Shahab Sheikh Nuri
Shahab Nuri Salih Barzinji was a Kurdish politician born in the city of Sulaymaniyah in 1932. Shahab Nuri was the son of renowned Kurdish poet, Sheikh Nuri Sheikh Salih Sheikh Ghani Barzinji and was related to Mahmud Barzanji. Shahab Shiekh Nuri had three brothers; Janab, Nihad and Daro [Daro was also a founding member of the Komalay Ranjdaran Party] and two sisters, Galawezh and Pershing.
Shahab Shiekh Nuri | |
|---|---|
| Founder and First Secretary General Komala | |
| In office June 10, 1970 – November 21, 1976 | |
| Succeeded by | Nawshirwan Mustafa |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1932 Sulaimaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan |
| Died | November 21, 1976 |
| Resting place | Sulaimaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan |
| Political party | Kurdistan Democratic Party (end of 1960's and 1975) Komalay Ranjdaran (1970-1976) Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (1975-1976) |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Revolutionary |
Early political life
Shahab Nuri was the founding member of the Komalay Ranjdaran political organization; Shahab Nuri Sali formed the Marxist, Komalay Ranjdaran Kurdistan on June 10, 1970. Khala Shahab, as he was referred to by those who worked with him, was considered one of the most influential modern Kurdish politician, whose progressive ideology help shape the politics and political ideology of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. Khala Shahab grew up yearning to help the oppressed and was not bound by borders. On a number of occasions, Khala Shahab traveled to Lebanon, Yemen and Syria making contact with global liberation leftist organizations. Khala Shahab inspired his cousin Shaswar Jalal [Shahid Aram], Faraidoun Abdul Qadir and a number of other left-leaning Kurdish nationalists to make international contacts and put forward the Kurdish cause. Prior to forming the Komalay Ranjdaran Khala Shahab joined the mainstream Kurdish movement and partook in the September Revolution and joined the Ahmadist faction within Kurdistan Democratic Party.
Arrest
In late 1975 the Komalay Ranjdaran was faced with a series of arrests against their cadres. The first to get arrested was Anwar Zorab in the city of Baghdad by the Iraqi Secret Security Organization Amin al Khas. After the arrest of Anwar Zorab, Shahab Nuri and a number of his associates, Omar Sayid Ali, Ali Pishkol, Mamosta Jafar Abdulwahid and Awat Abdulghafur headed towards the Iranian border. Shahab Nuri and his four associated were arrested by the Iranian authorities and held at a SAVAK detention center on September 20, 1975. The Komalay Ranjdaran leadership was handed over to the Iraqi Government on January 1, 1976.
Prior to being handed over to the Iraqi Authorities, Khala Shahab instructed all leadership members of Komala to not to admit to anything to the Iraqi Secret Police and instructed them to state they only read leftest books. Khala Shahab, Anwar Zorab and Mamosta Jafar took gave their lives to save their comrades. Though they took blame for all Komala activities, all the Komala members held by the Iraqi Authorities were tortured for 53 days at the Faisaliyah Holding Facility.
Sentencing
One July 11, 1976 Khala Shahab, Anwar Zorab and Mamosta Jafar Abdulwahid were sentenced to death by Jarallah Ubaid Alaf, the head of the Iraqi Revolutionary Court under the Iraqi Judicial Code 175, Order 403.
After the reading of the sentencing, Mamosta Jafar refuted the sentencing and stated to Jarallah Ubaid Alaf, "You are the terrorists, the fascists, murderers, deniers of freedom!" Khala Shahab kept calm throughout the whole ordeal. Khala Shahab, Mamosta Jafar and Anwar Zorab were executed by the Iraqi Government on November 21, 1976.
Khala Shahab is survived by his friend, colleague and comrade, Iraqi President, H.E. Jalal Talabani, His son Soran, who served as Special Assistant to President Talabani and daughter Sozan, currently a member of the Kurdistan National Assembly, grandchildren: Shahab Soran Shahab, Shan Soran Shahab, Rasyan Samal, Rawaz Samal and sister Pirshing Shiekh Nuri.