The Process of the Evacuation of Villages in Southern Hawraman, Kurdistan (1978–1988)

Abstract

In the aftermath of the collapse of the September Revolution (1975) and the subsequent resurgence of revolutionary activity in Southern Kurdistan, the Iraqi government embarked on a systematic program of forced displacement, resulting in the destruction of numerous villages in border regions. Consequently, the residents of Hawraman villages were subjected to displacement policies and destruction in several phases from the late 1970s until the conclusion of the Iran-Iraq War. The inhabitants of the Hawraman region provided refuge for those opposing the Iraqi army and constituted a revolutionary force in their own right. They also served as a source of livelihood and provisions for the Peshmerga. The regime's belief was that the destruction of the villages would lead to the termination of the Peshmerga's revolutionary struggle. The process gave rise to a range of consequences, including political, economic, social and other implications, with some even attempting to eradicate the region entirely. The historical remnants of Hawraman villages demonstrate that ways of life prior to 12 September 1978 were displayed differently than they are today. In order to comprehend the policy of displacement, its methods and impacts, efforts have been made to reframe the research in an academic context using descriptive-analytical methodology and oral history. The displacement of rural communities, precipitated by the implementation of policies aimed at uprooting and inverting the form of rural life, engendered significant challenges concerning accommodation and well-being within the context of forced camps. This has resulted in the gradual weakening and subsequent extinction of the region's superior Hawrami culture, generation after generation.