Syndicated News
Assyrians and Kurds Unified Against ISIS
By Ibrahim Ali
Bookmark and Share

Displaced Assyrian civilians gather in front of a church in Syria's Hasakah (photo: ARA News).
Tel Temir, Syria -- The Kurdish village of Qasimiya is currently sheltering dozens of displaced Assyrian families who left their hometown of Hemun neat Tel Temir in northeastern Syria, following attacks by militants of the Islamic State (IS/ISIL). "With the intensified fighting between the Kurdish forces of the People's Protection Units (YPG) and militants of the Islamic State group (IS/ISIS) in the outskirts of the strategic village of Tel Temir, many Assyrian families have been displaced, heading to Qasimiya village," Assyrian activist Adnan Shabu told ARA News. Shabu pointed out to the suffering of civilians in the areas aid the deteriorating humanitarian situation, emphasizing the importance of the Kurdish solidarity with the Assyrian community. "This solidarity under the current hardships in the region is an indication to the historical coexistence among Kurds and Assyrians," he said. Tale of Two Villages Shabu, who was displaced with his family from the village of Helmun which is now under the control of IS militants, also pointed out that the relationship between the two villages, the Assyrian village of Helmun and the Kurdish village of Qasimiya, is deep-rooted. "These two villages showed a unique example of coexistence," the Assyrian activist added. "When Kurds opened their homes for the Assyrians, everybody became sure that this unity will never be defeated, not even by the most brutal terror group." "The Kurds protected those displaced families, spending the nights on guarding the entrances of the village (Qasimiya), as well as linking their fate to the fate of their Assyrian brothers." According to Shabu, several Kurdish men from Qasimiya have joined the fight against IS extremists near the Assyrian village of Helmun. "I know a Kurdish man who was martyred during the clashes while defending the Assyrian village against the barbarism of ISIL. With this determination, will achieve victory against those terrorists." Speaking to ARA News in Tel Temir, mayor of the village of Helmun, Nazir Yalda, said: "I've never left my hometown, but this brutal attack obliged me to protect my family, and there was no other way than leaving Helmun." "When I left my house, feelings of outrage and sorrow overwhelmed me. No words to express the situation of the Assyrians at the moment," he said. Yalda also stressed the urgent need of civilians to humanitarian aid, appealing to regional and international aid organizations to assist hundreds of Assyrians in northeastern Syria.



Type your comment and click
or register to post a comment.
* required field
User ID*
enter user ID or e-mail to recover login credentials
Password*