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ORGANIZATIONS URGE BARZANI TO APOLOGIZE FOR GENOCIDES
August 13, 2013 - 15:46 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - The American Mesopotamian Organization and Iraqi
Christian Relief Organization sent a letter to Masoud Barzani, the
President of the Kurdish Regional Government in Iraq, offering him
"a noble challenge to issue a formal apology to the Armenian and
Assyrian descendants of the survivors of the genocides committed
by the Kurdish allies of the Ottoman Turks against the indigenous
Christian populations of the region, during and subsequent to WWI,"
according to Assyria Times.
"In the past several months, your regional government has been
successful in convincing several European governments to formally
recognize the "Kurdish genocide" committed by Saddam's regime. We
can certainly empathize with and affirm the suffering of the Kurdish
people of Iraq, particularly since the Assyrian Christians, too,
suffered loss of life and property during the same period. This
provided a missed opportunity for you to make an attempt to amend the
troubled and strained relations between our two nations by including
the sufferings of the Assyrians within your efforts to seek recognition
of the "Kurdish Genocide".
The last few hundred years of Assyrian-Kurdish relations have been
mired with massacres, forced deportations and the deforcement of land
and personal possessions of Assyrians by Kurds. As a direct result of
these heinous acts, the Assyrian presence has dwindled significantly
in Northern Iraq, South Eastern Turkey, and North Western Iran.
Additional adverse consequences of these atrocities have been the
marginalization of the political and human rights of the indigenous
Assyrians by the Kurds. Today's expansion of the Kurdish population
is a direct benefactor of the massacres perpetrated by their not so
distant ancestors. This rise in population has not only resulted in
the renaming of historical Assyria as Western, Eastern, Northern and
Southern "Kurdistan", but it has also resulted in the renaming of the
Assyrian regions and cities and replacing them with Kurdish names,"
the letter says.
"In light of your ambitious efforts for the world to consider you as
a legitimate, duly elected representative government of all Kurds in
Iraq; hence, as their spokesperson, we request you to issue apologies
for past atrocities committed by Kurdish tribes and warlords against
the indigenous Christian populations of the region, including Assyrians
and Armenians, while allied with the Ottoman Turks.As you are no doubt
aware, there is clear and convincing evidence, consisting of extensive
corpus of academic research, documents, and archival material,
which prove Genocide, was perpetrated against the entire Christian
population of the former Ottoman Empire during and following the First
World War. The nascent, Young-Turk government systematically executed
a policy of extermination against its own Christian citizens through
massacres, death marches and forced deportations. As a consequence
of these barbaric acts, several millions of Assyrians, Armenians and
Greeks lost their lives and those that survived lost everything they
owned from personal belongings to their homes and agricultural lands,"
it says.
"Now, we are challenging you to issue a formal announcement,
apologizing for the suffering and genocide of the Assyrians and
Armenians, and acknowledging the direct involvement and active
participation of the Kurdish tribes. Although it would behoove you
to rise to the occasion, you will simply ignore our challenge and
demand for justice. Be reminded that you must stand on the very
high moral grounds you expect and demand of your oppressors. Take
responsibility for the past atrocities as you expect the same from
the Iraqi government," the letter concludes.
August 13, 2013 - 15:46 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - The American Mesopotamian Organization and Iraqi
Christian Relief Organization sent a letter to Masoud Barzani, the
President of the Kurdish Regional Government in Iraq, offering him
"a noble challenge to issue a formal apology to the Armenian and
Assyrian descendants of the survivors of the genocides committed
by the Kurdish allies of the Ottoman Turks against the indigenous
Christian populations of the region, during and subsequent to WWI,"
according to Assyria Times.
"In the past several months, your regional government has been
successful in convincing several European governments to formally
recognize the "Kurdish genocide" committed by Saddam's regime. We
can certainly empathize with and affirm the suffering of the Kurdish
people of Iraq, particularly since the Assyrian Christians, too,
suffered loss of life and property during the same period. This
provided a missed opportunity for you to make an attempt to amend the
troubled and strained relations between our two nations by including
the sufferings of the Assyrians within your efforts to seek recognition
of the "Kurdish Genocide".
The last few hundred years of Assyrian-Kurdish relations have been
mired with massacres, forced deportations and the deforcement of land
and personal possessions of Assyrians by Kurds. As a direct result of
these heinous acts, the Assyrian presence has dwindled significantly
in Northern Iraq, South Eastern Turkey, and North Western Iran.
Additional adverse consequences of these atrocities have been the
marginalization of the political and human rights of the indigenous
Assyrians by the Kurds. Today's expansion of the Kurdish population
is a direct benefactor of the massacres perpetrated by their not so
distant ancestors. This rise in population has not only resulted in
the renaming of historical Assyria as Western, Eastern, Northern and
Southern "Kurdistan", but it has also resulted in the renaming of the
Assyrian regions and cities and replacing them with Kurdish names,"
the letter says.
"In light of your ambitious efforts for the world to consider you as
a legitimate, duly elected representative government of all Kurds in
Iraq; hence, as their spokesperson, we request you to issue apologies
for past atrocities committed by Kurdish tribes and warlords against
the indigenous Christian populations of the region, including Assyrians
and Armenians, while allied with the Ottoman Turks.As you are no doubt
aware, there is clear and convincing evidence, consisting of extensive
corpus of academic research, documents, and archival material,
which prove Genocide, was perpetrated against the entire Christian
population of the former Ottoman Empire during and following the First
World War. The nascent, Young-Turk government systematically executed
a policy of extermination against its own Christian citizens through
massacres, death marches and forced deportations. As a consequence
of these barbaric acts, several millions of Assyrians, Armenians and
Greeks lost their lives and those that survived lost everything they
owned from personal belongings to their homes and agricultural lands,"
it says.
"Now, we are challenging you to issue a formal announcement,
apologizing for the suffering and genocide of the Assyrians and
Armenians, and acknowledging the direct involvement and active
participation of the Kurdish tribes. Although it would behoove you
to rise to the occasion, you will simply ignore our challenge and
demand for justice. Be reminded that you must stand on the very
high moral grounds you expect and demand of your oppressors. Take
responsibility for the past atrocities as you expect the same from
the Iraqi government," the letter concludes.