ABSTRACT

This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book explores the traumas women experienced as a result of Anfal through gas exposure; uprooting; witnessing violence and destruction; loss of possessions, family, community, and means of employment; and dealing with poverty, stigma, and exclusion in the aftermath. It suggests political instability in the region, in particular the Kurdish civil war, destroyed the safety and security required to achieve change. The book argues that Anfal was genocide and that silence around it was due to converging international interests. The book discusses the strengthening of tribalism in the Kurdish community led to chaos and an increase in violence against women. Herman points out that the process of mourning can be so painful that survivors try to avoid it. The Iraqi state's motive behind the September 1988 General Amnesty was studied followed by a discussion about whether or not Anfal was genocide.