US State Department Says Christian Autonomy in Iraq is Being

[King Ashurbanipal]

US State Department Says Christian Autonomy in Iraq is Being Considered

Iraq's Christians suffer much from persecution and are fleeing the country. Yesterday Metro published articles on why equally many Iraqi refuges seek shelter in Södertälje, Sweden, as in the entire U.S. Iraq's non --Muslim minorities, most of them Assyrians (Syriacs and Chaldeans) face systematic cleansing in the shadow of the Iraq war. Now even the U.S department for Foreign Affairs is ringing the alarm bell exclusively for Metro by stating that they regard the situation seriously and that they have taken several measures in order to stop the persecution. One of the solutions can be a safe haven. In talks with Metro the U.S department for Foreign Affairs has opened up for the possibility to give Christians, and other minorities, in Iraq an area of their own, where they will be safe.

In the north of Iraq, just south of Kurdistan, there is an area named Nineveh which is almost entirely populated by Iraq's minorities, most of them Christians. Many are now calling for this area to become an administrative area of its own, a protective zone, where Christian Iraqis can feel safe.

The Kurds needed protection in 1991. The year 2007 others are in need of protection. We are working to enhance the consciousness among members of Congress and request from the American Congress to support that Assyrians/Chaldeans/Syriacs and other minorities who live parallel to them in the north part, which is called the Nineveh Plaines, shall have their own administrative area. There is support for this in the Iraqi constitution says Michael Youash from the think-tank called Iraqi Sustainable Democracy Project in Washington.

In an email to Metro the responsible civil servant from the U.S department for Foreign Affairs stresses that the most important issue is for Iraq to remain a united -- federal country. Previously the plan included three federations, one for Sunni Muslims, one for Shia Muslims and one for Kurds, but now the creation of yet another federation is thinkable for the department for Foreign Affairs.

The President of the Assyrian Federation of Sweden, Simon Barmano, says he supports the proposition and wants the Swedish government to act so the Assyrians may have a sanctuary. That is also the standpoint of Fredrick Malm, spokesman of the Swedish co-governing liberal party, Folkpartiet, on issues of political refugees.

"I support autonomy for the Assyrians in Nineveh," he says, "But their safety and security must also be guaranteed."

Another reason for wanting a safe haven is the possibility that the large number of refuges, now living under terrible circumstances in the neighbouring countries, may return.

"If we have an own administrative area where protection is guaranteed then many of the refugees in the neighbouring countries can chose to return instead of go to western countries," says Barmano

By Nuri Kino
http://www.metro.lu

[King Ashurbanipal]

Coalition Calls for Establishing Assyrian Safe Haven in North Iraq

-- Save Assyria Front, a coalition of Assyrian groups, has called for the establishment of an Assyrian administered region in north Iraq. The coalition issued the following statement:

In order to address the complicated circumstances in our region and the fabricated democracy in Iraq resulting in marginalization and exclusion of our Assyrian case, and taking into consideration the high national Interest of our Assyrian people, the Expanded Assyrian conference held in Sweden in December 15-17, 2006 proposed the establishment of an Assyrian front to include all the Assyrian efforts and potentials representing all political parties, organizations, institutions, and independent activists under the name "Save Assyria Front" based on the following principals:


Demand that the Assyrians be recognized as the original, indigenous people of Iraq.
Demand that the Assyrian identity be confirmed in the Iraqi Constitution as a comprehensive national identity
Demand the recognition of establishing the region of "Assyria" with the following geographical borders:

North: The international borders of the state of Iraq with Turkey and Syria
East: Including the Nirwa and Rikan region down to the greater Zab River
West: The Tigris River
South: The point where the greater Zab meets with the Tigris River


Furthermore, to the expanded Assyrian conference held in Sweden, the "Save Assyrian Front" first conference was held in Tbilisi, Georgia in March 15-17, 2007 under the slogan "Our Salvation is in Our Unity" where, in those three days, the delegates discussed the timetable of the conference and submitted the bylaws and the internal political program for "Save Assyria Front" as a national political entity which believes in Assyrian identity and represents a coalition including political parties, organizations, institutions, and independent activists struggling for the national rights of Assyrian people and based on the following strategies:


To confirm the principals adopted at the Sweden conference as the essential basis for the work of the "Save Assyria Front".
To confirm the Assyrian political agenda as an independent agenda with no link to any other specific party.
To confirm that the participation in the "Save Assyria Front" is open to all political parties, organizations, institutions, and independent activist that believes in the announced goals of the Front.

In conclusion, "Save Assyria Front" extends its gratitude to the people and the government of the Republic of Georgia for facilitating this conference.

Long live the United Free Iraq
Long live the Assyrian Nation

Save Assyria Front
March 17, 2007

[King Ashurbanipal]

In the recent political circumstances in Iraq and both the international and regional equations, the conference took place between March 10-12 where the delegates discussed numerous cases concerning the national and patriotic issues in Iraq.

On the national level, Assyrians feel that they were marginalized and been purposely distinguished notwithstanding the fact that the Assyrians are the indigenous people of Iraq. The conference decided to work on preserving the Iraqi national unity based on Lawful State, separation of authorities, and dissemination of the brotherhood principals among all the religious and ethnic groups to clear paths to all the sects of Iraqi people to live their own national rights. Under the umbrella of this Lawful State, the Conference demands reinforcement of the national unity of the Assyrian people, reveal its national identity stated in the constitution. Also, to remove the unjust acts caused to them since the establishment of Iraq until today. Furthermore, to secure their rights and return to their historical land in order to practice their national rights, and the need to establish an Assyrian Federal region within a United Federalized Iraq as per the constitution.

On the patriotic level, the conference discussed the Iraqi constitution which in its articles aborted the rights of the Assyrian people.

The conference also discussed Kirkuk issue considering it as a patriotic one not to be included in narrow scales. The conference looks at Kirkuk as a smaller Iraq where all the sects of the Iraqi people meet.

In addition, the conference discussed the normalization issue in Dohuk demanding activation of all the relevant articles included in the Iraqi constitution and the necessity of centralizing the law to distribute the resources to the central government.

The conference is thankful to the neighboring countries for adopting a positive attitude in all their standings toward the Iraqi affair.

As for the international level, the conference decided to approach the international community to protect the rights of Assyrians in Iraq, the unity of Iraq, and the principals of human rights.

In conclusion, the conference extended its gratitude to the people and government of Turkey for giving the opportunity to hold this conference on their land which was unable to take place on the homeland (Iraq).

Assyrian General Conference
March 14, 2007