{"id":1258,"date":"2005-09-05T10:00:16","date_gmt":"2005-09-05T10:00:16","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2010-10-01T20:26:50","modified_gmt":"2010-10-01T20:26:50","slug":"statement-on-the-issuance-of-iraqs-latest-draft-constitution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ado-world.com\/en\/statement-on-the-issuance-of-iraqs-latest-draft-constitution\/","title":{"rendered":"Statement on the issuance of Iraq\u2019s latest draft constitution"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><P class=MsoNormal dir=ltr style=\"TEXT-JUSTIFY: kashida; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; TEXT-KASHIDA: 0%\"><FONT face=\"Times New Roman\"><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\">On August 25, <\/SPAN><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = \"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags\" \/><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\">Iraq<\/SPAN><\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\">\u2019s draft constitution was submitted.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&nbsp; <\/SPAN>The draft will be voted on in a general referendum and ratified by the general assembly on October 15.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&nbsp; <\/SPAN>The submission of the draft constitution was a great disappointment and blow to the ambitions of the Chaldean Assyrian Syriac people.<\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/P><FONT face=\"Times New Roman\"><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\"><br \/>\n<P class=MsoNormal dir=ltr style=\"TEXT-JUSTIFY: kashida; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; TEXT-KASHIDA: 0%\"><BR>The preamble of the draft constitution intentionally ignored the historical reality of the indigenous people of <\/SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\">Iraq<\/SPAN><\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\"> (known as Assyrians or Chaldeans or Syriacs).<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&nbsp; <\/SPAN>It does not mention the Assyrians as being one of the components of the Iraqi people, alongside Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen, nor does it mention Christianity, Sabaeanism and Yezidism as religions that existed and preceded Islam in Iraq.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&nbsp; <\/SPAN>Article 135 of the draft constitution divides the Assyrians by inserting the dividing conjunction AND between the designations \u201cChaldeans\u201d AND \u201cAssyrians\u201d, aiming at showing them as two separate independent and different ethnicities.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&nbsp; <\/SPAN>In fact, this article comes to falsify non-negotiable historical truth and reality about the unity of the Assyrians as one nation historically, culturally and linguistically, in spite of the fact, that the three known designations Chaldean, Assyrian and Syriac have been used interchangeably during the course of Assyrian history.<\/SPAN><\/P><br \/>\n<P class=MsoNormal dir=ltr style=\"TEXT-JUSTIFY: kashida; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; TEXT-KASHIDA: 0%\"><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\"><BR><\/SPAN><\/FONT><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\"><FONT face=\"Times New Roman\">The prior Iraqi regime as well as the Transitional Adminstrative Law (TAL) did Assyrians more justice.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&nbsp; <\/SPAN>In 1972 a decree was issued recognizing the cultural and linguistic unity of the Assyrians.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&nbsp; <\/SPAN>Moreover, TAL approved the unified name \u201cChaldoAssyrian\u2019\u2019, a designation which was agreed upon by the majority of Assyrian religious, cultural and political institutions during the Syriac Chaldean Assyrian general conference in Baghdad in October 2003.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = \"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office\" \/><o:p><\/o:p><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/P><br \/>\n<P class=MsoNormal dir=ltr style=\"TEXT-JUSTIFY: kashida; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; TEXT-KASHIDA: 0%\"><FONT face=\"Times New Roman\"><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\"><BR>The Assyrian Democratic Organization considers this constitution divisive for the Assyrian people, and a flagrant violation of their inalienable rights in their homeland, <\/SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\">Iraq<\/SPAN><\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\">.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&nbsp; <\/SPAN>This constitution may lead to a feeling of frustration, despair and prejudice in the future <\/SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\">Iraq<\/SPAN><\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\">, and may push Assyrians to<\/SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black\"> <\/SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\">abandon their lands and homes and to emigrate.<\/SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black\"><o:p><\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/P><br \/>\n<P class=MsoNormal dir=ltr style=\"TEXT-JUSTIFY: kashida; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; TEXT-KASHIDA: 0%\"><FONT face=\"Times New Roman\"><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\"><BR>The <\/SPAN><st1:City><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\">ADO<\/SPAN><\/st1:place><\/st1:City><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\"> holds the following parties responsible for dividing the Assyrians in the Iraqi draft constitution:<o:p><\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/P><br \/>\n<P class=MsoNormal dir=ltr style=\"TEXT-JUSTIFY: kashida; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; TEXT-KASHIDA: 0%\"><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"FONT-SIZE: 6pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\"><o:p><FONT face=\"Times New Roman\">&nbsp;<\/FONT><\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P><br \/>\n<P class=MsoNormal dir=ltr style=\"TEXT-JUSTIFY: kashida; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; TEXT-KASHIDA: 0%\"><FONT face=\"Times New Roman\"><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\">1. The heads of the religious institutions, which have dispatched one memorandum after another to the various authorities in <\/SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\">Iraq<\/SPAN><\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\">, demanding that each designation be mentioned separately.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&nbsp; <\/SPAN>To make the matter worse, only a few days before the declaration of the draft constitution, some of them gave up their nationality and declared their affiliation to Arab nationalism.<o:p><\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/P><br \/>\n<P class=MsoNormal dir=ltr style=\"TEXT-JUSTIFY: kashida; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; TEXT-KASHIDA: 0%\"><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\"><FONT face=\"Times New Roman\"><BR>2. The Assyrians representatives in the Iraqi National Assembly, as well as in the constitution drafting committee, who have failed in their efforts to preserve the unity of the Assyrians; they should have withdrawn from the committee in protest.<o:p><\/o:p><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/P><br \/>\n<P class=MsoNormal dir=ltr style=\"TEXT-JUSTIFY: kashida; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; TEXT-KASHIDA: 0%\"><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\"><FONT face=\"Times New Roman\"><BR>3. Some of the extremist organizations in Iraq and the Diaspora, whose fanatical stance concerning the name, as well as their memorandums filed to the Iraqi authorities rejecting the unifying name, has marginalized the Assyrians and compromised their unity.<o:p><\/o:p><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/P><br \/>\n<P class=MsoNormal dir=ltr style=\"TEXT-JUSTIFY: kashida; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; TEXT-KASHIDA: 0%\"><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"FONT-SIZE: 6pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\"><o:p><FONT face=\"Times New Roman\">&nbsp;<\/FONT><\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P><br \/>\n<P class=MsoNormal dir=ltr style=\"TEXT-JUSTIFY: kashida; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; TEXT-KASHIDA: 0%\"><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\"><FONT face=\"Times New Roman\"><BR>The ADO, as a staunch believer in firm national principles, strongly rejects the articles and clauses in the Iraqi draft constitution that do great prejudice against the Assyrians and their national identity.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&nbsp; <\/SPAN>We call upon all Assyrians institutions and organizations in the homeland and Diaspora to work together in appealing to the Iraqi authorities and patriotic forces as well as the international community to do justice to the Assyrian people.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">&nbsp; <\/SPAN>We ask Assyrians to say NO to this latest draft constitution in the general referendum unless it is amended to guarantee the rights, unity and the identity of the Chadean Assyrian Syriac people.<o:p><\/o:p><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/P><br \/>\n<P class=MsoNormal dir=ltr style=\"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left\"><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\"><o:p><FONT face=\"Times New Roman\">&nbsp;<\/FONT><\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P><br \/>\n<P class=MsoNormal dir=ltr style=\"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left\"><FONT face=\"Times New Roman\"><st1:date Month=\"8\" Day=\"31\" Year=\"2005\"><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\">August 31, 2005<\/SPAN><\/st1:date><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\"> &#8211; 6755<BR><BR><\/SPAN><\/FONT><FONT face=\"Times New Roman\"><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"COLOR: black; mso-bidi-language: AR-SY\"><o:p><SPAN lang=EN-US dir=ltr style=\"FONT-FAMILY: Arial\"><STRONG>Assyrian Democratic Organization<o:p><\/o:p><\/STRONG><\/SPAN><\/P><br \/>\n<P class=MsoNormal dir=ltr style=\"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left\"><SPAN lang=EN-US style=\"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA\"><STRONG>Political Bureau<\/STRONG><\/SPAN><\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/P><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On August 25, Iraq\u2019s draft constitution was submitted.&nbsp; The draft will be voted on in a general referendum and ratified by the general assembly on October 15.&nbsp; The submission of the draft constitution was a great disappointment and blow to the ambitions of the Chaldean Assyrian Syriac people. The preamble of the draft constitution intentionally &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","","category-press-releases"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ado-world.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1258","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ado-world.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ado-world.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ado-world.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ado-world.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1258"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ado-world.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1258\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ado-world.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ado-world.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1258"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ado-world.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}