Assyrian Rights

Dear Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

In todays Iraq we frequently hear Assyrians (ChaldoAsssyrians, Chaldeans, and Syriacs) be referred to as the minority Christians of Iraq. This term causes problems for us in more than one way. Lets start from the beginning. First of all, Assyrians, when being termed as minorities, lose leverage in the political realm. We feel that a nation without a national identity can never be involved in politics. Therefore, this leads us to believe that it is not democracy when the Assyrian nation is stripped of its national rights and called by a generic title such as Iraqi Christian. It is unfortunate that in America, a nation that stands for equality and liberty for all, nothing is being done to resolve this identity problem forced on the Assyrian nation. Nevertheless, there is another problem we feel with being called minorities, the result of little media attention. This lack of media support during the present Iraq war contributes to crimes committed against the Assyrians going unnoticed. These crimes also contribute to the overflow of Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries. As for being called Christian, this also does not identify the Assyrians as a nation. True that is the faith of the Assyrians, but towards getting some type of recognition as a nation, again, Christians of Iraq will never do. The title that we find more acceptable is Indigenous Assyrians of Iraq. This title leaves nothing to the imagination. It is clear, accurate, and would obviously show positive results in the Assyrians national goals. We, as Assyrians, feel that we have the God given right to be recognized by the world as a nation. The world needs to stand for what is right in defending Assyrians at this critical moment in history, and give the Assyrians the recognition they deserve. With the help of the world powers, Assyrians can fulfill their goal of regaining their identity in Mesopotamia, present day Iraq, and live in harmony with the rest of their neighbors.