ICAE Institute Assist Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council (CSAPC) Leadership Highlight the Plight of Vulnerable Christians in Iraq
May 13-22, 2013
Washington, D.C.
In its diligent and persistent effort to advocate and support the plight of the vulnerable Christians of Iraq, the ICAE Institute organized a series of meetings in Washington, D.C and Capitol Hill for the visiting Iraqi Christian Delegation headed by Mr. Fahmi Mansour, President of the Iraq-Duhok based Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council (CSAPC), in order to discuss the plight of our people with the US Administration and US Congressional Policy Makers. CSAPC is one of Iraq’s major 14 Chaldean Syriac Assyrian political parties and organizations which jointly unified their voice as they formed a gathering front: The Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Political Parties and Organization Assembly. The Assembly jointly signed on an agreement calling for the creation of special autonomy and for the establishment of a province in the Nineveh Plains to ensure the recognition of their people’s ethnic and religious rights in their ancestral land, Iraq.
CSAPC President Mansour proficiently made sure to highlight the tenuous plight of the Chaldean Syriac Assyrian People in Iraq and persuasively made clear to the American Officials the following appeals for them to support which will significantly slow down the severe hemorrhage of migration of our people and encourage them to return to their homeland:
1. The quick implementation of Article 35 of the Constitution of Kurdistan (in draft) which calls for the autonomous rights for the area’s Christians and other minorities following a referendum on this constitution,
2. The establishment of a governorate in areas of the Nineveh Plains in the districts and sub districts of Hamdaniya, Telkaif, and Shekhan for Christians and other minorities in the area,
3. Ensure fair representation of Christians in the judicial, legislative and executive branches in the governments of Iraq and Kurdistan,
4. The cessation of all forms of pre-planned demographic changes taking place in the area,
5. The demand from Iraqi Government to allocate a percentage of Iraq’s revenues and budget in accordance to the population density of Christian community in the area.
6. To Introduce a resolution in both chambers; the US Senate and US House of Representatives in support of the recognition of our people’s rights in the constitution of Iraq’s Central government and Kurdistan and to mainly address their demand for autonomy and the establishment of a Nineveh Plains Governorate.
Nineveh Plains, Northern Iraq
Christian’s ancestral villages and towns in Northern Iraq
Nineveh Plains area; the blue, green and orange shaded districts
map source: www.Wikipedia.org
The Delegation had several meetings at the Capitol Hill
The Delegation had several meetings at the US Department of State
with US Senator Carl Levin
At US Senator Marco Rubio office with Jamie Fly, Councilor for Foreign and National Security Affairs and J.R. Sanchez, Director of Outreach Legislative Assistant
At US Senator Debbie Stabenow office and Legislative Aide Ryan Evans
With USAID Administrator Dr. Shah at the Global Diaspora Forum
At the office of the Speaker of the US House of Representatives John Boehner and with Katherine Haley, Assistant to the Speaker for Policy
With US Congressman Sander Levin
With US Congressman Gary Peters
With US Congresswomen Anna Eshoo
At the State Department-Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Office of International Religious Freedom with Office Director Jim Bigus and Debra of Iraq Desk
With Elizabeth Cassidy, Deputy Director for Policy Research , USCIRF
The Delegation had several meetings at the State Department
With Nina Shea, Director of the Renowned Think Tank the Hudson Institute
The Delegation meet the Chaldean American Community Leaders in Michigan