The Assyrian Democratic Organization
13-12-2020
At a time when the Syrians are suffering from the effects of a devastating war waged by the regime to suppress their demands for freedom, dignity, justice and democracy, and at a time when the living conditions of citizens in all regions of Syria are deteriorating into unbearable misery that they have not experienced since the emergence of the modern Syrian state, which nowadays have become a failed state under the Assad regime, father and son, that spanned nearly five decades. The regime continues to ignore its responsibility, in order to cover up the helplessness and isolation it is suffering, locally and internationally, by adopting newer approach based on manipulating national and religious sentiments, stirring up discord among different nationalities and religious groups of Syria, and inciting dissention among them by using state religious institutions in order to serve his goal to remain in power against the will of the people.
This approach was clearly evident in the speech delivered by Assad at a meeting of the scholars of the Ministry of Endowments that was held at the Al-Othman Mosque on December 7, 2020 . The speech complemented the speech of Minister of Endowments in a Tartous mosque on 12/4/2020. It is apparent the regime have abandoned the slogans of protecting minorities and secularism against the forces of terrorism, as believed earlier, in which he had misled the international community, not to forget his own people, by launching an organized campaign aimed at undermining the values of modernism such as freedom, equality, democracy, equal citizenship, diversity, secularism and human rights, under the pretext of preserving religion and protecting the belief of society, thru linking Arabism and Islam in a way that strips them of any human and civilized values that are known of, and asserts them toward identifying with the Baath system, that have brought havoc and devastation to Syria, Iraq and the rest of the countries of the region.
The discourse was dominated by a set of fallacies and contradictions that are not based on any intellectual or historical facts or bases; the danger of the speech lies in the denial of the Syrian history, culture and civilization that was established centuries earlier and still is based on national, religious and cultural diversity, thus targeting and inciting against the ancient Syriac/Assyrian component and ignoring their contributions and denying the role of the Assyrians in building the civilization of Syria and the region: as it is evident in enormous existing historical sites all over Syria, and documented by leading Arab and Muslim historians. In addition, the dangers of this speech represents targeting the remaining Assyrians Syriacs and the Christians in general, which their number have diminished to its lowest levels under the rule of this regime.
The Assyrian Democratic Organization, reject and condemn this approach aimed at inciting and continue to ferment discord among the harmonious Syrian people with the aim to eliminate the state of diversity and continue to rule and hold on power. We are certain that the majority of Arabs and Muslims in Syria will not be deceived by this ploy, and they will reject it entirely, because the Syrian people, as whole, have paid a heavy price as a result of the regime’s policies, repression, and war. The people want to break away from the tyranny and build a democratic state inspired by modern values and renewal, based on foundations of justice, equality, democracy, partnership and equal citizenship, in which all citizens of Syria and religious affiliations will enjoy their full rights, that would be safeguarded by the new constitution of Syria ( impowered by consensus of all Syrian people).
Syria 12/13/2020,
The Executive Committee,
Assyrian Democratic Organization.
