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************Arameans of Iraq: Present situation***************

Because of their fragile position combined with lack of adequately functioning security apparatus, the Arameans are an easy target for powers who intend to cleanse Iraq of its original inhabitants who have been present in this part of the world since thousands of years.

Before the war of 2003, there were around 800.000 Arameans in Iraq. Probably more than half of them have left the country. The attacks on their churches and leaders chased the Arameans out of Iraq. We mention few examples:

There are in Iraq following Aramean denominations :

• - West- Aramean Syrian Orthodox

• - West- Aramean Syrian Catholics

• - East- Aramean Nestorian Chaldeans

• - East- Aramean Nestorian "Assyrians". The "Assyrians" are divided among themselves as follows: The Apostolic Assyrian Catholic church of the East (Since 1976, the name "Catholic" has no relation with Rome) and the Ancient Church of the East (since 1968).

The terms “East- “ and “West- Arameans” go back to the time of early Christianity where the Aramean indigenous nation was geographically termed as such. Roughly speaking the Euphrates River was the border. Those Arameans living Eastern of Euphrates, thus living in Persia, were termed “East- Arameans” and those living Western of Euphrates, thus in Roman Empire, were called “Western- Arameans”.

The designations “Chaldeans” and “Assyrians” for the eastern Arameans go back to the Western colonial activities of the 16^th (France + Catholic missionaries) and 19^th (Great Britain + Anglican missionaries) centuries. The ecclesiastical and political Western powers closely worked together and setup camps in Turkey, Iraq, and Iran where the Aramean children were “educated” through which they were completely uprooted from their Aramean origin. They thereby planted a horrible form of fanaticism in their hearts which caused them to display an immense aversion to their Aramean origin.

In the year 1553 the Western Catholic missionaries together with France brainwashed a part of the East- Aramean clergy by means of bribery to call themselves “Chaldeans” with the result that the Aramaic language became known as “Chaldean” language and a part of the Aramean nation became known as “Chaldean” nation in some parts of the Western literature, the first attack on the Aramean heritage.

As a result of mutual hatred and competition between the Western Catholics and Protestants, in the late 19^th century the same process was repeated, this time by the Anglican missionaries and Great Britain, and the other part of the East- Aramean “Nestorian” tribes of Hakkari (bordering Turkey and Iraq) and Urmia (Iran) to call themselves "Assyrians"- a term which was used purely geographically and only applied to the "Nestorians". The result was that Aramaic became known as “Assyrian” language and the Aramean nation as the “Assyrian” nation- this was the second and more severe attack on the Aramean heritage- a kind of spiritual genocide.

************Related Documents****************

Iraq and Arameans: The usual ritual, blowing up their churches

Iraq and Arameans: The usual ritual, blowing up their churches

http://www.iraqichristians.info/English/Arameans_Iraq_Kirkuk_19_8_2011.htm

The uproar in the Middle-East and the future of the Aramean nation

http://www.iraqichristians.info/English/Arameans_Middle_East_Uproar_7_6_2011.htm

http://www.iraqichristians.info/English/Arameans_Iraq_Persecutions_Killings_Ethnic_Cleansing_29_12_2010.htm

Aramean blood continue to flow in Iraq: Two Aramean brothers killed in Mosul

http://www.iraqichristians.org/English/Arameans_Iraq-TwoBrothers_Mosul_Killed_23_11_2010.htm

An Aramean spiritual leader makes a dramatic appeal: Leave Iraq

http://www.iraqichristians.info/English/Arameans_Iraq_Appeal_Bishop_Leave_Iraq_11_11_2010.htm

Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns in strong words the terrorist attack on the Aramean Catholic church in Baghdad

http://www.iraqichristians.info/English/Arameans_Iraq_Ministry_Foreign_Affairs_5_10_2010.htm

Bloodbath among the Arameans of Baghdad: Something like this never happened

http://www.iraqichristians.org/English/Arameans_Iraq_Attack_Church_1_11_2010.htm

An Aramean spiritual leader makes a dramatic appeal: Leave Iraq

http://www.iraqichristians.info/English/Arameans_Iraq_Appeal_Bishop_Leave_Iraq_11_11_2010.htm

Iraq: The 19 years old Aramean girl Sandy Shabib Hadi Zahra succumbs to her injuries

http://www.aramnahrin.org/English/Arameans_Iraq_Sandy_Shabib_Hadi_Zahra_17_5_2010.htm

Exodus Arameans from Mosul: According to recent UN report more than 5000 Arameans have left Mosul

http://www.iraqichristians.info/English/Arameans_Mosul_Exodus_More_Than5000_10_3_2010.htm

The Arameans of Iraq again victim of killings and bloodbaths:

http://www.iraqichristians.info/English/Aramean-Christians_Mosul_Killed_18_2_2010.htm

A Christmas “message” for the Arameans of Mosul: Four Aramean Churches attacked and one Aramean killed

http://www.iraqichristians.info/English/Aramean_Churches_Mosul_Attack_24_12_2009.ht

Arameans of Iraq: The East- Aramean Chaldean bishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk sounds the alarm bell

http://www.iraqichristians.info/English/Arameans_Iraq_Louis_Sako_AlarmBell_1_9_2009.ht

Totally unfounded or has it a grain of truth in it? Greater- Israel and the ethnic cleansing of the Arameans of Mosul and surroundings in Iraq

http://www.iraqichristians.info/English/Great-Israel_Ethnic_cleansing_Iraq_Arameans_29_8_2009.htm

Seven Indigenous Aramean Churches in Baghdad (Iraq) attacked by car bombs

http://www.iraqichristians.info/English/Aramean_Churches_Baghdad_BombAttack_13_7_2009.htm

Aramean blood continues to flow in Iraq…

http://www.iraqichristians.org/English/Aramean_Blood_Iraq_Continues_Flow_4_5_2009.htm

Aramean Churches and institutions in Iraq under Attack

http://www.iraqichristians.org/English/Attack_Aramean_Churches_Iraq_7_1_2008.htm

Through all the misery: Miracles happens in Iraq: http://www.iraqichristians.org/English/Miracles_In_Iraq_11_4_2008.htm

Again two Arameans killed in Iraq: http://www.aramnahrin.org/English/Arameans_Killed_In_Mosul_2_9_2008.htm

Aramean indigenous nation of Iraq: Removal of article 50, exclusion, killings, persecutions, displacements and ethnic cleansing in Mosul erea

http://www.aramnahrin.org/English/Killings_Ethnic_Cleansing_Arameans_Iraq_14_10_2008.htm

Attempt of ethnic cleansing Mosul: The Aramean Srebrinica. Who is responsible and why?

http://www.aramnahrin.org/English/Mosul_Aramean_Srebrinica_27_10_2008.htm

Iraq: The bloodshed of Aramean people and bombardment of churches continues undiminished

http://www.iraqichristians.org/English/Arameans_Iraq_killing_Mosul_Qaraqosh_15_11_2008.htm

East- Aramean Chaldean bishop of Mosul, Mgr. Paulus Faraj Raho was abducted on 29-2-2008 in Mosul. His body was found on 13-3-2008 in Mosul and on 14-3-2008 he was buried in St. Addai Church in Karemlesh.

East- Aramean Chaldean priest Ragied Aziz Gannie brutally murdered in Mosul along with three deacons by Muslim extremists

http://www.aramnahrin.org/English/MurderRagiedAzizGanie_3_6_2007.htm

Aramean priest beheaded in Mosul (Iraq): http://www.aramnahrin.org/English/Priester_Iskandar_12_10_2006.htm

The West- Aramean Isoh Majeed Hadaya killed by terrorists in Iraq:

http://www.aramnahrin.org/English/Isoh_Majeed_Haday_22_11_2006.htm

Aramean Spiritual Genocide:  Western Spiritual Colonialism: http://www.aramnahrin.org/English/Aramean_Spiritual_Genocide.

Arameans in the Media and the camps of the Western missionaries. Disinformation, cultural genocide and colonialism

http://www.aramnahrin.org/English/Arameans_In_The_Media_Misinformation_8_6_2009.htm

Aram-Naharaim attends the annual meeting of the UN Expert Mechanism On the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Statement on the situation of the Aramean people in Syria, Turkey and Iraq: http://www.aramnahrin.org/English/Indigenous_2009.htm

Arabic Translations: http://www.aramnahrin.org/Arabic/Arabic_Translations.htm

Letters sent to governments and international institutions on the Arameans of Iraq:

Aram-Naharaim in action for the Arameans in Iraq: http://www.aramnahrin.org/English/Answer_From_US_Embassy_20_10_2005.htm

Aram-Nahrin sends a letter to President George Bush, President Nicolas Sarkozy and Prime Minister Gordon Brown

http://www.iraqichristians.org/English/Letter_Bush_Sakozy_brown_22_8_2007.htm

The Aramaic Democratic Organisation (ArDO), Aram-Naharaim Organisation and the three bishops of the Syrian Orthodox Church in Iraq sent a letter to the Iraqi government: http://www.iraqichristians.org/English/Letter_Iraqi_Government_29_8_2007.htm

Aramean Organisations ask for protection of Aramean spiritual leaders in Iraq: http://www.iraqichristians.org/English/ArameanOrganisations_Protection_leaders_Iraq_25_4_2008.htm

Aramean Organisations ask United Nations for help to protect the Aramean clergy and Aramean Indigenous people of Iraq.

http://www.iraqichristians.org/English/ArameansOrganisations_UN_Iraq_Help_10_5_2008.htm

Aramean organizations’ appeal to the United Nations: Help to prevent ethnic cleansing Iraq of its Aramean indigenous nation

http://www.iraqichristians.org/English/Aramean_Organisations_Letter_UN_31_10_2008.htm

Aramean Organisations sent a letter to President-elect Barack Obama: Help the persecuted Aramean people of the Middle-East, focusing on Iraq

http://www.iraqichristians.info/English/Aramean_Organisations_Barack_Obama_26_11_2008.htm

Aramean organizations sent a letter to the President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, His Excellency Juan Evo Morales Ayma

http://www.aramnahrin.org/English/Aramean_organisations_President_Bolivia_14_1_2010.htm

Aramean Organizations sent a letter to the United Nations and ask for the protection of the Aramean people of Iraq

http://www.iraqichristians.info/English/Aramean_People_Iraq_UN_Help_23_3_2010.htm

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