“Both cities have proved that the human spirit to rebuild is infinitely stronger than the forces of destruction.”

Councillors in Portsmouth have shown support for forming a friendship link with a Kurdish city in northern Iraq.

The city council’s twinning advisory group recently discussed the link with Halabja following a proposal put forward by Kurdish Home, a Portsmouth-based community organisation.

The city, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), is home to between 75,000 and 140,000 people.

The idea was put forward to honour Lady Adela, a Kurdish noblewoman of the Jaff tribe, which ruled the Halabja region in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

She was recognised for her role in maintaining peace, restoring stability and helping the British during the First World War, hosting delegations in the city.

In 1919, when Kurdish nationalist leader Mahmud Barzanji revolted and launched a targeted campaign to murder all British political officers, Lady Adela resisted.

She granted refuge to British officers inside her own homes, saving them from execution.

A spokesperson for the local Kurdish community told councillors that Lady Adela “remains an important symbol of Kurdish hospitality, dignity and public service and many Kurds continue to see her legacy as an example of how communities can bridge differences and build lasting relationships”.

They said any link between the cities would be “rooted in history, shared values and a genuine opportunity to build meaningful relationships between our communities.”

The Iraqi city was the site of the largest chemical weapons attack in history directly targeting civilians, carried out by Saddam Hussein’s regime in March 1988. Some 5,000 people died.

The spokesperson added that, similar to Portsmouth after the Blitz, “both cities have proved that the human spirit to rebuild is infinitely stronger than the forces of destruction.”

To Kurdish communities, Halabja carries “not only grief and remembrance but also resilience, hope and a commitment to human rights.”

They said that, despite its poignant history, “we want people to know it as a city of culture, learning, commerce and community.”

They added that a link with Portsmouth “would send a powerful message that our shared histories matter, that diversity is valued and that international friendship remains important in an increasingly divided world.”

Cllr Suzy Horton said the case for a friendship link was ‘really strong’ and suggested it could help highlight “strong women” such as Lady Adela and Halabja’s governor, Nuxsha Nasih, the first female governor in the KRI.

Cllr Russell Simpson commended the city’s “strong history of human rights governance”, highlighting Gulistan Ahmed, the first female head of the governmental commission for human rights in Halabja.

The Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, Cllr Abdul Kadir, said that Kurds “contribute so much to our city” and that he is “really grateful”.

Cllr Billy Ansell added that his life is “enriched” every time he walks down Fratton Road by the Kurdish population, businesses “and certainly their food”.

The twinning advisory group will meet again to work towards a formal decision to form a link.