Assyrian Democratic Organization ADO
Qamishly- ADO– Our chaldo-Assyrian-Syriac people have gone through very difficult times throughout its long bitter and turbulent history . Thousands have sacrificed their blood for the sake of their national identify, existence, culture and principles.
With the beginning of the 20th century they were subjected to barbaric and ferocious campaigns, most vicious of which was the genocide premeditated and organized by the Turkish “Al-Ittihad wal-Taraki” government with close collaboration with its allies from some countries of then civilized world, mainly against the chaldo-Assyrians-Syriacs, Armenians, and the Christian population of the Ottoman empire.
This genocide, which was called “Al-Seyfo” and the atrocities that followed cost our people about half a million martyrs, they fell in Hikary, A’med, Raha, Mardin, Azelh, Tor Abedin and other places, victims of hatred, chauvinism, and gruesome terrorism.
Then in 1933 , one year following Iraq’s independence from Britain, while our people was still heeling its wounds, it suffered yet another blow in the peaceful Assyrian town of Simel in Iraq. Five thousand, children, women and old people were cold bloodedly slaughtered on the hands of the regular Iraqi army led by commander of the Northern region colonel Baker Sudki in one of the ugliest crimes of state terrorism in modern history. These victims were nothing but civilian refugees that had taken refuge in this town fleeing for their life from battles waging between the Iraqi regular army on one hand, and our people’s freedom fighters on the other struggling for their legitimate rights in the new Iraq then, similar to the other partners in the country.
As a matter of fact, this terrible crime has opened up new chapters for policies of massacres and sectarian ethnic cleansings for the Iraqi upcoming successive regimes. In 1969 this regime perpetrated another massacre in the Assyrian town of “Souria” in the north, three hundred civilians were massacred.This was followed by other massacres, mass graves and atrocities. Regrettable, the violence and the terrorism still have the upper hand in Iraq , even after the downfall of the dictatorship.
Throughout the last century, Our people have suffered great oppression and tyranny on the hands of some of its partners as well as some regional governments. This, has led to great demographic changes in the historic places of their existence due to the policies of killings, displacement and discrimination, and has resulted in great decline in the number of the Christians and consequently, deprived the region of its spiritual and human richness and diversity, one of its oldest and most important cultural component and the leading source of its development.
The sacrifices of our martyrs were not made for death, they sacrificed themselves for life.Most of them were innocent civilians, intellectuals, religious men like Bishop Mar Beniamen Shamoun, Ashour Yousef, Fredon Athoraia, Bashar Helmy Bouraji, Bishop Touma Aodo and others who have become symbols of martyrdom and dedication. They did not die for the sake of a sect or personal gains, but for the sake of their people’s existence and dignity. The best lesson they have left for the coming generations is, working tirelessly for the fulfillment of the goals they have died for. There is no way of accomplishing these aims, but through national unity that they have called for, the unity of our people with all its denominations, away from narrow temporary interests for this or that party or this or that sect.
while we are commemorating the martyr’s day, horrible massacres and atrocities are perpetrated against the Palestinian and Lebanese people by the Israeli war machine. As we strongly contemn and denounce these massacres, we call upon the international community to stop the aggressive Israeli war on Lebanon and to implement the relevant resolutions of international legitimacy concerning exchange of prisoners, return of refugees to their villages and towns, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all the Lebanese territories including occupied Shab’a farms. Furthermore, the Lebanese political forces should unite in one common position and vision for the sake of independent, free and sovereign Lebanon that would provide stability security and prosperity for its people and would further extent its authority over all its lands.
The countries of the region are fed up with wars and repressive regimes, the people have paid a high price and have become exposed to state and individual terrorism and the result is massacres, as in Kana, Gaza and Iraq. Added to this, the prevalence of poverty , backwardness and frustration has prepared the ground for forces of darkness to promulgate their culture of death instead of that of life. It’s about time the people of the region dedicated their time and energy for construction and development, and this can not be accomplished without finding fair solutions by the international community to the conflicts raging the region, and on top of these comes the Arab Israeli conflict. This can only be done through establishing just and permanent peace in the area according to the resolutions of the international legitimacy and that means the return of rights and lands to their owners. In addition, first, efforts must be made to eliminate all sources of tension and animosity amongst the people by way of acknowledging the national rights of the minorities, second, to help set up democratic systems capable of launching networks of cooperation and understanding among all the people in the area. Only by doing this will we be able to leave behind us the culture of hostility and hatred and devote our time for building of man and homelands.
Glory and immortality to the memory of our martyrs and honor to the martyrs of freedom everywhere.
– Syria 07 August 2006
ADO political Bureau
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Statement on the occasion of Martyrs Day the 7th of August
Statement on the occasion of Martyrs Day the 7th of August
Dear brothers and sisters
Our chaldo-Assyrian-Syriac people have gone through very difficult times throughout its long bitter and turbulent history, has been subjected to powerful blows that weakened in the course of history its demographic and social structure, all this, because of the continuous oppressions, tyrannies and heinous genocides perpetrated against him aiming at uprooting and wiping out its national, cultural and religious presence in its homeland. This has cost us a lot of blood, blood of our people who have sacrificed their lives for the sake of their freedom and dignity. If some of us pretend to have forgotten or try to forget some painful events in our history, they can never forget the massacres perpetrated against us during the I world war, the genocide of “Al-Seyfo” and the atrocities that followed . Many survivors who have lived these painful historic events still keep vivid memories of what they saw heard and felt .
The genocide, mainly against Armenian , chaldo-Assyrians-Syriacs and the Greeks, premeditated and organized by the Turkish –al-Ittihad wal-Taraki – (Union and Progress ) government with close collaboration with its allies Germany and the Kurdish tribal leaders who have answered their call for” al-Jihad ” religious struggle against the infidels (al_kuffar) the Christians, cost our people about half a million martyrs and lead to the displacement of those who have survived these atrocities .
On 7th of August 1933, our people suffered yet another blow in the town of
These atrocities are political crimes par excellence, they are flagrant examples of ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.
Our people everywhere observes the 7th of August of every year to commemorate the anniversary of the genocide and the martyrs who have fallen for the sake of their faith nation and identity and to remember and kindle a sense of responsibility towards such great symbols as patriarch Mar Beniamen Shamoun, Ashour Yousef Bashar Hemi Bouraji, Bishop Adi Bashir ,Fredoun Ashouraya, Francis Shabou and other martyrs of our people and its contemporary national movement, people, without their sacrifices we would not have been able keep on living with dignity and pride
Our commemoration of the martyrs day and the deep sorrow and strong condemnation we feel about what happened, is not aimed at filling our people with despair and frustration neither harboring hatred or prejudice against the perpetrators, but rather, is a kind of commitment and dedication to the memory of our martyrs, that those who have died will never be forgotten, their memories and principles will ever be kept alive in our hearts and minds, moreover, that values of tolerance, justice and peace rather than of intolerance, chauvinism and oppression should prevail amongst people, and finally that the international community should mount pressures on Turkish government in order to admit its responsibility for the genocide. Only by acknowledging the full scope of what took place in history, and by holding the governments accountable for the atrocities they commit it is possible to achieve reconciliation and prevent the recurrence of such heinous events.
The Martyr Day this year coincides with grave political changes that are sweeping the area, these may carry with them great risks and hazards to our people especially that they are coming up to very important events in terms of consolidating our national and cultural presence, particularly in Iraq . Hence, we call the attention of all the institutions, (parties, churches ,organizations ..) of our people to the necessity of : remembering the values and sacrifices of our martyrs, rising up to the huge forthcoming challenges, and finally leaving behind all the petit differences and narrow interests for the sake of the national cause that requires, at this juncture, more than any other time, their unity solidarity and consolidation .
All the people of the area have suffered from injustice and oppression on the hands of the invaders, colonizers and the repressive regimes and sometimes have got involved in meaningless struggles and wars waged by outside powers seeking domination and hegemony. These wars have brought calamities to the countries of the region and have greatly impeded their progress and hindered the establishment of real democratic regimes based on the right of diversity, equality and justice and have further harbored sectarian, religious and ethnic animosity amongst people that resulted in the rise of fundamentalism and terrorism in the area .
Dear Brothers and sisters
Our Chaldo-Syriac –Assyrian people who have been able to go past the tragedies it had suffered in the past with strong determination, faith and persistence is looking forward to building a democratic society via peaceful struggle and with cooperation with other patriotic national forces, a society that would provide justice and equality for all its sons . We further, view the continuous denial and disregard of our people’s national presence as aboriginals on our homeland a flagrant violation of international laws and human right declarations and a continuation of a chauvinistic fanatic mentality which poses a great danger to all people in the area .
Great respect to the memory of our immortal martyrs and to the martyrs of all peace loving nations .
–
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