“National Conference for all concerned Christians ” in Sydney Australia organised

media-release-christian-conference-20-nov-2010-2-2.gifSydney – 21 November, 2010
Mr. Hermiz Shahen, the Regional Secretary of the Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA) in Australia and New Zealand received an invitation from Reverend the Hon. Fred Nile MLC, President of the Christian Democratic Party to participate as a key speaker at the “National Conference for all concerned Christians “held at the Ur Ashur auditorium of the Assyrian Charity and Educational Community in Sydney on Saturday, 20 November 2010. The theme of the Conference was “Menace of the Thought Police”.
Rev. Brian Seers opened the conference with a prayer followed by a welcome speech by Mr. Simon Essavian, President of the host organisation.
Mr. Shahen made a presentation about the Assyrian Genocide accompanied by a photo slide show of Assyrian history, maps and culture. He briefed the audience about the history and the achievements of the Assyrian civilization and then turned to the systematic acts of genocide by the Ottoman Turkey during WWI, 1914 – 1918, that claimed the lives of over 750,000 Assyrians living in South East Turkey. The continued massacres perpetrated against the Assyrian nation caused the rich and developed Assyrian culture to diminish and its population to dwindle in number and spirit in their homeland, becoming a nation of refugees.
In conclusion, Mr. Shahen said: It looks like the history is repeating itself for Assyrians. In Iraq, where annihilation and extermination had followed the Assyrians during the successive regimes, and since 2003 Christians had hoped that the American invasion was meant to install democracy and fresh hope for survival. Shortly after the invasion, radical Sunni Islam began to spread via international terrorist networks, channelling money from wealthy Muslim nationals who opposed the American-led invasion. These militants began to turn on the Christian minority. Within the last seven years over 65 churches have been bombed and many destroyed, and hundreds of Christians were killed. Therefore, the new Iraq from the time of its liberation has been a nightmare and has witnessed a huge exodus of Christians, Mandaeans and all non-Muslim ethnic groups from their original homelands because they feel abandoned and completely marginalized.
The Christians of Iraq believe that they have not only been betrayed by the American-led coalition but have also seen their legal status diminish. The destruction of Christianity in Iraq is taking place because of misguided American policies and because the Christian community is not deemed to be important. The silence of the western governments about the destruction of Christians of Iraq is exchanged with Dollars. More Christians have left Iraq now than under Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship.
Then he proposed the following resolution to the conference:
ï‚· Demand that The NSW State parliament and the Federal Parliament to officially recognize the Assyrian genocide
ï‚· The Federal Parliament call upon the government of Turkey to acknowledge the genocides against the Assyrian, Armenian and Greek populations, to issue a formal apology, and to take prompt and meaningful steps toward restitution.
ï‚· The Australian Federal Government to consider a resolution supporting the plight of the Assyrians in Iraq by lobbying the Iraqi government to immediately establish an Assyrian autonomous region in the ancestral homeland as part of the modern day Federal Republic of Iraq.
Mr. Shahen and Mr. David David the AUA Chapter Secretary of Australia then took part in the panel to answer questions and took suggestions from the audience.
Prior to the conclusion of the conference, the audience voted on the final Manifesto which included the above three points that was seconded and passed unanimously
Mr. Shahen, congratulated Reverend the Hon. Fred Nile MLC on behalf of the Assyrian Australian Community and the Assyrian Universal Alliance for organising such a successful Conference and for taking the initiative in supporting the plight of the embattled Christians in the Middle East and in particular the Assyrian people of Iraq.
PO Box 34, Fairfield NSW 1860 Australia
E-mail: auaaustralia@optusnet.com.au

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