24 April: Qaladiza Massacre and the Resilience of the Academic Front

Narmeen Othman Mohammad

Written by Journalist Narmeen Othman Mohammad

Conflict Between Light and Darkness
In the history of the Kurdish people, marked by its numerous peaks and troughs, 24 April 1974 does not appear merely as a casual date on the calendar. Instead, it is recognised as a bloody turning point in the struggle between knowledge and ignorance, and between academic dignity and chauvinistic brutality. This event became etched into the national conscience when the Ba'ath regime, in an inhumane move contrary to all international norms and laws, bombarded the city of Qaladiza using advanced 'Sukhoi' fighter jets and prohibited 'Napalm' weaponry. The primary objective of this attack was not only to break the will of the people but to strike the 'University of Sulaimani', which had been relocated to that city during that sensitive period to preserve its independence and authenticity.
The Dimension of Epistemicide
This heinous crime, which resulted in the martyrdom of more than 163 individuals and the wounding of nearly 400 citizens and students, was not merely a transient military act. Rather, it is classified as a systematic attempt at 'Epistemicide'. In political philosophy, epistemicide refers to the destruction of the knowledge systems and intellectual institutions of a nation in order to strip that people of their identity. The Ba'ath regime believed that by striking cognitive centres, it could sever the jugular vein of Kurdish national awareness and dissolve the new generation within the chauvinistic ideology of 'Ba'athism'. The assault on the university on 24 April was an attempt to ensure the Kurds remained only as a physical force, detached from the sources of scientific production and critical thinking.
The University as a Fortress of National Defence
However, at this very point, the oppressor’s equation was overturned; the university transformed from a simple centre of learning into a steadfast 'academic front'. Rather than fleeing or surrendering, teachers and students mixed their blood with the ink of their writings. This resilience sent a clear message to the world and the occupier: the 'pen' and the 'intellect' are not a fortress that can be demolished by bombs. That era proved that when science becomes a tool for freedom, no war machine can suppress its voice. Today, as we look back at that history, we see that the bombardment of Qaladiza did not close the university; instead, it became the catalyst for the creation of dozens of other scientific centres that later became the engines of revolution and uprising.
Modern Academic Duty and Globalising the Cause
As we commemorate this national tragedy today, the responsibility placed upon the universities of Kurdistan and the new generation of academics has evolved. Protecting that 'academic front' cannot be achieved through remembrance alone; it requires the following steps:
 1. Scientific Documentation:
This disaster must be documented within the framework of 'war crimes' and 'cultural genocide' in an academic manner and in the world's living languages (English, French, and Arabic) to be published in international scientific journals.
 2. Countering Extremist Thought:
 Just as the university in 1974 became a barrier against Ba'athist chauvinism, it must today become a barrier against any form of intellectual extremism that threatens coexistence and freedom.
 3. The Development of Science:
The greatest loyalty to the martyrs of 24 April is to raise the scientific standards of Kurdistan to the level of the world's leading universities, to prove that the Kurdish mind has not perished but has instead become part of the caravan of human progress.
The Immortality of the Pen Against the Cannon
This article concludes with the conviction that 24 April is not merely a day of mourning and weeping for the victims, but a day to renew the pledge to the dignity of that struggling intellect which resisted the Ba'athist machinery of erasure and ultimately triumphed.
This commemoration solidifies the truth that any nation that turns its university and science into a defensive front shall never die as an identity. The blood of the martyrs of Qaladiza and the university students is not only written in history; rather, in every classroom and every scientific laboratory in today's Kurdistan, it is their breath and their will that live on. Peace be upon their pure souls, and glory to the ever-thriving academic front of Kurdistan.