Syriac Union Party remembers 1933 Simele Massacre, calls for rights and justice

ZALIN, North and East Syria — The Syriac Union Party (SUP) issued a statement commemorating the 1933 Simele Massacre in Iraq, where thousands of Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian civilians were killed by the Iraqi government and military.

“We remember with reverence and pride the lives of thousands of civilian martyrs of the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian people who were martyred by the decision and implementation of the Iraqi Government and Army. This massacre was yet another in a series of atrocities inflicted upon our people under the chauvinistic mentality of Ottoman rule and the Movement of Union and Progress,” the statement read.

The SUP highlighted that for over a century, the destructive impact of these ideologies has persisted across the Middle East, continuing to target the Syriac people through various perpetrators but with the same fundamentalist and extremist nationalist mentality.

The SUP drew parallels between the Simele Massacre and the more recent ethnic violence against Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) communities in Nineveh Plains in Iraq and the Khabur River Valley in North and East Syria, carried out by the Islamic State (ISIS).

“We emphasize the importance of coexistence with the rest of our partners in the country, particularly with forces that recognize diversity and strive for justice and equality for all ethnic groups,” the SUP added. The statement underscored the need for all peoples of the region to work towards a future based on human rights, civilizational values, and democracy, free from tyranny and terrorism.

“We reject the exclusion of others. Therefore, Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian people in Iraq must obtain their full rights, including autonomy in the Nineveh Plain. We also stress the importance of a political solution in Syria and the formation of a democratic constitution that enshrines the rights of all ethnic groups and guarantees coexistence and safety for all,” the SUP concluded.