By Shamiram Daniali

For the past five and half years of U.S. presence in Iraq, western media along with the world powers completely ignored the existence of the Assyrians. Almost all the reports, which there have been many, were about Arabs and Kurds, with no emphasis to their Islamic religions, but when it comes to the Assyrians, all we ever read and hear is reference to their Christian religion. The solid proof of that is the one seat of representation in the Iraqi Parliament which has been called “The Christian Seat” instead of “The Assyrian Seat” since the establishment of the interim government.

The Assyrian of Diaspora are outraged at the killing of their brethrens in Iraq. Many hold demonstrations in their western countries to raise public awareness of the slaughter taking place under the watch of the U.S. troops and U.N. officials.

By Professor Gabriel Sawma

Saudi Arabia initiated inter-religious meeting at the United Nations this week. King Abdullah called his initiative a “Culture of Peace Summit,” to promote tolerance among the world’s major religions. Participants who gathered in New York on Wednesday and Thursday, called for promoting mutual understanding and tolerance, through dialogue. Among those who attended are leaders from Pakistan, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, Egypt, Britain, Spain and the Philippines, said Enrique Yeves, spokesman for U.N. General Assembly president Miguel D’Escoto Brockmann. President Bush joined the leaders this morning and gave a speech at the U.N General Assembly hall.

Other participants include U.N. Secretary General Ban Li-Moon and the head of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the bloc of Muslim nations spearheading a campaign at the U.N. to outlaw the “defamation” of religion.

Critics note that while King Abdullah hosted leaders from different Muslim sects in Saudi Arabia, his other initiatives have taken place outside the kingdom. Any inter-religious meeting inside Saudi Arabia could draw opposition from conservative clerics unhappy with the presence of Christian and, especially, Jewish religious leaders.

As renewed violence in Mosul halts return, refugees wait in Turkish legal limbo.

CompassDirect.org

ISTANBUL, November 14 (Compass Direct News) – In this Turkish city’s working-class neighborhood of Kurtulus, Arabic can be heard on the streets, signs are printed in the Arabic alphabet and Iraqis congregate in tea shops.

In 99-percent Muslim Turkey, most of these Iraqis are not Muslims. And they are not in Turkey by choice. They are Christian refugees who fled their homeland to escape the murderous violence that increasingly has been directed at them.

National Council of Churches in Australia

Violence and persecution against minority groups in Iraq continues, including communities of Christians which have been in existence for over 1500 years. The Assyrian Church of the East, as one of the Churches most affected, has mobilised itself worldwide to call attention to the crisis, and seek help where help can be found. Other Churches under extreme duress are the Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, and Chaldean.

Nation-wide rallies will be held in support of the Assyrian Christians, the indigenous people of Iraq, who in the past weeks have found themselves facing increasing violence intended to drive them from the city of Mosul, in Northern Iraq.

Immediate attention to the current situation of Assyrian Christians is being urged from United Nations, Human Rights Organizations, Religious Rights Groups, Political Organizations, and activists throughout the world.

The support rally will exhibit a unified stance for the reinstatement of Article 50 of the Iraqi constitution; a key clause whose original intent was to reserve seats on Provincial Councils for Christians and other minorities throughout Iraq.

Date: 10/13/2008
No. 021

Secretary General
H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon,
Secretary General, United Nations
C/O Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 10017

Re: United Nations Intervention Urgently Required to Stop Bloodshed Against Assyrians of Iraq

Your Excellency,

On behalf of the Assyrian Nation, the Assyrian Universal Alliance is appealing for UN’s urgent intervention to immediately halt the atrocities and injustices perpetrated against innocent Assyrians in Iraq.

The human, civil and political rights of minorities are continuing to disintegrate; we receive reports daily from relatives and friends of the most heinous crimes: threats of violence and oppression, and acts of murder, kidnapping and rape. We have received news from Mosul of organized and deliberate killings which target Assyrian citizens. Families across Iraq are being forced to flee from this terrible situation with absolutely nothing, forsaking possessions and their very livelihoods to barely escape with their lives.

Over the past few weeks, Assyrians and other Christians have been mercilessly targeted in the city of Mosul. Many have been killed and injured, while many thousands have been forced to flee their homes as refugees.

In an effort to help our people in Mosul, the Assyrian Church of the East Relief Organization (ACERO) is donating an initial $10,000 for humanitarian aid such as food, medical supplies and shelter, and is in consultation to donate more.

PakTribune

Al-Qaeda in Iraq has denied responsibility for the recent killings of Christians in the northern city of Mosul, which have driven hundreds of families from their homes.

"We honour the agreement signed in Mosul by Abu Hamza al-Muhajir and prominent Christian tribal chiefs in 2007," said the Islamic State of Iraq`s spokesman in Mosul, Abu Uthman al-Ansari.

The Islamic State of Iraq is made up of a number of insurgent groups, including its predecessor, the Mujahideen Shura Council and Al-Qaeda in Iraq, whose leader is said to be al-Muhajir.

By Theodoros Karakostas

Every time there is an election, there is the usual well intended public campaign to encourage voting. I am perhaps being cynical but I do not wish to participate in a process that for all intents and purposes is devoid of legitimacy. The fundamental topic of this commentary pertains to foreign policy and the defector media blackout of certain issues, but the farce that constitutes present day politics deserves at least a slight mention as can be seen by the intellectually bankrupt displays that were showcased at both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions this past summer. Both of them constituted nothing more than entertainment value.

Seyfo Center

The director of Seyfo Center, Mr. Sabri Atman was invited to Greece for the second time to speak about the Assyrian Genocide. In his previous trip he has been to and spoke in Athens, Alexandropoli, and Komotini, but this time he was invited to Thessaloniki. During his one week stay in Greece, Mr. Atman has made new impressions and important progress in emphasizing that the three nations who became victims of the same genocide should act together.