Margareta Viklund replies to Nemrod Baitos accusations

Mon, October 8, 2007
http://www.furkono.com

To frustrate assyrian's demand for their most basic rights without seeming oppressive Kurds have employed several Christian apologists whom they use as spokes people to defend them against any accusation of wrong doing. Following is an example of such tactic.

Nemrod Baito, tourism minister of the Kurdish parties in northern Iraq, gave a lecture in an Assyrian club in Sweden on 23 September. During the lecture Baito accused Margareta Viklund, the chairwoman of the Swedish committee for Assyrians, who recently visited Assyria in northern Iraq, of giving false information.

Answering a question about the report of Margareta Viklund concerning Kurdish persecution against Assyrians, Nemrod Baito explained that the entire report was incorrect. He said;
"It seams Margareta Viklund did not move outside certain places while in Iraq. I encourage her to visit northern Iraq on my expense in order for her to move freely and write about everything she sees, instead of just writing what she heard from others."

It sounds like Nimrod Baito expected her to write what he had to tell her rather than hearing it from others. One has to ask why a people will claim to be oppressed if they are not, also will oppressor ever admit to what he is doing wrong especially when he benefits from doing so? Does a selfish and greedy person feel sorry for those whom he is exploiting?

Kurds have made no secret of their desire to incorporate the Plain of Nineveh which has been historically the homeland of the Assyrians into what they call "Kurdistan" i. e. "the land of the Kurds", especially since this region is known to have oil deposits. They try to impose their will over the community by rewarding some financially and terrifying through intimidation and other means those who believe that their homeland should not be included in Kurdistan.

Here is Margareta Viklunds answer to the above accusations of Nemrod Baito.

Nemrod Baito is an Assyrian working for Kurdish interests.

He is either bribed, bought, indoctrinated, hypnotized, manipulated with large sums of money in order to betray his own people, or, he is blind to the extent he can no longer see the truth. It is therefore good that a person like me, from the outside, has had the opportunity to go beyond the common fairy tale and see what is really happening. For this I thank my brave and hospitable Assyrian friends!

I became aware of the vulnerable situation of the Assyrians already when I was a member of the Swedish parliament. I realized that they are being betrayed by members of their own people. When I informed the minister responsible for integration and international aid about the situation of the Assyrians, I was met with suspicion. The minister could not believe what I had written about the situation of the Assyrians. He decided to send a delegation to northern Iraq in order to check the information I had presented. The delegation he sent consisted of persons who were totally dependent on the means they had been bribed with therefore the conclusions of the delegation were completely different from my conclusions. On top of this, the leader of the delegation is married to a Kurdish woman.

This episode is still very sensitive. When I once brought it up for discussion with Assyrians, some of them holding high political positions, there was an awkward and embarrassing silence around the table. But they did not deny the truth in my statement.

During my recent visit to northern Iraq I met Assyrians living in great fear but who do not want to give up what they consider to be their indigenous land and their human rights to live in freedom and with human dignity. They are doing everything possible in order to supply their children with education and a belief in a future in freedom and security. This security is lacking for Assyrians today, whether they live in southern or northern Iraq.

To give the impression that I am lying in my report is one of the worst attacks I have ever been subjected to. But the worst thing is not that I am accused of lying but that all the hundreds of Assyrians I met during my visit are accused of lying. Everything I experienced with my own eyes, ears and other senses is wrong according to Nemrod Baito, despite that no authorities or any bribed Assyrian was involved.

Margareta Viklund
Chairwoman of the Swedish committee for Assyrians, SKA

Not: We urge everyone to read the report of Margareta Viklund from Assyria in northern Iraq about the vulnerable situation of the Assyrians by clicking here:
Margareta Viklund Report About Kurd's Treatment of the Assyrians.

ESNA

© EasternStar News Agency