Photograph by Sebastiao Salgado
When Saddam Hussein came into power in Iraq he did a lot of awful things. He killed and persecuted millions of people, even some of his closest friends and allies. All of this was done so he could have ultimate power over the country. Out of all the inhuman things Saddam did, what is shown in this picture above is one of the worst. These people in the picture are Kurds. They live in the north of Iraq in what is called Iraqi Kurdistan. Saddam ordered all of his troops to attack the Kurds in 1983(Salgado). The troops came in the night and took all of the men, most likely to kill them, leaving the women widows. To make matters worse, by Muslim law, these women were not allowed to re-marry until they were completely sure of their husband’s death (Salgado). Many of them, to this day, are still waiting hopelessly for their husbands, fathers, and sons to return to them.
Works Cited
1. Sebastiao Salgado. Photograph. "Migrations: Humanity in Transition [The Human Family Around the World]". Legends Online. PDN and Kodak Professional. Web. ND. 11 Feb. 2010.
This photograph and the story behind it really struck me. I can't imagine waking up in the middle of the night to see my father and brother being viciously abducted and never seeing them again. And to never gain closure. Are they alive? Are they dead? Were the tortured? Nobody knows. Their lives and identities were essentially blotted out from existence, and for what? Power?
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