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The case of Assyrian independence has been brought up many times throughout history. However, it only lead to violence once, in 1933. Before World War I , Turkey declared it would go against the allies and the British. For geographic reasons, it was important for the British to bribe the Assyrians into being on the Allies' side during World War I. The Assyrians promised loyality to the British, in return for an independent state in the future. The loss of their homeland in Hakkari (present day Turkey) due to the genocide committed by the Ottomans and the Kurds , lead to compensations for stupendous losses inflicted on them during the Great War. Assyrians were promised by the British, French and Russia ns alike, a safe and independent homeland. At first the Assyrians insisted that this homeland be on the Hakkari Mountains, but later they were offered the Mosul district in Northern Iraq known as the " Assyrian Triangle ." This promise was similar to others made by their powerful allies, and was not fulfilled. 1919 PEACE CONFERENCE IN PARIS In 1919, the Syriac Orthodox bishop Mor Afram Barsom wrote a letter on behalf of the Assyrians to the League Of Nations . (See the original letter and a revised clearer version .) In the letter, it was mentioned that the Assyrians up to date had had 90,000 individuals massacred by the Turks, and that the people of Assyrians were against the proposed autonomy of the Kurds. The letter convinced France to have Assyrian representation during the upcoming peace conference. Three Assyrian groups were scheduled to participate in the Peace Conference in Paris, France; Assyrian delegates from the United States , Iraq and Iran . The Assyrian group from Iran arrived in France first, included S. Ganja, L. George and L. Yacoboff, and since Britain feared the presence of a group which it could not control anymore, and have no authority in Iran, the British forced the Assyrian delegate of Iran to leave Paris and not participate. Then the Assyrian delegates from the USA arrived which included: S. Raji, M. Shakour, A. Barsoom, B. Bakous, A. Ablahad, A. K. Yousuf, R. Najeeb, G. Zabouni, S. A. Namiq and Rev. J. E. Werda. Their demands were basically to establish an Assyrian independent territory which includes Northern Bet-Nahren beginning from the lower Zab River, Diyar Bakir and extending to the Armenian mountains and under the protection of the super powers. Rev. Joel Werda in his petition concluded; "We have the most conclusive proofs to show that the Assyrians were urged by the official representatives of Great Britain, France and Russia, to enter into the war on the side of the Allies, and were induced into a state of belligerency with the most solemn promises of being given a free state. The Assyrians, therefore, having risked the very existence of their nation, and having made such appalling sacrifices upon the altar of freedom, demand that these promises of the Allied governments now be honorably redeemed." Great Britain and the US delegates denied the petition explaining that the US president Wilson had strong reservations concerning any plans to divide Turkey . The Assyrians from the USA returned empty handed. The Assyrian delegate from Iraq after too many delays by the British authorities was approved to travel on July 21st, but on one condition, to pass by London , England first. There, Surma Khanim, the head of the delegate was kept in London until the conference of France finished its deliberations. Surma's demands were to allow the Assyrians to return to Hakkari , equal right, and the release of all prisoners and the punishment of the individuals responsible for the atrocities committed against the Assyrians. APRIL 19, 1920 - TREATY OF SèVRES This treaty, signed on August 10, 1920, between Great Britain, Allies and Turkey, laid the foundations for the new Turkish frontier post World War I . Assyrians were not permitted by Great Britain to participate in these deliberations under the ground rule that the Assyrians were not an equal power with the rest of the participants. But the Assyrian issue was discussed and the scheme was to contain full safeguards for the protection of the Assyro-Chaldeans and other racial or religious minorities under articles 62, 63, 140, 141, 142, 147, 148, 149, and 150 and as a result of this treaty, Mosul (Nineveh) was given to Iraq while France was guaranteed 25% of Mosul 's oil production. Article 62 of the Treaty states: "... this plan must provide complete guarantees as to the protection of the Assyro-Chaldeans and other ethnic or religious minorities in this area. To this end, a commission made up of British, French, Italian , Persian and Kurd ish representatives will visit the area so as to determine what adjustments, if any, should be made to the Turkish frontier wherever it coincides with Persian frontier as laid down in this treaty." NOVEMBER 20, 1922 - TREATY OF LAUSANNE The Treaty Of Lausanne , signed on July 24, 1923, between the Allied powers and Turkey, took place after Turkey requested that the issue of Mosul (Nineveh) needed to be re-examined again. Assyrians once again were not allowed to participate as Great Britain stood in their way, but again they were promised that their rights will be protected, worth mentioning that Agha Petros, General of the Assyrian Army, attended the opening ceremonies. The United States stood beside Great Britain in these deliberations as the latter promised 20% of the oil industry business to be awarded to American companies. Turkey lost its appeal to win Mosul (Nineveh) back based on Great Britain's claims that this region will be saved for the future settlement of the Kurdish and Assyrian people, and no final agreement was reached. Article 39 of the treaty states: "There will be no official restriction on any Turkish citizen’s right to use any language he wishes, whether in private, in commercial dealings, in matter of religion, in print or at a public gathering. Regardless of the existence of an official language, appropriate facilities will be provided for any non-Turkish-speaking citizen of Turkey to use his own language before the court." MAY 21, 1924 - THE CONSTANTINOPLE CONFERENCE - BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN AND TURKEY The Assyrians were told that Britain is "fighting" their case for them and that there is no need for them to attend. A letter on behalf of the Assyrians and their settlement was written under the direction of Sir Henry Conway Dobbs, the British High Commissioner in Iraq, under "Statement of Proposals for the Settlement of the Assyrian People in Iraq", in that regard. The government of Turkey claimed Mosul (Nineveh) as part of Turkey, and Fet’hi Beg declared that the Assyrians, who he referred to as Nestorians, are welcome to live in their previous lands in Turkey where they will find freedom. Sir Percy Cox, stated that Mosul (Nineveh) belongs to Iraq and that the Christian Assyrians need protection from Turkey. This was part of his statement: " ...His Majesty’s Government has decided to endeavor to secure a good treaty frontier, which will at the same time admit of the establishment of the Assyrians in a compact community within the limits of the territory in respect of which His Majesty’s Government hold a mandate under the authority of the League of Nations, if not in every case in their ancestral habitation, at all events in suitable adjacent districts. This policy for the settlement of the Assyrians has the full sympathy and support of the Iraqi Government, which is prepared for its part, to give the necessary cooperation for giving effect thereto." No agreement was reached at the end. Turkey then massed its troops on the border to occupy the Mosul (Nineveh) Province by force. The Assyrian Levy Force of 2000 was sent north to protect Iraq, since the Iraqi army at this time was unfit to undertake such task. The Assyrian force was largely responsible for the annexation of Mosul (Nineveh) to Iraq rather than to Turkey, as an official of the League of Nations stated. JUNE 16, 1925 - RECOMMENDATION OF LEAGUE OF NATIONS The Commission presented its findings and suggested the importance of protecting the Assyrians if they were to return to Turkey, their freedom, reimbursements for all their loses during the Great War and the full authority of the Patriarch, Mar Eshai Shimun, over his people. Recommendations were not approved upon. And it was finally recommended that the issue should be referred to the Permanent Court of International Justice in The Hague, an integral part of the charter of the League of Nations which was later replaced by the International Court of Justice after the birth of the United Nations. SEPTEMBER, 1925 - "THE HAGUE" The Permanent Court of International Justice took over the disputed border line issue and in December 1925, adopted a resolution which refused the idea of the Assyrians return to Hakkarri and gave that region to Turkey, while giving Mosul (Nineveh) to Iraq and settling on a border line almost matching the same status quo line which was called the Brussel Line and recommended the continuation of the British mandate on Iraq another 25 years to safeguard the Assyrian interests. NOVEMBER 11, 1927 - HUMAN RIGHTS OF ASSYRIANS The Assyrians continued to protest about their mistreatment and continued to send letters to the League of Nations which requested a report from both of the governments of Britain and Iraq about the situation. The Permanent Court of International Justice in The Hague, did not accept the reports of Britain and Iraq and requested from both countries to fulfill their obligations towards the Assyrians. NOVEMBER 13, 1928 BRITISH TREATIES AND ASSYRIAN PETITIONS Britain dropped the earlier established recommendations by the Mandate Commission and declared that those recommendations should be directed to the Turkish Government and not the Iraqi government, since Hikkarri is the original homeland of the Assyrians and those who escaped have no intentions to return to Turkey. Hence, they should occupy whatever land the Iraqi government has provided for them. Meanwhile, the Turkish Council-General in Baghdad stated earlier on June 25 , 1928; "The Turkish Amnesty Law did not cover the Assyrians, who would not be permitted in any circumstances to enter Turkey; And that any Assyrian who attempted to enter Turkey would be punished." Several treaties were signed and ratified between Britain and Iraq in the next two years in what seemed to be Britain’s preparations to clear the way for Iraq to enter the League of Nations. Three petitions were received by the Mandate Commission stressing the fears of the Assyrians regarding the termination of the Mandate; they were dated in September 1931, October 20 , 1931 and October 23 , 1931. One of these was rejected by Sir Francis Humphrys on the grounds that it was submitted by Captain Rassam (Hermiz Rassam’s son) who was not qualified to represent the Assyrians even though it was given to him by the Assyrian Patriarch but he, Humphrys, still pledged the ‘moral responsibility’ of Great Britain to the future attitude of the Iraqi government. The October 23 , 1931 petition was submitted by His Holiness Mar Eshai Shimun XXIII, in Mosul (Nineveh), asking for permission to allow the Assyrians to leave Iraq before the end of the Mandate since it would be impossible for the Assyrians to live in Iraq. This decision was reached at with the agreement of all the Assyrian leaders and when responses to this petition were delayed, the Assyrians decided to take action and planned for a general ‘cessation of service’ by all the Levies. The Mandate Commission reviewed the Assyrian petition and was still not satisfied with Britain and Iraq’s assurances of protection of Minorities. Worth mentioning here that Sir Humphrys was accused by his own fellow British officials to fabricate lies in regards to the Iraqi government’s sentiments about the Assyrians. The Mandate Commission gave its recommendations, stating that they are concerned about the Christians, and accordingly, average people were given the right to submit any petitions to the League of Nations, directly, in the future. In partial compliance with requests of the petition, the Iraqi government set up a further land-finding committee. It discovered but little land both cultivable and available. In fact, they found malaria-ridden, swampy lands, and in their usual obnoxious style, recommended expenditure on an irrigation scheme to produce more. Hundreds upon hundreds of Assyrians died with malaria in those lands. The Council of the League of Nations accepted the recommendations and Iraq issued a declaration guaranteeing the protection of minorities on May 30, 1932. Accordingly Iraq was accepted in the League of Nations on October 3 , 1932. DECEMBER 5, 1932 MAR ESHAI SHIMUN IN GENEVA The Assyrian national question was taken to Geneva by the Assyrian Patriarch, His Holiness Mar Eshai Shimun XXIII again when he addressed the Permanent Mandate Commission meeting and urged the Council to fulfill its obligations toward the Assyrian Nation. The League yet again granted the Assyrians their rights of homogenous community in Iraq with a local autonomy. Mar Eshai Shimum was quoted in the meeting: :"If the (British) mandaite is lifted without effective guarantees for our protection in the future, our extermination would follow" This was discussed again on December 15 , 1932. AUGUST 7 - 19, 1933 - THE ASSYRIANS ARE MASSACRED After the establishment of the kingdom of Iraq in 1932, an Assyrian uprising followed through the following year, refusing to sign a declaration of loyalty to King Faisal and agree not to thwart the scheme of the League of Nations for the settlement of the Assyrians, was deported by the order of the government on August 18 , 1933 and deprived of Iraqi nationality. The failed uprising led to the massacre of 3,000 Assyrians throughout northern Iraq. The biggest massacre was in the village of Simele. Eyewitness wrote numerous books about the events. The Levies alarmed by this and the imminent withdrawal of British troops, decide upon a concentration of all Assyrians in the Amadia area for security. All Assyrian officers jointly presented a manifesto on the July 16 to the commanding officer requesting discharge within 30 days. The other ranks also followed the lead of their officers. The British feared if this were allowed to happen they would loose all authority in Iraq. To buy time, they decided to allow discharge over a four month period. A British battalion was flown in from Egypt when discharges commenced. After negotiations with Assyrian leaders the Levies withdrew their request and the British battalion was withdrawn. In all 296 were discharged. No Iraqi was held responsible for the massacre. August- occurred a serious clash between the Assyrian civilians and the Iraqi Army. For security, a large number of Assyrians decided to flee Iraq and find safety in Syria, under French control at the time, some settled, others returned to collect their families, on return a battle took place, there were considerable casualties on both sides. The Transport and machinegun companies ceased to exist as separate units, both being divided between the two Assyrian battalions. Kirkuk was occupied by a platoon from the 2nd battalion to guard the Wireless and other RAF stores. Assyrians to this day mark martyrs day on August 7 . OCTOBER 1933 - MAR ESHAI SHIMUN IN GENEVA WITH YOUSUF MALIK After the Simele massacre the Council of the League of Nations was absolutely sure that the Assyrian issue was still an unsolved problem. The Assyrian Patriarch requested the League to form an Assyrian and Kurdish enclave in the north of the province of Mosul (Nineveh) under a special administration. The Patriarch reminded the Council about such plan which was originally suggested by Lord Curzon, the British Foreign Minister, on December 17 1919. In Iraq Rashid Ali Al-Gailani, the Iraqi Prime Minister, announced that the Assyrians should find a new home outside Iraq and promised that the Iraqi government is willing to make very generous contributions to cover any expenses of such settlement. On October 13 1933, the League of Nations appointed a committee of six of its members to look into this possibility. On October 24 , the Assyrians submitted another petition by Yousuf Malik, an Assyrian Nationalist from Iraq who was exiled to Lebanon and who moved between Cyprus , Beirut and Damascus exposing what was going on inside Iraq and the British games. This petition gives details to a lot of cases of oppression against the Assyrians in Iraq and details on hardships from government officials and the facts about the Semele massacre. From October 1933 to June 1935 the committee of six looked into many options, they covered Brazil , British Guiana , Niger and they all failed. A further suggestion that the British Red Cross might send a relief party to Mosul (Nineveh) was also objected to, apparently on the grounds that this would discourage the activities of the Iraqi Crescent, which has not carried out any relief work among the Assyrians. In September 1935, the plan of settling of some of the Assyrians in the Khabour / Ghab areas in Syria was approved. History shows that the plan was never followed up with and it has failed. Things did not change for the Assyrians in Iraq until the outbreak of World War II, when the Iraqis revolted under Rashid Ali Al-Gailani who sided himself with Germany and wanted to force the British out of Iraq completely. The faith of the British existence in Iraq hanged in the hands of the 1500 Assyrian Levis ability to hold the British Air Force Base in Habbaniya against the Rebels of over 60,000 Arab tribesmen and regular troops who surrounded the base. The Battle of Habbaniya is well described in the book, " The Golden Carpet " by Somerset De Chair , a British intelligence officer served in Iraq during W.W.II. MAY 7, 1945 - UNITED NATIONS - MAR ESHAI SHIMUN IN SAN FRANCISCO The United Nations was born in San Francisco (replacing the League Of Nations ). The Assyria n Patriarch, Mar Eshai Shimun XXIII , was there to present the Assyria n petition to the new world body of peace and was accompanied by two members of the Assyria n National Federation. In this petition the Assyrian tragedy was explained from World War I until the end of World War II. Several petitions from the Patriarch in 1945 and 1946 were sent to the Secretary General of the United Nations to look into the Assyrian National Question. A letter from the UN General Secretary # 1100-1-4/MEJ dated Oct. 7, 1946 was received by Mar Shimun stating that he had referred the Patriarch’s petition to the Commission on Human Rights. MARCH 13, 1947 - PETITION TO THE UN GENERAL SECRETARY ABOUT THE ASSYRIAN MASSACRES IN IRAN. A petition concerning the Assyrian Massacres in Iran was filed again by Mar Eshai Shimun XXIII , Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East. Mar Eshai struggled for over a half century at the League of Nations, then the United Nations . Any of his petition were not taken seriously. 1960 - 1965 - IRAQ'S CIVIL WAR As a result of the Kurdish uprising against the central Iraqi government, more than 100 Assyrian villages were burned, or taken over by the Kurdish militia. Here is a list of the result of every village. 1977 - THE CONFERENCE FOR ASSYRIAN INDEPENDENCE "Chartered Constitution of the Assyrian Provisional Government" (Can anybody please summerize this {Link without Title} ? Thanks) 2003 AUGUST - FIRST WAVE OF CHURCH BOMBINGS AND ASSYRIAN CONVENTION ADDRESSES ASSYRIAN AUTONOMY The first of the many Church bombings that were to come, occurred on the morning of August 4, 2003, that left 19 worshippers dead. The panel discussion entitled "Focus on Iraq" on August 30 featured Assyrian politicans and activist from Iraq and the U.S., which was held in Chicago. Mr. Willis Fautre's (from Human Rights Without Frontiers ) model, two overlapping forms of federalism are envisioned. First, the nation would have separate administrative "regions," each with its own parliament; a form of territorial federalism. Each community (Assyrians, Turkman, Arabs, and Kurds) would also have their own parliament representing their communities throughout the country; a form of community federalism. The community parliament would have full autonomy in religion, culture, schools, agriculture, energy, and protection of monuments. The unity of the federal government would be guaranteed by a bicameral system with a House of Representatives elected directly by the people and a Senate appointed by the various communities. For legislation affecting linguistic, cultural, or religious rights, both houses of parliament would have to pass the bill. In addition, though, in the community-based Senate, a super-majority (e.g. 2/3) vote would be needed in addition to a simple majority of every represented community. In such a way, each community would enjoy virtual veto power in matters of language, culture, and religion. The proposal for an Assyrian self administered zone established in the environs of Mosul, extending to Dohuk in the north and Fesh Khabur to the northwest has gained increasing appeal among Assyrian activists, intellectuals, and political leaders. The current political challenges facing Assyrians in the newly developing Iraq include rising Islamic pressure, gross under representation of Assyrians, and a sometimes callous misrepresentation of Assyrians simply as a Christian minority without reference to the Assyrian political, cultural, and nationalist platform. As Mr. Jatou reflected, the increasing Islamic fervor as well as other challenges in Iraq necessitate the establishment of an administrative area for Assyrians and Yezidis. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS As the attacks on ChaldoAssyrians continue to escalate, with the 20th Church bombed and the death toll of the ChaldoAssyrians reaching to 100 in 2004 alone, demands by ChaldoAssyrians politicians of an autonomous save haven reaches at an all-time high, as this time a meeting took place in Britain's House Of Commons to discuss the subject. The meeting in the House of Commons was organised by the Labour MP Stephen Pound , in conjunction with the Assyrian Democratic Movement and the Jubilee Campaign, a Christian human-rights group. Mr. Pound demanded: 1. Support an autonomous administrative region as a safe haven 2. Support the infrastructure of the region; 3. Oppose “the active and passive ethnic cleansing” of “the only indigenous people of Iraq”, Mr Pound argued. “The fate of the Chaldo-assyrians in Iraq will define the socio-political structure of the Middle East.” At the same weekend, a further five Assyrian churches were bombed in Iraq. The Wall Street Journal had estimated that 30,000 had left since last August's Churches's bombings. Then Prime Minister Of Iraq , Iyad Allawi , said he was considering the plan, but nothing broke through as he lost his position the following elections in January of 2005. Australia's Labor Party member Chris Bowen spoke about the possibility of autonomy for the Assyrians numerous times in the Parliament during 2005. On February 24, 2006, Minister of human rights in Kurdistan Dr. Mohammad Ihsan stated “We don’t mind Iraqi Christians concentrating anywhere they wish, and establishing a new province for themselves in the Nineveh plain, and bringing together Iraqi Christians from all over the world and their return to their houses and towns.” SEE ALSO REFERENCES Some of the content is ''Originally based on an article by members.aon.at/omra, licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License, used with permission.'' |
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