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The Tragedy of the Gharna Massacre: Iran
Kurdistan Report, Part II
6.11.2010
By Shahabaddin Sheikhi, translation by Siavosh
Jalili |
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November 6, 2010
One of the most painful human tragedies of the
Kurdistan wars was the massacre of innocent people
in the village of Gharna. The background of this
tragedy dates back to the clashes between the
Peshmarga Kurdish guerrilla and the forces who were
called ‘Javanmardan’ under the command of Mullah
Hassani. The latter were involved in military
incursions and assaults in the region, and also in
the clash with the Peshmargas where some
Javanmardans were killed.
On September 2,1979, around 1:00pm, the forces under
the command of Mullah Hassani launched an assault on
the village of Gharna using tanks and canons. As an
act of revenge against those killed in the earlier
clash, the forces massacred the village people.
Based on the names and statistics available, 64
citizens were viciously murdered, however, the state
puts the number of deaths at 46.
The Kayhan Daily
publication, in its September 6, 1979 edition,
recounted the massacre through the words of
religious leader of the Naghadeh village and the
governor of Western Azerbaijan:
Mullah Saleh Rahimi, while pointing out the tragic
incident in the village of Ghrana
in which some armed and
irresponsible
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Photo of Gharna Massacre, September 2, 1979, around
1:00pm: the forces under the command of Mullah
Hassani launched an assault on the Kurdish village
of Gharna using tanks and canons. As an act of
revenge against those killed in the earlier clash,
the forces massacred the village people. Based on
the names and statistics available, 64 citizens were
viciously murdered, however, the state puts the
number of deaths at 46. Photo: Persian2English. |
individuals killed some of the
village residents as an act of Qesas for the martyrs
of Doab cervix said, “Innocent people who were
martyred in the village of Gharna were all faithful
to the Islamic Revolution.” Mr. Haghgoo, the Western
Azerbaijan governor, also expressed deep regret for
this incident and said, “One cannot attribute such
acts to the government or Islam. Those who have
committed this crime are neither revolutionary nor
the true followers of Imam Khomeini.” Haghgoo added,
“I promise you that those responsible for this
incident will be prosecuted and punished.”
Brigaidier-General Zahirnejad, the commander of army
corps 64 of Orumiyeh who was also present in this
meeting said, “We do not support the murderers, we
support the law.” He promised the Kurdish deputies
of Naghadeh that a special force will be installed
in Naghadeh to protect the security of all Kurdish
brothers and sisters in this town. (Kayhan Daily
September 6, 1979).
Among the reports on this massacre, the one issued
by the representative of Ayatollah Khomeini holds
particular significance. The report of Mehdi
Bahadoran that was sent to the region to investigate
the incidents by an oral command from Ayatollah
Khomeini and a written order from Ayatollah
Montazeri reads:
In the name of God
Your Excellency, Ayatollah Khomeini,
After 25 days of observations and investigations in
Naghadeh and its suburbs as well as other regions of
Kurdistan, the following points can be drawn. The
related documents are attached.
1) Some of the evidence and observations suggest
that a mysterious conspiracy is going on in
Kurdistan and western Azerbaijan. The feudalists and
property owners who were the executive arms of the
Shah in the previous regime have been heavily armed
by people like Dr. Chamran, Gen-Brgd. Zahirnejad,
the commander of brigade 64 of Orumiyeh, Colonel
Shabazian, and other military and Gendarmery
officials to stand up against the marginalized
people who have suffered for many years under the
rule of the feudalists and land owners.
2) Some of the current military elements like the
current commanders of Kurdistan and Western
Azerbaijan and some of the personnel under their
command, due to the lack of a religious and
revolutionary insight and perspective, apart from
their positive works, have fanned the fire and
spirit of hostility amongst the Kurds and Turks to a
degree that the differences and the feuds will
remain forever. Most likely, we will face a
guerrilla war from Democratic Party of Kurdistan (DPK).
This factor has resulted in the resentment and
hatred of innocent people toward the Islamic
Republic and distrust toward us. As a result, people
are pushed toward the DPK.
3) Based on extensive investigation and existing
cassettes, Javanmardan, hired by Gendarmerie, and
fighters disguised as Mujaheds under the control of
Mr. Maboodi and Major Najafi, massacred at least 45
innocent people in their homes in Gharna, a village
in Naghadeh. They then transferred the bodies to the
desert to pretend that the victims were killed in
armed clashes. They looted the villages and set the
homes on fire. Officer Beiglari killed five people
in Koopalkoo. All these incidents are the result of
the inaptitude or treachery of Gendarmerie’s
commanders on one hand and the provocation of
anti-Kurdish sentiments and awakening the spirit of
revenge against innocent Kurds on the other.
Although those responsible for the crimes have been
identified, unfortunately, they enjoy the support of
Mr. Zahirnejad, thus it is not possible to arrest
and punish the culprits.
4) In Naghadeh and its suburb, and across the
Kurdistan and Western Azerbaijan provinces, one of
the reasons behind war and bloodshed is the presence
of armed land owners and SAVAK members disguised as
mullahs who have an anti-Kurdish dogma. These people
have been armed by the army and the Gendarmerie. The
Revolutionary Guards and the Revolutionary Courts do
not have the sufficient power to deal with them. An
example is the case of the village of Gharna where
orders by Mr. Khalkhali, the Sharia judge, and Mr.
Omid Najafabadi were not followed.
5) In addition to a military solution, cultural and
ideological solutions are also necessary to ensure
the development of Kurdistan and Western Azerbaijan.
Recommendations:
- Purgation of fake mullahs who have caused the war
in Naghadeh two to three months ago.
- Arrest and punish those responsible for the
massacre and ransack of Gharna and Beygom, Ghaleh,
and setting fire to the harvest and the houses in
Doab, etc.
- Dismiss and reprimand the commanders who provide
the anti-revolutionary forces with intelligence and
information to try to weaken the Revolutionary
Guards.
- Two investigators from Imam [Khomeini], two from
the government and the Revolutionary Council, and
one investigator from the General Attorney be sent
[to investigate the above-mentioned cases].
Sincerely,
Mehdi Bahadoran (September 15, 1979)
(Published in Kayhan Daily on September 17, 1979)
This is only part of the story and the real account
should be heard from the people of the village of
Gharna. Etela’at Daily, on December 7, 1979,
published a detailed report on the Gharna massacre
in which it examined the events leading to the
tragedy. It also conducted interviews with the
people of the village. Below are parts of the report
released in 1979:
Hamzeh said: “On September 2nd [1979], they
surrounded the village with artilleries and tanks.
Around 1:00pm, a group of about 100 people along
with someone named Ghaderi in the uniform of a
Mujahed guard, attacked houses and killed and
beheaded anybody they spotted. The village clergy
approached them with a few copies of Qur’an and
swore that the people of the village were innocent.
The assailants immediately killed him, beheaded him,
and took his head with them. His head has not been
found yet.”
A woman who has lost her 15 and 18 year old children
in the massacre said, “They showed mercy to nobody.
We have never heard of such atrocities anywhere.
Those who are alive were either away from their
homes and the village, or found a way to hide
themselves [or they would have been killed too].
An old man named Seyyed Ahmad talked about the
weapons they used, “They killed some with knives and
beheaded them. They killed others, especially
children, by suffocating them under their boots and
kicks.” Seyyed Ahmad who has lost nine members of
his family says that he was in Naghadeh that day and
that is why he survived. “When I entered Gharna that
evening, I saw hell before my eyes,” he added.
What do the people want?
Three months has passed since the tragedy
of Gharna. The tormented people of this village talk
about another pain in addition to that of losing
their loved ones. They say, Our pain is that nobody
has helped us during this time. Nobody has come to
see our condition. We see the murderers of our loved
ones walk before us nonchalantly and triumphantly.
Some have even been awarded for this crime. We know
that the person who had planned this massacre was an
army commander. (Etela’at Daily, December 7, 1979)
We Do NOT Want Money
When a group of villagers in Gharna learnt that the
“Good-Will Delegation” had come to Kurdistan, they
travelled to Mahabad in two minibuses. Dariush
Forouhar was very moved and saddened after hearing
their stories. When Mr. Forouhar told the woman who
had lost her two children and husband that her
situation will be investigated and she would be
helped, she yelled, “In our village a crime has
taken place. We do not want money, we only want you
to arrest, try, and punish the murderers of our
loved ones. We want those who have entered our
houses and murdered innocent and defenseless
children and now pass in front of us so comfortably
and nonchalantly to be arrested and tried. We want
nothing but justice. We want someone to answer our
call for help and justice. Someone should come and
investigate this matter. Some came and said, well
this was a war, and such things happen in a war. We
swear to God, to faith, to the prophet, that there
was no war here. They slaughtered a bunch of
innocent people. How could a four year old have
participated in the uprising [of the Kurdish
people]?
Forouhar promised that he would pass their demands
to Imam [Khomeini]. The survivors of the massacres
got on the mini-buses and returned home while they
would not cease mourning and crying for even a
moment. They were still carrying the signs and
clothes of mourning. (Etela’at Daily, December 7,
1979)
On December 12, 1979, Etela’at Daily also published
the open-letter issued by the Iranian Jurists
Society on Kurdistan events, and in particular the
tragedy of Gharna, addressed to the Prime Minister
Bazargan. An excerpt of the letter reads: “You are
aware that in the Kurdish regions of Western
Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, and Kermanshah, horrific
reports on the violation of the basic rights and
freedoms of the citizens have been issued. In
particular, the tragedy in the village of “Gharna”
symbolizes inhuman acts of violence and revenge. It
is necessary that serious investigation be conducted
into this tragedy…our humanitarian and national
responsibility is to stand against this tragedy and
stop the spread of these divisions and feuds… (Etela’at
daily, December 12, 1979, page 2).
In the same time as the Gharna massacre, Mullah
Hassani and the group under his command were
committing similar crimes in other Kurdish villages.
Below is a list of some of the villages that fell
victim to such carnages which were carried out under
the pretext of “purging [the anti-revolutionary], in
line with the [Islamic] Revolution”, and with
support and participation of Mullah Hassani.
On November 4, 1980, a group of people under the
title of the Orumiyeh Basij Committee, which was
governed by Hojatoleslam Mullah Hassani and Azim
Maaboudi, entered the village of Inderghash in the
Sharviran region of Mahbod- with the objective of
purgation. The village of Inderghash and the Youssef
Kond village are located 10 kilometers northeast of
Mahabad. Before this region was raided by the
Revolutionary Guards and the military, it was a
Peshmarga and DPK hideout.
When Hassani and the members of the Basij Committee
under the control of Maaboudi arrived in the region,
they asked people to hand in their weapons in the
name of disarmament. The people explained that the
IRGC was in the area ten days ago and had already
collected all the weapons. Hassani’s armed forces
disregarded the people’s statements and the document
they presented to show that the IRGC had already
gathered the weapons. They attacked and beat the
people up and gave them until the next day to hand
in their weapons. While exiting the village,
Hassani’s troops got attacked by the PDK and were
forced to retract back to the village. Upon their
return, they began to massacre the innocent
residents of the village. In less than two hours, 35
villagers were slaughtered. Hassani’s forces and
Maboudi’s Basij Committee showed no mercy to anyone.
They opened fire on whomever they spotted passing
through the entrance of the village.
On November 8, 1980, four days after the massacre of
Inderghash, Hassani’s forces and Maboudi’s Basij
Committee entered the village of Sofian Ashnuyeh
with the objective of purgation and disarmament.
Without any provocation or ado, they opened fire on
the villagers. The clergy of the village, its
teacher, and 11 others (13 in total) were killed and
20 were injured.
The subsequent massacres
are briefly listed below based on the data provided
by the Cultural Centre against Kurdish Genocide:
1) Massacre of Ghalatan village (Naghadeh area) on
March 26, 1980. 13 people were killed
2) Massacre of Sufian village (Piranshahr area) on
November 18, 1960. 12 unarmed civilians, of whom 7
were over the age of 50, were murdered.
3) Massacre of Bayizabad (Naghadeh area) on November
9,1981. 12 people were killed, but nine names have
been identified so far.
4) Massacre of the workers of the furnace of the
brick factory in Saroghamish on October 15,1981. In
this tragedy 18 people were killed and 13 names have
been identified.
5) Massacre of the people in the village of
Garahgool, Mahabad on January 23, 1982. 18 people
were killed, most of whom were above the age of 50,
and even people between the ages of 75 and 90 were
among the victims.
6) Massacre of nine people in a village near Mahabad
7) Massacres in the Halabi, Kooykan, Kehrizey-e
Shakakan, and Yonaslian villages (all in the
Naghadeh region). More thn 40 people were killed.
The names of only 23 victims were recorded.
8) The massacres of the villages of Deymeh Soor,
Jafar Abad, Marjan Abad (all near Mahabad). In these
attacks which took place on March 16, 1983, many
unarmed civilians were killed, but only the names of
nine have been recorded.
9) Massacre of the villages of Laghoush and Gija (in
Orumiyeh’s Sooma region) on May 22, 1983. The names
of 13 vicitims have been recorded.
10) Massacre of the villages of Choghol Mostafa,
Khalifeh Lian, and Ghourkhaneh (Naghadeh), on March
25, 1982. 6 people lost their lives.
11) Massacres of the villages of Jebreil Abad,
Goondeh, Villeh, and Do Ab (Ashnooyeh) on October
15, 1982. 6 people lost their lives.
In addition to the names of those killed in the
Gharna massacre in 1979, 49 names out of the total
68 victims, and 12 villagers of Ghalatan, 35
residents of Inderghash and Sookand, 12 victims from
Sofian, in 1979, another 27 unarmed civilians lost
their lives in other regions of Kurdistan. Out of
the 27 people, the names of 25 of them are recorded
in the archives of KDP; two other people were
identified in investigations conducted locally.
The limited number of identified victims of 1980 in
the face of large numbers of people attacked from
all sides, and the number of those killed in 1979 as
well as other years, indicate that the statistics
for 1980 is by no means an accurate reflection of
those killed in this year. Based on eyewitness
accounts, thousands of civilians were killed in a
city like Sanandaj (the capital of the Kurdistan
province) without a single name recorded.
Out of the 27 names mentioned above, 6 individuals,
of whom 3 were women, were executed by the firing
squad. It is not unclear whether they were
supporters of political parties or regular citizens.
However, this very point shows that there has been
apparently no distinction between armed Kurdish
groups and unarmed civilians (War in Kurdistan
magazine, 1980, 1981, 1982 annexes).
It can be said that between 1979 and 1983, fourteen
attacks that resulted in the mass killings of normal
civilians took place. In these operations, hundreds
were killed, but only the names of 242 of them have
been recorded. It is noteworthy that out of the 242
people, 105 (i.e. 44%) are Kurds living in the
Naghadeh region; the city of Mahabad with 72
casualties is ranked second. These statistics show
that the Western Azerbaijan province was involved in
the unrest and massacre of innocent villagers more
than any other region, due to the scope of influence
of individuals like Mullah Hassani and Javanmardan
troops.
Report by Shahabaddin Sheikhi. Translation by
Siavosh Jalili, Persian2English
Copyright, respective
author or news agency,
persian2english.com
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