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Coll 17/16(1) 'Iraq. The Assyrian Crisis' [‎445v] (901/1036)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (514 folios). It was created in 17 Jun 1933-31 Aug 1933. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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4
4. But as regards your personal posi
tion I confirm to you what I explained
in my letter dated the 28th May, 1933,
namely, that it will resemble that of the
spiritual heads of the other communities
in Iraq, and the Government cannot
delegate to you any temporal power.
But, as you are aware, it is the right of
every Iraqi to petition the Government
on any subject, and spiritual heads
of communities have always been
accustomed to bring to its notice the
needs and grievances of their people.
Therefore if you have any complaints
at any time I am ready to cause
enquiries to be made.
I notice that you have complained
of the policy which you say is being
adopted in Mosul. The policy of
Government is perfectly clear. It is to
treat the Assyrians with fairness and
justice like all other Iraqis; to make
them loyal and contented subjects of
His Majesty the King and to effect
their permanent settlement in a manner
which will lead to this end. Unfor-
tunately, up to the present, certain
sections of the Assyrians have held
aloof from Government and they have
only themselves to blame if they are
looked upon with suspicion. I wish,
however, to put an end to this state
of things and I sincerely hope that all
Assyrians will show their loyalty by
co-operating fully with Major Thomson
and by giving him all the assistance for
which he asks. If this is done, I have
no doubt that there will be a rapid, and
I hope permanent, improvement in the
situation.
I shall be obliged if you will
acknowledge this letter.
4. But as regards your personal posi
tion I confirm to you that it will
resemble that of spiritual heads of
other communities in Iraq and that the
ti aditional and established customs of
your Assyrian people will be privileged
to remain. You will have the rio-ht to - "
petition His Majesty the King or his
Government regarding the needs and
grievances of your people.
I notice you have complained of the
policy which you say is being adopted
in Mosul. I will issue instructions to
the mutessarif of Mosul liwa to con
form to the Government’s policy and
the contents of this letter, and I hope
you will make known to Major Thomson
your proposals for settling the
Assyrians.
The policy of the Government is
perfectly clear. It is to treat the
Assyrians with fairness and justice like
all other Iraqis, to make them loyal and
contented subjects of His Majesty the
King and to effect the permanent settle
ment in a manner that will lead to
this end.
I therefore sincerely hope that you
will advise all the Assyrians to show
their loyalty by co-operating fully with
Major Thomson and by giving him all
the assistance for which he a^ks. If
this is done I have no doubt that there
will be a rapid, and I hope permanent,
improvement in the situation.
I shall be obliged if you will
acknowledge this letter.
Enclosure 2 in No. 1.
Draft by Assistant Adviser, Ministry of Interior, for Letter from Mar Shimun
to Minister of Interior, June 15,^1933.
(Not acceptable to Mar Shimun.)
I HAVE now been in Bagdad and am anxious to
Mosul not later than . I should be grateful if you won '
fix a time for me to call to see you before I leave.
2. From my interview with your Excellency and various con versa 1011
Sir Kinahan Cornwallis, I have gathered that certain passages oi m *\ . t
of have conveyed an impression different from the impiess
wished to convey. . / v iWes
3. I do not claim for myself or the Assyrian people any rights oi pi ^ £
inconsistent with the constitutional and other laws of Iraq. • n t
4. But as Patriarch I feel that it is my duty, in accordance wit a ^
practice, to be free at all times to bring the needs and grievances of my pc p
the notice of His Majesty the King and the Government, and trust a

About this item

Content

The volume contains papers regarding the Assyrian Crisis in Iraq during 1933. It primarily consists of correspondence between HM Ambassador to Iraq (Sir Francis Humphrys), HM Chargé d’Affaires to Iraq (George Ogilvie-Forbes), and the Foreign Office.

The papers document the negotiations between Mar Shimun XXIII Eshai – the Patriarch of the Church of the East – and the Government of Iraq, regarding: the spiritual and temporal authority claimed by the Mar Shimun; the Assyrian Settlement Scheme; areas designated for settlement; and clashes between Assyrians, Iraqis and Kurds.

Ogilvie-Forbes and Humphrys reported on the movement of Assyrians into Syria, requests to the Syrian and French authorities that they be allowed to remain, proposals to disarm the group, and clashes with Iraqi troops when numbers of Assyrians returned to Iraq. The papers also document the proposed arrest or exile of the Mar Shimun by the Government of Iraq, and the volume also contains copies of letters exchanged by the Mar Shimun, the Iraqi Interior Ministry, and King Faisal.

The papers document the worsening crisis, including reports of looting and village burning at Dohuk [Dahūk], the murder of Assyrian prisoners by Iraqi armed forces led by Bakr Sidqi, and the Simele Massacre of August 1933. These papers include reports submitted by the Head of the British Military Mission in Iraq (Major General Rowan Robinson), the Administrative Inspector at Mosul (Colonel R S Stafford), and Major D B Thomson of the Assyrian Settlement Office. The file concludes with reports on the Simele Massacre, arrangements for the arrival of Mar Shimun and his family in Cyprus, the work of the Refugee Relief Commission in Mosul and Dohuk, and the establishment by the League of Nations of a Small Minorities Commission to investigate the crisis.

The volume includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the volume by year. This is placed at the end of the correspondence (folio 1).

Extent and format
1 volume (514 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in rough chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 510; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the leading and ending flyleaves. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 1-510; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.

Written in
English in Latin script
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Coll 17/16(1) 'Iraq. The Assyrian Crisis' [‎445v] (901/1036), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2872, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100086338450.0x000066> [accessed 28 February 2025]

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