Wednesday, 21 July 2004

Baghdad, Iraq - The fall of Baghdad has resulted in a treasure trove of hitherto secret documents made public recently. In stark terms they detail a decades  long pattern of ethnic cleansing of the Assyrians in Northern Iraq.

Entitled `The Settlements And Villages Of The Christian Assyrians in the Region Of Kurdistan in Iraq`- the 104 pages report provides a shocking view  of a secret campaign of terror unleashed against a tiny minority in Iraq during the Saddam's rule.

Stamped as `Confidential For Internal Use Only`, one segement is subtitled as `The Contribution Of The International Non-Governmental Organizations To The Islamization of Assyrian Villages`. It describes in great details the destruction of 290 Assyrian villages in northern Iraq and the uprooting of the indigenous people of the region.

It tells the shocking story of how Assyrian Christians were driven out of their villages where they had lived centuries before Sadam's government and the establishment of the Kurdish Regional Government.

The compiler of the reports writes `The atmosphere is one of exceptional hopelessness and depression as I have witnessed nowhere else in such intensity.`

Obtained with an agreement that its source will not be revealed the document describes the destruction of a community. in several chapters titled as `demography forcibly changed`, ``destroyed`, `disappeared` `gassed', 'holocaust` and`intifada`.

The `secret war` has been going on since the end of the Ottoman Empire in 1918 and has resulted in the `Ethnic Cleansing` of an area that was the historic homeland of the Assyrian before and during Christianity.

According to this document Assyrians and the Jewish population was removed. It mentions the destruction in 1978` of the 1300 years old 'Mar Gewargis Church' in the village of Bideil among others to wipe out all vestiges of the Christians and Jews presence where they lived even before the arrival of Islam. A list of some villages and churches destroyed by the Saddam's regime to uproot Assyrians from northern Iraq under the pretext of establishing a "demilitarized zone" between the border of Iraq and Turkey was previously published by Sargon O. Dadesho in his "The Assyrian National Question at  the United Nations." in 1987.

Entries are titled as `gas-Anfal` when villagers were gassed during the `Anfal Campaign`, 'destroyed', `islamized` and `arabized`. Wile the `gassing of the Kurds` was internationally condemned that of the Assyrians went unnoticed.

The `ethnic cleansing` of the Assyrians in the north continued during the Kurdish Regional Government rule to an extent that presently only scattered Assyrian villages exists in this region. The inhabitants of the others were either driven out and moved to larger cities. in central Iraq or were killed.

Thousands of Assyrians ended up in Baghdad because they were forced out    of their native home. "They came into our villages and told us to leave if we   do not wish to die. In every case Moslems from other other parts of the  country were settled where we used to live." It was a deliberate and organized plan to drive out the Assyrians out of Northern Iraq, especially in areas where Assyrians had lived for as long as history can remember says Amir Oraha an Assyrian Activist who was jailed during the Soddam Hossain's rule.

A visit to the area confirms these claims. Remains of the destroyed churches, Seminaries and homes still exists in these villages. Where now a dozens or Moslem families live In all village even those with only a dozen inhabitants huge Moslems live near a large mosque donated by Saudi Arabia to complete the ethnic cleansing process.

Ten thousand Assyrian families living Baghdad , Mosul or are refugees in neighboring countries wish to return to their former villages if possible. Although financial help was requested from the United States, the Iraqi Government, and International Organizations to resettle these people in their former homes no help has been forthcoming. Kurds on the other hand have been provided with massive funds to help help resetle not only their displace people also to bring in others from Iran and Syria to increase their population  in the area.

A recent report by EU Parliament Member Albert Jan Maat says   `International Aid is mainly distributed through regional Moslem leaders seldom or never reaches the Assyrians`.

Mr.. Maat requested that a percentage of the 160 million Euros designated for the reconstruction of Iraq to be designated for minorities.`

What can be done? We are appealing to the world to help us. It is hard to believe that United States has budgeted 180 million dollars for the resettlement of the Kurds mostly in our former villages but nothing has been allocated for the Assyrians who wish to go back to their former homes which were forcibly taken away from them by Saddam Hussein's government.`

http://www.assyrianchristians.com/commentary_secret_report_ 

July_05_04.htm