31/10/2024

Iraqi Parliament’s property legislation sparks outcry from Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian political parties

BAGHDAD — As the Iraqi Parliament prepares to pass legislation aimed at returning certain properties seized by decisions of the dissolved Revolutionary Command Council, Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian political parties in Iraq have voiced strong opposition. In a statement, these parties argue that the proposed law discriminates by region and violates the Iraqi constitution, which guarantees equal treatment for all Iraqi citizens regardless of location.

On Wednesday, the Athra Alliance issued a statement expressing concern that the legislation may deepen Iraq’s sectarian divides, exacerbating social fragmentation by further segregating society by region.

The Athra Alliance, established on 3 August 2022, is a joint political bloc formed by five Chaldea–Syriac–Assyrian political parties — Bethnahrin Patriotic Union (Huyodo Bethnahrin Athroyo, HBA), the Assyrian Patriotic Party, Abnaa al-Nahrain, the Assyrian Democratic Movement (Zowaa), and the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian Popular Council.

The statement urges the Iraqi Parliament to draft an inclusive law that applies universally across all regions, particularly those affected by demographic changes, land seizures, and repurposing. It specifically highlights that residential complexes built by the Saddam Hussein regime on lands belonging to Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian communities remain intact, while other structures from that era have been dismantled.

The parties further point out that violations of land ownership rights continue in both the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) and Nineveh Plains, where demographic shifts threaten the cultural heritage of the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian people. This ongoing issue, they contend, contradicts constitutional provisions prohibiting any changes to land ownership that could alter the demographics of an area.

The statement concludes by emphasizing that it is unjust for the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian communities to endure oppression both under a dictatorship and under a regime that professes to uphold democratic principles.