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Proposals for Assyrian autonomy in Iraq

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Proposals for Assyrian autonomy in Iraq

Throughout history there were few proposals for the establishment of an autonomy or an independent state for the Syriac-speaking Assyrians in northern Iraq.

Contents

Historical proposals

  • Urmia Manifesto of the United Free Assyria, 1917

    • 19th governorate

    Currently, two major Assyrian parties (Assyrian Democratic Movement and Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council) call for a creation of a 19th governorate which will incorporate Shekhan, Al-Hamdaniya and Tel Keppe districts of Ninawa Governorate. This proposal is pushed by two above mentioned parties as a new governorate for all minorities living there. Various estimates say that new province population will have the following ethno-religious makeup:

    Support – The proposal has been backed by the majority of Shia Arabs and Kurdish parties.

  • Jalal Talabani, President of Iraq
  • Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan
  • Sadrist Members of Parliament block
  • Islamic Dawa Party block of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki

    • Some foreign governments and political parties have also weighed in on the issue:

  • The Swedish political party Folkpartiet declared full support of an Assyrian administration by means of activating Article 125.
  • The Australian Federal Government through the Labor, Liberal & Christian Democratic Party support an autonomous Assyrian state in Iraq.

    • Oppose – It has been opposed by Sunni Arabs who make up the majority of the city of Mosul.

  • Al-Hadba
  • Justice and Reform Movement (Sunni Arab)

    • Assyrian Administrative Region

    Some Assyrian organizations also call for a creation of an Assyrian Administrative Region in Northern Iraq, which would include the following districts:

    Ninawa Governorate
  • Al-Hamdaniya
  • Al-Shekhan
  • Sinjar
  • Tall Afar
  • Tel Keppe
    • Dohuk Governorate
  • Semel

    • Incorporation with Kurdistan region

    Many Kurdish politicians have publicly come out in support of annexing the area to the Kurdistan Regional Government as their fourth governorate (after Dohuk, Erbil and Slemani). Some Assyrians claim Masoud Barzani's KDP is intimidating the population into demanding their region be annexed. This is a controversial issue and the population has different views on the matter as revealed by a Wikileaks document released in 2011:

    References

    Proposals for Assyrian autonomy in Iraq Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA