Assyrian Voice Emagazine

Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has been so bloody and barbaric, it is making the Mongolians look like nice invaders.

By: Ashur Sada

The Mongolian empire, which dominated most of the known world  during the 13th and 14th centuries, set the standards for brutality and the most barbaric and inhumane treatment of your enemies.

ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) seems to have broken these standards set by the Mongols and are setting new standards for what it means to be brutal, barbaric and bloody. They are making the Mongols look nice and respectable invaders in comparison, as crazy as that may sound. Since invading the northern Iraqi city of Mosul in early June, the ruthless terrorist organization keeps  surprising us with new bloody surprises everyday. Not a day goes by without reading, watching or hearing of a new sick video or picture that is out there, showing what ISIS is up to. Some examples have included:

• Summarily executing some 1000+ Iraqi soldiers in one day
• Blowing up mosques, churches and extremely significant cultural landmarks in the city, including the mosque of prophet Jonah
• Applying an extreme set of rules for daily living for city residents, especially for females
• Forcing virtually every Christian out of the city, something not seen almost ever before
• Marking (Assyrian) Christian and other minority homes with special painted letters to designate them as their property
• Beheading Iraqi soldiers and displaying their heads and corpses in city streets for others to see
• Asking families in the city to submit their wives, daughters, mothers etc. to the organization for ‘Jihad sex’
• Publicly amputating legs and hands of those accused of stealing or other crimes
• Eliminating entire families and blowing their homes, for any small act they deem unacceptable

You get the picture. ISIS preaches an extreme version of Islam, but they may as well preach about ‘Satanism’ and that would make more sense.  We have seen a lot of barbaric and terrorist groups in the last few decades but none comes close to this one. Their members, most of which are not even Iraqi, are brain-washed to the point where they don’t see anything else beyond what they have been told. It is just not possible to reason with these people because they have no concept of logic. And the irony of all ironies, despite preaching a very extreme version of the Qur’an, they seem to break most of what the book teaches.

Despite having some clueless backers, the above actions have caused a backlash from the rest of the Iraqi population, others in the region and people all around the world in general.  But despite all the condemnation, protests and petitions, they are symbolic at best and nothing will matter. ISIS is not an organization that will leave Mosul due to public pressure or social media campaigns.  What is actually needed is a joint and serious effort by the entire population of Mosul, backed by the Iraqi army, to eliminate this extremely cancerous snake called ISIS, once and for all.

Oh, and last but not least: the Mongols took about two centuries to stamp their name in history as being the most ruthless invaders. ISIS is doing it in a matter of a few months.   In addition, their army was huge in size, numbering in the millions, compared to the few thousands that ISIS currently has in Mosul and other nearby Iraqi and Syrian cities.

Not sure how Genghis Khan would feel about ISIS making his empire look relatively nice in comparison?

Parliamentary elections were held in Iraq on 30 April 2014 to select the 328 members of the Council of Representatives.  These in turn will elect the Iraqi President and Prime Minister.

Our Assyrian Chaldean Syriac politicians and parties were also very active in this election, vying for the 5 seats allocated for the ‘Christian quota’.  There was a total of 9 lists representing our people in Iraq and these were:

298: Sons of Mesopotamia
299: Al-Warkaa Democratic List
300: Al-Rafidain List (Zowaa)
301: Bet Nahrain National Coalition
302:  Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council (KRG affiliated)
303: Babylon List
304: Souraya National Coalition
305: Ur National List
306: Shlama Entity

Of those, lists number 303 and 305 had relatively or majority chaldean representatives and were heavy on promises for reviving chaldean politics and aspirations.  Problem is, many or most were based on empty rhetoric, one that serves no one but the candidates themselves in most cases.  Moreover,  most of their platforms was heavy on anti-Assyrian agendas, as if Assyrians are the one and only problem facing our chaldean brothers in Iraq and outside of Iraq.

This brings us to the following question: why do chaldean politicians and platforms keep failing in winning in Iraqi elections? to be clear, it is not necessarily about the candidate being a chaldean. It is about their platform and its separatist aspirations.  After decades of useless divisions, our people are tired of these divisions and are making it clear at the ballot box. We want unity and not someone who makes false claims and empty promises about ‘restoring Babylon to its former glory’. By all means, if you can do that, go ahead, liberate Babylon and reestablish it again. Last time I checked, Babylon is inhabited by Arab Muslims and has virtually no Christians living there.  Our true home is in Nineveh, more specifically the ‘Nineveh Plain’, where the majority of Assyrians now live and happens to be where the former great Assyrian empire once stood.  That is where we should focus our attention, hopefully getting our own province there, and not on a false promise to ‘bring back Babylon’!

Our politicians, like most have been doing in the last few years, should instead focus their energy on unity. Nothing else matters in this day in age. With unity, we can do a lot.

To these chaldean politicians who keep lying to the people and screaming their lungs out about serving the chaldean people and their political aspirations, just do yourself and your people a favor and stop it. This is not what people want anymore, even if those close to you-cousins and friends-tell you otherwise.