NORTH AND SYRIA: Syriac Union Party and Assyrian Democratic Organization jointly celebrate Akitu in Tal Arboush, Hasakah

HASAKAH, DERIK, Syria – The Assyrian Democratic Organization (ADO) and the Syriac Union Party (SUP) in Syria organized a joint celebration on the occasion of the Babylonian-Assyrian-Chaldean New Year Akitu in the village of Tal Arboush, Hasakah countryside near Tel Tamr in the Khabur.

The celebrations in Tal Arboush, which began with a minute of silence in honor of the martyrs’ souls, were attended by political and cultural officials and organizations and accompanied with speeches. Singers Bassam Bitar and Selim Yahqub performed with lively music. Group Yurtutha performed folk dance.

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Syriac Union Party (SUP) official Gabriel Shamoun spoke about the importance of Akitu for all the Syriac (Aramean-Assyrian-Chaldean) people and the coexisting of all components in the region. He stressed that the Syriacs are the indigenous people of Syria who are demanding their constitutional rights. The official of the Assyrian Democratic Organization (ADO) in Hasakah and Khabur emphasized the importance of Akitu as one of the most important national holidays of the Syriac-Assyrian people. It was celebrated as a multi-day festival by the Syriacs’ ancestors in the days of Sumer, Akkad, and Assyria.

The Assyrian People’s Council delivered a moving speech in which representative Elias Antar stated that the villages of the Khabur cry and long for their residents. The Khabur villages are destroyed and abandoned, and nobody asks about these villages, “I blame my comrades who left their villages and cities,” said Antar.

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After that, Ghassan al-Abed delivered a speech in the name of the Democratic Autonomous Administration (DAA) of North and East Syria in which he extended congratulations on the Babylonian New Year. Akitu demonstrates the cultural diversity in the regions of North and East Syria and common customs in our society. He indicated that Akitu is a national and historical feast.

The head of the Syriac Women’s Union in Syria Siham Quryo also delivered a speech in which she congratulated on Akitu. Madeline Khamis delivered a speech in name of the Khabur Guards, in which she emphasized that Akitu celebrations are the living tradition of human values and confirmation of the continuity of the people.

Spokesperson of the Syriac Military Council (Mawtbo Fulḥoyo Suryoyo, MFS) Aram Hanna delivered a speech, praising the cooperation of the SUP in Syria and the ADO in the celebrations which are a sign of the unity and cooperation in the struggle of our Syriac people.

Security at the celebrations was in the hands of the Syriac Security Forces (Sutoro).