Barzani (tribe)

The Barzani tribe () is a term for both the Kurdish Barzani tribe and for the confederation of various neighboring tribes inhabiting Barzan in Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The Barzan tribe is mostly Naqshbandi and one of the most influential ones in Kurdistan. It is furthermore claimed that the tribe converted to Islam and it has Jewish members as well. Other than the Barzani tribe, the Barzani confederation consists of the Sherwani, Muzuri, Beroji, Nizari, Dolomari, Herki bneji and Gerdi tribes. During the Kurdish genocide, about 8,000 members of the tribe were massacred.
Persecution by the Iraqi Government.
On 10 June 1932 the Iraqi Army approached the Barzani to avenge their forgoing uprising. Some 400 families left their possessions and fled. Women and children went to Turkey and about 250 men stayed to defend their homeland. Between 1932 and 1934 the Iraqi Army together with the Royal Air Force attacked and destroyed 79 villages in the Barzan area. 2382 families had to flee the area. On 11 November 1945 the Royal Air Force bombed and destroyed 35 villages. More than 15.000 civilians fled to Iran. On the 10 April 1947 the Irani Army attacked the Barzani with tanks and artillery and about 5000 men, women and children fled back to Iraqi Kurdistan, where they were imprisoned and held captive between 2 and 12 years.
In July and August 1983, on the orders of President Saddam Hussein over 8,000 men and boys of the Barzani tribe, some as young as 13, were killed by the Ba'athist Iraq.