Related: The 1933 Massacre of Assyrians in Simmele, Iraq
Patriarch Mar Awa III, Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East worldwide, said the construction of the Assyrian Martyrs Monument in Simmele represents a fitting act of recognition by the Kurdistan Regional Government for the victims of the 1933 genocide committed against Assyrians. He expressed thanks to President Masoud Barzani for backing the initiative.
Speaking during the ceremony to lay the foundation stone of the monument, Mar Awa III said: "This project is a worthy recognition by the Kurdistan Regional Government of the lives of the martyrs of the 1933 genocide carried out against the Assyrians."
The patriarch praised the stance of the Kurdistan Regional Government in implementing the project and responding to related demands. He offered particular appreciation to President Barzani for his support and reaffirmed that the project is expected to be completed in the near future.
In another part of his remarks, the Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East referred to the damage caused by the targeting of Assyrians in 1933, saying: "In that genocide, three to five thousand Assyrians were killed, including women, the elderly, children, and religious men. To this day, their remains are still present at this site."
He stressed that the event remains one of the most significant and impactful episodes in Assyrian history, adding: "The wound of this genocide has not healed to this day and will not heal until the Iraqi government officially recognizes the genocide and assumes full legal and historical responsibility for that crime."
Christians have faced numerous hardships, including attacks carried out by ISIS, during which Christian communities were forced to leave their churches, homes, and properties as the extremist group spread across their areas. During that period, the Kurdistan Regional Government acted as a primary supporter, receiving many displaced Christians into the Kurdistan Region.
Three years ago, a senior Christian cleric praised the Kurdistan Regional Government's support for a United Nations investigation into ISIS crimes against Christians in Iraq. The UN investigative body, UNITAD, published a 26-page report detailing evidence of crimes against humanity, including enslavement, forced conversion, and the destruction of religious and cultural sites. Erbil-based Chaldean Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda said: "Without the help that came from the government of Kurdistan would never be shown to the world." He described the report as a very important step and noted that around 2,000 Christians fled the Nineveh Plains following the ISIS takeover of the area. The Kurdish government maintained efforts to raise international awareness of ISIS atrocities, a group defeated by Iraqi and Peshmerga forces in 2017.
On Dec. 25, 2025, Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Iraq and worldwide, praised the Kurdistan Democratic Party for its long-standing support of the Christian community, saying the Church would never forget the party's historic positions. He highlighted the role of senior KDP officials in advocating for Christian rights and rejected claims circulating online that he had signed a normalization agreement or visited Israel, describing such allegations as blatant lies and the product of fabricated content. Cardinal Sako also called for strengthening internal relations among Iraq's diverse communities and emphasized religious coexistence as a foundation for stability.
The Simmele monument project adds a new chapter to longstanding recognition efforts, linking remembrance of past atrocities with continued calls for acknowledgment, protection, and coexistence.
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