ASSYRIAN UNIVERSAL ALLIANCE

AUSTRALIA CHAPTER

Member: Unrepresented Nations & Peoples Organization (UNPO)

PRESS RELEASE

January 15, 2008 - the Assyrian Universal Alliance – Australian Chapter condemns the attacks perpetrated recently against the Christian churches in the cities of Mosul , Baghdad and Kirkuk which came as part of the ongoing campaign to terrorise and intimidate the Christians in general to accelerate their exodus from their place of origin.

Despite the presence of the Iraqi security and the coalition forces, what is happening today in Iraq against Christians include: attacks on churches and monasteries; murder; torture; looting and seizing properties by force; kidnapping; forced Islamisation; extortion; and forcing peaceful citizens to leave their homes, is taking us back in time to the years that followed the Arab invasion of Mesopotamia forcing the Assyrian citizens to convert to Islam.

These crimes remind us of the Assyrian genocide of World War 1, and the massacres in the district of Semiel in 1933 & Soriya village in 1969 . Further, it reminds us of the displacement, destruction and burning of villages and towns in the Assyrian historical homeland in northern Iraq during Saddam Hussein’s regime in 1988 (repeated recently in different circumstances) supported by the silence of a majority of the International and Iraqi government media purposely concealing such crimes.

The continuation of such criminal operations followed by the horror stories and tragedies of refugees, the homeless living in a very harsh conditions, the inadequate protection and implementation of the law lead us to blame the Iraqi government for softening its campaign against the terrorists, who are systematically trying to annihilate the Christians in Iraq. We are confident that these attempts by the terrorists will not succeed.

The fire will burn those who set it and the indigenous people of Iraq will continue to exist in their homeland. This is the lesson that we have learned throughout the seven thousand year old of the Assyrian history.

We in the Assyrian Universal Alliance are tired of the continued appalling conditions imposed on the Christians of Iraq and demand the Iraqi government take a firm stand in tracing the culprits who attacked Christian sanctuaries, families and properties and bring them to justice.

We appeal to all democratic world governments, Human Right organisations and the World Council of Churches to follow what is happening to the Christians of Iraq, to exert pressure on the Iraqi government to hunt down and punish the terrorists and to support the just demands of the Assyrians by granting them autonomy in their respective geographical regions in the territory of Assyria (northern Iraq). The establishment of such a zone will be of great importance as provide greater local Assyrian control and maintain security and the survival of the Christians in Iraq . Moreover, it will allow opportunity for Assyrians to exercise their political, educational, linguistic, religious and cultural rights.

Iraqis rush to the site of a car bomb attack in Kirkuk	Photo provided by Christian Aid Program in Nohadra , Iraq	An Iraqi security man looks at a burning vehicle of a car bomb attack in Kirkuk . Two car bombs exploded outside churches in the city on that day

References:

Car bombings target churches in north Iraq

Assyria Council of Europe Condemns Iraq Church Bombings

Offensive against Qaeda launched

Assyrian Universal Alliance- Australian Chapter

PO Box 34, Fairfield NSW 1860 Australia . Tel: (02) 9823 5340. Fax: (02) 9610 2499. Mobile: 0407 235349

E-mail: auaaustralia@optusnet.com.au

Photo provided by Christian Aid Program in Nohadra , Iraq