Activists and civil society organizations are transferring 5,000 pomegranate trees from Halabja district of Sulaimaniya Province to Shingal district of Ninewa Province, symbolizing the number of victims of the Halabja chemical bombardent. In return, 74 fig trees from Shingal will be sent to Halabja, representing the number of catastrophes and massacres the non-Muslim Ezidi (Yazidi) community faced.
This environmental initiative, reflecting solidarity and brotherhood between Iraqi cities and different religions, originated from Shinrwe organization in Halabja and the House of Coexistence in Shingal. A group of activists and young volunteers initiated the campaign.
"The initiative is a message confirming that collaborative efforts between different Iraqi cities can bring positive changes, not only improving our environment but also promoting unity and cooperation among the Iraqi people," Mirza Dinayi, head of House of Coexistence, told KirkukNow.
The Coexistence House in Shingal serves as a cultural and social center, providing a platform for the youth of the region from various religious and ethnic backgrounds.
"This environmental exchange between the two cities holds more significance than just planting trees. It symbolizes unity and peaceful coexistence despite historical and environmental challenges, demonstrating that collective actions can have a lasting impact benefiting future generations," he added.
Mirza Dinayi born in Shingal in 1973, son of Agha for Dinnayi tribe family, is known as the director and co-founder of the Luftbrücke Irak (Air Bridge Iraq), a non-governmental organization NGO which helped over 150 Ezidi victims of the Iraq war, rescued women and children from the ISIS-controlled territories and transferred them to Germany, where they received medical care.
In October 2019, Dinayi received the Aurora Award for Awakening Humanity. As the laureate, he could choose 3 organizations to share the $1 million prize. Dinnayi picked Air Bridge Iraq, SEED Foundation and the Shai Fund.
On Friday, March 7, members of the Shinroei Kakaei Organization transported 5,000 pomegranate trees to the Coexistence House in Sinuny sub-district of Shingal, representing the 5,000 victims of the chemical attack on Halabja after the city was bombed.
"Out of the 5,000 pomegranate seedlings, 1,600 were distributed to local farmers for planting, while the remaining were planted in the house under plastic to grow into trees," explained Rangin Salam, a board member.
Shingal, located 120 km west of Mosul, on the border of Iraq-Syria, is home to the Ezidi minority targeted by ISIS in August 2014 and one of the disputed territories between Baghdad and Erbil.
Seized in August 2014 by ISIS militants who accused the Ezidis of being “heretics,” Shingal has been the scene of tragedy: a genocidal campaign of killings, rape, abductions and enslavement, amounted to genocide lately acknowledged by parliaments of Belgium and Netherlands.
Thousands of Ezidi women, girls and kids were enslaved and taken as sex slaves. KRG office for the rescue of missing Ezidis says 6,417 Ezidis were enslaved by IS when it took over Shingal in 2014 and 2,700 of them have been brought to an unknown destiny.
In return, activists in Shingal decided to send 74 fig trees to Halabja next year, symbolizing the orders issued in history against the massacre of the Yazidis.
The pomegranate cuttings were sourced from the gardens of Hawara Kon and Hawar villages in Halabja and the Sharazoor plain.
Halabja, located 240 km northeast of Baghdad, is likely to become the newest province in Iraq. On March 16, 2023, the Iraqi Council of Ministers approved the bill to turn Halabja from a district into a province. The draft bill was sent to the Iraqi parliament to endorse the bill and approve Halabja as the nineteenth province of the country.
March 16 marks the anniversary of the chemical attack on the city by Saddam’s regime in 1988, in which 5,000 people were killed, and 10,000 others were injured.
The chemical attack on Halabja has caused a human and environmental disaster as its effects are still visible. Emad Fairuz, director of the hospital for the treatment of chemical weapons victims in Halabja, said, "Of the 2,300 patients injured by chemical weapons who regularly visit the hospital for treatment, 2,000 are from Halabja".
The population of Halabja province is 68,958 people, according to the Central Statistical Agency of the Iraqi Ministry of Planning in 2019. However, according to the Halabja office of the Independent High Commission for Elections and Referendum in the Kurdistan Region, the population of the Halabja city center is 80,940 people.
"We are not just planting trees; we are planting hope in our hearts. These trees not only show solidarity with the victims of the Halabja disaster but also symbolize resistance and unity against the environmental challenges our country faces," he added.
