Assyrian Democratic Organization marks 68 years with celebration in Beth Zalin, North and East Syria

BETH ZALIN, North and East Syria — The Assyrian Democratic Organization (ADO) held a celebration in Beth Zalin (Qamishli), North and East Syria, to mark the 68th anniversary of its founding.

The event was attended by a delegation from the Syriac Union Party (Gabo d’Ḥuyodo Suryoyo, SUP), led by SUP Co-Chair Sanharib Barsom, along with representatives from other Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) political parties, officials from the Kurdish National Movement, Arab political figures, and civil society members from Beth Zalin and Hasakah.

The ceremony opened with a moment of silence in honor of martyrs, followed by traditional folk dances and cultural performances.

Speeches delivered during the event reflected on ADO’s history and its ongoing struggles. Bushra Michel, representing Assyrian women, praised the organization’s resilience in the face of decades of persecution, arrests, and hardship since its founding. She underscored the importance of strong representation for women in Syria’s new constitution, framing it as a fundamental human rights issue.

Gabriel Mushe, an ADO official, spoke about the organization’s efforts to preserve Assyrian culture and language both in Syria and throughout the diaspora over the past 68 years. He concluded his remarks by offering an analysis of Syria’s current political landscape, particularly in the North and East Syria, in the aftermath of the former regime’s collapse.