The Assyrians of Khābūr: A Tale of Survival and Resilience

The atrocities of 1915, committed by the then Ottoman Empire as well as their collaborators, the Kurdish chiefs of Bohtān and Hakkâri, forced many Indigenous Assyrians to flee their Traditional Homelands and seek refuge in a nascent Iraq. In search of safety, innocent men, women, and children were subjected to harsh environments as well as racial discrimination and were eventually massacred, first in the town of Simele in August 1933, and then again in the village of Ṣorīyā in September 1969.

Those Assyrians who sought to maintain their cultural identity rejected the nationalistic aspiration of the then Iraqi Government that was largely driven by its Arabisation policies as well as smear campaigns in Iraqi newspapers that consistently “othered” this indigenous community. It was for this very reason coupled with safety concerns that prompted the Assyrians to depart from Iraq and seek refuge in neighbouring Syria.

This came after hearing that the French Mandate in Syria had accepted them as asylum seekers. Upon deciding to make Syria their second home, many Assyrians journeyed to the Khābūr region and began the task of transforming their newly founded home from a desolate desert into a paradise, reminiscent to what their ancestors had done in Hakkâri.

In Khābūr, the Assyrians began from scratch, such as, constructing the now famous domed houses known as Quba, planting trees, and holding on to the hope that they would one day return to atrā d-Hakkâri “land of Hakkâri”. This was the Assyrian dream for many of those who lived in Khābūr, wishing to return to Hakkâri, whether to repatriate or to be buried in the land of their ancestors.

First, given the fact that it was not possible to author this article depending solely on the accounts of my immediate family, namely my mother and grandmother— I interviewed a number of Indigenous Assyrians who hailed from Khābūr, including those who were born and raised there, as well as their parents and grandparents. However, there was perceived fear in their responses, so I sought to publish the responses of only five interviews in which they shed valuable light on their lived experiences in Syria.

Second, the plight of the Assyrian people in Iraq has been written about extensively. However, as an Assyrian from Syria, I've decided to chronicle the exodus post-1933, their re-location to the Khābūr region, and the events that followed.

It is worth noting that, the ancestors of those survivors of genocide were forced to flee once again in recent years, when the terrorist organisation styling itself as Islamic State “IS” or “ISIS” abducted two entire villages in 2015. Through my interviews, I was able to document valuable information regarding the Assyrian experience, particularly with government officials, such as, town mayors, who operated in the Khābūr region.

As described by my respondents, Assyrians were constrained by every administration that governed the country they resided in— both on a federal and local level. As in Iraq, so too in Syria, was the Arabisation policy prevalent. For one, Assyrians were expected to identify themselves as Arabs, to speak the Arabic language at their own schools, and to be loyal to the country’s regime as well as what it stood for.

Along with identifying as Arabs on ID cards and other government-issued documents, Assyrians of Khābūr, specifically the town of Tell Tamer, endured horrifying troubles. Throughout the sixties, officials discouraged Assyrians from naming their newborn with their traditional names by refusing to register them.

Mary Yousif, a native from Khābūr, reports: "When my uncle went to register my twin brothers' names in the local council authority where birth certificates were filed, the names chosen were Petros and Paulus. However, a major disagreement arose, and the appointed officer refused to give them Assyrian names, insisting that it is an Arab country”. Mary adds, "After a lengthy argument, no one was able to change the officer's mind, and he registered the names as Samir and Mounir, ignoring the names requested by my uncle and the family.”

Layla Isaac, another native from Khābūr, reports of her family’s experience: "The officer had given us a hard time, and many parents were compelled to give their children unsuitable names, including myself... The original name of my son was Ashur Nasirpal, but he was registered as Hayel." During my interview, I could sense the frustration that such traumatic experiences had caused.

Following Al Assad's family assumption of power in the country— the Indigenous Assyrians experienced little improvement in their quality of life as well as civil freedoms. However, this did not last.

The improvement in governments was thus compared to other governments before Al Assad family ruled and is highlighted by the scholar Mohammed Nabih Alkhatib in his book titled Assyrians in Syria (1995). Assyrians were ousted by the Syrian government despite their aid in expelling French colonisers; however, their assistance was disregarded, and the government unveiled its true face by limiting Assyrians' access to many services and restricting their freedom. They were tracked and forced to be absorbed and assimilated with the Arab nationality, in addition, church officials were also prohibited from speaking in church about Assyrian history or Assyrian nationalism; they were instructed to speak solely about religious matters.

In many cases, earlier governments restricted the Assyrians from freely congregating among secular or nationalistic organisations, such as, the Assyrian Democratic Organization (ADO), founded in 1957, which was considered to be a threat to Syria’s Arabisation policy. Since the Christian label was maintained, classes on Assyrian history and language were only accessible within the church and facilitated in secrecy.

"Assyrian national songs like khazade, Atour, and others by Evin Agassi concealed significant meanings, and the Christian studies teacher would translate each word during Christian studies, and this was the way we enlarged a forbidden love for our Assyrian nation back in those days" Aslae Ismail states. The local churches in the Khābūr region, particularly those affiliated with the Assyrian Church of the East, not only maintained their ancient faith but also contributed to the protection of Assyrian culture and heritage as well as the community's mother tongue.

During his visit to Syria, the late Mār Eshai Shemʿōn, the then Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assyrian church of the East, led suspicion among the Syrian Government. Concerned that he may influence the Assyrians of Khābūr if allowed to communicate with them; they did not permit him to enter Khābūr, where his faithful resided. Anwar Atto explains, "The government feared that His Holiness Mār Eshai Shemʿōn would influence Assyrians of Khābūr about their fundamental rights to freedom of religious expression and cultural practices."

"Our (Assyrians) freedom was restricted everywhere we went to the point where we were hesitant to identify ourselves as Assyrians, out of fear that we would not be able to do what the country's citizens are able to do..." Mary says. When the Assyrians of Iraq moved to Syria, they had to start over from scratch, and this may explain why they were less involved in working for the Assyrian cause at the beginnings, compared with Assyrians in other countries. Isaac Youkhana stresses that they "wanted to enjoy a quiet life in Syria away from killings and sufferings" after having endured "enough persecution".

The Assyrians of Khābūr, like their fellow Assyrians elsewhere, such as, in neighbouring Iraq, Iran, and Turkey, have suffered from systematic suppression that has largely endangered their culture, language, and customs. Yet today, this ancient people continue to remain resilient in maintaining their cultural inheritance despite their horrific experiences as well as more recent events in the Middle East.

References

1. Youssif, Mary. Interview. Conducted by Jennifer Shahin. 21/09/2022.

2. Isaac, Layla. Interview. Conducted by Jennifer Shahin. 22/09/2022.

3. Nabih Alkhatib, M., 1995. Assyrians in Syria. 1st ed. Damascus: Dar Gharhira, pp. 33–38.

4. Ismail, Aslae. Interview. Conducted by Jennifer Shahin. 05/09/2022.

5. Atto, Anwar. Interview. Conducted by Jennifer Shahin. 22/09/2022.

6. Youkhana, Isaac. Interview. Conducted by Jennifer Shahin. 22/09/2022.