For the First Time, Simele Massacre Commemorated at Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON D.C.— In a historic first, the U.S. Congress hosted an official commemoration on Wednesday for the martyrs of the 1933 Simele Massacre, marking a milestone in the decades-long campaign by Chaldeans-Syriacs-Assyrians to gain international recognition of the atrocity committed against their people in northern Iraq. 

According to Rudaw, the remembrance event — organized with the support of Congressman Abraham Hamadeh — was attended by members of the Assyrian diaspora, representatives of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), and prominent religious freedom advocate Nadine Maenza, former chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. It was the first time that Assyrian Martyrs Day was observed within the halls of the U.S. Capitol.

The massacre, which took place between August 7 and 11, 1933, was carried out by the Iraqi Army under orders from then-Prime Minister Rashid Ali al-Gaylani and with British involvement. Between 3,000 and 6,000 Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian civilians were killed, 66 villages across the provinces of present-day Dohuk and Nineveh were destroyed, and an estimated 70,000 people were forcibly displaced to Syria’s Khabur region — stripped of their Iraqi citizenship and left stateless. 

Read more: The Simele Massacre: A Dark Prelude to Decades of Persecution in Iraq 

“This is a groundbreaking moment,” said Sam Darmo, founder of the U.S.-based advocacy group Assyrians for Justice. “It is the first time ever that the Assyrian Martyrs Day is being recognized inside the U.S. Congress. With the support of Congressman Hamadeh, we are finally seeing tangible steps toward acknowledging all genocides and massacres committed against our people.” 

Speaking at the event, Assyrian American human rights advocate Sarah Hermiz opened her remarks by highlighting the community’s deep history and continued resilience. “Assyrians are not a dying civilization — we are a living, breathing people who have endured,” she said. 

The ceremony also featured remarks from Father George Touma, pastor of St. Andrew Assyrian Church in Illinois, who described the massacre victims as “saints of our nation” who died “not for crimes, but for their faith, heritage, and identity.” 

The Kurdistan Regional Government’s representation in Washington posted a statement on X (formerly Twitter), noting that KRG Minister Safeen Dizayee welcomed the Assyrian American delegation — including Darmo, Okar Malek Ismail, and Hermiz — and took part in the Capitol Hill ceremony. The post reaffirmed Kurdish-Assyrian ties: “We honor the deep historical bonds between Kurds and Assyrians and look forward to continuing this partnership.” 

The annual remembrance of the Simele Massacre is observed by Chaldeans-Syriacs-Assyrians worldwide — especially in their ancestral homeland of Beth Nahrain — as part of a broader campaign for international recognition of past atrocities.