ASSYRIANS OF RUSSIA TO DEMAND PROTECTION FOR IRAQI CHRISTIANS

On July 12 the Assyrians of Russia (150 in number) held a protest action with a demand to defend Christians of Iraq – Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syrians and Armenians – from a bloody genocide and ethnic cleansing. As co-chair of the youth wing of the Regional Moscow Assyrian national-cultural autonomy Nikolay Yukhanov told «Assyrian Christians are the most vulnerable ethnic group that is subjected to planned extermination on their lands».

During the rally the Assyrians of Russia were protesting against the appointment of Tony Blair UK envoy for the Meadle East. The rally was an action of solidarity with our brothers in Sweden, Germany, UK, France, Italy and U.S. The Assyrian Diaspora throughout the globe decided to continue protests until a decision on protection of Iraqi Christians is taken. During the Moscow rally the initiators handed the ultimatum to Iraqi Ambassador Abdulkarim Hashim Mostafa. The protestors carried slogans: «Bush and Blair are ministers of war and blood of Christians»
«Maid in EU and US: Islamic terrorism and Nazi fascism», «Christians of Iraq – victims of oil war», «Stop genocide of Christians», «Send Bush and Blair to Iraq as ordinary soldiers», «Western freedom in Middle East: 1915 – genocide of Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks &
2003 – genocide of Assyrian Christians of Iraq».

The ultimatum reads:

We demand:

To acknowledge the Assyrians (Chaldeans, Syryans) as native nationalities of Iraq, living on these lands from ancient times

To ensure the right for autonomy in Ninevian valley and other regions should be fixed and guaranteed by Constitutions of Iraq and other regions, along with recognition of Assyrians Syrians and Chaldeans as natives of Iraq

To protect all cultural and religious centers in Iraq

To control the situation with Christian refugees and grant all of the possibility to return to Iraq

Christians are experiencing another Genocide. According to the data provided by Aina agency, in April 2003 Christians made 8% (1.5 million) of the Iraqi population. Presently this figure is more than twice smaller. Over 33 churches were bombed. Thousands of Christian refugees flew to Syria and Jordan. Over a thousand of Christians were killed.

Christians are executed everyday: priests are beheaded, women are raped. Religious extremists slaughter Christians who refuse to accept Islam or pay taxes.”