1982..1984 Ankawa:Bedratha

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My name is Sirwan Behnan. I came from Iraq in 2001 and now live in Stockholm, Sweden. I remember when this picture was taken of me: I was a school boy in my home country of Kurdistan in the town of Ankawa. At the time I was attending the six-year compulsory school. My older brother Shwan took this photograph when I was playing in the snow. I tried to make a big snowball to throw at him. I think the photo was taken between 1982 and 1984.

This picture was taken at a place called Bedratha in Ankawa. Behind me is the road which used to connect my home town with Erbil International Airport. The road has been neglected by the government because it built a new one. Behind the road there was a large expanse of beautiful plains but they have been devastated by bad planning carried out by the strangers who have moved into my home town. Today, the plains no longer exist which is a tragedy for the original inhabitants of the area who have lived in Ankawa for over a thousand years

Many of us have been forced to leave the town because of the political situation in Iraq. There are not any dreams or memories from my childhood left in Ankawa. Many beautiful things have been changed. Many inhabitants now feel like strangers in their home town. I ask Jesus to help us return to Ankawa and to save the rest of my town from destruction.