ASSYRIAN, SYRIAC, CHALDEAN AND ARAMAIC COMMUNITIES CANNOT BE A MERE SPECTATOR TO THE FORMATION OF A KURDISH STATE!

A federal Kurdish state, which is planned to be established on Iraqi territories that will surely be reshaped after a possible intervention of the USA in Iraq, will be the beginning of a disaster that will darken the future of Christian Assyrians-Syriacs-Chaldeans-Aramaics living in this region.

KDP and PUK, which set up two separate administrations by sharing the territories belonging to the ancestors of Assyrian-Syriac-Chaldean-Aramaic people, the oldest inhabitants of Mesopotamia and the first Christians of the world, have agreed upon the establishment of a federal “Kurdistan” state by joining the two administrations and the peshmerge forces after the war with an agreement they signed on September 7, 2002 in Salahaddin. After the completion of this agreement, “National Parliament of Kurdistan” was opened on October 4, 2002 in Irbil. In the parliament consisting of 105 members, 5 persons who are in fact the pawns of KDP and PUK represented Christian communities for the sake of appearance.

KDP and PUK have always been in an effort of eradicating Mesopotamian Christians. The most striking evidence of this is that Mesopotamian territories which were inhabited by Assyrian-Syriac-Chaldean-Aramaic communities in the history and as well as today are indicated as the land of “Kurdistan” in Kurdistan map. Even more dreadful is that they want to assimilate these Christian communities into the Kurdish community. The fact that Kurdish authors use the expressions such as “Syriac Kurds” and “Assyrian Kurds” in their works, presents the clearest evidence that they are denying the identities of these people.

KDP and PUK, aiming to dissolve Christians in the Northern Iraq, quicken the pace of this destruction and denial process with guided institutions they set up in line with their political ideology, such as Assyrian Democratic Movement, Assyrian National Party, Bathnahrin Democracy Party, Bathnahrin National Movement, Chaldean Democratic Union Party.

As a matter of fact, the draft “Constitution of Federal Kurdistan”, which was prepared by KDP and PUK and which is to be brought into force together with federal “Kurdistan” state, has been adopted by the representatives of the above mentioned 5 guided Christian parties at the meeting held in Kou Senjaq on October 27, 2002. Whereas, no rights other than freedom of religion-cultural identity has been given to Christian communities in this constitution. The approval of “Kurdistan” state, its “Constitution” and “Kurdistan National Parliament” means the denial of Assyrian, Syriac, Chaldean and Aramaic identities.

There is no need to be a soothsayer to tell that the sovereignty of Kurds in Kurdistan they plan to establish will mean the eradication of Mesopotamian Christians from the history.

The practices of genocide against Christian Assyriacs, Syrians, Chaldeans, and Aramaics by Kurdish rulers that have been holding local administrations in the region in different periods of history are known by all. Furthermore, it is not possible to say that the Kurds, who will obtain all administrative positions in the Kurdish state to be established in the region, will abandon their oppression and genocide activities.

We know the pressure exerted on Assyrians-Syriacs-Chaldeans-Aramaics by particularly the KDP administration after the Gulf War (1991). The brutal killing of two Assyrians (Lazar Matta and his son Hawel) in the middle of the street by Kurds on February 10, 1997 in Shaqlawa caused big protests in Europe and the communiqués issued underlined that “this event was the result of a planned policy aiming at the eradication of Assyrians by Kurds”.

After two months from this event, on May 14, 1997, KDP forces initiated attacks against Christian communities in various locations such as Duhok, Zakho, Rawanduz, Shaqlawa and Irbil; and during these attacks 18 Christian villages were evacuated, thousands of hectares of arable lands and gardens were set to fire, hundreds of people were detained and persecuted and tens of them were cruelly murdered. In particular, on May 16, 1997 and later on KDP peshmerges raided houses, ransacked people’s belongings, shot many innocent and defenseless people in Anqawa district of Irbil. It is not possible for Assyrian-Syriac-Chaldean-Aramaic people to forget this inhuman cruelty and oppression executed by KDP.

Historical facts show that only Kurds are responsible for the fact that individuals belonging to Assyrian, Syriac, Chaldean and Aramaic communities are forced to live in refugee status in various countries of the world and to remain stateless.

In light of these facts, in case the USA and its allies found a federal “Kurdistan” in the region after a possible war against Iraq and in case the future of Assyrians, Syriacs, Chaldeans and Aramaics remain at Kurds’ discretion, this will provide a basis for the complete extermination of these people.

Therefore, all Assyrians, Syriacs, Chaldeans, and Aramaics living in various countries of the world should be mobilized and revolt in order to render vain the efforts made for a “Kurdish state” to be established in Mesopotamia.

We demand that all Iraqi communities are represented in a democratic system to be formed in Iraq after the fall down of Saddam regime and we say “No Kurdistan!”.

Long live democratic and free Iraq!

MESOPOTAMIA DEMOCRATIC FORUM