Assyrian Democratic Organization ADO
31-03-2021
The celebration of the Assyrian Babylonian New Year “Aketu” on the first of April of each year is a tradition and folk heritage for the Syriac Assyrians in their historical homeland Mesopotamia and Syria for thousands of years. It symbolizes the process of regeneration and rebirth, and reflects the human relationship and interaction with nature, life, production and its interpretations. To this day, many peoples in the region celebrate the occasion in various forms and connotations.
In the modern era, this celebration acquired new meanings and connotations that reflected the ancient tendency of this people to live in dignity and freedom after long periods of oppression, melting and marginalization, and to emphasize their presence and authentic national presence on an equal footing with the rest of the region’s peoples; it also acquired a political and democratic dimension, thus became subjected to harsh practices of the regime’s apparatus that has sought during the past five decades through practices of intimidation, detention and torture to prevent its celebration.
A decade after the start of the Syrian revolution, the “Akitu” festival of the Assyrian New Year 6771 dawns upon us. The Syrians still dream of gaining their freedom, restoring their dignity and building their modern state on the foundations of citizenship, partnership, democratic values and human rights, while the regime is still continuing its crimes and its attempts to destroy the will of the Syrians, humiliate them and procrastinate in participating in a political settlement according to the UN Security Council Resolution No. 2254, and its insistence on moving forward to hold stamped elections to preserve its eroding power and leaving the Syrian society trapped in horrific daily suffering with poverty and hunger, with millions displaced people in neighboring countries and tens of thousands of detainees. On the other hand, the United Nations and the countries interfering in the Syrian conflict are still dealing with the Syrian regime with the a mentality of a merchant who is looking for the best deal at the expense of the Syrian people in light of a daily blatant violation of all human and legal values.
In light of these information, the Syrian people remain the biggest loser and the weakest player in managing their affairs and forming the features of their future. Hence, formulating a position and a unified political action program based on a set of national principles has become an urgent duty and a historical responsibility that all the forces and members of the Syrian opposition have to accept. In this context, the Peace and Freedom Front affirms its position calling for the advancement of this dialogue and its openness to all forces that believe in achieving the aspirations of the Syrian people and achieving the political transition according to the reference of the relevant international legitimacy decisions.
The Front for Peace and Freedom, while seizing this occasion to offer the Assyrians people in Syria and the world the most sincere congratulations and blessings on the occasion of the Assyrian Babylonian New Year “Akitu”, with our belief that national rights are the objective complement to the rights of full and equal citizenship, we renew our support and support the demands of the Assyrians, the Kurds, the Turkmen and others in Syria for the constitutional recognition of their existence and their national rights and the consideration of their languages and cultures as national languages and cultures, and calls for the consideration of the Babylonian Assyrian New Year and Eid al Nawrooz to be considered Syrian national holidays, as a testimony of the reality of richness, diversity and comprehensiveness of the Syrian national identity, and to be an inclusive umbrella for all its children.
Glory and eternity to the martyrs of freedom.
Freedom for prisoners of opinion and freedom.
The safe and voluntary return of the displaced.
Happy new year
Syria 3/31/2021
Peace and Freedom Front
Leading Committee
