(AINA) -- The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) recently published a "clarification" regarding the February 10th, 1997 murder of two Assyrian Christians by a mob of Kurds in Shaqlawa. The KDP statement corroborated much of the information released earlier by various Assyrian organizations but contained some omissions.

Mr. Masoud Barzani, the leader of the KDP, visited Shaqlawa after the killings and acknowledged that there had been an intense campaign of arson and explosions targeting Assyrian Christian stores in the Shaqlawa area. He also acknowledged that while local Kurdish authorities were investigating this campaign of terror against the Assyrian Christians, Mr. Mohammed Babakir, a Kurd, was found killed. Mr. Barzani asserted that Mr. Babakir had years earlier kidnapped the daughter of Mr. Lazar Matte, an Assyrian Christian. The local Kurdish authorities assumed that Mr. Lazar Matte and his son Havel Lazar were involved in Mr. Babakir's murder despite the lack of any evidence. Since the two families had resolved their conflict four years ago, there was no explanation as to why the Kurdish authorities assumed Mr. Matte killed Mr. Babakir. Mr. Matte and his son were, nevertheless, arrested pending further investigation.

Mr. Barzani then acknowledged that a mob of Kurds stormed the prison and lynched the two Assyrian Christians in the name of Islam. In his speech to the Assyrians in the Mar Yokhana Church, Mr. Barzani expressed his condolences to the Assyrians and pledged "security and peace to all." The Assyrians warmly welcomed Mr. Barzani's conciliatory remarks and statement of condemnation of the murders. However, Mr. Barzani's omissions left still more questions unanswered amongst the Assyrian community. Mr. Barzani failed to note that Mr. Lazar Matte's still teenage daughter was forcibly converted to Islam. He also failed to note that the mob was incited by a local mullah to kill the Assyrian Christians and to burn their home in the name of Islam. Mr. Barzani did not mention that the Assyrians were literally butchered into several pieces and that their dismembered body parts were strewn across fields in Shaqlawa. In a further show of terror, the Kurdish mob rampaged through Assyrian areas in Shaqlawa firing automatic weapons and exploding grenades in order to terrorize and intimidate the Assyrians. When the pieces of the victims were, finally, retrieved by the Assyrian Christians, they were prevented from organizing a funeral in Shaqlawa; the funeral was eventually held in Arbil.

Mr. Barzani falsely stated that the killers had been captured and were being held in prison. Subsequent reports from the area have contradicted that assertion. The actual killers are said to be free and those now incarcerated are only minimally involved. Those Kurds being held for questioning are expected by most to be released soon. Furthermore, those responsible for ordering the killings have not been held accountable for their role in accordance with the law. The most egregious omission of all, however, remains Mr. Barzani's failure to even once refer to the Assyrians as Assyrians. In the statement, the Assyrians are repeatedly referred to as "Christian brothers." Assyrians are left wondering whether the KDP officially denies the existence of the Assyrians and their nearly 7000 year history in their ancestral Assyrian homeland in northern Iraq.

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KDP USA

CLARIFICATION

Recently a few painful incidents took place in Shaqlawa City, resulting in the death of two Christian brothers. It seems that the enemies of the Kurdish movement, as usual, want to create chaos and to use it to reflect negatively on our party's popularity. Thus, we are bound to clarify the truth of what happened.

1. Two years ago, resident Basim Mohammed Babaker kidnapped the daughter of resident Lazar, a Christian who dwells in the same city as Babaker. Both families had resolved this problem at that time.
2. Lately, some untrustworthy hands are trying to undermine the brotherhood that exists between Christians and Muslims. They are undermining the security and stability in Shaqlawa by setting off some explosions in some stores that belong to Christian brothers. Fortunately, this only caused some minor damage.
3. While the authorities were investigating these acts, Mohammed Babaker (a Moslem) the son in law of Lazar (a Christian) was found killed. It appeared that Lazar and his son were connected with his death. The Shaqlawa police arrested them for interrogation.
4. On February 10th, 1997, for the purpose of undermining security and peace in Shaqlawa, a mob rampaged the police station and killed Lazar and his son.
5. The authorities, immediately after, controlled the situation and arrested the criminals who were connected to this killing. They claimed that they did it for the defense of Muslims. Investigations are continuing.
6. Mr. Masoud Al-Barazani, head of our party with members of the Political Bureau, visited Shaqlawa and met with the residents in the Mar Yokhana Church. He gave a speech, in which he expressed his extreme regret about this killing. At the same time he emphasized the history of brotherhood that exists between Christians and Muslims. He also assured all Christian brothers of their safety in their homeland, and of their fathers and grandparents for thousands of years. He also said that the authorities are obligated to harshly punish the criminals and to provide security and peace to all. His Excellency also emphasized that Kurdistan will continue as always to be a home to religious groups, political parties, and civilizations. He said that the hateful hands of those who want to undermine the security and stability in the region would be cut.
7. The situation went back to normal in Shaqlawa, and those responsible for these acts are in prison and will get their punishment according to the law.