Simmele, North Iraq -- In a step reflecting loyalty to the national sacrifices of the Assyrian people and the unity of their youth in Beth Nahrin (Mesopotamia) and the diaspora, the Chaldo-Assyrian Students and Youth Union (Khoyada) installed a protective fence at the site of the Simmele Massacre.
Cemeteries are sacred spaces of peace and dignity -- places meant to preserve and honor a human being after death. Yet the recurring violations against and desecrations of Christian graves in various parts of Iraq -- from Mosul to Najaf and even Armota in the Kurdistan Region -- have reopened a deep wound regarding the status of Christians, their rights, and the level of social tolerance toward...
Metin Rhawi is a Swedish-Assyrian political and human rights advocate committed to advancing democracy, coexistence, and justice for persecuted minorities in the Middle East. As a leading representative of the European Syriac Union, he has long worked on international advocacy for Assyrian Christians and other vulnerable communities.
Recently, an Assyrian cemetery was desecrated in Harmota, a village in Koya District, Iraqi Kurdistan, with headstones smashed and graves broken into. So far nothing is known as who the perpetrators might be. Following the incident, the Chaldean Patriarchate issued a statement strongly condemning the sacrilegious act against Iraqi Christians.
Anitli, a charming Assyrian heritage village located about 30 kilometers from Midyat in Turkey's southern Mardin Province, has been named one of the United Nations World Tourism Organization's (UNWTO) "Best Tourism Villages 2025.
Armota, Iraq -- The town of Armota, a predominantly Assyrian community in the Koy Sanjaq (Koya) district of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), has been targeted by yet another assault on its historical and religious heritage.