The Assyrian and Syriac peoples condemned the attacks against Northern Syria and Rojava in their Christmas messages.

The message is as follows:

SILEYON: ERDOGAN CAN’T DISRUPT OUR UNITY

Assyrian Defense Forces General Relations Committee Member Sergon Sileyon:

“Like all Christians throughout the world, we celebrate the 2.000-year-old tradition of the Christmas holiday. We will continue to celebrate our holiday, there is nothing that could stop that. A majority of our people have had to leave to live abroad due to terrorists’ practices and tyranny, but we still hold our holiday masses. We will adorn our trees, deck our churches, and fulfill the teachings of Jesus Christ. Nobody can stop us from fulfilling our holiday traditions. As long as we exist on this earth, our holidays and traditions will continue.

We strongly condemn the Turkish state threats against Syrian lands. For thousands of years, we have lost many a martyr to defend these lands, and today we will defend our lands together with all the peoples. Erdogan or other forces can’t break our will, or disrupt our unity and solidarity.”

SHEMUN: OUR RESISTANCE WILL CONTINUE

MSD Deputy Co-chair Gabriel Shemun said:

“I celebrate the day of Jesus Christ’s birth for all Syriac, Assyrian, Armenian, Chaldean peoples and all Syrians. We have made our preparations to celebrate the birth of Christ. Tomorrow (December 25) our people will go to the churches to celebrate the holiday. This is a sacred symbol for our people, because today is the day Jesus Christ was born, and he brought peace, equality and justice to the peoples of the world with his coming. We want equality, justice and peace for Syria. We say enough of the destruction and war. We are deeply sorry there is so much destruction, war and migration in Syria. As the MSD, we celebrate Christmas day for all Syrian peoples.

We want to live together in democracy and unity, and we have done so for 7 years in this revolution. We want to bring this system to others. We will be the answer to the problems Kurdish, Assyrian, Arab, Syriac and other peoples have been having. Our experience in democracy could be an example not just for Syria, but for all of the Middle East. We will continue to resist on our own lands.

“SDF WILL MARCH ON TO VICTORY”

We have full faith that the SDF will defend us. Our resistance will continue. The SDF will continue to achieve victories. As the Syriac, Assyrian and Armenian peoples, we stand against the Turkish state threats and their transgressions on our territory. The Turkish state wants to spread the dark and ignorant mindset of the Ottoman Empire in the region again. As the Assyrian, Syriac and Armenian peoples, we will never forget the genocide of 1915. We still remember and carry the pain of the genocide. As such, we will never allow a repeat of the Turkish state policies of tyranny, forced exile and massacres. We are an oppressed people, and for that we stand with other oppressed peoples against the Turkish state invasion.”