A Letter from a Broken Heart
In Chamchamal, a Kurdish man named Asi Mustafa Ahmad returns from his military service as a reservist. However, on February 27, 1982, he is captured by the Iranian army.
After eight years of captivity in Iranian prisons, he is released on August 24, 1990, during a prisoner exchange, and he returns to Chamchamal.
When he comes back home, he is surprised to find that his family, wife, and children are nowhere to be found. Later, he is told that his family and relatives have been victims of the Anfal campaign.
Mustafa writes a letter to Saddam Hussein, saying:
> “Your Excellency, Commander and Great Leader, may God protect you.
I am a loyal Ba’athist comrade and a soldier who took part in the great Qadisiyyah war. On 27/2/1982, I was captured by the enemy, and on 24/8/1990 I was freed in the prisoner exchange. When I was released, I kissed the soil of my homeland and saluted your portrait with joy.
I was happy, hoping to see my family again, believing they would be waiting for me joyfully. But when I returned home, I was devastated to learn that my family had fallen into the hands of the Anfal forces.
My family members are:
1. Azima Ali Ahmad, my wife, born 1955
2. Chro Asi Mustafa, my daughter, born 1979
3. Fereydun Asi Mustafa, my son, born 1981
4. Rukhosh Asi, my daughter, born 1982
I kindly request that you investigate and clarify the fate of my family—what has become of them?”
He signed the letter and sent it to the Office of the President.
On October 21, 1990, the Ba’ath authorities replied to his letter, confirming that the information was true and that his family had perished in the Anfal campaign—“in Shalawi Anfal (no trace left).”
—
> A soldier fights for the Arabs, sacrifices his life for the leader, and spends his youth in prison for the sake of the president—only to return, stand before the leader’s portrait, pray for him, and learn that his family has been annihilated by that same regime.
What kind of nation has a heart as broken as the Kurds?
What hope remains in the Arabs?
