The Assyrian Democratic Organization
Baghdad — The Christian “Assyrian democratic Movement” has objected to the project of the law of “granting Iraqi nationality”, which has been discussed by the constitution drafting committee, as it refers to returning the nationality to the displaced and immigrants, only as of 1963.
Assyrian Objection to the Nationality Law Yonadam Kanna, head of the movement and MP, said that the movement has objections with regard to setting the year 1963 as a limit for granting the Iraqi nationality for the Iraqi displaced and immigrants, as “The person who was oppressed in 1959, or before, or in 1963, or for years of Saddam Hussein’s regime, whether in Musel, Kirkuk, the southern provinces, and Kurdistan region, has been assaulted and deprived from his rights,” referring to the obligatory displacement and the massacres that targeted the Christian villages in Nainawa Valley since 1933, until the Baath Party has governed Iraq. He explained, “More than 20 thousand Assyrians have been displaced or immigrated to Syria. They have the right to return as they are Iraqis, who are proud of belonging to their homeland.” He noted, “It is wrong to specify a certain date, so as to include those who have been displaced or emigrated from Iraq, when they were assaulted, and have the right to obtain the nationality.” He considered, “Those who suggested this date aim at preventing the Jewish community that emigrated from Iraq from obtaining the Iraqi nationality, as they harm the structure of the Iraqi constituents.” He said that Christian parties and churches in Iraq possess documents that support the rights of the displaced, especially as regards the Syrians being victims of the extension of the presence of the British army in Iraq (1933-1954). As for Isaac Isaac, relations and media director in the movement, he pointed out to Al Hayat, “No entity can ignore the huge numbers of Assyrian displaced and immigrants since 1933, to Syria and France. Their racist exile should be acknowledged. They should receive the nationality and their civil and financial rights should be returned.” He noted, “The former regime has returned the Iraqi Nationality to some displaced Christians.”
06/08/2005 Al-Hayat
