ishtartv.com
As part of its intensive campaign to promote
the Assyrian cause on the national and international level, a delegation of the
Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA) and the Assyrian Australian National
Federation (AANF) attended the 2017 Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
(DFAT)-NGO forum on Human Rights that was held on Thursday 9 February 2017, at
the Australian National Museum in Canberra.
The
Assyrian Universal Alliance was made up of Mr Hermiz Shahen, Deputy Secretary
General of the AUA and Mr David David, President of the AANF. Also in
attendance was Ms Elizabeth Kendal representing Christian Faith & Freedom
and a representative from the Coptic community
During
the meeting, Mr Shahen raised the question of the indigenous Assyrians of Iraq
and Syria who are systematically deprived of their basic human rights
endangering their survival in the region. He added that Assyrians are
increasingly becoming the target of both ethnic and religious attacks since the
U.S.-led invasion and the overthrow of the Saddam Hussein regime in 2003.
On
his final note he mentioned that ISIL is clearly participating in a conspiracy
to destroy a national, racial and religious group. Undertaking an attack
against life, liberty or property of members of any group makes them guilty of
the crime of genocide. He asked the government of Australia to internationally
condemn these acts of terrorism by ISIL, and to acknowledge that these acts of
terrorism are acts of genocide and crimes against humanity against the
Assyrians, the indigenous and original people of Iraq and their cultural
heritage. He also asked that Australia assist the Assyrian nation’s needs for
the establishment of a self-governed safe haven in the Assyrian heartland in
Northern Iraq (between the Upper Zap and Tigris Rivers) for the Assyrian
Christians, Yezidis and other persecuted minorities, so that they can live in
peace and security, where they can practice their religion, culture and
language in freedom with human dignity, and to safeguard their ancient
heritage, history, architecture, churches and sacred land.
Mr
Shahen also presented a submission on behalf of the AUA and the AANF to the
Chairman of the Forum on Human Rights.
The
meeting was attended by the Hon Julie Bishop MP , Minister for Foreign Affairs
and the Attorney-General Senator George Brandis .
For more information about the Minister’s
speech please follow the link: http://foreignminister.gov.au/speeches/Pages/2017/jb_sp_170209.aspx
Assyrian
Universal Alliance-Australian Chapter
auaaustralia@bigpond.com
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