Syriac Writers Union in Ankawa, Iraq, commemorates 91st anniversary of Simele Massacre and 2014 Islamic State invasion of Nineveh Plains

ANKAWA, Kurdistan Region Iraq — On the 91st anniversary of the Simele Massacre, where the Iraqi Army committed atrocities against the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian people, the Union of Syriac Writers and Authors in Ankawa, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), held a solemn memorial to honor the martyrs. This event also marked the forced displacement of people of Nineveh Plains in 2014 by the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist organization.

The memorial took place in front of the Chaldean Cathedral of Saint Joseph and saw the participation of representatives from Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian political parties, institutions, and civil society organizations, along with the presence of Aydin Marouf, the Minister of Components in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

In an interview with Suroyo TV, one participant emphasized the importance of this memorial as a tribute to the martyrs of the Simele Massacre and a reminder of the atrocities committed during the ISIS invasion of Nineveh Plains. He called on both Baghdad and Erbil to formally recognize these massacres, provide psychological and moral compensation, and ensure that future generations learn about the events of the Simele Massacre by including them in educational curricula.