Bethnahrin Women’s Union celebrates 22nd anniversary of its founding

BETH NAHRIN — On the 22nd anniversary of its founding, the Bethnahrin Women’s Union (Huyodo d’Neshe d’Bethnahrin, HNB) issued a statement entitled “Women’s Free Will Creates a Free Society for People” to commemorate the occasion.

“When the HNB was established on 28 February 2001, a new chapter of history was written for Syriac women,” the HNB statement read. “On this occasion, we congratulate all our male and female supporters.”

The statement added that the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people have been subjected to ethnic cleansing, killing, and marginalization in an effort to eradicate their identity and language and eliminate their Christian faith.

Syriac women have been severely affected, especially in recent years, as violence against women has increased, whether by men or by imperialist and patriarchal forces, it continued.

“Women active in the political field have been targeted. They have been subjected to physical and psychological violence, and their bodies have been used for sale to serve the imperialist regime. The seeds of hope were rekindled among Syriac people with the launch of the HNB led by its president Michael Naim Hadodo, whose philosophy paved the way for women to represent themselves within society and within the Bethnahrin National Council (Mawtbo Umthoyo D’Bethnahrin, MUB).”

The HNB has established institutions for women in Europe, Syria, Iraq, and Tur Abdin in southeastern Turkey and organized women to increase their participation in the diplomatic, political, media, economic, and other fields. The HNB also established the Beth Nahrin Women’s Protection Forces (Ḥaylawotho d’Sutoro d’Neshe d’Beth Nahrin, HSNB) to achieve equality in the security forces. Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) women have been involved in battlefronts across North and East Syria.

The HNB closed the statement with a pledge to continue the struggle for the rights of Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) women and to enhance the position among free women.