A group of Syriac-Assyrian civil, cultural, and human rights organizations in Al-Hasakah Governorate submitted an official memorandum to the President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The memorandum includes the outcomes and recommendations of a dialogue session held on June 1, 2026, entitled: “The Cultural Rights of the Syriac-Assyrian People: Reality, Challenges, and Prospects for Protection.”
Key Demands and Recommendations
The recommendations and demands are based on the principles of the Constitutional Declaration and international conventions concerned with protecting cultural rights and preserving human heritage, and focus on the following points:
• Recognition of Historical Authenticity: Recognition of the Syriac-Assyrian people as one of the indigenous and historical peoples of Syria, with a guarantee that this recognition is reflected in legislation and public policies.
• Official Status of the Syriac Language: Recognition of the Syriac language as an official, national, historical, and original language of Syria, and support for its teaching, protection, development, and use in educational, cultural, and media institutions.
• Educational Curricula: Inclusion of the history, culture, and contributions of the Syriac-Assyrian people in the national educational curricula. • Heritage Preservation: Protecting tangible and intangible cultural heritage, including archaeological sites, manuscripts, arts, literature, and language.
• Historical Memory and Transitional Justice: Documenting and acknowledging the historical memory of the Syriac-Assyrian people, including the Sayfo genocide and the Khabur genocide, to achieve transitional justice, establish a culture of truth, and prevent the recurrence of such tragedies.
• Recognizing the Akitu Festival: Designating the Akitu Festival (the Syriac-Assyrian-Chaldean New Year), which falls on April 1st, as an official national cultural occasion for all Syrians, and supporting its celebration as part of Syria's cultural heritage.
• Participation and Documentation: Enhancing the participation of Syriac cultural institutions in shaping and implementing cultural policies, and encouraging the establishment of specialized centers for documentation, archiving, and research.
The signatories of the memorandum:
This memorandum was issued in Al-Hasakah Governorate on August 6, 2026, with the signatures and participation of:
• Syriac Union Party
• Assyrian Democratic Organization
• Syriac Women's Union
• Hammurabi Lawyers Forum
• Syriac Youth Union
• Elias Hanna Heritage and Charitable Foundation
• Syriac Cultural Association.
Comments About This Article
Please fill the fields below.