Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Persecuted for centuries, Iraq's Assyrian Christians once again wary of their future
Japan Times Online ^ | Feb. 27, 2003 | By KEN JOSEPH JR.

Posted on 03/25/2003 2:17:40 PM PST by Zipporah

<! --- TOP BANNER TABLE ---->



<! ---- DATE BAR ---->

  Thursday, February 27, 2003 
<! ---- CLOSE TOP BANNER TABLE ---->

<! ---- SECOND TABLE (one row only) ---->

<! secondtablestart>

<! ---- LEFT COLUMN ---->

<! ---- MENU ---->

<! ---- SERVICES ---->

Subscribe
 Subscribe
About us
Contact us
Advertise
Advertising

<! ---- CLOSE SERVICES TABLE ---->

<! ---- AFFILIATED SITES ---->

Shukan ST
Travel Service
Hotel network
Book club

InterFM radio
Japan Times Jobs
ELEC
Study abroad

<! ---- CLOSE AFFILIATED SITES TABLE ---->

<! ---- LEFT-SIDE ADS ---->

<! leftsideadsstart>


I.Q.

JTSalesPromo

<! leftsideadsend>

<! ---- CLOSE LEFT-MENU TABLE ---->

<! ---- END OF LEFT MENU ---->

<! ---- THIN SPACER COLUMN (LEFT) ---->

<! ---- MAIN CONTENT TABLE ---->


Persecuted for centuries, Iraq's Assyrian Christians once again wary of their future

By KEN JOSEPH JR.
Special to The Japan Times

LONDON -- Iraq's 1.2 million Assyrian Christians -- remnants of the Assyrian empire and the only people who still speak Aramaic, the language of Jesus Christ -- are once again the victims of circumstances beyond their control. Unlike the Kurds, the Assyrians are all but ignored in discussions over Iraq's future.

Over the centuries the Assyrians have been oppressed by the Persians, Mongols, Turks, Kurds and Arabs. In World War I, they lost nearly two-thirds of their population, including their archbishop.

Iraq's Assyrian Christians are centered in three main areas -- approximately 200,000 in their traditional homeland in northern Iraq, 1 million in central Iraq -- mostly in Baghdad -- and a few thousand more in southern Iraq.

Approximately 4 million Assyrian Christians live outside Iraq, primarily in Iran, Syria, Jordan, Canada, the United States, Australia and Europe.

Wilfred Alkhas, editor of an Assyrian Diaspora magazine, notes that "one of the little known facts concerning the Middle East is the role of the Christians. Before the rise of Khomeini in Iran, Islam was generally a tolerant religion. Large groups of Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians and others lived peacefully in majority Muslim populations for generations throughout the Middle East."

Following the radicalization of Islam, however, up to 70 percent of the Christians in the Middle East left, having found it impossible to live under such oppressive conditions.

Now, particularly in the "no-fly zone" protected by the British and U.S. militaries, Iraqi Assyrian Christians are rebuilding their churches. They have built 40 schools, and nearly 8,000 children are being taught Aramaic for the first time in generations.

Assyrians have had a difficult life under the regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. Although they are not Arabs, they have been forced by the government to sign forms that require them to renounce their ethnic identity, religion and to declare themselves to be Arabs under a program aimed at "Arabizing" all citizens. Hania Mufti of Human Rights Watch has called this "a form of ethnic cleansing."

Currently Iraq's Assyrian Christians are in an extremely precarious situation. Unlike the Kurds of northern Iraq, who receive U.N. aid, and unlike the Turkoman minority, who are supported by Turkey, the Assyrians have received no outside support.

An informal Kurdish Parliament has evolved under the umbrella of the no-fly zone. However the Assyrians living in this area have been granted only five of its 105 seats. They are extremely apprehensive of any post-Hussein government, fearing that even that small representation may be taken away.

In a recent interview on Fox TV network, a representative of the Iraqi opposition said, "Our goal is to restore a free Iraq on all Arab territory."

This comment, which specifically omits mention of the Kurdish territory, hints that the welfare of Iraq's Assyrian Christians will once again be placed in jeopardy. In the absence of international assurances of independence, they could once again be at the mercy of Muslim Kurds, who have slaughtered them in the past.

The U.S. State Department is now trying to assemble a coalition of Iraqi nationalist groups to establish a future government. As the only non-Islamic group participating in this process, the Assyrian Christians are at a considerable disadvantage.

According to Assyrian Carlo Ganteh, "It has been our prayer for generations that we will be able to regain our country. Assyria was promised a nation under the League of Nations Treaty of Serves in 1928. Assyrians should first have an autonomous zone in northern Iraq centered around the city of Nineveh, present-day Mosul, and then form an independent nation."

Assyrians from Europe, the U.S., Asia and the Middle East met in London recently for the first time to draw up plans for a post-Hussein Iraq. Discussions covered the establishment of political parties, what land would constitute an independent Assyria and a constitution.

One of the participants summed up the feelings of most Assyrians when he said, "Our greatest fear if there is a regime change in Iraq is that there may be a substitution of Saddam's tyranny for a new tyranny."

Experts fear that in the event of a collapse of the current government, the Assyrians, sandwiched between the Kurds and the Arabs, could face a blood bath.

The Assyrians face external dangers as well. Following the election of an Islamic-oriented government in Turkey, threats have been made in Ankara to seize territory in northern Iraq in the event Baghdad is defeated.

The leaders of the Kurdish Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan publicly say they have no plans to establish an independent Kurdistan, but in recent weeks they have drawn up a constitution, convened their Parliament and taken other steps to establish an independent Kurdistan encompassing the Assyrian Christian areas.

The next few months will be extremely crucial as plans for a post-Hussein Iraq are finalized.

Ken Joseph Jr.'s grandparents escaped from Iraq in 1919 following Kurdish-led massacres of Assyrians. He was a delegate from Asia at the recent Assyrian Representation Meeting in London.

The Japan Times: Feb. 27, 2003
(C) All rights reserved

<! ---- PAGE FOOTER ---->

<! bottombarstart>




About us / Contact us / Advertising / Subscribe
News / Business / Opinion / Arts & Culture / Life in Japan
Sports / Festivals / Cartoons

<! bottombarend>

<! ---- END MIDCOL ------->

<! ---- THIN SPACER COLUMN (RIGHT) ---->

<! ---- RIGHT COLUMN ---->

<! rightcolumnstart>

<! ---- SEARCH ENGINE ---->

  
 Advanced search

<! ---- E-MAIL NEWS SIGNUP ---->


<! wnrstart> <! ---- WNR AND FESTIVALS ---->

  - Weekly
    News
    Roundup


  - Festivals
    in Japan

<! wnrend>

<! ---- CARTOONS ---->

 

Cartoons !
Cartoons


<! ---- RIGHT COLUMN ADS ---->

<! rightsideadsstart>

Hungry for Words

International Conference on Breast

<! rightsideadsend> <! rightcolumnend>

<! ---- CLOSE RIGHT COLUMN ---->
<! ---- CLOSE SECOND TABLE ---->


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: assyrians; christianpersecutio; iraq; iraqichristians; kurds; saddamhussein
I was not til recently aware that there was a Christian population in Iraq.. and that they were persecuted by the Kurds. The Assyrians take issue with northern Iraq being called Kurdistan.. instead of Assyria.
1 posted on 03/25/2003 2:17:41 PM PST by Zipporah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Zipporah
< table class="table" cellSpacing="0" cellPadding="0" width="430" border="0" >
< td vAlign="top" width="344" > < p align="center">US drops 1000-pound bomb on Basra targets

2 posted on 03/25/2003 2:20:27 PM PST by Oldeconomybuyer (Let's Roll)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Zipporah
I feel for the Assyrian's especially as a christian but I just do not think establishing an autonomous "Christian" nation carved out of Iraq is in the cards.
3 posted on 03/25/2003 2:21:40 PM PST by Prysson
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer
I know .. I totally screwed this up.. and when I was trying to fix it.. it was already posted..sorry.
4 posted on 03/25/2003 2:23:50 PM PST by Zipporah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Zipporah
hmm..the language of Jesus Christ.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we all spoke a common language like the New Testament?
5 posted on 03/25/2003 2:25:26 PM PST by Fractal Trader (Free Republic Energized - - The power of Intelligence on the Internet! Checked by Correkt Spel (TM))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Zipporah
Hey, I was just pullin' your chain ;-).
6 posted on 03/25/2003 2:26:02 PM PST by Oldeconomybuyer (Let's Roll)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

Comment #7 Removed by Moderator

To: Oldeconomybuyer
the html is a nice touch... haha
8 posted on 03/25/2003 2:30:01 PM PST by smith288 (Visit my gallery http://www.ejsmithweb.com/fr/hollywood/hollywood.php)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Zipporah
Changing ethnicity, etc., sounds like the Jugoslavia (as it was then called) requiring the Bosnians to change Turkish names to Slavic ones: (like Izmirovich).
9 posted on 03/25/2003 2:32:40 PM PST by Doctor Stochastic (Vegetabilisch = chaotisch is der Charakter der Modernen. - Friedrich Schlegel)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer
Isn't that the truth.. what a concept.. speaking the REAL language of Jesus.. the NT.

My heart goes out to those Iraqi Christias.. it's interesting to note though that there is a Christian in Saddam's cabinet and that it's said that Christian's are less persecuted there than in other Muslim counties.. probably because Iraq is a secular nation. (well as secular as a middle eastern country can be..)

10 posted on 03/25/2003 2:35:45 PM PST by Zipporah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: smith288
OKAY for that comment I will NOT visit your website ..SO THERE! Geesh.
11 posted on 03/25/2003 2:36:28 PM PST by Zipporah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Zipporah
Do be careful. Tariq Azziz (sp) is an Assyrian Christian, and from what I have read so are other members of the Baathist party.
12 posted on 03/25/2003 2:42:26 PM PST by RKV
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Zipporah
Brought your feelings with you did ya?? Better keep those at home... LOL
13 posted on 03/25/2003 3:02:00 PM PST by smith288 (Visit my gallery http://www.ejsmithweb.com/fr/hollywood/hollywood.php)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Fractal Trader
hmm..the language of Jesus Christ.

Yes, they are the in the Chaldean Rite of the Catholic Church. Being an 'Uniate' myself, I've been to their Divine Liturgies chanted in Aramaic. They are a very devout, if small, community in our city, having come from Iraq. There are stories that the Priests and others tell...

14 posted on 03/25/2003 3:02:51 PM PST by TotusTuus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: *Christian persecutio
http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list
15 posted on 03/25/2003 3:06:56 PM PST by Libertarianize the GOP (Ideas have consequences)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: smith288
Not really.. I was joking.. maybe you weren't ?? huh?
16 posted on 03/25/2003 3:09:40 PM PST by Zipporah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Zipporah
...Aramaic, the language of Jesus Christ

Well, maybe "Aramaic, one of the three, and possibly four languages of Jesus Christ." He taught in Greek, could speak Aramaic, probably read Hebrew, and might have known Latin.

Dan

17 posted on 03/25/2003 3:10:38 PM PST by BibChr (Things that make you say, "Ainete ton Kurion!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Zipporah
yea....i usually am joking
18 posted on 03/25/2003 3:20:16 PM PST by smith288 (Visit my gallery http://www.ejsmithweb.com/fr/hollywood/hollywood.php)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson