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Schakowsky Statement Recognizing the Tragedy of the 1933 Simele Massacre

August 7, 2020

EVANSTON, IL – Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky released the following statement in remembrance of the Simele Massacre of 1933:

"August 7, 1933. 87 years ago, this day was the first of several filled with terror that will forever be remembered and recognized by the Assyrian community. Forces from the then-Kingdom of Iraq began systematic assaults on Assyrian villages, killing over three thousand innocent people and displacing many more.

"In 2014, when the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) invaded the Nineveh Plain, the invasion also began on August 7 – again subjecting Assyrians to terror and bloodshed on an already infamous day in their community.


"I stand with members of the Assyrian American community as we recognize the anniversary of this massacre, and I am so proud to represent a large Assyrian American population in the 9th Congressional District of Illinois. My colleagues and I on the Congressional Assyrian Caucus and the Tom Lantos Human Rights commission will continue to work hard each and every day to better protect religious minorities in Iraq and around the world from violence and persecution."

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