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Another trouble ahead ? Neglecting - despite earlier contacts and appeals - Chaldeans being the third largest ethnic group in Iraq and making up for more than 80% of Iraqi Christians is a bit hefty, I'd think. Isn't it ? Andreas ------------------ http://www.chaldeansonline.net/chaldeanews/cnc_cdu.html Chaldean Groups Protest Lack of Chaldean Representation in Iraqi Ruling Council FOR ARABIC VERSION, PLEASE, CLICK HERE http://www.chaldeansonline.net/chaldeanews/cnc_cdu_ar.html 14 July, 2003 Baghdad, Iraq The Chaldean National Congress and the United Chaldean Democratic Party, representing the Chaldean national movement, issued a joint press release protesting strongly the lack of any Chaldean representative in the Iraqi Ruling Council that was recently appointed by the American Civil Governor of Iraq, Mr. Paul Bremer. Following the joint press release of the two groups, Mr. Ghassan Hanna, General Secretary of the Chaldean National Movement, promised a major campaign inside and outside Iraq to protest that great injustice against the Chaldeans. "We will allow no one to sidestep the Chaldean presence or claim its representation, and we will work with all our power to get the Chaldean voice heard till justice is done ". Below is a copy of the complete press release: Honorable Mr. Paul Bremer, Civil Governor on Iraq Honorable Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello, UN Special Envoy to Iraq Honorable Members of the Iraqi Ruling Council Honorable Leaders of Iraqi Parties and Patriotic Personalities We were looking forward for the creation of the Iraqi Ruling Council, and we're extremely pleased for its birth which we consider as the first step on the road to bringing life back to governmental agencies and organizations so they could start servicing the Iraqi people. Also, so as that council could bring back the much needed security and stability as well as establishing the rule of law throughout Iraq. We would also like to affirm our full respect and high regard for this council and wish it all the success in its duty to serve our homeland and people, especially, since it has among its members a number of highly respected Iraqi personalities who are well known for their struggle against the former regime. Having said that, we on the other hand, would like to protest in the strongest terms your complete disregard for the Chaldeans as demonstrated in your failure to include their representatives in your council. That is despite their honorable history in the service of Iraq and despite their being the third largest Iraqi ethnic group, as well as despite their making up more than 80% of Iraqi Christians i.e. being the absolute majority of Christians. Your clear failure to acknowledge our existence and refusal to add our representatives to the council is a direct attack against the democratic principles which you claim to follow. Those principles that advocate the rule of the majority and its representation in the making of decisions, all while taking into consideration the rights of the minority. Hence, we strongly demand and in the name of justice, rectitude, and democracy to add a Chaldean representative to your council as well as to all future committees that will be created. Failure to do that will be considered a clear violation and outright disregard for the democratic principles that you claim to follow, as well as a clear breach of your own public commitments in working towards the full representation of all the components of the Iraqi population, including the Chaldeans. Your clear disregard for the Chaldean existence is unjust and tyrannical which we will not accept and strongly reject, especially, in a country which you claim to work towards turning into a model of democracy in the area. Chaldean National Congress United Chaldean Democratic Party 13 July, 2003 Chaldean News Agency ---------------------------------- The earlier appeal: http://www.chaldeansonline.net/chaldeanews/iraq_council.html Chaldean National Congress Demands Inclusion of Chaldeans in Iraq’s Leadership Council Click here for ARABIC Version of this press release http://www.chaldeansonline.net/chaldeanews/iraq_cncl_ar.html July 9, 2003 Baghdad – Iraq Following the news that Ambassador Paul Bremer, will announce in the coming two weeks, a “Leadership Council” to act as an executive body running governmental duties in Iraq, the General Secretary of the Chaldean National Congress, Mr. Ghassan Hanna, demanded the inclusion of Chaldean representatives in that council. Chaldeans are considered the third largest ethnic group in Iraq and make up more than 80% of its Christian population, and to exclude them from membership of that council contravenes the public pledges made by President George Bush and Primer Tony Blair to work towards the creation of a representative Iraqi government whereby all of Iraq’s ethnic groups will “enjoy freedom, prosperity, and equality in a united country”. The exclusion of Chaldeans is also considered a serious breach of all public and private commitments made by US officials to Chaldean representatives, let alone is in direct opposition to US commitment under United Nations Resolution 1483 which clearly defines its role as encouraging efforts “..to form a representative (Iraqi) government”. The exclusion of Chaldeans in the executive body, the “Iraqi Leadership Council”, renders that council as “unrepresentative”. Mr. Hanna also stated that Chaldeans reject categorically any claims by any group to represent them. “Chaldeans must be represented by Chaldeans and no one else”. The Chaldean National Congress also called upon the Chaldeans worldwide, and especially, those in Iraq to make their voices heard and demand the inclusion of Chaldean representatives in that council, on equal terms with representatives of Iraq’s other ethnic groups. _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk