ASSYRIAN DELEGATION MEETS EP MEMBERS ON IRAQ, TURKISH GENOCIDE

Assyrian International News Agency
EasternStar News Agency, AINA

J une 15 2007

Brussels — The Assyrian Genocide Conference, hosted on the 26th of
March this year in the EU Parliament, received positive responses
from both inside and outside the European Parliament.

Yesterday a delegation from the Seyfo Centre, which studies the
genocide of Assyrians by Turks in World War One as well as other
genocide issues, returned to Brussels to meet various members of
parliament to discuss the Assyrian question in Iraq and how to
continue the Seyfo (the Assyrian genocide of 1915) issue in the EU
Parliament. The delegation met the chairman of the CSU in the EU
Parliament, Mr. Markus Ferber and Eva-Britt Svensson, GUE/INGL.

After the removal of Saddam, it was widely expected that life in
Iraq would be better and safer, but the current reality shows the
opposite. Many things are now worse than before. The Christians live
in fear and Assyrians are being persecuted and are being cleansed from
Iraq. The democratic forces from around the world seem powerless. No
one can hear the screaming of the Assyrians. The international forces
which have the real power don’t seem to care about human rights and
about Assyrians; they are only busy with their own interests.

The Seyfo Center delegation presented a paper on the desperate crisis
(report) of the Assyrian Christians (also known as Chaldeans and
Syriacs) in Iraq to the members of the parliament and asked for
emergency assistance from the EU Parliament. Ms. Svensson expressed
great concern and committed to bringing the issue to the attention of
the EU Parliament. Mr. Ferber was also very concerned and said that
this is very important and must be solved, as nobody cares about
the Assyrians in Iraq, they are threatened and killed every day,
and many of them flee to Jordan and Syria. He will also bring the
issue to the European Parliament.

The Seyfo Center delegation talked with the members of the Parliament
about the next step to take regarding the Assyrian Genocide of 1915.

Ms. Svensson and Mr. Ferber suggested the formation of a commission
of historians to compile all information about the 1915 genocide. The
European Union’s resolution about the Armenian Genocide failed to
mention any other ethnic minorities, like Greeks and Assyrians.

The Seyfo Center will continue to press the European Parliament to
include Assyrians and Greeks in any future resolutions on the 1915
Genocide.