The Assyrian Democratic Organization
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President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C.? 20500
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7 February 2005
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Mr. President:
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We are writing to express our concern for the future of Christians, Mandaeans, Yezidis and other non-Muslim minorities in Iraq.? There are three critical actions that you can take to help guarantee their survival as a community in Iraq:
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- Direct all offices charged with the distribution of reconstruction funds to insure that the ChaldoAssyrian community receives an equitable assignment of funds that have been committed for reconstruction purposes.? The United States committed $20 billion for reconstruction of infrastructure.? Assistance, to rebuild infrastructure, ?water system, electricity, sewer, and roads? has not been distributed to authentic leaders and representatives of the ChaldoAssyrian community for their administration.? The Christian areas have not benefited from the present administration of these funds through Arab and Kurdish agencies;
- ?Urge the interim Iraqi government to implement Article 53 (d) of the Temporary Administrative Law creating an administrative district in the Nineveh Plains to secure the welfare of ChaldoAssyrian people who wish to remain in their homeland and those who desire to return from areas where they have previously fled; and
- ?Urge the appointment of seats in the Iraqi Assembly constitutional drafting committee for non-Muslim minorities to enhance the inclusiveness of the constitutional process.? Christians, Yezizdis, Shebeks living in the Hamdaniya district in eastern Nineveh may have had their votes disenfranchised by the failure to deliver ballots to them during the election January 30.?
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Assyrian, Chaldean, Syriac Christians of Iraq, called ChaldoAssyrian under the Temporary Administrative Law, now comprise only between 5 and 10% of the population although they are the indigenous people of Iraq.? Religious/ethnic discrimination and persecution over the last half-century have driven one-half of their population into diaspora.? Over 80% of all Iraqis living in the United States today are Christian.? ChaldoAssyrians have been targeted by Islamic fundamentalist militias and insurgent forces that use kidnappings, assassinations, murders of little children, and the bombing of churches in Baghdad, Kirkuk and Mosul.?
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ChaldoAssyrians are also being persecuted and displaced in Iraq due to active and passive policies of Kurdish administrative authorities, resulting in encroachment on their lands, not allowing them to return to villages or rebuild churches and schools.? These acts intimidate the Christian community, leaving them with few alternatives but to flee their indigenous homeland in Iraq.?
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During the past six months an estimated 40,000 Christians are reported to have fled to Syria and Jordan.? Other non-Muslims, such as the Yezidis and Sabean Mandaeans, have experienced similar pressures. Thousands have left Iraq to Jordan and Syria fearing for their lives.
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In order to prevent a mass exodus that would destroy an indigenous population, detrimentally affect the preservation of diversity in the Middle East, and, critically, deprive Iraq of an educated and forward-thinking skilled and professional class, the United States do all in its power to guarantee the welfare of Iraq?s ChaldoAssyrian community and other non-Muslim minorities.? These communities are strong allies for the promotion of democratic ideals and moderation.?
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With reports of tens of thousands of ChaldoAssyrians, fleeing Iraq in terror, there now exists the real possibility of the permanent loss of the indigenous ChaldoAssyrian people in Iraq for the first time in their 6700 year continuous existence. ? Mandaeans and Yezidis also face extinction.? The final litmus test for the new Iraqi government and the international community?s genuine commitment to pluralism and democracy remains the preservation of ChaldoAssyrians, Mandaeans and Yezidi, the indigenous people of Iraq, as well as other existing non-Muslim minorities in Iraq.
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Respectfully,
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The Rev. Dr. Keith Roderick
Secretary General
Coalition for the Defense of Human Rights
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Cc:? Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
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Sabri Alkan
Assyrian Democratic Organization Europe
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Simon Barmano
Assyrian Federation of Sweden
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Gary L. Bauer
President
American Values
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Charbel Barakat
World Lebanese Organization (WLO)
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Ann J. Buwalda, Esq.
Director
Jubilee Campaign USA
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Rich Cizik
Vice President for Governmental Affairs
National Association of Evangelicals
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Narsai M. David, President
Assyrian Aid Society of America
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Sait Demir
Zentralverband der Assyryischen Vereinigungen in Deutschland
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Dr. John Eibner
Executive Director
Christian Solidarity International ?USA
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Juliette M. Engel, M.D.
Mira Med Institute
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Deborah Fikes
Director /Ministerial Alliance
Midland, Texas
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Joseph K. Grieboski
President
Institute on Religion and Public Policy
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Tom Harb
Chairman
American Maronite Union
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Donna M. Hughes, Ph.D.
Professor and Carlson Endowed Chair
University of Rhode Island
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Sheikh Sami al Khoury
President
World Maronite Union
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Sheba Mando
Assyrian National Council of Illinois
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John C. Michael, MD,
President
Assyrian Academic Society
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Faith J. H. McDonnell
Director, Religious Liberty Programs
Institute on Religion & Democracy
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William J Murray
Chairman
Religious Freedom Coalition
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Dr. Suhaib Nashi
General Secretary
Mandaean Society of America
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Yakdan Nissan
Assyrian Democratic Organization USA and Canada
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Professor Walid Phares,
Senior Fellow, Foundation for the Defense of Democracies
Chairman, Academic Committee, Coalition for Human Rights
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Suzanne Scholte
President
Defense Forum Foundation
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Nina Shea
Director
Center for Religious Freedom
Freedom House
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Adel Sleiman
Lebanese Information Service
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Joseph Saouk
Chairman
Middle East Christian Committee, Sweden
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Sait Yildiz
Assyrian Democratic Organization of Sweden
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Ashur J. Yoseph, USA Liaison
Assyrian Democratic Movement
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Manzoor Alam.
Chairmam
Pakistani American Christian Coalition???????????
