Kurdistan and The Kurds A Divided Homeland and a Nation without ...

demanded his hand over. Sheikh Abdel Salam helped
him escape to the Sheikhdom of Nahri in the mountains
of Hakari. As a result, the authorities launched a huge
military attack, armed with tanks and artillery, on Barzan.
The Sheikh confronted them together with his followers
and they fought the famous battle of Pilah. In view of
the great military superiority of the Ottomans, the Sheikh
ordered his followers with a cease-fire and a retreat to
Iran in April 1914.
After establishing communication with the Kurdish
leaders in Iran as well as the Russians for the sake of
supporting his just struggle against the injustice of the
Ottoman authorities, he set off to return to Barzan. On
his way there, he was captured and taken to Mosul where
the Mayor of Mosul ordered his execution by hanging in
the night of 1 January 1914 together with two of his men
and one of the Rekani's leaders.
The Ottomans hid their corpses by fear that they would
become a shrine and a symbol for the struggle. A few
hours following the execution, Britain mounted a military
campaign against Iraq in the Gulf of Basra. In view of
this incident, the author of “Barzan and the Movement
of Kurdish National Consciousness” (Perash ) related
the following:
“Although the word ‘if’ does not have a place in the
analysis of historical events and their effects on the
changes and human societies, and even though one cannot
reverse the clock and put back the time, one cannot but
help think of the important role that was assigned to
Sheikh Abdel Salam ‘if’ he had remained alive. What
will be the outcome of his people’s Question after the
end of World War I.”
- 37 -