Assyrian Democratic Organization ADO
Kamishli (Syria)- ADO — The Assyrian Democratic Organization Celebrates its golden anniversary, the anniversary of the passing of 50 years of its establishment , as her march for struggle and freedom started in the city of Qamishli on the 15th of July 1957 at the hands of a select group of young nationalist and enlightened people.
As a matter of fact the appearance of ADO constituted a milestone in the lives of our Chaldean Syriac Assyrian people, and a new stage of organized political action for the first time in its modern history. This came as an expression of the growing national sense among its ranks , and as an echo of the ideas of national Renaissance carried by the leaders and thinkers such as Mar Shamon Benjamin, Agha Boutros, Noam Vaeik ,Ashour Yousef , Fredon Athoraia , Touma Aodo , Farid NAzha , Shukri Musalli and others , and as a culmination of vital activism experienced by institutions and associations and schools of our people at all levels , political, cultural, intellectual and social and finally in response to the attempts of assimilation and dissolution that appeared those days .
The organization has worked since its inception to awaken our people’s energies and unify them in order to confirm her active presence both humanly and culturally at the national and international level , and has further embraced its claims of the constitutional recognition of its presence as an indigenous people, and guarantee of all their political and cultural rights , respect for its specialty and national identity within the framework of the unity of the country, equally with all other national components. And despite the difficult conditions the Organization experienced and the blocking of all prospects for political action by tyranny, it continued to make progress, and succeeded with its branches in the diaspora to create an advanced status of national work interacting with the national dimension and depth , deriving from its peaceful and democratic approach based on moderation and openness, the ability to communicate with all formations and expressions of political nationalism and patriotism as well as to develop its ideology and mechanisms in harmony with the conditions of our people, and in the service of its political orientations without prejudice to its own national and patriotic principles.
At the national level it has weaved relationships with most parties and institutions of our people at home and abroad, based on trust and respect, and was a key actor in all attempts to create an effective framework for national action for the common cause of identifying and delivering the cause of our propel to international forums, as well as exposing the abuses and injustices that affect our people in the homeland.
– At the patriotic level, and with embracing openness, the organization has opened on the national political scene, and developed relations with the various national forces, civil society bodies and human rights commissions in Syria. Its efforts culminated in joining the Damascus Declaration for Democratic National change in Syria , this came as a result to her belief in the principle of national partnership, and that the resolution of national diversity issues can be resolved only through a just and democratic national consensus that wins the approval of all the components of the homeland.
– The anniversary of the golden jubilee of the founding of our organization comes at a time when the peoples of the region go though major conflicts that are extending from Iraq including Lebanon and ending up with Palestine . In Iraq, the Chaldean Syriac Assyrian people like the other components of Iraqi people has been the victim of occupation and the collapse of the State, and fell into the grip of the militias of terrorism and “Takfiris “ exclusionism . Our people and all the Christians has paid a dear price by being persistently targeted by the forces of terrorism under the cover of Islamic religion .These forces committed the most heinous crimes against the Christians of killing, kidnapping, extortion, the bombing of churches , the imposition of tribute (alJuzia) and the veil on the girls and giving the Christians the option between conversion to Islam , the killing and leaving . All this comes in a demonic scheme aimed at emptying Iraq of its indigenous population.
The ongoing series of killings, mass -immigration of Christians, amid the silence of the government and the Iraqi elite and the conspiracy of others , the indifference of the international community and its institutions to this human tragedy, has cast a dark shadow and gave rise to many fears not only about the Iraqi Christians but also the Christian presence in the whole East , as their presence is increasingly declining in most countries , particularly Palestine (the cradle of Christ) and Turkey, which disposed of the Christian presence in 1915 through the logic of genocide and continues to insist on denying its crime despite the emergence of mass graves of victims of genocide in more than one place in the “Tor Abedin “and other places .
To ignore this catastrophic reality , and the reluctance on the part of the elites and governments of the region and the international community to shoulder their responsibilities towards the protection of Christians, and to put an end to the forces of terrorism, will encourage those forces to destabilize these states , and destroy their people’s aspirations and hopes of democracy and modernity and progress.
There is no doubt that Syria has enjoyed something of relative stability, but it is not immune to the negative effects of what is happening in the neighborhood . Syrian society keeps in store ethnic , religious and social tensions resulting from the absence of freedom, and the continuation of the monopoly and exclusiveness in public life, in addition to the spreading of extremist ideas and penetration in many of the social circles , and the growing frustration and despair among the young, because of the lack of job opportunities, and the deterioration of living standards of citizens, as well as increasing external pressures against Syria. Sustaining stability and the promotion of civil peace, and venting frustrations and tension as well as reducing the impact of international pressures can not be achieved through greater tyranny and oppression, but , by taking genuine and serious steps towards freedom, democracy and respect for human rights and the constitutional recognition of the status of national diversity.
This requires the stimulation of the national situation, the rehabilitation of the concept of citizenship, meeting the demands of citizens in eliminating corruption and raising the rates of economic development , openness to the national opposition , providing greater opportunities to participate in public life through the enactment of a modern law of political parties, associations and elections as well as the release of political detainees and revoking the state of emergency. These are all prerequisites for building a democratic, secular and just system governed by law and order The Assyrian Democratic Organization, in memory of the golden jubilee anniversary, promises to our people and our nation to continue the defense of national and patriotic issues with the same energy and determination regardless of the circumstances and consequences, and to keep on being open to all nationalist and patriotic forces and to cooperate with them , in order to support and consolidate our national and human situation in the country and to build a democratic national state which guarantees the rights of all its citizens on the basis of justice and equality and fraternity.
Honor to the martyrs of our people and nation.
Syria Mid –July 2007
ADO Political Bureau
