Iraq's Indigenous Peoples

Indigenous Chaldeans, Assyrians, Syriacs in crisis on Iraq’s indigenous homelands.

Dec 19, 2006

Iraqis are not one undifferentiated culture, as perceived in the west. Here's a guest article from an indigenous Iraqi group - AINA.

The world at large recognizes the importance of the current situation in Iraq. Less well known is the crisis we Chaldeans/Assyrians/Syriacs face, a crisis in which events will determine whether our people will survive in one of the last nations of our indigenous homeland where we retain a sustainable population. No group is more crucially influenced by the constantly evolving events in Iraq than the Christians of all the Middle East. Of these Christians, most directly involved are our own community members -- the ChaldoAssyrians -- the largest compact Aramaic-speaking community left in the world.

We have a brave and courageous history in our homeland as holders of the ancient heritage of early Mesopotamia. Since the First Century after Christ our steadfast allegiance to our Eastern form of Christianity, our particular Syriac heritage, and our unyielding cohesiveness in the face of persistent attempts to force our people away from their traditions and social coherence have helped us form strong reliance on both our religious ideals and our civic and ecclesial leaders. Since the beginning of the last century our people have been faced with horrible waves of violence and persecution, war and discrimination. Today, we face a terrible crisis -- one that will determine whether there shall remain a future for native Christian populations anywhere in the Middle East, particularly in Iraq.

We recognize that only with a united front will we be able to assure the acquisition of political, economic and cultural rights guaranteed under international law and long due in light of our indigenous and millennia-old history in Iraq.

Our principles in bringing such ideals among our people, especially in Iraq are based on the employment of common sense rules of fairness, mutual respect and reciprocal exchange among all segments/folds of our people, particularly in Iraq. Such rules prompt us to respect that various designations, such as Assyrian, Chaldean and Syriac, are equal and complimentary.

Only when we Chaldeans/Assyrians/Syriacs stand united and strong, in reciprocity and mutual respect will we be able to hold back the flight of our people from their homes and villages in Iraq. We are, in many respects, the hope of all Christians in the Middle East, for we stand as standard bearers to the beleaguered modern history of Christians in their original homelands. We, the earliest Christians and the last speakers of the language of Jesus Christ, with the help of God, through our religious and civic leaders, must unite and stand strong. Others will take courage from publicly hearing from their respected leaders what we all know to be true: we are one people, of one origin, one culture and one homeland.

The copyright of the article Iraq's Indigenous Peoples in Aboriginal Rights is owned by Tyson Woorama . Permission to republish Iraq's Indigenous Peoples in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.