Iraqi President: Time to abolish unfair laws against Feyli Kurds
During a memorial marking Feyli Martyrs Day, Rashid emphasized the need for broader justice measures. 'The presidency continues to stand with the Feyli Kurdish community in defending their rights,' he said.
The statement follows Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani's decision to designate April 2 as the official date to commemorate Feyli Martyrs Day and allocate land for a cemetery honoring victims. However, some members of the Feyli community objected to the date, arguing that April 4 is more historically significant, marking the beginning of their forced displacement and persecution under Saddam Hussein's regime.
Feyli Kurds suffered mass displacement, executions, and citizenship revocations during the Baathist era. According to Tareq Al-Mandalawi, the prime minister's advisor on Feyli affairs, 16,350 victims are documented in the Martyrs Foundation's records—part of an estimated 60,000 Feylis executed during Saddam's rule.
Feyli Kurds are an ethnic minority with historical roots on both sides of the Zagros Mountains along the Iraq-Iran border. Today, Iraq's estimated 1.5 million Feylis reside mainly in Baghdad, the eastern provinces of Diyala, Wasit, Maysan, and Basra, as well as in the Kurdistan Region, according to the Minority Rights Group.
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