A Safe Haven for Assyrians is a Must

Nov. 24, 06
EasternStar News Agency

The Assyrians are a Christian people with a history of several millennia in today's Iraq. This people, which during the 20th century has had to endure several religiously and nationalistically motivated massacres and a genocide, is now threatened by final annihilation in the chaos and anarchy that prevails in Iraq.

It is therefore of utmost importance that the international community immediately establishes a safe haven for the Christian Assyrians within four minor districts in northern Iraq, which bear a strong Assyrian identity. This would also be in accordance with earlier expressed ambitions to protect minorities, like the Kurds have been protected. It has been decided to protect the Assyrians in an own administrative region, but the Iraqi government has not implemented this decision.

As citizens of modern day Iraq the Assyrians have unconditioned and loyally strived to develop the country and to preserve it's rich multiethnic history. The reason for this indigenous people now being in need of protection is that it is a small and vulnerable group without its own clan and militia movements. The fact that the Assyrians have a different religion and ethnicity than the majority population makes them more exposed to attacks, particularly by the Islamic militias.

Assyrians are being murdered, kidnapped and driven off their properties daily. This hunt strikes all Assyrians indiscriminately, regardless of social status, gender or age. Everyone, from elected politicians to religious leaders, is a living target. They are defenseless against this ethnic and sectarian violence. Nowhere in today's Iraq are the Assyrians safe and protected.

More than 600 000 Assyrians have since 2003 been murdered, chased away or just disappeared. A humanitarian disaster is evolving into a new genocide in our times. This problem has also been recognized by the Iraqi government. Article 121 of the Iraqi constitution of 2005 opens up for an Assyrian autonomy. With today's demographic picture, the following coherent districts: Hamdaniya, Telkaif, Sumel och Rizgary in the Nineveh plain of northern Iraq should be established as an own jurisdiction to protect the Christian Assyrians. This area constitutes about 5 % of the total Iraqi territory. The area is demographically dominated by Assyrians and is called Assyrian Administrative Region (AAR). But article 121 has not been implemented yet..

The international community has previously shown determination to act in e.g. northern Iraq, Kosovo and Afghanistan. When the Kurdish minority in Iraq was threatened, a safe haven was created to protect them. The patterns from earlier persecutions and genocide are repeated, since the oppressors in a well-planned manner eliminate the Assyrian intelligentsia, in order to expel a whole nation from its homeland. The international community must take its responsibility and provide a safe haven for the Assyrians. The risk of a large scale refugee wave with fateful consequences for the Assyrians will otherwise be a reality. Is the international community prepared to be held morally responsible for not having prevented a genocide?

We demand:

1. That the international community without further delay establishes a safe haven for the Christian Assyrians in the abovementioned area,

2. That an international force in cooperation with Assyrian parties is given the mandate to maintain law and order and guarantee security in this free zone, and

3. That the rights of the Assyrians as citizens are protected by the Iraqi constitution.