“What we offer to the families of Faili martyrs is a small expression of our enduring responsibility and gratitude for their sacrifices," Sudani told the families, as cited by his office.
The gathering followed Sudani’s January decision to designate April 2 as Faili Martyrs’ Day – commemorating victims of the former Baathist regime.
In Diyala and Wasit provinces, where the majority of Faili Kurds live, the governors “have been instructed to rehabilitate historical Faili neighborhoods along the border and allocate employment opportunities for members of the community,” the statement said.
A plot of land will also be allocated for a cemetery to honor their memory, it added.
Faili Kurds have historically settled across the Zagros Mountain range and speak a distinct dialect of Kurdish, a sub-dialect of Luri. Unlike other Kurds, who are mostly Sunni Muslims, Faili Kurds are Shiites, consequently, they have been exposed to persecution, especially during the Baath party’s reign in Iraq.
Sudani also issued an order to appoint a “liaison” with the interior ministry to “follow up on matters related to the issuance of citizenship and the correction of personal records.”
Because they practice Shitte Islam, the Ba’athist regime viewed the Faili Kurds as Iranian sympathizers. This led to the execution of over 22,000 Faili youths during the Iraq-Iran War (1980–1988), along with the mass revocation of Iraqi citizenship, forced expulsion to Iran, and confiscation of their property — measures that had already begun in the preceding decade.
In 2006, the Baathist-era decree was repealed and Faili citizenship was restored.
Sudani also encouraged the families of the Faili victims to file lawsuits against former regime officials involved in their “genocide.”
“Families of the victims are encouraged to pursue justice through the courts,” the statement affirmed.
Sudani further ordered the formation of a committee to establish “fair criteria” for distributing housing units in Wasit, southeast of the capital Baghdad, where the Faili Kurds are concentrated.
The Iraqi Supreme Court in 2010 considered the crimes committed against Faili Kurds and ruled they constituted genocide.
Today, an estimated 1.5 million Faili Kurds live in Iraq, according to the Minority Rights Group.
There are no confirmed numbers on how many Faili Kurds have had their property returned to them or how many have gotten their renewed citizenship documents.
