Assyrian Democratic Movement marks 92 years since Simele Massacre, renews calls for justice and autonomy in Iraq and Syria

BETH NAHRIN — As the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian people around the world prepare to mark the 92nd anniversary of the Simele Massacre on 7 August, the Assyrian Democratic Movement (Zowaa) issued a statement renewing calls for justice, national recognition, and protection of their historic rights in Iraq and Syria. The statement commemorates not only the 1933 massacre in Simele, where thousands of Chaldeans–Syriacs–Assyrians were killed by the Iraqi Army, but also the 11th anniversary of the genocidal campaign carried out by the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2014 against Christian Chaldeans–Syriacs–Assyrians and Yezidis across Mosul, Nineveh Plains, and Shigur (Shengal / Sinjar).

“Today, we bow our heads in reverence for the martyrs of our people,” the statement read. “Their blood was shed on the altar of freedom and the just cause of our existence in the land of our forefathers — Assyria.”

Zowaa’s message detailed a litany of historical injustices that have plagued the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian people — from massacres under the Sasanian Empire and Islamic conquests to the genocides under the Ottomans during World War I (known as the Sayfo), the Simele Massacre under the Iraqi monarchy, Saddam Hussein’s Anfal campaign, and ISIS’s reign of terror. The statement emphasized that these atrocities were not merely historical episodes, but part of a continuous pattern driven by “chauvinist and exclusionary ideologies” that seek to erase Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian culture, history, and identity. “This black sequence continues,” Zowaa declared, “and its survival proves the persistence of a mindset that cannot accept the other.”

Zowaa outlined several concrete political demands aimed at reversing the structural marginalization of the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian people. Chief among them is the long-standing call for the creation of an autonomous governorate in Nineveh Plains — an area of historic Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian presence — free from the ongoing political tug-of-war between the Iraqi federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

The party criticized both Baghdad and Erbil for failing to protect the community from displacement, demographic manipulation, and administrative fragmentation. “We reject the imposition of external agendas on our areas,” it said, warning of attempts to force Chaldeans–Syriacs–Assyrians into emigration by creating unbearable living conditions.

Zowaa also called on the Iraqi Parliament to pass laws that guarantee equality, justice, and prevent the recurrence of massacres “on any basis.” The party emphasized the right of return and compensation for the descendants of the victims of the Simele Massacre and urged an end to the militarization of their villages.

In its statement, Zowaa addressed lingering post-ISIS grievances — such as the lack of economic reconstruction, security, and basic infrastructure in Nineveh Plains. It pointed to the government’s failure to transparently investigate the 2014 genocide in Baghdede (Qaraqosh) and deliver justice to the victims’ families.

The statement also praised the 2025 peace agreement between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (Partiya Karkerên Kurdistanê, PKK) — including the party’s reported decision to disarm and withdraw — but demanded that PKK fighters leave Syriac villages, especially in the KRG-controlled areas, and allow displaced families to return.

Moreover, the party reiterated demands that the KRG remove illegal encroachments on Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian-owned land and guarantee true political partnership and representation in all levels of government.

Zowaa acknowledged the vital role played by the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian diaspora and called for greater coordination to support the community’s legitimate national and human rights. At home, the party called for internal unity, resilience, and political maturity.

“To our comrades at home, we say: strengthen internal solidarity and resist any attempt to weaken it,” read the statement. “Draw inspiration from the sacrifices of our martyrs.”

The statement concluded with a solemn pledge to continue the struggle of those who gave their lives for the survival and dignity of the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian people:

“Glory to our martyrs. Victory to our just cause.” 

The Simele Massacre, carried out by the Iraqi army in August 1933, is considered the first state-led genocide in the modern Middle East. Thousands of Chaldeans–Syriacs–Assyrians civilians were killed, and dozens of villages destroyed, under the pretext of suppressing a supposed uprising. It remains a deeply symbolic event for the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian people and a rallying cry for national recognition and justice.

Since then, the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian people — indigenous to Beth Nahrin (Mesopotamia) — has faced waves of persecution, marginalization, and displacement. While their ancestral lands lie in modern-day Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran, the community has become increasingly diasporic due to war, instability, and systemic discrimination.