(AINA) -- The territorial integrity of Iraq and Syria continues to erode under the weight of unresolved conflicts, competing regional agendas, and the persistent failure to protect indigenous peoples. Among those most affected by this reality is the Assyrian people, whose historic lands have been transformed into arenas for proxy struggles rather than safe regions that uphold dignity, rights, and the rule of law.

The defeat of ISIS in certain areas did not bring justice nor ensure lasting security. According to multiple reports, thousands of ISIS members and affiliates have been transferred or reintroduced across borders, including more than 7,000 individuals brought back into Iraq. This raises serious and legitimate concerns for the Assyrian people:

Related: Timeline of ISIS in Iraq
Related: Attacks on Assyrians in Syria By ISIS and Other Muslim Groups

Are those who destroyed our towns, enslaved our people, and erased our heritage being allowed to re-emerge once again, this time under political cover or as part of regional deals?

At the same time, the Iraqi government's deepening alignment with Iran and Iran-backed armed groups has escalated tensions with the United States, further destabilizing the region and placing the Assyrian people once again in harm's way. Assyrians continue to pay the price for geopolitical rivalries on their ancestral lands.

For many years, our response has been largely limited to verbal protests, statements, social media campaigns, and appeals to conscience. We have also made it clear that we do not support silence, compromise, or political softness, whether from certain church leaders or political parties that have failed to defend our people, our land, and our rights, or that have aligned themselves with those responsible for land confiscation and occupation.

Words alone are no longer sufficient.

While perpetrators operate openly without accountability, the region has witnessed demonstrations and incitement led by Kurdish groups and actors who have burned American flags and images of U.S. envoys and attacked consulates and diplomatic missions. This reflects a dangerous double standard: such actors are permitted to engage freely in hostility and provocation, while the victims of genocide, the Assyrian people, are expected to remain patient, silent, and divided. This imbalance is neither acceptable nor just.

The time for unity and organization has arrived.

We call for the establishment of a unified Assyrian front, independent and truly representative, capable of engaging the international community with one clear and consistent voice. This front must document crimes, confront impunity, and advocate persistently for:

• International protection mechanisms for Assyrian regions
• Genuine self-governance, administered by Assyrians and for Assyrians, within internationally recognized frameworks
• The safe return of displaced Assyrians without coercion, intimidation, or demographic manipulation
• Accountability for ISIS crimes and for all those who enabled or benefited from them
• An end to land seizures and militia domination in Assyrian areas

This is not a call for secession, but a call for survival. It is not a rejection of coexistence, but a demand for equality, security, and self-determination in accordance with international law and the principles the international community claims to uphold.

The Assyrian people are not a temporary community nor a marginal actor in regional conflicts. They are an indigenous nation whose survival depends on decisive international engagement, and on our own ability to stand together, clearly, collectively, and without ambiguity.

History will judge not only the perpetrators of these crimes, but also those who had the authority to prevent their recurrence and chose silence instead.