Assyrian Democratic Movement
Encyclopedia
The Assyrian Democratic Movement (; Zowaa Demoqrataya Ashuraya) (ADM) also known as Zowaa is an ethnic Assyrian
political party in Iraq
, and is currently the only Assyrian-based political party to be voting in the Iraqi parliament.
The party was established on April 12, 1979 to satisfy the political objectives of the Assyrian people
in Iraq, in response to the oppressive brutality of the Al-Baath
regime and its attempts to forcibly expropriate ethnic Assyrians from their native lands. The movement took up armed struggle against the Iraqi regime in 1982 under the leadership of Yonadam Kanna
, and joined the IKF in early 1990s. Yonadam Kanna in particular was a target of the Saddam Hussein Ba'ath regime for many years.
Due to successful lobbying from influential Assyrian-Americans and from Congressman Henry Hyde
, American President George W. Bush
designated the ADM an officially recognized Iraqi opposition movement. In a December 9, 2002 memorandum, President Bush invoked both articles four and five of the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998 as a means of allowing the United States government to provide financial resources to the ADM and other Iraqi opposition groups. Kanna himself participated in a September 2002 meeting of Iraqi opposition leaders in New York and addressed the London conference of Iraqi opposition leaders in December 2002. In February 2003, Kanna addressed both Iraqi opposition leaders and U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad
at a conference in northern Iraq. Just hours prior to the American-led war against Iraq in March 2003, Kanna stressed the importance of the coming war for the history of the Assyrian people. He noted that some Assyrians were leaving the cities for the villages and urged diaspora Assyrians to provide humanitarian aid to their brethren.
before it was disbanded in favor of the elected body formed after the January 2005 Iraqi elections.
The party's website, zowaa.org, describes it as "a democratic and political organization -- national and patriotic -- to defend our people and their legitimate rights and to struggle under the banner of [a] free democratic Iraq." The site's declarations include calls for official recognition of the rights of Assyrians and "unity of our people under their several identities": Chaldean, Syriac, and Assyrian (various Christian denominations in the Assyrian demographic). The group supports the idea of a federal Iraq, and is on good relations with other Assyrian and Kurdish groups present in northern Iraq, as well as with Shi'a leaders in southern Iraq. The movement is also represented in the Kurdistan parliament
. Party members and Assyrians in general have been the focus of some insurgent attacks in the time since the fall of Saddam Hussein
.
The party also operates Ashur TV
and Ashur Radio and issues Bahra
newspaper.
Assyrian people
The Assyrian people are a distinct ethnic group whose origins lie in ancient Mesopotamia...
political party in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, and is currently the only Assyrian-based political party to be voting in the Iraqi parliament.
The party was established on April 12, 1979 to satisfy the political objectives of the Assyrian people
Assyrian people
The Assyrian people are a distinct ethnic group whose origins lie in ancient Mesopotamia...
in Iraq, in response to the oppressive brutality of the Al-Baath
Baath Party
The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party was a political party mixing Arab nationalist and Arab socialist interests, opposed to Western imperialism, and calling for the renaissance or resurrection and unification of the Arab world into a single state. Ba'ath is also spelled Ba'th or Baath and means...
regime and its attempts to forcibly expropriate ethnic Assyrians from their native lands. The movement took up armed struggle against the Iraqi regime in 1982 under the leadership of Yonadam Kanna
Yonadam Kanna
Yonadam Yousef Kanna is an Iraqi politician and a member of the Iraqi National Assembly. He was a member of the Iraqi Governing Council in 2003-2004 that was created following the Invasion of Iraq by the United States in 2003. An Assyrian Christian from northern Iraq, Kanna served in the Kurdistan...
, and joined the IKF in early 1990s. Yonadam Kanna in particular was a target of the Saddam Hussein Ba'ath regime for many years.
Prior to the Iraqi invasion
Henry Hyde
Henry John Hyde , an American politician, was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 2007, representing the 6th District of Illinois, an area of Chicago's northwestern suburbs which included O'Hare International Airport...
, American President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
designated the ADM an officially recognized Iraqi opposition movement. In a December 9, 2002 memorandum, President Bush invoked both articles four and five of the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998 as a means of allowing the United States government to provide financial resources to the ADM and other Iraqi opposition groups. Kanna himself participated in a September 2002 meeting of Iraqi opposition leaders in New York and addressed the London conference of Iraqi opposition leaders in December 2002. In February 2003, Kanna addressed both Iraqi opposition leaders and U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad
Zalmay Khalilzad
Zalmay Mamozy Khalilzad is a counselor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and president of Khalilzad Associates, an international business consulting firm based in Washington, DC. He was the United States Ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush...
at a conference in northern Iraq. Just hours prior to the American-led war against Iraq in March 2003, Kanna stressed the importance of the coming war for the history of the Assyrian people. He noted that some Assyrians were leaving the cities for the villages and urged diaspora Assyrians to provide humanitarian aid to their brethren.
After the fall of Baghdad
Yonadam Kanna is now the president of the party. He served on the temporary Iraqi Governing CouncilIraqi Governing Council
The Iraqi Governing Council was the provisional government of Iraq from July 13, 2003 to June 1, 2004. It was established by and served under the United States-led Coalition Provisional Authority...
before it was disbanded in favor of the elected body formed after the January 2005 Iraqi elections.
The party's website, zowaa.org, describes it as "a democratic and political organization -- national and patriotic -- to defend our people and their legitimate rights and to struggle under the banner of [a] free democratic Iraq." The site's declarations include calls for official recognition of the rights of Assyrians and "unity of our people under their several identities": Chaldean, Syriac, and Assyrian (various Christian denominations in the Assyrian demographic). The group supports the idea of a federal Iraq, and is on good relations with other Assyrian and Kurdish groups present in northern Iraq, as well as with Shi'a leaders in southern Iraq. The movement is also represented in the Kurdistan parliament
Kurdistan Regional Government
The Kurdistan Regional Government , , is the official ruling body of the predominantly Kurds-populated Kurdistan Region in Northern Iraq...
. Party members and Assyrians in general have been the focus of some insurgent attacks in the time since the fall of Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
.
The party also operates Ashur TV
Ashur TV
Ashur TV is an Assyrian-based satellite television channel that is affiliated with the Assyrian Democratic Movement political party....
and Ashur Radio and issues Bahra
Bahra
"Barha pikayegu" in Newar Language literally means "to make menstruation come out". This custom in Newars is done after Ihi and before a teenager reaches puberty. The custom is carried out before she gets her first menstruation. This custom entails a confinement period of 12 days and nights...
newspaper.
Post War incidents and events
The party has been hit with many setbacks since the beginning of the Iraq invasion.- On November 17, 1994, one of ADM's militia soldiers, Zia Zia, was killed while guarding a headquarter of the party in a remote Assyrian village in northern Iraq.
- On October 20, 2003, reports indicated of a rocket-propelled grenade attack on the ADM office of KirkukKirkukKirkuk is a city in Iraq and the capital of Kirkuk Governorate.It is located in the Iraqi governorate of Kirkuk, north of the capital, Baghdad...
, injuring one member official. - On November 18, 2003, Sargon Nano, the ADM representative in BasraBasraBasra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
, was killed by masked gunmen. - On February 11, 2004, The Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
reported gunmen firing from a car attacking an office of the ADM in northern city of MosulMosulMosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
, injuring one ADM member guard. - On March 26, 2004, gunmen killed ADM official Romeo Esha David in the northern city of Kirkuk.
- On November 29, 2005, gunmen opened fire on four party members as they were hanging Iraqi election posters in northern city of MosulMosulMosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
(in the al-Shuhadaa district,) killing two ADM members. - On December 2, 2005, ADM election candidate Sarmad Bihnam Ibrahim was gunned down in KirkukKirkukKirkuk is a city in Iraq and the capital of Kirkuk Governorate.It is located in the Iraqi governorate of Kirkuk, north of the capital, Baghdad...
. - On January 1, 2006, 44-year old ADM official Ayad Loqa Lazar was killed in the BaghdadBaghdadBaghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
district of Dora. - On May 6, 2006, an unsuccessful assassination attempt on the party's leader, Yonadam KannaYonadam KannaYonadam Yousef Kanna is an Iraqi politician and a member of the Iraqi National Assembly. He was a member of the Iraqi Governing Council in 2003-2004 that was created following the Invasion of Iraq by the United States in 2003. An Assyrian Christian from northern Iraq, Kanna served in the Kurdistan...
, as his convoy came under improvised explosive device attack in Baghdad.
External links
See also
- The Last AssyriansThe Last AssyriansThe Last Assyrians is a French documentary film by Robert Alaux.-Synopsis:This film tells of the building of the identity of the Aramaic speaking Christians, also known as Assyrians, Syriacs, Chaldeans or Arameans. They are one of the first people to convert to Christianity and they still speak...
, (2004) Documentary film, Lieurac Productions, Paris