Anfal and Halabja

The Anfal campaign and the chemical attack on Halabja: what happened, how it is documented and remembered.

Level

Foundations, Scholar

Who it is for

Adults and older students. Content includes mass violence; support resources are given in every module.

Format

Self-paced online with archival sources and testimony.

About 12 hours. Hours are an estimate.

What you will be able to do

• Describe the events of 1986 to 1989 in order, from documented sources.
• Explain how evidence was gathered, including captured state records and forensic work.
• Compare how parliaments and courts have described the events.
• Approach testimony with care and consent.

Modules

1. Before Anfal. Iraq, the war with Iran and the Kurdish region.
2. The campaign. Its stages, from documented sources.
3. Halabja, March 1988. The chemical attack and its aftermath.
4. Evidence and courts. Records, exhumations and trials.
5. Recognition. How different states and bodies describe the events, with sources.
6. Memory. Survivors, memorials and teaching.

Assessment

A short essay comparing two sources, with a reflection on remembrance.

Status

Draft outline for scholarly review. The lessons, readings and questions are in preparation. Completion is recorded; nothing is accredited.

Course code: KCO-MEM-01.