Volume VI - Issue 23 January 2012 Chairman’s Message Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian people in Dear readers, Iraq Before a month we The situation of Christian Chaldean- Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian people turned out the year of Syriac-Assyrian people continue to do not want the construction of a 2011 that was a year deteriorate in Iraq as a whole. mosque in the city and they are sure with great changes, that this will bring the wave of developments and risks. The manifes- As it is well-known CSA people are Muslim population to the city. Even tations and falling regimes with Arab indigenous and autochthon people the governor of the city is against awakening, economic crisis and the of Iraq and during the history they this project but he can not act and natural disasters were among the pri- played important role with the civi- speak openly because he belongs to orities. We are witnessing very lization process of the region. The Sunni denomination. important periods in century that we presence of Chaldean-Syriac- will see and observe their effects and Assyrians is nothing new in the Another important point is related influences in the future. The world region and have to be protected and to the latest attacks came down face a new era. maintain adequate conditions to against Christians in Zakho. After flourish this ancient culture. these attacks authorities of regional ESU from first day until now, with government declared that they will great attention and confidence Nowadays CSA people of Bartella find responsible and give them to observe the new dynamics and offer- (Baritle) encounter strange problems justice and retired them from their ing new policies and activities to be with the Muslim population. functions. According our confiden- ready for the processes and maintain Bartella (Baritle) is situated only 20 tial sources these declarations did solution for our people everywhere in kilometres east of the northern Iraq not come true and authorities do the world. city of Nineveh (Mosul). Presence of nothing in this sense. Actually, from CSA people in this town goes back the day of Zakho events until today Today, Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian to the centuries and always CSA there are rumours that some people people are the period of transition at people were living in Baritle. will be retired from their functions the all present countries. The situation but until now no progress done in in Syria is in front of our eyes. With Muslim Shiites (Islamic denomina- this sense. the important population present at tion, followers of Ali) are trying to the soul of Syria, the CSA people must change this demographical presence Afterwards of withdrawal of US be ready for the new period and their with cheatings and tricks methods troops from Iraq the sectarian ten- rights and demands have to be accept- to create/increase Muslim popula- sions and conflicts will rise among ed. National, regional and interna- tion in the town. This year Muslim Shiites and Sunni’s. Within these cir- tional actors have to take account of Shiites applied 3 times for the per- cumstances we want to take your CSA people during the re-establish- mit of construction a mosque to the attention about the delicate situation ment of new order in Syria. city council in Baritle which is of CSA people. Current context inhabited only by CSA people. The grants any status and protection to In Iraq following the US troops applications/demands had been our people. With possible conflicts attacks continue and federal govern- refused all by the Mayor of the city. among Kurds and other religious ment is no more attentive to our Despite these decisions Muslim parties the first victims will be CSA demands. The same for Turkey, Shiites used illegal and tricky ways people. regardless to economic success, to take this permission. With minority rights are far from the prior- unknown and unclear methods ity of government and democratic Muslim Shiites got the permission waves looks far for ever. without the approval of city council. One example for this is that Muslim My best wishes for the year 2012. Shiites get some documents with false dates. Lahdo Hobil The Voice of the Syriacs Volume 6 - Issue 23 page 2 Petition for Mor Gabriel Monastery From 28.10 – 31.10.2011 a delegation of the German suit claiming that the land-registry office gave lands away Christian Party CDU visited the Syriacs in Sweden to to the monastery when the boundaries were established. speak about their signature campaign for the monastery The court in Midyat dismissed this suit. Mor Gabriel in Turkey. 2. In accordance with the decision mentioned in this con- The delegation was supervised by our European Syriac text, the neighbouring villages have expanded onto the Union ESU, which organized meetings with the archbish- monastery lands. The monastery itself is part of the vil- op of the Syriac-orthodox church Mor Abdullahad Gallo lage of Kafarbe, which maintains close contacts with the Shabo, the churches of Mor Juhanun in Märsta and Mor monastery. The village of Kafarbe filed a lawsuit against Jakob in Södertälje, member of the Swedish parliaments the two neighbouring villages in order to have the land Yilmaz Kerimo and member of the commune in Södertälje boundaries clarified. The court in Midyat decided in Metin Rhawi. favour of the village of Kafarbe. However, the two neigh- bouring villages appealed. The higher court repealed the The delegation of CDU visited furthermore the Syriac TV first decision and declared that this matter had to be han- Channel Suroyo TV and was able to speak on a live pro- dled by the administrative court in Mardin. gramme about the signature campaign. 3. 27.6 hectares of land are located within the monastery The goal of the signature campaign is stated as followed: walls, and 6 hectares outside of the monastery. These On January 26th 2011 the highest court in Ankara ruled lands have belonged to the monastery for centuries. that large parts of the possession of the Mor Gabriel During the land register work, these are entered under the monastery will be taken away from it. The 1600 years-old name of the treasury. The reason given is that these are monastery has owned the land for centuries but has been forest areas. But the monastery seeded trees here itself. unable to register it so far because of bureaucratic Therefore the Mor Gabriel foundation filed a lawsuit stonewalling. However it is undeniable that the against the Midyat forestry office. This suit was dismissed monastery shall be recognized as the owner of the land. It with the reasoning that these lands looked green on aeri- is a matter of fact that the monastery since 1937 regularly al photographs taken in 1950. The foundation hasn’t with- pays property fees. drawn the lawsuit at this point, but it is still with the courts. The many ongoing lawsuits against the monastery strong- ly suggest that the monastery is no longer wanted to exist. 4. Lawsuit by 3 mayors entered with the crown prosecu- Moreover members of the Syriac-orthodox community tor in Midyat. The crown prosecutor is charging the chair- living near the monastery have recently suffered under man of the Mor Gabriel foundation, Kuryakus Ergün, serious attacks in which also their houses have been set on with “occupying forestry lands”. Grounds: The fire. monastery lands include 27.6 hectares of lands which belong to the forest. This case will be heard on January 11, Despite some attempts of the Turkish Government to 2012 in Midyat. improve the situations of Syriac-orthodox living in Turkey they continuously suffer under ongoing attacks 5. On 29/01/2009, the treasury filed suit against the Mor and threats against themselves and their properties. The Gabriel foundation. It claimed 24.4 hectares of lands Government in these cases does not provide the expected which are registered in the name of the monastery. The protection. court dismissed this lawsuit. But the treasury appealed to the higher court and the first decision was repealed, so Member of the European Parliament Elmar Brok MdEP that now the claim is to have these lands transferred to the has already expressed this very unsatisfactory situation in treasury. a letter to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, dated February 7th 2011. The sub- At last the lawsuit case of the forest will be delivered to scribers listed below share the given criticism and declare the International Court of Strassbourg. Of course for us solidarity with the Syriac-orthodox community in Turkey, Syriacs it is very important to get international support Germany and across Europe. Elmar Brok MdEP has taken such as the support of the German Christian Party CDU. patronage on this initiative. Therefore we thank them and wish them success with the signature campaign. When we speak about the lawsuit cases of the monastery Mor Gabriel we do not only speak about one or two, but According to latest news Mor Gabriel prepares to bring also about five. Here a short overview: the lawsuit to the European Court of Human Rights. Today, most of the Syriac people don’t trust the decision 1. In 2008, two villages bordering on the monastery filed that will be occured by the Turkish state’s courts. The Voice of the Syriacs Volume 6 - Issue 23 page 3 ESU Press Release for Zakho attacks The attacks against Christians and other minorities now alarming. The Northern part of Iraq was seen as a secure started in the Northern part of Iraq. The first attack took place for Christians and other minorities.