Good afternoon, honourable members and guests.
My name is Aneki Nissan, and I am the president of the Centre for Canadian-Assyrian Relations. I have come here today to discuss the fate of the Assyrian community in Iraq and Syria.
The Assyrians are a transnational ethnic community who belong to a number of Christian churches in the Middle East and are indigenous to the region. Since the fall of Mosul and the Nineveh plains to ISIS in summer 2014, Assyrians have faced a mass exodus from their centuries-old historical homes. They have been living as internally displaced refugees in northern Iraq in abhorrent conditions and have been marginalized in the political and social life of Iraq. As a result of this conundrum, others have fled the country and are now living in neighbouring states as they seek asylum from various governments around the world.
Those from Syria have faced larger threats of mass extermination at the hands of both government and opposition forces, and most prominently Assyrian-dominated towns and villages around the Khabur River were attacked and invaded by ISIS on February 23, 2015. Hundreds of community members were taken hostage and imprisoned by ISIS. The city of Qamishli, which was built by those fleeing the 1915 Ottoman genocide, has also been targeted repeatedly by ISIS, and most memorably during the 2015-16 Christmas season, where an explosion targeting those celebrating the season came to kill Assyrians and destroy several Assyrian-owned business within the city. Even as recently as June 21 of this year, the Syriac Orthodox patriarch came under attack as he was praying for the victims of the 1915 genocide alongside priests and bishops from other Assyrian denominations.
This is all part of a systemic and targeted assault on members of the Assyrian community in Syria by ISIS and other forces since the outbreak of war in 2011. As members of the Canadian diaspora, we are urging the Canadian government and Canadian Parliament to help our community in both Iraq and Syria. We have a three-pronged approach to help our community, alongside other minorities like the Yazidis, the Shabaks, and others.
One, we are asking the Canadian government to expedite the processing of asylum applications from members of the community alongside members of the aforementioned communities. This will help those living in limbo and begin the process to help members of the community gain a new life in Canada where a substantial community already exists. Some of the first Assyrian settlers to Canada arrived in the late 1800s, and many helped settle North Battleford, Saskatchewan, in 1903. Today, for example, in the Toronto-Windsor corridor, Assyrians have no fewer than 20 churches in the area, where members are all willing to help welcome refugees and help in the process of integrating new arrivals to Canadian life. Additionally, many of those seeking asylum in Canada are arriving with education and professional backgrounds that would allow them to become productive citizens.
Two, we are hoping that in addition to the help provided to refugees, the Canadian government, alongside its allies, can find a sustainable solution for those people on the ground in Iraq and Syria. Assyrians, Yazidis, Shabaks, and others have come under the help of oppressive regimes, and they are living at the mercy of people who are unable or unwilling to help protect members of their community. We hope that the Canadian government can help in providing humanitarian aid to those stuck living away from their homes in Iraq and Syria. The Canadian government and Canadian aid agencies can help by working directly with Assyrian aid organizations on the ground that have a deeper understanding of the issues that are currently facing the refugees as they seek to find a more permanent solution on the ground.
Three, Assyrians have been disarmed by Kurdish and Iraqi troops. This has left their villages vulnerable, which allowed ISIS to invade their territory unopposed. We are hoping that the Canadian government in its current mission against ISIS can help fund, arm, and train the Nineveh plains protection units as they systemically work to liberate their villages from the grips of ISIS.
I sincerely thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing your questions.