Continuing Violence Against Assyrains: Gunmen Kill 2 Sisters in Mosul, Iraq

Posted in November 13th, 2008

Armed militants killed two Assyrians sisters Lamiaa Sabih Saloha and her sister Walaa Thursday morning in Mosul. The attackers shot and killed one of the women while she waited to catch the bus for work, then stormed her house and opened fire on the family, killing her sister and injuring their mother. Assyrian sources in Mosul advised that the mother is seriously injured after the attackers stabbed her. They then set explosives near the house, which went off just as police arrived, injuring three policemen and destroying the family’s home.

It is important to note that these recent attacks on Assyrians comes at a time when the Iraqi government sent reinforcements to Mosul after 14 Assyrians were murdered in September, 10,000 people were also displaced then. To have ongoing murders occur after the government promised to stop the violence perpetrated against Assyrians is not only tragic, but one is led to believe that the Iraqi government is either incapable or unwilling to protect Assyrians. The best solution is to create an autonomous region in the Nineveh plain for Assyrians, run by Assyrians, where they are a majority, similar to the way the West created the Kurdistan administrative region after the first gulf war.

While many people form all groups have died in Iraq, history shows us that when there is conflict in the Iraq and in the entire middle east, non-arab, non-muslem minorities seem to suffer the most.

Rody

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Poverty Is In Separatism. Abundance Is In Unity. Chaldean Bishop Calls for Assyrian Administrative Area in Iraq

Posted in October 27th, 2008

by Rody in ALL

If I were to pick one word to describe Assyrian history in the last couple of centuries, many pessimistic words come to mind. Countless atrocities have been perpetrated against us, be it genocide, mass murder, ethnic cleansing whatever you wish to call it, all this would compel me to choose a negative word, but I will not. One word above all that best describes our history is ‘struggle’.

I could sit here and write pages about the countless times an organized effort was made to remove Assyrian Christians from their ancestral homeland. Even now as we speak, Assyrians are being driven out of Mosul, Iraq and soon maybe even from their last area or relative safety, the Nineveh Plains. And yet through all this struggle we fight to survive.

Now, having argued countless times that our greatest enemy comes from our disunity. Lately, it seems that all Assyrians are slowly realizing this. ( I am talking about everyone who calls themselves: Assyrian, Chaldean and Syriac[Suryoyo]). To my genuine excitement, I was pleased to hear that, his eminence Shlemon Warduni auxiliary bishop of the Chaldean Church of Babylon in Iraq expressed support for an Assyrian administrative area in Iraq just this past Friday. Why is this important? Because unlike the other Assyrian Church denominations, the Chaldean Church really hasn’t endorsed having an administrative region for Assyrians, and for this to work we all have to be on the same page.

The survival of Assyrians depends on all of us putting back together what outsiders tore apart. We are all Assyrians, we all struggled and suffered together. As one of the founding fathers of the United States one said:
“We must all hang together or assuredly we shall all hang separately. “ Benjamin Franklin.

Rody

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Assyrian Aid Society Pleads for Help with Mosul Refugees

Posted in October 20th, 2008

by Rody in Current News

With the latest campaign of attacks on Assyrian’s taking place in Mosul, the continuing mass exodus of Assyrians from cities in Iraq has now centered on this ancient City.

Mosul, formally know as Nineveh in days past was the Capital city of the Assyrian Empire. The ancient city of Nineveh was destroyed in 612 BC. This is commonly known as the fall of the Assyrian Empire and ever since the destruction of Nineveh over 2700 years ago, the Assyrian people have not been free to rule over themselves. In a dramatic Shakespearean twist of irony, history looks to be repeating itself. Mosul, once again may be the ‘last stand’ for the survival of Assyrians in their homeland.

While the Iraqi government has been slow to come to the aid of Assyrians, (not a surprise) local NGO’s such as the Assyrian Aid Society, (AAS) is on the front lines in supporting the displaced people. The AAS is a humanitarian aid organization based in northern Iraq, in the Assyrian heartland, where the majority of Assyrians live and more importantly where the majority of Assyrians fleeing other Iraqi cities have settled.

With the influx of additional ‘displaced’ Assyrians, the AAS has felt the strain. According to Cristina Patto, secretary of the Assyrian Aid Society: “We are keeping track of the families who flee Mosul and we have complete data in order to be able to offer them rapid assistance. Our resourses are however limited to cope with this kind of acute situation and we are therefore asking for help.”

The Assyrian Aid Society is immediately launching a worldwide drive to raise sufficient funds to meet this new crisis. If you with to help please visit the Assyrian Aid Society website @ http://www.assyrianaid.org/

Remember, the best people that can be trusted to help Assyrians, is Assyrians themselves, so please make a donation.

Rody

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Exodus and Murder, Iraq’s Gift to Assyrians

Posted in October 14th, 2008

by Rody in ALL

Jesse Jackson once said that “an organized minority is a political majority.” I agree with him. Although they probably don’t know who Jesse Jackson is, Islamic Arab militants, the Kurdish and Iraqi government understand the power of an organized minority and are taking measures to prevent minorities from uniting.

This past weekend over 1000 Assyrian Christian families (5000 people) fled Mosul, terrified by a series of killings (13 killed so far) and threats by Muslim extremists ordering them to convert to Islam or face possible death.

Do you think it’s mere coincidence that these attacks began shortly after thousands of Assyrians took to the streets in and around Mosul in protest of the new election law which removed a quota for Assyrian representation in the government? Why are we denied our right to set up an Administrative region in North Iraq like the Kurds have? How many times must we here the empty rhetoric of the Iraqi and Kurdish governments promising to protect Assyrians?

The timing of these latest attacks on our people simply proves one undeniable truth, they are afraid to see us organized and united. By means of violence they try to compel fear in our hearts, but our one united voice has instilled panic in theirs.

Rody

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