Australian MP Speaks on Behalf of Iraq’s Assyrians

Australia (AINA) — The Australian Chapter of the Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA) announced that Mr Chris Bowen, member of Parliament, lodged on Monday 14 March 2005 a petition in the Federal Parliament of Australia, calling for “Protected Administrative Area” for the Assyrians and other minorities in Iraq. The petition is scheduled for question during May 2005. Assyrian delegates, including Hermiz Shahen, the Secretary of the AUA, Sam Shalalo, a prominent Assyrian and the active members of the governing Liberal Party of Australia, Paul Azzo and Zaya Tooma were present during the time of this presentation.

Mr Bowen, representative of Prospect, made the following speech:

I rise today to bring the attention of the House to the human rights situation in Iraq and particularly to the status of Iraq’s minorities–the Assyrians, Chaldeans, Mandeans and Syriacs. Each of these groups follows the Christian religion. Some Mandeans follow the teachings of John the Baptist. We have heard much about the apparent success of the election in Iraq but what we have not heard about is the disenfranchisement of many of these groups, irregularities in the voting in northern Iraq, fire bombing of churches and widespread reports of the powder keg of land claims in places like Kirkuk, Dohuk and Mosul.

I would like to bring the attention of the House to a petition, which I will lodge with the Leader of the House, of 2,468 signatures, predominantly from my electorate of Prospect, calling for a safe haven in Iraq for members of the Assyrian community and the other communities mentioned. Whether or not we have a safe haven, it is incumbent on all governments involved in Iraq, including the United States government and the Australian government, and on the United Nations to ensure protection for the fundamental human rights of these people. We fought in Iraq on the basis of two things: weapons of mass destruction and improving human rights in Iraq. We have failed on both counts. I call on the Howard government and this House to ensure the human rights of Assyrians and the other groups who are being so harshly treated in the current state of Iraq.