ABSTRACT
In the aftermath of acts of genocide in the twentieth century, remembrance has more than ever been shaped by globally circulating epistemic and visual translations. This chapter describes the anthropological research on the memory translation of al-Anfal – a still contentious historical event. The Ministry sought not only to have al-Anfal internationally recognized as genocide but also to produce a national narrative/memory/identity at the same time. It is important to note that religious intervention is a persisting motive as to why the chemical bombings of Halabja have been separated from al-Anfal operations and treated as a separate case of genocide. This chapter discusses how the minister translates al-Anfal into the memory of the Kurdish nation and homeland, speaks of how al-Anfal should be remembered and best preserved, and of how in merging survivors' memory and persistent pursuit of justice it legitimizes his own and the Ministry's political authority.
