Raniya rose up and took control of all the Ba'ath Party headquarters, and by the next day, all areas of Bitwen and Pishdar were liberated from Ba'ath regime. On the 7th of March, Sulaymaniyah rose up, and on the 9th of March, Garmian followed. Later, on the 11th of the month, the people of Erbil rose up. The last city to rise was Kirkuk, which did so on the 21st of March, coinciding with the day of Nowruz.
Niyazi Hama Aziz, a resident of Raniya and an active participant in the Kurdish uprising, was affiliated with the Peshmerga sleeper cells and possessed knowledge of the uprising's strategy. He shares an account of the initial stages of the uprising and the occurrences on the 5th of March in Raniya with Peregraf.
“The oppression and tyranny of the Ba'ath regime, the poor living conditions of the people, the economic blockade on Iraq due to the Kuwait war, and the uprising of the Shia Arabs in southern Iraq were among the factors that influenced the people of Kurdistan and the initiation of the uprising”.
The protest in Chwarqurna had significant repercussions
In the days leading up to the Kurdish uprising, the people of Kurdistan were suffocating under the oppression and tyranny of the Ba'ath regime, yearning for freedom and emancipation. The leadership of the Kurdistan Front, which was formed by the Kurdish political parties of that time, had devised a plan for the uprising, deciding that it would commence on the 7th of March. The members of clandestine organizations affiliated with Kurdish political parties and the Peshmerga sleeper cells within the cities were informed of the plan, and preparations began.
Two days before the scheduled date, news arrived in Raniya from Chwarqurna, accelerating the uprising. "Amidst the fervor of preparations, on the morning of the 5th of March, a Tuesday, it was raining. Several youths in Chwarqurna had encouraged Hama Himbal, who was not in a stable mental condition, to deface the hanging portrait of Saddam Hussein. He had covered it with mud, and around 100 people had gathered and began clapping. The regime was alarmed by this action. From Raniya and Hajiawa, forces were sent to disperse the crowd, impose a curfew, and announce a ban on movement. People retreated to their homes, and shops and markets were closed," said Niyazi Hama Aziz.
The information regarding the incident in Chwarqurna reached Raniya after several hours. "We were affiliated with the Peshmerga sleeper cells in Raniya, who had been preparing for the uprising. We seized the moment and exaggerated the situation, asserting that a protest had taken place in Chwarqurna and that individuals had been martyred. In truth, this was not the case; we amplified the narrative ourselves. Gradually, the residents of Raniya began to close their shops and markets, while activists and demonstrators took to the streets, utilizing barrels and green market tables as makeshift barricades. Disorder and confusion engulfed the city."
Following the closure of shops and markets by the residents of Raniya, approximately 100 young individuals from the city initiated a protest that commenced at the Grand Mosque and proceeded towards the security and police headquarters of Raniya. However, they encountered gunfire during their demonstration.
"I was there at that time. The gunfire dispersed the crowd, and they retreated. They regrouped near the Grand Mosque, and at that moment, a young man named Ardalan Adham Ali Beg, who now lives in Norway, brought a Kalashnikov from his home. He said, 'This regime won't fall by clapping,' and began shooting at the security forces. The people then took to the streets more fervently," recounted Niyazi Hama Aziz.
Following the recollections of a participant in the uprising, it was noted that after the shooting of Ardalan, Ali Nabi, a key figure in the Raniya uprising, along with his family members, took to the streets armed. Ali Nabi, who lost his life in 1994 during the civil conflict between the PUK and PDK, was actively engaged within the city and maintained ties with the Kurdish revolution and the PUK. He and his relatives had adequately prepared for the uprising. Members of the Ba'ath Party, who arrived to quell the protests, mistakenly believed that Ali Nabi and his family were there to support them. As result, two of the members the Ba'ath Party and government security forces were killed near the Najiyah Khan Mosque, prompting gunfire to erupt from all directions. The Ba'ath Party headquarters, along with security offices and intelligence buildings known for their torture practices, came under attack. Ali Nabi and his group launched an assault on the security headquarters.
The Loudspeakers of the Grand Mosque Stirred the People
Simultaneously with the start of the shooting against the Ba'ath regime, Niyazi Hama Aziz, along with three friends named Jamal Abdullah Mergayi, Salah Jamal, and Abdullah Rash, broke into the Grand Mosque of Raniya. In the 1980s, that mosque had been a platform for rallying the people during protests and public activities.
"From the mosque's loudspeakers, we encouraged the people in Kurdish and Arabic, which had a significant impact on stirring the people, as the sound reached every home in Raniya. It created public enthusiasm. Those who had weapons brought them, and even Kurdish soldiers loyal to the regime joined the revolution and played their part."
The fervor and unity of the people against the Ba'ath were such that no one mentioned party affiliations, and everyone's goal was to overthrow that regime.
Niyazi Hama Aziz, who owned a café near the Grand Mosque of Raniya, closed his café at the start of the uprising and, along with several others, formed a media team and established a radio station for the uprising, turning the café into the station's headquarters. "The station operated for two days after the uprising, with a young technician named Abdullah Mala Rasul, and we broadcast until the 15th of March."
According to Niyazi Hama Aziz's records, documented in the 1992 booklet (The Uprising of Bitwen), on the 5th of March, 9 people were martyred in Raniya, and throughout the days of the uprising, the martyrs of the Bitwen and Pishdar regions reached 60. Niyazi Hama Aziz documented the names and photos of 56 martyrs and the Peshmerga sleeper cells of all Kurdish political factions in his booklet.
The uprising participant recounted that the people of the uprising treated the regime's soldiers well and did not torture any prisoners. "Those who did not fight were not killed; they were taken prisoner near the Grand Mosque. On the first day, around 700 people were taken prisoner."
The Return of the Peshmerga and the Title of "Gate of the Uprising"
On the 5th of March, the entire city of Raniya was liberated, and the following day, the regions of Bary Marga, Pishdar, and Bitwen were almost completely freed. On the night of the 7th of March, Peshmerga forces arrived in Raniya.
"On the 8th, the Peshmerga came down from the mountains and mingled with the public. On the 10th, they began arriving one by one, announcing through the radio that such-and-such a Peshmerga unit from such-and-such a political party had returned. This was met with applause among the people. For three to four days and nights, thousands of men and women celebrated in front of the Grand Mosque. Later, the leaders of the Kurdistan Front arrived in Raniya on the 11th of March, including Masoud Barzani, Nawshirwan Mustafa, Kosrat Rasul, and Ali Bapir. For history, I will say that Rasul Mamand (a leader of the Socialist Party) arrived on the 8th and, for the first time, declared the title 'Gate of the Uprising' from the Grand Mosque of Raniya," Hama Aziz says.
Hama Aziz, a participant in the uprising who is no longer connected to the PUK, noted that most of the key figures during the Raniya uprising were linked to the PUK. He attributed this to “the robust presence of their secret party organization in the area”.
The Ba'ath regime did not remain idle in the face of the popular uprising. "On the 6th, the 5th Division of the Iraqi Army and Qasim Agha of Koya, who was a Mustashar, came to retake Raniya. Between Raniya and Hezop, where I was very close to the battle, they were repelled, leaving behind three tanks and several officers and soldiers were killed. Their attack was defeated." The term "Mustashar" referred to Kurdish tribal leaders who were on the payroll of the Iraqi Ba'ath government. These leaders were heads of the National Defence Battalions, also known as the Fursan (Knights) in Arabic.
Situated between Raniya and Chwarqurna was an Iraqi military installation that accommodated the 24th Division of the Iraqi Army. On March 6th, a number of helicopters were dispatched to evacuate senior officers from the base. "Their purpose was to transport the high-ranking officials to Kirkuk; however, upon their arrival, the division had already been seized by the people. We also apprehended the division's commander, ensuring that he was neither harmed nor tortured."
Niyazi Hama Aziz stated that the division commander had the capability to inflict considerable casualties on the participants of the uprising in Raniya. He noted, "The base was merely 3 kilometers away from Raniya. Had that officer chosen to deploy artillery and mortars against Raniya, we would have witnessed numerous fatalities. He possessed tanks and artillery at his command. Nevertheless, the division was unable to prevail, as the determination of the people was unstoppable."
Niazi Hama Aziz clarifies that the division commander did not rejoin the Ba'ath regime. Instead, he traveled to Iran to align himself with the Shiite opposition parties and has recently been teaching at the Chawarqurna Military Staff College.
The Courage of Women Made Men Forget Fear
Alongside the men, women played a significant role in the uprising, with martyrs among them and contributing to the public fervor of the uprising. They were active at a time when, as Niyazi Hama Aziz recounted, they were not sure they would survive.
"On that day, most women had brooms and cleaning tools. They confronted the regime in every way. The enthusiasm and applause of the women made men forget what fear and bullets were. An example was a woman named Gulabakh, who was martyred that day," said Niyazi Hameaziz.
Maryam Qadri, known as Gulabakh, was from Kermanshah Province in Eastern Kurdistan and was a Peshmerga of the Kurdistan Freedom Party of Iran, whose headquarters were near Raniya at the time.
Gulabakh had armed herself on the day of the uprising, wearing men's clothing and carrying a rifle. She joined the uprising's crowds to attack Ba'ath Party headquarters.
As Niyazi Hama Aziz recounted, the role of poets and intellectuals was very prominent. "Ahmed Shewa, a famous poet of the area, led the people, reciting poetry and encouraging them."
The people of the region were overjoyed by the uprising and their liberation from the Ba'ath regime, treating the days of the uprising like a festival. "We didn't know that the victory would be of such magnitude. It was a dream come true," said Niyazi Hama Aziz.