Martyrs' Cemetery

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Iraq
Used for those deceased
Established 2004
Location near Fallujah
Total burials approximately 500
Unknown
burials		 hundreds
Burials by nation
Iraqis - hundreds
Tunisians - 1
Burials by war
Iraq War

The Martyrs' Cemetery is the chief burial site of Iraqis killed during the First Battle of Fallujah, both insurgents and civilians.[1] It was formerly the soccer field of the Falluja Sports Club,[2] and was converted into a cemetery after US troops blockaded attempts to reach the city's main cemetery.[3]

A sign outside the cemetery reads "This cemetery is given by the people of Fallujah to the heroic martyrs of the battle against the Americans, and to the martyrs of the Jihadi operations against the Americans, assigned and approved by the Mujahideen Shura council in Fallujah."

The cemetery holds between 250 [4] and 500[5] bodies, only one of which is identified as a foreign fighter, a Tunisian.[6] At least 22 of the dead were from a single US mortar-attack in June 2004.[7]

The road leading to the cemetery has been named Martyrs' Cemetery Road, and according to the Mafkarat al-Islam was the site of an August 26 2006 attack against a US convoy on the road headed to the cemetery, which destroyed a Humvee and killed three American troops, wounding two others, and a similar attack nine days later.[8][9]

Another soccer field in the city was used for similar purposes.[10]

[edit] Known burials

  • Siblings Amal and Mustafa Alawi, killed in Hay Julan neighbourhood[2]
  • Omar Akram, 15 years old, killed April 9 2004[11]
  • Wisam Salah, 8 months old[11]
  • Mustapha Mohammed Khalaf, 15 months old[11]
  • Abu Abdullah, described as having been mutilated by the American troops[1]
  • "The courageous martyr Nasser Hussein. Killed doing his duty on April 15 and buried the same day,"[12]
  • A mother and her two young daughters[5]
  • "Here lies an unknown martyr, a big security guard with a blue shirt, found near the industrial area with a chain of keys"[12]
  • "An unknown worker from the industrial area, wearing a black shirt with yellow pants, found inside a white Oldsmobile car."[12]
  • "Old man wearing jacket with black dishdasha, near industrial center. He has a key in his hand."[13]
  • "Man wearing red track suit"[13]
  • "Three women killed in car by missile while leaving city."[13]
  • unidentified "Hands"[1]
  • unidentified "Fingers"[1]
  • "Martyr, unknown. Found in a white saloon car registration 31297 Iraq, Baghdad"[11]
  • "Shahida, headless, found beside Saad Mosque." Buried in the same grave as the above.[14]
  • Martyr, unknown, only bones"[14]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Taipei Times - archives
  2. ^ a b IBC Falluja April 2004 News Digest :: Iraq Body Count
  3. ^ Democracy Now! | Stadium of Death: Fallujah Residents Bury Their Dead In Aftermath of Bloody U.S. Siege
  4. ^ The New York Times > International > Middle East > The Dead: Siege Defined on Stones Set in Haste in the Dirt
  5. ^ a b "We will fight them again." Dahr Jamail goes back to Fallujah
  6. ^ City of ghosts | Iraq | Guardian Unlimited
  7. ^ U.S. Strike In Fallujah Kills 20 (washingtonpost.com)
  8. ^ Iraqi Resistance Report for events of Saturday, 26 August 2006
  9. ^ Iraqi Resistance Report for events of Monday, 4 September 2006
  10. ^ (Chinese) Fragile cease-fire holds in Fallujah
  11. ^ a b c d Fallujah's survivors search for the graves of 'martyrs' - World - Times Online
  12. ^ a b c Iraqi General Refuses to Give Up Falluja Fighters
  13. ^ a b c The NewStandard Content
  14. ^ a b The Hindu : International : Fallujah — a traumatised, angry city