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Celebrations for Saddam's capture
Blaise Tapp15/12/2003
GREATER Manchester's Iraqi community took to the streets to celebrate the capture of its feared former dictator Saddam Hussein.
Impromptu parties were held across the region as thousands of exiles celebrated the news yesterday morning that their country was free of tyranny.
Hundreds of Iraqis sung and danced at the end of the world famous Curry Mile in Rusholme. They waved their country's flag high above their heads, much to the delight of passing motorists who honked their car horns in approval.
Children joined in with the fun as revellers chanted celebratory messages through loud hailers and handed out sweets to members of the public. Later fireworks were let off into the south Manchester sky as the celebrations went on into the night.
The street party was organised by Falah Kanno, 47, who fled from Baghdad in the 1980s to escape persecution.
He said: "People just kept coming through the evening. We just wanted to celebrate on the streets to show our joy and happiness at the capture of the dictator."
Mr Kanno, who runs Manchester's Iraqi Community Welfare Association, is planning to organise a meeting and a demonstration this weekend to celebrate Hussein's capture.
Joy
He said: "We had been waiting for that day for 35 years. A lot of British, Asians and Arab people came up to us as it is a joy for everybody."
An estimated 10,000 Iraqis have settled in the Manchester area during Saddam's 35-year regime and some have already said they are prepared to return home.
Manchester's Kurdish community celebrated the news perhaps more than anybody else because of the persecution they and their families suffered at the hands of Saddam.
Fazil Jamal Mustafa, 28, a student from Salford, has been a refugee since he fled from his home city of Sulaymani three years ago because of his refusal to sign up to Saddam's Baath Party.
He said: "This is very important because he is the key person, everybody is very happy about that. We suffered so much. He used chemical weapons against the Kurdish people and killed about 200,000 people.
"They did not believe in democracy, this is now the chance for Iraqi people to rebuild their country."
Pola Lalo, 36, who is also a member of the Kurdish Association Centre, believes the capture of Saddam draws a line under the old regime.
He said: "People were still afraid that Saddam would come back into power. We just hope this will end the suffering.
"My dreams have come true. I hope Saddam is punished and executed."
A large group of Kurds headed to Rusholme and the Kurdistan Restaurant to celebrate the news. Later they moved to a house in Salford where they were treated to a solo performance by famous Kurdish violinist Hassan Dirzy.
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