Zimnako- a lost child of Halabja

Zimnako was about three months old on the bloody Friday of March 16th 1988, when the Iraqi Baathist regime dropped chemical weapons on the town of Halabja. That morning was the last time Zmnako's mother saw her baby boy. Baby Zmnako was taken by Iranian soldiers in an effort to save his life, not knowing his mother would also survive.

Zmnako (Ali) M. Halabjeyi Source: Zmnako M. H

Zmnako was eventually adopted by an Iranian woman, a widow of the Iran-Iraq war, and already a mother of 2, in a city near Afghanistan border. At the age of 16-17 Zmnako lost the only mother he knew. He was statless and had no civil rights in Iran.

Through his continuous efforts, Zmnako's life was turned around as he was reunited with his biological mother at the age of 22 in Halabja, Kurdistan.

He recently spoke at a conference in Belgium at the 100th anniversary of the usage of chemical bomb.