The Assyrian Democratic Organization
“ALL 4 SYRIA “electronic daily bulletin conducted an interview in Arabic language with Mr.Bachir alSaadi chairman of ADO’s political Bureau on 14/07/2007 . Here is the full text of the interview translated into English. The interviewer is attorney Mr.Hasan Bero .
Syria – ALL 4 SYRIA — Mr. Bachir alSaadi first of all could you please introduce yourself to he readers I was born in the Hasaka governorate , Al-derbasseh city. Obtained a civil engineering degree from the University of Aleppo, in 1974 . Completed compulsory service in 1977, and I am currently working in the profession of engineering at my private office. I joined the Assyrian Democratic Organization in 1970, was arrested with some leading comrades in 1986. The Organization nominated me for 1990 People Assembly’s election , and we won it as it was marked with integrity and impartiality ,something , unfortunately did not happen again. I was arrested again with fellow numbers in the Organization in 1996. I have the honor now to be at the first position in the Assyrian Democratic Organization leadership, I also represent the organization in the Office of the Secretariat of the “Damascus Declaration for Democratic Change”.
Tell us please about the establishment of your Organization and its goals ?
The Assyrian Democratic Organization was founded in July 15, 1957, the first national political organization in the history of our Assyrian Chaldean Syrian people. The objectives were and still are built on the national , patriotic and democratic ideas ,the parallelism between the national and patriotic democratic struggle The Organization has emphasized , since its inception the inseparability of national , patriotic struggle and the democratic one . We can obtain national rights only in genuine democratic system, within the framework of a nation and a common national identity. From here comes the importance of the organization’s call since the foundation for the establishment of a democratic, secular system , based on the principle of citizenship and Bill of Rights with all its international declarations, covenants and conventions, and the recognition of our people as an indigenous one , considering the Syriac language and culture a national culture , in addition to ensuring the national rights of all the minorities under the wing of a unifying national Syrian identity that would include and recognize cultural ,national and religious diversity in the framework of the unity of State and society.
ADO has also contributed to highlight our people’s case in the international forums as a humane and just political issue , and has further focused the light on the issue of the forgotten genocide , acquainting the world public opinion with the facts of the crime which claimed the lives of half a million of civilians of our people , holding the successive Turkish governments responsible for these crimes and demanding recognition as well as the legal consequences in accordance with the provisions of international law. Further , The organization has chosen to fulfill its goals through moderation, realism , peaceful and democratic means , away from all forms of violence , coups and burning stages, rejecting all forms of extremism, fanaticism and terrorism. The organization has suffered a lot during its long history from despotism , restrictions , detainment and pursuits , from 1958 with the beginning of union between Syria and Egypt and continuing up till now . In spite of that the Organization was able to disseminate its ideology in Syria and abroad where branches were founded in Europe that helped link the homeland with Diaspora and protect our people from dissolution in the huge melting pot of Europe . Moreover , the Organization has built positive relations with most of the national democratic forces in Syria in their various national spectrums , and has been attending since its foundation all the national political activities .
Further , this participation has been strengthened after the arrests of most of its leaders in 1986 and 1987 , as the Organization has decided to transform to a new phase of public work in spite of the prevention, restriction, lack of legal authorization for political action, and has formally began to participate in all the political elections beginning with the 1990 People’s Assembly’ selections . It’s participation continued in the subsequent elections both in the People’s Assembly or local councils and trade unions, allied with the various national democratic forces . Moreover , It has been able to establish in the public opinion the fact that our people’s cause is not just a sectarian one , it is a national issue of an indigenous people . It has also stood forcibly against the immigration urging people to cling to their homeland especially in the 1980s, and contributed to the defense of their rights and stood by them against various abuses for which it suffered harassments and arrests in the years 1992 , 1997 and 1998. ADO is currently a member in the “Damascus Declaration for Democratic National change,” along with the rest of the national forces of the various power spectrum , all working for the peaceful transition to a democratic regime in Syria that would embody the aspirations of all the people in the homeland
You have recently joined Damascus Declaration, to what extent this meets your expectations?
In the first draft of “Damascus Declaration’s” founding document before the announcement, which was at the beginning of October 2005, we had a couple of observations, the first related to the article stipulating that Islam is a religion of the majority of the Syrian people without reference to the Christian religion. The second observation was that the draft did not mention -with exception to the Kurdish people -the existence of the Assyrian Syrian people as national components of the Syrian people . Therefore, the Organization did not agree with the document of the Declaration and was not a signatory to it . But after several months and following discussions with the Declaration interim board a settlement concerning the two a/m observation was reached and announced through a joint declaration on 07/12/2006 which also included the organization’s joining to the Declaration . Since that date on the ADO has become an active participant in most of Declaration’s discussions as well as committees inside or outside Syria . The Organization views the Declaration as an important national assembly that covers all forces of national and political spectrum in Syria : parties , independent national figures and civil society bodies, and believes that the continuation of this secular ,democratic framework could constitute a base for formation a democratic , patriotic and active opposition that would include ,and for the first time ,all the national spectrum : Arabs , Kurds and Assyrian-Syrians , all working together for the sake of a democratic change according to the accepted Declaration program of peaceful , democratic and gradual struggle as a means for reaching the objectives and through a call for dialogue and reform based on betting only on the Syrian people .
What is your view of the future of Syria?
We are optimistic about the prosperous future for Syria , a future based on a secular and democratic system under the wing of a national Syrian identity containing and acknowledging the diversity . The Syrians are civilized people and tolerant by nature , they are capable of overcoming the current difficulties , moreover , we think that the opportunity is still there in front of the regime to reconsider its positions in order to open the file of comprehensive political reform, saving the country any potential difficulties and risks . There is no way to the Syrian people and the country to face external challenges, The risks of fundamentalism, extremism and rampant terrorism in the region only by creating a national genuine unity depending on the participation of all forces of the Syrian community in the political decision , and I think that the opposite will increase congestions, which in turn will create an atmosphere conducive to the spread of extremist thinking and the culture of violence , intolerance, rejections and fundamentalism, which in turn will reverse the tables on everyone the regime and a national democratic opposition. The loser would be the homeland and the Syrian people generally
Recently , we have heard of a split in your Organization .What are the reasons?
There is no split in the ranks of the organization, but occasionally the membership of a comrade might be frozen as a result of the excesses and lack of commitment to the rules and the decisions of its leadership, and this is what happened a year and half ago towards only two leading comrades , and this is a common practice in all parties and can not be called a split .
What is common between you and the Kurdish movement and on what do you disagree ?
We agree with the Kurdish parties which maintain the option of establishing a civil state and a secular , democratic system and demand the national rights for the Syrian Kurds alongside the rights of the other nationalities in Syria within the framework of the unity of the state and society as well as the common national Syrian identity and under the umbrella of one Syria as a final Homeland for all its children . Whereas , we disagree with some parties which put forward the Kurdish issue as the issue of land, and right of self-determination alleging that the Syrian “al-Jazira” region is a part of historic Kurdistan partitioned as a result of “Sykes-Picot” treaty . We say the opposite , the entire Syrian land and soil is the property of all the Syrians without exception, and that it is wrong to politicize history, and that such extreme nationalist proposition is not based on a true historical and scientific foundation , neither is realistic and attainable, and in my opinion these allegations do harm to the Kurdish movement and the interests of the Kurdish people.
You had a candidate in the elections of the People’s Assembly, why didn’t you stick to the election boycott announced by the Damascus Declaration?
As a matter of fact , ADO participated in the elections with the consent of Damascus Declaration after a strong understanding of the organization’s position and conviction that participation in elections is a national privacy. The Organization invested this occasion to reaffirm its political presence as a representative of the national aspirations of its people, and in order to transfer its discourse to the widest possible popular constituency . The Organizations’ participation has been characterized with a qualitative political status demonstrated through mass-seminars as well as the national, patriotic and political election statement circulated widely amongst people and the mass media that summed up the Organization’s political speech which was in line with that of the Declaration’s . As you know ,having won in its election campaign sympathy and broad popularity especially among its people, the Organization announced its withdrawal through a statement on the day before the date of the elections in protest against the emergence of a shadow list .
Does your organization represent the whole Assyrian people and meet their ambitious? And Why?
ADO is not the sole party in the field of the Assyrian people, there are many parties involved that generally share the same goals, and all these parties acknowledge that the organization is representing a national schools as the first national party . Yes, we believe that the organization meets the aspirations of most of our people.
Several days later on July 10 Mr. President will be delivering his speech at the People’s Assembly following the oath-taking for a new constitutional term, what do expect? And why?
I expect that Mr. President will focus on the political situation in the Middle East in general and on the external challenges facing Syria, as well as, on the process of resistance and confrontation to them. He will further emphasize on the strength of the internal front, and urge to withstand the potential external threats. I think that he will point out to the existence of difficulties and negative aspects of corruption in the state institutions, and that he would work to reform them in general. He would not touch on political reform, which is in my opinion the only way to the overall reform process. I think that the justification for not pointing to political reform is, the state of tension and turmoil within the region around us and the potential risks and challenges to Syria.
On the contrary , I believe that such a case must be a pressing factor for opening widely the file of political reform , as well as for unleashing a comprehensive national dialogue with all national democratic forces, through any possible mechanism, which could be a general national conference, that would lead to a real participation in the national worry and would achieve a solid genuine national unity able to stand up to challenges and threats and building a strong , secular and flourishing Syria . Some Arab brothers in the region consider that you have privileges even more than they do, so why do join the opposition then? . I do not think that such an opinion by those sounds logical or serious , and if they are this means that they are negatively motivated and that these people’s attitude stems from a culture of contempt and hatred towards the other, this culture, unfortunately, has been growing recently and some has fallen under the influence of fundamentalists around us , these people do not tolerate the others , who differ from them in religion and nationality , especially when they aspire to freedom ,justice and equality in their homeland . Everybody knows that our people do not have privileges and does not seek to have, what they aspire for is enjoying equal rights and duties, and that national standard be the yardstick, not party affiliation, religion or ethnic origin
Thank you Mr.Bachir
Thank you too and best wishes to you
