CONGRESSIONAL SCREENING OF ‘DEFYING DELETION’

Film Portrays the Little Reported Persecution and Slow Genocide of Iraq’s
Indigenous Christian Assyrians
On Thursday, July 14th at 3 pm, the media and members of Congress are invited to
special, private screening of the award-winning documentary Defying Deletion; The
Fight Over Iraq’s Nineveh Plains. The event, sponsored by the Assyrian American
National Coalition, the Iraq Sustainable Democracy Project, and Lamassu Productions,
is an opportunity to present to American media outlets and Congress the ongoing plight
faced by Iraq’s indigenous and ancient Christian Assyrian community that now sits at
the tipping point of genocide. The film will be followed by comments from members of
Congress and individuals from the Assyrian-American community.
This 25-minute documentary profiles the persecution of one of the oldest Christian sects.
Defying Deletion is an emotionally charged documentary that focuses on the ethnic
cleansing, cultural genocide and region‐based targeting of the Assyrians (also known as
Chaldeans and Syriacs). Viewer discretion is advised.
Despite the ten years that America has been fighting for the freedom of the Iraqi
people, the media has left largely unreported the full story of the ongoing suffering
and persecution of Iraq’s Christian Assyrians. Most Americans know little about
Assyrian history, which is rooted deep in their ancestral homeland of the Nineveh
Plains of northern Iraq. Since the US led invasion in 2003, over 600,000 Assyrians,
more than half their pre-war population, have fled the country in the wake of targeted
persecution. Dozens of churches have been bombed and thousands have died, with
little media coverage of the larger context of persecution that effectively will deplete Iraq
of Christianity within a decade without intervention.
Defying Deletion combines actual footage and personal testimony of Assyrians who
have been forced to escape to other countries for refuge. Many leading international
figures have taken a stand and lent their voices to the strong message delivered by this
startling production.
26 year old filmmaker, André Anton, set out to use his documentary as a vehicle to
create awareness, expose truth and start a movement. Now, two years later, Defying
Deletion has garnered the interest of leading international figures who are speaking out
about the travesty the Assyrian people are facing in Iraq. The film has won top honors
at multiple film festivals across the country and is gaining prominence as a “must see”
documentary.
This is a rare opportunity to learn about a critical geopolitical and humanitarian threat
that jeopardizes future national security interests of the United States in Iraq.
Defying Deletion is an eye-opening film that will provoke any American. To watch a
preview, please visit www.DefyingDeletion.com
Where: Capitol Visitors Center, SVC 201-00 (Enter the Visitors’
Center, Senate side, East Capitol Street)
When: 3:00 PM ET
For additional information, please contact: Rod Mitchell at 281-350-5506.