GULP, Iraq — In a small village nestled at the base of mountains that separate Iraq from Iran, a Kurdish family comes together for their evening Ramadan observance in Gulp, located close to Halabja.
The family prepares their iftar meal — the traditional dinner that ends each day’s fasting period during the sacred month of Ramadan — while children laugh and play around them as extended family members join the gathering.
However, the joyful atmosphere of these closing days of the holy month carries an undercurrent of anxiety about events happening just beyond their border.
Family member Nyan Fayaq expresses deep concern about her relatives living in Saqqez, a Kurdish community in Iran, explaining she has been unable to contact them for an entire month.
The gathering represents both the continuation of cherished religious traditions and the reality of cross-border family connections that can be disrupted by regional tensions.
