Mr. Masoud Barazani
President
Kurdish Regional Government (KRG)
Arbil-Iraq Mr. Barazani, Your message to the Assyrian nation (AINA 8-12-2013) on its Martyrs' day is insulting to the memory of the Assyrian martyrs, particularly the myriad of those who have been killed in the last few hundred years. August 7th is not only a commemoration of those massacred in 1933 at the hands of the Iraqi Army under the leadership of the Kurd, Bakir Sidqi, and the Kurdish irregulars. But, it is also a day commemorating the victims of Mir Kor, Bader khan, Semco, the Seyfo massacres of WWI, and Saddam Hussein. On this day, we further remember those indigenous Assyrians who were assassinated for their political beliefs in a region controlled by your security forces. Your message was still more offensive because it used "Kurdistani Components" when referring to Assyrians. We are proud of our identity: the cradle of civilization, ancient language, rich culture, and steadfast faith. Your policy of Kurdification of our ethnicity is unacceptable and indicative of someone with Ultra-Nationalistic views. This is extremely troubling not only to the Assyrians, but also to all Iraqis. Saddam Hussein and his Baath party used similar tactics, being used by you, in their attempts to eradicate our Assyrian identity and culture. The people of Iraq including the Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen, and Assyrians have endured enough pain and suffering in the last several decades. It is cruel, inhumane, uncivilized, and against human rights to subject them to live under similar oppressive policies. There is no difference between the Kurdification and the Arabization of the Assyrian identity, civilization, and ancestral homeland. Congruent with Saddam's deceptive and manipulative modus operandi, you too have Assyrian-by-name people and entities on your Government's payroll for the purpose of promoting the KRG's directives. They have been primarily used to portray a farce fa