Statement on the occasion of Syria’s Independence Day April the 17th

Syrian- ADO: Our Syrian people, with all its political and national components, has succeeded in liberating the country from the French colonizers and in forcing them to evacuate and achieve full independence in the 17th of April 1947. This has been accomplished because of the great struggle and sacrifices as well as solidarity and unity of the Syrian people in confronting one of the toughest colonial powers in the 20th century.

Our Assyrio-Syriac-Chaldean people ,side by side with their Kurdish Arab and Armenian brothers as well as the other components of the Syrian society, have played a significant role in achieving independence. To mention but few names, who were known for their great patriotic spirit and resistance to French occupation, we quote here the names of people like : Patriarch Afram Barsom, Bishop Keriakes Tanourchi, Khouri Malke Afram and deputy Saeed Ishak, as well as many others who have played great part in resisting the occupation and foiling their plans and further laying the foundation for the national government later on.

Our founding fathers, in the course of their struggle, have worked hard to consolidate the values of freedom , justice and equality and to build a modern state for all the citizens, dreaming to make their country a model to be followed in the region .But the successive political elites after the independence were unable to enhance the values and ideals of the independence and failed to achieve the national objectives, on top of these, building a secular, democratic system capable of transferring the country into the age of modernity and growth. All these happened because of the subjection of the country – with few exceptions -to a revolutionary, totalitarian and ideological regimes that have restricted freedoms, stifled the society and obstructed all kinds of progress. As a matter of fact, 60 years after the Independence, Syria is still suffering from political repression and the continuation of the state of emergency. The prisons are still full of political detainees whereas poverty and unemployment is prevalent, the economic conditions is steadily worsening, and corruption widespread.

All the empty slogans that have been reiterated in the past years not only have failed to curb the situation from getting worse, but also have disregarded , sidelined the national issues and marginalized the role of the citizen in the society. Consequently, this policy has weakened the national bond and further stimulated sectarian and religious affiliations that has given way to confrontations and crises in the society whose clearest manifestations appeared in the bloody and serious clashes that has happened lately throughout the country.

No doubt, Syria is now at a very serious crossroad , and in order to safeguard its stability and independence , she is in need of a new approach , capable of dealing with the internal and external challenges and this can only be achieved through returning to the values and principles of the independence and leaving behind the totalitarian mentality that has stifled the society’s potentials and excluded people from political participation and active public life.

This return can be done through meeting the following conditions:
1-Abolition of the emergency and martial laws as well as all the exceptional rules and courts.
2-Releasing from prison all political and opinion prisoners.
3-Closing the file of political detention once and for all, and lifting the bans imposed on political activities.
4-Refraining from pursuing and harassing the opposition activists.
5-Unleasing general freedoms.
6-Drafting new democratic, modern laws for parties and elections that would guarantee a real and broader participation for all the Syrians in political life.

But before this, the national unity should be restored and priority should be given to the Syrian national identity as a unifying factor that would bring together all the people with their diverse religious and national affiliations, this should be acknowledged in he constitution, in addition to the recognition that our Assyrian Syriac Chaldean people is an indigenous one in the country.

Only this can safeguard the independence and the liberation of our occupied lands, build a new Syria, a final homeland for all its people and achieve progress and prosperity.

Finally, on this occasion we extend our congratulations and best wishes of prosperity and well- being to the Syrian people.


-16/04/2006

Assyrian Democratic Organization
Syria’s branch