Assyrian organizations in the Syrian civil war (2011-2018)

Occupation: Post-graduate student
Affiliation: Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO University)
Address: Russian Federation, Moscow

Journal name

Asia and Africa Today

Edition

Issue 2

Pages

30-35

Abstract

The article examines the participation of various Assyrian communal organizations, political parties and militias in the ongoing Syran civil war. It explores the Assyrian community’s engagement with the whole range of parties and actors involved in the crisis, including governmental forces, military opposition dominated by Islamists and the pro-Kurdish Democratic Federation of Northern Syria. It also studies the dynamics of the community’s stance towards the civil war under external pressure and attempts of major forces to win over the support of the Assyrians. While the emphasis is put on the pre-war organizations such as the Assyrian Democratic Party, the Assyrian Democratic Organization and the Syriac Union Party, special attention is devoted to newly-emerged military units including the Syriac Military Council, the Sutoro, the Sootoro (aka Sutoro-2 or Gozarto) and the Khabour Guards. The article reveals the lack of unity and accord in the ranks of Assyrian politicians, militiamen and common citizens who support different and sometimes antagonistic parties of the conflict. It states that the majority of Assyrian organizations either voluntarily or forcedly cling to the pro-Kurdish structures rather than those affiliated with Damascus. It proves that contrary to popular belief the Christian population of the Syrian Arab Republic is not wholly committed to supporting the Bashar al-Assad government in the ongoing crisis but divided between several camps, which reveals complexity and ambiguity of the situation while at the same time rejects the so-called ‘sectarianism’ as the only driver of the Syrian civil war.

Keywords

Syrian civil war, Assyrians, ADO, ADP, SUP

Publication date

25.03.2019

Number of characters

20671

Cite

GOST	Kozhemyak N. Assyrian organizations in the Syrian civil war (2011-2018) // Asia and Africa Today – 2019. – Issue 2 C. 30-35 [Electronic resource]. URL: https://asaf-today.ru/S032150750003732-7-1 (circulation date: 20.04.2024). DOI: 10.31857/S032150750003732-7
MLA	Kozhemyak, Nikita S. "Assyrian organizations in the Syrian civil war (2011-2018)." Asia and Africa Today 2 (2019):30-35. DOI: 10.31857/S032150750003732-7
APA	Kozhemyak N. (2019). Assyrian organizations in the Syrian civil war (2011-2018). Asia and Africa Today (2), pp.30-35 DOI: 10.31857/S032150750003732-7

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