SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq — A photo of a couple kissing in the city of Sulaimaniyah in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, while standing on the charred remnants of the Statue of Love, won wide local acclaim. The photo was a protest against the vandalism targeting the statue — which had been destroyed — and the grave of poet Shirko Bekas, both in Azadi Park. The latter is one of Sulaimaniyah’s largest parks, and its name means “freedom” in Kurdish. The details of the vandalism and its perpetrators have yet to be revealed. Fingers are pointed, however, at Islamist extremists.

On Oct. 12, 2013, unidentified individuals set the statue on fire, destroying it. In addition, dozens of trees surrounding the statue were scorched. Days later, this was followed by an attack on the grave of the well-known Kurdish poet Shirko Bekas.

The famous photo showed a Kurdish man named Karaman Najm kissing his Dutch girlfriend, Jantine Van Herwijnen. Najm told Al-Monitor, “We were passing by the ruins and ashes, and spontaneously thought about protesting against the vandalism. We decided to imitate the statute and convey a message of love. A photographer who happened to be there took our photo. Then, we posted it on Facebook so that it could be disseminated on social media and in the news.”

Regarding the consequences of a potential lawsuit against them on charges of violating public norms, Najm said, “I do not regret it at all. This is my way of protesting, which apparently was wrongly interpreted.”