ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Mourners gathered in Karbala’s al-Hurr district on Friday to remember Ruqyya, an 11-year-old girl who drowned during her first vacation to Kurdistan Region’s eastern Halabja province, an incident that promoted an extensive rescue effort by volunteers as well as solidarity from the locals.
Rafidh, Ruqyya’s father, told Rudaw that “the scene that will never fade from my memory is their [Halabja people] stance. They were sacrificing themselves. It was a beautiful and honorable stance - they were facing death just for our sake."
He wore a picture of the Halabja Monument - which honors the more than 5,000 victims of the chemical attack on the city in 1988 - pinned to his chest.
Ruqyya was swept away by water in Hawraman’s Zalim resort near Halabja. Her body was recovered on Wednesday after an extraordinary search that involved civil defense teams, security forces, and hundreds of volunteers.
Explaining why they chose the resort for their vacation, Rafidh said Ruqyya had asked him to take the family on a trip to celebrate her school success.
"She said, 'It's the holidays and I passed my exams. What are you going to do for me?'" Rafidh recalled. "I replied, 'With pleasure, I will take you wherever you want.' They said, 'Take us to Kurdistan.'"
Khalid Muhsin, Ruqyya’s relative, told Rudaw, "The respect shown by the people is a sight I will never forget. Because they respected this stranger who was all alone; they did not abandon him.’
“By God, this cannot be forgotten, it will be recorded in history. I extend my respect and gratitude to Sulaimani and to all Kurds,” he added.
Before her body was returned to Karbala, hundreds of people, including officials and residents of Halabja, gathered on Thursday for a formal farewell ceremony honoring the young girl.
Halabja Governor Nuxsha Nasih said during the ceremony, “Halabja has witnessed immense calamity and suffering. That is why I always say that we feel the pain of others much more than people in other places do.”
As a gesture of gratitude, Karbala Governor Nassif Jassim al-Khattabi announced that they will name a street in the province after Halabja.
"Their actions embodied the highest ideals of brotherhood and national unity,” he said in a statement, emphasizing that “the solidarity and cohesion shown toward the family from Karbala reflect the authentic nature of the Iraqi people and their deep-rooted human values.”
The governor has also said he has plans to visit Halabja in the coming days "to personally convey his gratitude and appreciation to the governor of Halabja and its citizens for their significant humanitarian efforts, which will remain a source of pride and esteem for the people of Holy Karbala."
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani also praised the people of Halabja and Hawraman for their efforts.
"I express my great thanks and appreciation to the beloved, noble, and humanitarian people of Halabja province and Hawraman, who over the past few days made tireless and unparalleled efforts to find the body of a tragically deceased tourist from Karbala named Ruqyya," Barzani said in a statement.
"This spirit is never foreign to the culture of humanity and generosity of the people of Kurdistan. I specifically commend the governor of Halabja, the security forces, civil defense teams, and all the volunteers and individuals who played a role in recovering the body," he added.
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