3/05/2004
13th anniversary of The Greatest Uprising
Today, 13 years ago on 5th of March 1991, we were all sitting with my family trying to enjoy our dinner.. My dad was listening to the Kurdish Radio of "People of Kurdistan" which was being broadcasted from the mountains... I did not have much knowledge about the Kurdish struggle then as it was a very sensitive issue and parents tried to not talk about it in the presence of their kids, fearing the Iraqi government's security forces.
Soon, my dad started dancing and jumping as the Radio said "Raniya is liberated, the party will go on ".. My mom tried to cool down my dad as he was really over-excited.. My dad tried to explain what "Peshmarga" are and what have happened to his brother. My mom told him to wait for a few days.
Rania was liberated and a huge number of Baathiests and Iraqi security forces, who were killing thousands and thousands for years, were given their fate.
Rania is now nicknamed "The Gate of Freedom".
On 6th of March 1991, senior Iraqi figures in Sulaimani were fleeing the city. As the Kurdish Radio of "People of Kurdistan" announced in a coded message "Tomorrow there will be a party in Sulaimani, invitation is for all". ..
to be continued..
