(AINA) -- On December 3, 1999 Assyrians from a wide spectrum of U.S. and international organizations organized a fundraising dinner on behalf of Congressman Rod Blagojevich of the Fifth Congressional District in Illinois. Members of various international Assyrian political organizations including Mr. Giliana Yonan of the Bet Nahrain Democratic Party (BNDP), Mr. Shmail Nanno from the Central Committee of the Assyrian Democratic Movement (ADM), and Mr. Abgar Maloul of the Assyrian Democratic Organization (ADO) participated in the dinner speeches. An earlier Assyrian delegation that had met with the Congressman in his office had included representatives from the ADO, former Illinois State Senator John Nimrod, who is now the Secretary General of the Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA), as well as other Assyrian community activists.

The Assyrian American National Federation (AANF), the largest Assyrian organization in the U.S. with over 30 affiliates, was represented by the President of the organization, Mr. Sargon Lewie. Mr. Sheba Mando, President of the Assyrian National Council of Illinois (ANCI) as well as Mr. Ben Poulus, Vice President of the Assyrian Academic Society (AAS) also attended the dinner. The fundraiser was also attended by members of the Assyrian Aid Society and Mr. Eshai Eshoo of the Assyrian Social Club.

The Assyrian attendees representing the various organizations as well as numerous individual community activists expressed their appreciation for Congressman Blagojevich's dedication to issues affecting Assyrian human rights (AINA 02-11-1998) as well as secondary schools in northern Iraq (AINA 11-05-1998) and the concern he recently expressed to the U.S. State Department regarding the poor representation afforded the Assyrian delegation in the October 29th Iraqi National Assembly (INA) meetings in New York (AINA 11-09-1999). The Congressman was formally asked to help spearhead the formation of an official Assyrian Issues Congressional Caucus that would help to gather other U.S. Representatives concerned about Assyrian issues into a formal Congressional Caucus.

Congressman Blagojevich thanked the Assyrian organizations for their support and encouraged Assyrians throughout the U.S. to continue similar work with their Congressmen in order to raise greater awareness regarding Assyrian issues within the U.S. government. Congressman Blagojevich specifically praised Assyrian Congresswoman Anna Eshoo from California as a highly respected member of Congress and vowed to continue to work with Congresswoman Eshoo on Assyrian issues and the formation of an Assyrian Issues Congressional Caucus.

According to Congressman Blagojevich, earlier efforts to bring attention to the U.S. State Department regarding human rights abuses against Assyrians in the Middle East had included 15 Congressmen. Moreover, although a Democrat, the Congressman's efforts have always been bipartisan and have included letters cosigned by Republican Congressmen Ray LaHood and John Porter from Illinois as well as Congressman Frank Wolf from Virginia.

Congressman Blagojevich stated that the key to the success of such an undertaking will be the aggressive energizing of the substantial Assyrian communities in the U.S. including Chicago, Detroit, Connecticut, Boston, New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, Modesto-Turlock, San Jose, and San Francisco into similarly engaging and supporting their Congressmen. Such a coalescence of like-minded Congressmen can then form the nucleus of an even greater Congressional Caucus focusing on domestic and international issues important to Assyrians.