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46-452: On several occasions, SAM cooperated with other political parties, mainly on issues related to protection of ethnic and religious rights of minority groups in Iraq. The party was headquartered in the town of Bakhdida , and at its' height in publicity, was led by Anwar Matti Hadaya until his death in 2017. In a statement that was publically posted on their Facebook page in 2024, the party mentioned

92-471: A hot-summer Mediterranean climate ( Köppen climate classification Csa ). Most rain falls in the winter. The average annual temperature in Bakhdida is 20.7 °C (69.3 °F). About 468 mm (18.43 in) of precipitation falls annually. Since the late 19th century, various locations on the outskirts of the town were excavated by Hormuzd Rassam . In Balawat (the ancient Assyrian city of Imgur-Enlil)

138-403: A coalition based on Ano Abdoka's previous Hammurabi Coalition, which expanded to include Armenian organizations. The other parties are also considered to be inactive. In the wake of the 2024 Kurdistan Region parliamentary election , the party (under the alliance) announced its' decision to boycott the elections following the removal of minority seats the previous month. The party was also part of

184-655: A comprehensive political platform on the creation of a new governorate in the region of the Nineveh Plains . After the Fall of Mosul to ISIS , the party issued a condemnation of the violence and made a public appeal to the Federal government of Iraq and the Kurdish Regional Government in order to fight back against extremists. In 2017, the then-president of the party, Anwar Matti Hadaya, passed away. Aside from leading

230-586: A convoy of buses carrying students from Bakhdida to the University of Mosul was the target of a coordinated attack, which killed and injured more than a hundred. The Iraqi Ministry of Education started the construction of a subsidiary of the University of Mosul which in 2014 became the University of AL-Hamdaniya , which is planned to serve the whole Nineveh Plains region. The University of AL-Hamdaniya currently consists of two colleges: The college of Education and

276-716: A number of Assyrian artifacts have been excavated; they are currently displayed in the British Museum and Mosul Museum . There is a lot of interest in the archaeology of Baghdida today. It has many Assyrian remains, like those of Tel Bashmoni (Beth Shmoni), Tel Muqortaya, Tel Karamles, Tel Mar Bihnam and others. These mounds were fortresses, temples or buildings that belonged to the Assyrian capital of Nimrud . Throughout 1922, 1927, and 1935, archaeologists found gold pieces and cylinder seals, as well as an Assyrian statue (now in Mosul museum) in

322-411: A statement that expressed public support for Masrour Barzani in the wake of criticism against him. Bakhdida Qaraqosh ( Syriac : ܩܪܩܘ݂ܫ , romanized :  Qaraqoš ; Arabic : بغديدا , romanized :  Baḡdīda (official name), or Arabic : بخديدا , romanized :  Baḵdīda , also known as al-Ḥamdāniyya or Qara-Qūš; a Turkic placename meaning "Black Bird"),

368-765: A well in the church of Mar Zina. In 1942 an Assyrian bathroom and several graves were found near the church of Bashmoni. Furthermore, during the 1980s excavations in the grounds of the Church of Mar Youhanna (Saint John), archaeologists found human remains inside graves in the eastern side and at a depth of one and a half metres. These graves were built with typical Assyrian large rectangular bricks. References to Athur (Assyria) continued in texts from Bakhdida. Mapharian Athanasius Ibrahim II of Tur Abdin visited Tikrit, Baghdad, and Arbil to attend to his congregation. According to Afram Abdal al-Khouri and his book al-Lu'lu' al-Nadheed fi Tareekh Deir Mar Bihnam al-Shaheed ( The Layers of Pearls in

414-504: Is an Assyrian city in the Nineveh Governorate , of Iraq located about 32 kilometres (20 mi) southeast of the city of Mosul and 60 kilometres (37 mi) west of Erbil amid agricultural lands, close to the ruins of the ancient Assyrian cities Kalhu and Nineveh . Qaraqosh is connected to the main city of Mosul by two main roads. The first runs through the Assyrian towns of Bartella and Karamlesh , which connects to

460-627: Is an Iraqi Assyrian refugee in Sweden and Anti-Islam activist , who is known for arranging public demonstrations where he burns and desecrates the Quran . Momika comes from the Al-Hamdaniya district of Qaraqosh , in the northern Iraqi province of Nineveh. He was raised as an Assyrian Catholic . During the 2006-2008 civil war , when Christians became persecuted by the Islamic State , Momika joined

506-683: Is considered to be an active part of the Axis of Resistance in the Middle East. The brigades were also accused of committing war crimes and engaging in sectarian violence. Momika also founded the 'Syriac Democratic Union' and the 'Falcons of the Syriac Forces' in 2014, an armed militia which was affiliated with the Christian militia Babylon Brigade, the armed wing of the Babylon Movement . In 2017, Momika

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552-600: The Aramean-Syriac flag . Momika's involvement with the party was rediscovered after public controversy surrounding him and his role in the 2023 Quran burnings in Sweden . His previous activities in Assyrian politics, including SAM and the Kataib Rouh Allah Issa Ibn Miriam militia, were also linked to Rayan al-Kildani and the Babylon Movement . The Syriac Assembly Movement is largely considered inactive in

598-612: The Assyrian Patriotic Party and worked as a security guard for the branch's headquarters in Mosul . According to Iraqi government sources, Momika fled his hometown in 2012 after the local court found him guilty of causing a wrongful death during a car accident and sentenced him to three years of imprisonment in Badush . After the fall of Mosul to ISIS militants in June 2014, Momika joined

644-539: The Babylon Brigade had obtained following the elections, and the parties were skeptical that the win was legitimate. In 2024, the current president of the party, John Hidaya, met with Romeo Hakkari of the Bet-Nahrain Democratic Party to congratulate him on a successful party conference, as well as to discuss the current situation of Assyrians in Iraq. The party is also part of the Christian alliance,

690-706: The Church of the East teachings, but switched to the Syriac Orthodox Church through the influence of Shapur of Baghdeda in the 7th century and the arrival of Assyrian refugees from Tikrit in the 11th century. In their literature and writings, the Assyrians of Bakhdida remember vividly the raids of the Persians and Kurds on their village and churches. In 1171, while the governors of Mosul and Damascus were fighting each other,

736-735: The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) to fight against the Islamic State. Specifically, he has appeared in videos in military uniform, as a part of the Christian unit "Spirit of God Jesus Son of Mary Battalions" ( Kataib Rouhullah Issa ibn Maryam ) brandishing firearms and pledging allegiance to the Imam Ali Brigades (to which the Christian unit is linked), which are the armed wing of the Islamic Movement of Iraq. The Imam Ali brigades are known to have close connections to Iran and

782-623: The Qaraqosh dialect of Northeastern Neo-Aramaic . The present name of the town, Qaraqosh, is first attested in a source from the sixteenth century. It is of Turkish origin, meaning 'Black Bird', and was introduced either by the Ottomans after their conquest of the area at the beginning of the sixteenth century or by the Turkmen rulers of the region in the fifteenth century. The local population, however, when speaking in their Aramaic dialect, still refer to

828-667: The US-led invasion , many of the villagers in Mosul and Baghdad were targeted for being Christians. On 22 November 2006 Yeshu' Hadaya , the leader of a National Syriac movement was assassinated in Bakhdida. At the beginning of July 2014, IS forces attempted to occupy the city. The Kurdish Peshmerga and the Assyrian Qaraqosh Protection Committee successfully defended it, while elders, women, and children fled to neighboring towns, thus joining other Christian refugees from nearby Mosul that had previously escaped

874-486: The 2018 Iraqi parliamentary election, Assyrian journalist Max Joseph wrote about SAM's participation in the elections, with its key figure being Salwan Momika . Joseph had noted that the party held no seats in parliament, yet had won the 2009 Nineveh governorate elections by corruption, and that Momika was affiliated with the controversial Dawronoye movement. He also linked a Facebook page that contained pictures of Momika taking part in party activities, as well as him holding

920-696: The Aramaic Beth Deta , meaning "Land of the Kite ". As of October 2016, the city is under the control of the Nineveh Plain Protection Units . On November 25, 2017; Nineveh Plain Protection Units (NPU) celebrated the completion of its new military camp in Bakhdida, Nineveh Plain. Students from the village were harassed in University of Mosul ; many female students were forced to wear an Islamic dress for fear of being attacked. On May 2, 2010,

966-603: The Assyrian community in the past for it's affiliation with the KDP. In a report by the Assyrian Policy Institute , the group criticized how the party was being co-opted as a part of the sectarian divides of the Assyrian community to undermine their political representation. The report noted how the party had previously received funding from the KDP, and was part of the KDP-led Nineveh Provincial Council for

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1012-567: The Christians defended it and after months of blockade, the Persians finally signed a peace agreement with Mosul's governor Hasan Pasha Al Jalili, and withdrew in 1743. To reward the Christians for their bravery, the Jalili governor permitted many churches in the Mosul region to be restored. The people of Bakhdida got the chance to vote for the first time on 30 January 2005. The secular Ayad Allawi led

1058-779: The History of the Monastery of Martyred Mar Bihnam ), 1951, p. 219, Sony writes: "in 1365 the Mapharian came to Athur or Mosul and was welcomed by Nour al-Din the Chief of Baghdeda … " (Sony 1998, 699). Last but not least, Sony writes that in 1294–1295 (according to the Mar Bihnam monastery archives) a certain king "came to Lower Athur, the city of Saint Mar Bihnam … " (Sony 1998, 95). Salwan Momika Salwan Sabah Matthew Momika ( Arabic : سيلفان صباح ماثيو موميكا ; Syriac : ܡ ܫܡ ܤܐܡ ܫܒܐ ܡܕ݁ܡܳܝ )

1104-479: The Kurds and Iraqi Turkmen near Baghdida. In 1324 Baghdida was attacked by the Kurds again, in which many homes and four churches were burned. In the early 18th century, Persians under the leadership of Nader Shah invaded the Mosul region and most of the inhabitants of Baghdida escaped to Mosul with all their valuables, in accordance with the governor's orders. Mosul was harassed and then besieged for months. However,

1150-533: The Kurds used the opportunity to attack the Mor Mattai Monastery . According to the 13th-century writer Bar Hebraeus , in 1261 the Kurds came down to Mosul, killing many Christians who refused to follow Islam and looting their homes and churches. The Kurds then occupied the Monastery of Saint John of Dailam and killed many of its nuns and those who had sought refuge there. In 1288, a battle took place between

1196-556: The Nineveh governorate. API's report also noted how even amongst its members, there was a sectarian divide between the Syriac Catholic and Orthodox churches. The party was composed primarily of Syriac Catholics, with Syriac Orthodox Christians having no involvement with the party nor showing any support. The report made further mention of the party's loss in the 2018 governorate elections, where it received only around 2,000 votes. Before

1242-513: The Quran burnings. This makes it seem likely that he was trying to stir up as much publicity as possible for his Koran burning. During these demonstrations, he desecrated the Quran and burned it with police protection and legal permission. The Quran burnings were accompanied by attacks towards Momika. Also in 2023, the Swedish Migration Agency decided that Momika is to be expelled from the country. Due to threats against him in Iraq,

1288-491: The city and the next day Islamists from IS invaded the city. Much of the population, including recent arrivals, was left joining the 150,000 Assyrians fleeing, though they were forced to walk towards Erbil without their cars and possessions as Kurdish forces feared Islamist infiltration. All of its citizens fled to Kurdistan Region after the IS invasion on 6 August 2014. The town was under control of IS until 19 October 2016, when it

1334-457: The city in fear of the extremists. The Islamists proceeded to cut off the town's water supply. This, together with the rise in the price of oil following IS's invasion of nearby oil field and an embargo imposed by IS forcing nearby Muslim villages to stop trade with Bakhdida, rendered life difficult in the town also burdened with incoming refugees. On August 6, 2014, the Kurdish troops withdrew from

1380-609: The city of Erbil as well. The second, which was gravel before being paved in the 1990s, is direct to Mosul. All of its Assyrian Christian citizens fled to the Kurdistan Region after the IS invasion on August 6, 2014. The town was under control of IS until October 19, 2016, when it was liberated as part of the Battle of Mosul after which residents have begun to return. Local Assyrians , who are ethnically distinct from Arabs and Kurds, speak

1426-515: The college of Administration and Economics. The University is based at the Mosul-Erbil road, Al-Hamdaniya intersection. It is thought that the ancient city of Rasin mentioned in some texts, the second city built by the Assyrian king Nimrud, was in Bakhdida. The Assyrians of Bakhdida became Christians during early Christianity. With the Christological disputes of the 4th century, they followed

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1472-530: The date of their founding as January 15, 2004 by Isho Majid Hadaya. Hadaya was born in 1954, and in the wake of the 2003 invasion of Iraq , had aspired to create a political party that represented Syriac Orthodox and Catholic components of the Assyrian community , under the Syriac-Aramean label. The party collaborated with several Assyrian political parties and other organizations after its' founding, especially in

1518-547: The expulsion could however not be exercised, and he thus received a new temporary residence permit until April 2024. On 27 March 2024, it was reported that Momika had left Sweden for Norway to seek asylum. Shortly after his departure, there were reports in social media that he had been found dead in Norway, but Norwegian police appeared to deny the rumours. On 4 April, Norwegian police announced they had arrested Momika on 28 March, and that they planned to deport him back to Sweden on

1564-718: The face of violence towards the Assyrian community in Iraq. The party signed a joint declaration of objectives alongside 13 other political parties and organizations in Ankawa in 2011. In 2012, the party received a visit by MP Luis Caro Bandar , who was a member of the Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council . They also met with the Assyrian Democratic Movement in Bartella the same year. In 2017, SAM joined other Christian/Assyrian parties in formulating

1610-611: The lowest amount of votes out of all the Assyrian parties and won no seats. The party was able to receive an endorsement from the Syriac Catholic Church, which prompted immense backlash, especially from residents of Bakhdida. In the 2023 Iraqi governorate elections , the party participated under a coalition of parties called the Hammurabi Coalition, led by Ano Abdoka . The coalition was unsuccessful in winning any seats. The Syriac Assembly Movement has been criticized by

1656-569: The party wasn't able to win any seats in parliament. In the 2009 Iraqi governorate elections , the party won a seat in the Nineveh governorate, replacing the seat formerly held by the National Rafidain List and the Assyrian Democratic Movement . The party ran as part of the KDP-backed Ishtar Patriotic List . The party also participated in the 2018 Iraqi parliamentary election , under List 131. However, they received

1702-657: The party, he had also been part of the KDP-led Nineveh Provincial Counil. In 2006, Isho Majid Hadaya was brutally gunned down outside of his office in Bakhdida. Sources noted that on October 31st, he had submitted a proposal that called for the creation of an Assyrian autonomous region in Iraq. It's speculated that the Kurdistan Democratic Party was affiliated with the murder, as they vehemently opposed Assyrian autonomy in Iraq and have been condemned of marginalizing Assyrian politics in Iraq during

1748-468: The pro-Iranian militant group, he threatened a man with whom he shared accommodation with a knife, which resulted in him being convicted for unlawful threats the following year. He was sentenced to probation and community service. In 2023, Momika arranged a series of demonstrations against Islam . Momika has posted dozens of videos online, often with majority-Muslim country names in Arabic as hashtags, prior to

1794-500: The scope of modern Assyrian politics in Iraq . However, in recent years, there have been a few instances where the party has appeared in small activities. In 2021, the party joined a coalition of six other parties in issuing a statement to the Independent High Electoral Commission , calling for a recount of votes following the 2021 Iraqi parliamentary election . The statement noted the suspicious win of seats that

1840-498: The town by its former name. The name Bakhdida ( Syriac : ܒܝܬ ܟܘܕܝܕܐ ; Beth Khdeda ), is of uncertain origin and when translated from the Syriac language it has two components Beth which means "house", and Khodida which could either mean "Youths" in Aramaic or actually "Baghdadak" a diminutive form of Baghdad, Old Persian meaning "God's gift". Some also believe that Bakhdida comes from

1886-606: The tumultuous period. Years after his death, memorials for Hadaya continued to be held by Assyrian communities in the diaspora. Additionally, his death is commemorated every year in November by the party. In the December 2005 Iraqi parliamentary election , the party ran under a coalition called Al-Nahrain National. Although the coalition won Basra and some villages in the Nineveh governorate ,

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1932-402: The votes in the town. However many Assyrians, Shabaks and Yazidis were not allowed to vote, which led to demonstrations against the results. The next parliamentary elections on 7 March 2010, saw the rise of local candidates with the Assyrian Democratic Movement coming second. Only 52% of registered voters participated in this election. Due to the rise of extremism in Iraq shortly after

1978-455: Was granted a three-year temporary residence permit, which was due to expire in April 2024. Momika was denied a permanent residence, necessary to acquire Swedish citizenship, because he lied in his asylum application by denying that he was in the Imam Ali Brigades, claiming that he was associated with the political branch and not the paramilitary branch of the movement. From his early days in Sweden, he

2024-408: Was involved in an internal power struggle with fellow Babylon Movement leader Rayan al-Kildani , which he lost. He fled the country as a result. In 2017, Momika fled to Germany with a Schengen visa, where he announced his atheism and apostasy from Christianity. In April 2018, Momika applied for a refugee visa to Sweden, and he was since then, registered as an Iraqi refugee until April 2021 when he

2070-579: Was liberated as part of the Battle of Mosul . Currently, the Nineveh Plain Protection Units run the security profile in the city and participated alongside the Iraqi Army in the liberation efforts of the city. On 26 September 2023, a fire broke out at the Al Haytham Wedding Hall during a Syriac Catholic wedding in the city, which killed at least 114 people, and injured 150. It is 32 miles (51 km) southeast of Mosul . Bakhdida has

2116-510: Was seen in pictures outside the Riksdag along with a member of parliament for the Christian Democrats , Robert Halef. He also had a meeting with Sweden Democrats parliamentarian Julia Kronlid . Momika has later stated that he wants to run for Riksdag as a candidate for the party. After he was granted a residence permit in Sweden, while still under investigation for his associations with

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