Beth Nahrin National Council marks 7th anniversary of Nineveh Plains Genocide

NINEVEH PLAINS — On the 7th anniversary of the Nineveh Plains Genocide and the forced displacement of the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian people at the hands of the Islamic state (ISIS), the Beth Nahrin National Council (Mawtbo Umthoyo D’Bethnahrin, MUB) issued the following statement:

“On the 7th anniversary of the invasion of the Nineveh Plains by ISIS and also on the anniversary of the Simele Massacre, we remember with appreciation all our martyrs. We strongly condemn the murderers of our Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian people, who were exposed in different stages of history for many massacres and ethnic exterminations by the dominant powers. The cultural and historical heritage of our people was sabotaged by bloody and dark policies, with the aim to keep our people without a homeland.

On 7 August 1933, in cooperation between the Iraqi army and some Kurdish clans, our Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian people, who were living in northern Iraq, were subjected to a horrific genocide. Hundreds of our people who were gathered in the city of Simele were killed in a barbaric manner.

The denial and tyrannical policies aimed to cancel the will of our people. In a short period, thousands of our people were killed and displaced. They struggled to survive, amid fake international promises. The ruling forces in Iraq, as well as the regional and international powers did not pay any attention to the demands of our people, not even to its existence and entity. Rather, they followed bloody policy for the sake of their narrow interests.

Considering our Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian people an enemy that must be uprooted, ISIS attacked our people in the Nineveh Plains, on August 6, 2014. Tens of thousands of our people were forced to leave their homes in their historical homeland.

Since the 80s of the last century so far, more than two million of our people in Iraq have been displaced. The policy of displacing our people in the Middle East continues until now, which is embodied in the difficult circumstances and pressures that our people and Christians in general pass through.

Eighty-eight years ago, just as the rights and national demands of our people were abolished in Simele, the same policies are back today to stand in the way of our national struggle in Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq, as the existence, legacy and civilization of our people have become under threat of attacks and danger.

We, as MUB, ask our people, the Christians in general, the peoples of the Middle East and the democratic world public opinion, to be aware and stand in the face of these policies.

On this anniversary, we glorify our martyrs and demand following their path to preserve our gains.

Mercy and eternity for our righteous martyrs.