According to Salem, many of the residents from these areas were pursued by Saddam’s regime. The Iraqi government at that time accused them of collaborating with Iran and razed several Iraqi border villages to the ground.
Many of the displaced are now living in cities in the Iraqi province of Diyala, Kuwait and elsewhere.
Salem added that "an injustice is being done to these villages in the 2013 budget. I am currently working on preparing a detailed project that will determine the allocation of funds so as to restore these villages. The 2014 budget may contain a solution to this issue."
Salem requested that the governorates in which these villages are located prepare a comprehensive survey and gather all the necessary information for restoration. She also called for civil-society organizations to participate in these efforts.
She said, "We fear that neglecting these villages, which are currently forming administrative councils, will cause them to fall off the map of Iraq. Neglecting these councils could change the geographical map of the country."
A Kurdish representative in the Iraqi parliament said that "the current rhetoric of some politicians regarding restoring the abandoned villages is electioneering."
The representative, who wished to remain anonymous, said, "Local elections are only about three months away. Thus, we will hear about many such projects in the near future. It is all just talk. Not one sheet of paper has been written regarding restoring the decimated villages. We hear talk in the media, but no one introduces projects proposing clear solutions."
Omar al-Shaher is a contributor to Al-Monitor’s Iraq Pulse. His writing has appeared in a wide range of publications including France’s LeMonde, the Iraqi Alesbuyia magazine, Egypt’s Al-Ahaly and the Elaph website.
Comments are closed.