THE PLIGHT OF THE SYRIANS Rima Tüzün

THE PLIGHT OF THE SYRIANS Rima Tüzün

SYRIACS: OUR IDENTITY.

SYRIAC PEOPLE, ALSO KNOWN AS CHALDEAN, ASSYRIAN AND ARAMEAN, ARE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF THE MIDDLE EAST. SYRIAC PEOPLE ARE NOT A PEOPLE WHO SETTLED IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND MESOPOTAMIA BY WAVE OF MIGRATION OR AS INVADERS. THEY ARE AUTOCHTHONES IN THE LEVANT AND THEY CONSERVED THEIR PRESENCE DURING CENTURIES DESPITE ALL DIFFICULTIES. THEY ARE THE MOST ANCIENT AND DEEPLY ROOTED PEOPLE AMONG THE MIDDLE EASTERN NATIONS.

The homeland of Syriac people is Bethnahrin (Mesopotamia). Bethnahrin means the land between two rivers namely; Euphrates and Tigris. Ancient Mesopotamian civilization is the cradle of the human development, discoveries, innovations and footprint to several other vital and important issues of history of mankind.

Linguistically, Aramaic language belongs to the Semitic family. From the early periods until 7th century Syriac language was the “lingua franca” in all Levant land and it was arrived until Asia. Jesus spoke aramaic.

Syriac people converted into the Christianity since the first century AD and spread the Christianity from the Middle East to the Far East in a very large geographical area. The culture of Christianity, once created by the Syriacs, is still present in the Middle East. Meanwhile, upon Christological and theological divergences in the first centuries, divisions occurred among Syriacs.

These divisions lasted by several churches, namely; Syriac-Orthodox, SyriacCatholic and Syriac-Maronite, Assyrian-Catholic, Chaldean-Catholic, Greek (Rum) Catholic, Melkite-Greek-Catholic, Melkite-Greek- Orthodox and Protestant church.

Syriac people had been constantly subject of harassments, conflicts and discriminative policies. Syriac people are deprived from democratic, modern and constitutional rights in the Middle East countries. The number of Syriacs in their homelands in Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Iran and Lebanon, dwindeled dramatically. In Iraq, Syriac people faced great extinction treats and they gave thousands victims from 2003 to now. The number decreased from 1,5 million to 300 000 – 500 000. Syriac people have the safe haven demand in Iraq at the Nineveh Plain.

In Syria, Syriac people faced an intensive assimilation and defamation policy. Since the crisis, the number decreased from 2,6 million to 1,4 million. Syriac people are founder of the Democratic Self Administration of the cantons Gozarto (Jazira), Kobane and Afrin in North East Syria.

Situation of Syriacs and other minorities in Iraq:

Syriacs deprived from the Nineveh Plain, Yezidis from Sinjar mountain, Turkmens from Tel Afar (and other provinces) The needs in Iraq:

Politically: There is a very clear need for long-term empowerment of these peoples in their homelands. This requires backing for a reasonable level of self-administration and self-defence. This secures lasting effect of return and rebuilding efforts. Powerless people will never feel sufficient secure.   

At 19 November 2014 a Common Declaration of Yezidi‘s, Iraqi Turkmen and Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian Christians was presented in the European Parliament. This declaration aims for a close co-operation between their homelands in Northern Iraq.  This is still a good basis for self-governance or autonomy of Sinjar, Tal Afar and Nineveh Plain.

Short-, mid- and long-term projects:

-Humanitarian aid to support the IDP‘s.

-Demining and rebuilding (including religious buildings!)

-Economic development

-Political training

Situation of Syriacs and other minorities in Syria:

It is obvious that all minorities in Syria have suffered incredibly by the rise of ISIS, Al Nusra and other fundamentalist groupings. A complicating fact is that the Assad regime managed to present himself as ‛protector’ of the minorities while keeping them under control and powerless at the same time. This image made the minorities a natural target for the fundamentalists.

The possibility of real change:

The Democratic Self-Administration in North-East Syria is based on the Social Contract and its emerging democratic structure. The Social Contract is an explicit secular constitution through which the Democratic SelfAdministration realised:

  • Women‘s rights
  • Freedom of religion
  • Personal choice
  • Democratic structures and multi-ethnic governance
  • Freedom for and development of civil society

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)

A new force is very quickly gaining ground and defeating ISIS.

Challenges ahead

All agree that to defeat ISIS, it is crucial that the described development, rebuilding and economic development is rolled out in former ISIS territory. For this reason it is crucial that North East Syria, governed now by the DSA and protected by SDF is soon supported in several ways based on Western values.

The West can now give a real and significant push to freedom if it recognises the new Autonomous Federation that the DSA declared at 17 March of this year. This declaration folllows the fact that the DSA has been excluded from the UN Peace Talks and the need to bring governance and structure and freedom in the areas that the SDF forces liberated from ISIS. Recognising this area is also the only option left for the west in order to bring stability to that crucial area of the Middle East.

EP – Resolution 12.03.15: European Parliament resolution on recent attacks and abductions by Da’esh in the Middle East, notably of Assyrians (2015/2599(RSP))

5- Calls upon the international coalition to do more to prevent abductions of minorities, such as the abduction of hundreds of Assyrian Christians in northern Syria; underlines the importance of ensuring a safe haven for the Chaldeans/Assyrians/ Syriacs and others at risk in the Nineveh Plains, Iraq, an area where many ethnic and religious minorities have historically had a strong presence and lived peacefully alongside each other;

9- Encourages the cooperation with newly emerging regional and local forces, such as the Kurdish Regional Government in Iraq, Kurdish groups elsewhere, such as the role of YPG in the liberation of Kobane, and the Syriac Military Council, as well as local self-governing entities in the region which have shown more commitment to human rights and democracy than their countries’ rulers; salutes, in particular, the courage of the Kurdish Peshmerga forces who have done so much to protect endangered minorities;

Needs in development of DSA

  • North/East Syria Humanitarian aid
  • Judicial development
  • Political development
  • Human Rights (strengthening of existing possibilities)
  • Infrastructure / investment / oil
  • Political recognition as viable interim-situation

Syriac IDP Challenges in KRG & Lebanon

The geography of KRG includes villages and cities such as: Duhok, Erbil – Ainkawa, Shaqlawa and others. The Syriacs fled from the Nineveh Plain to this places. Two years ago we had about 250 000 – 300 000 IDPs, nowadays there might be 150 000 – 200 000 left.

The situation in KRG was very difficult, especially education for the children because of the language. Humanitarian aid did not reach all vulnerables. 

In Lebanon mostly the Syriacs from the South and West of Syria fled to Beiru and Zahle. Lebanon does not only has refugees from Syria but also from Iraq. The number of Syriac refugees in Lebanon in total is 2.500; mostly in Beirut and Zahle.

The situation for the refugees is very difficult, especially because of the high living standard in Lebanon. The challenges for all refugees are to survive in face of high house rent, money for medical treatment in hospitals, lack of residency papers and the difficulty to find work.

Syriac refugee challenges in Europe:

Most of the Syriac refugees, which reached Europe arrived through different ways, came legally, supported by their relatives. But again there have been some who died on their way from Middle East to Europe.

Syriacs want to avoid to go to refugee camps; they already had bad experience in the refugee camps in Lebanon and Turkey. In the refugee camps Syriacs face harassements and ongoing persecution.

The concrete number of Syriac refugees in Europe is not known.

Syriacs who live far from the Syriac communities face challenges as all other refugees, but mostly the challenge of a new language.

Syriac Cross: www.syriaccross.com