AAS-Iraq President's tour to USA

California Tour:

On August 17^th, 2016 Mr. Ashur Sargon President of AASI and Mr. Fred Jacob Educational supervisor of the Assyrian Education arrived in San Francisco, California. At the airport and they were greeted by Mr. Ashur Yousef, president of the Assyrian aid society in the United States of America and Mrs. Mona Malik, member of the administrative board of the society. On August, 19^th  Mr. Ashur attended the annual Mesopotamian Night that was organized by the Assyrian aid Society of America. This festival is one of the largest gathering of the Assyrian community in the United States to support AASI and highlights the Assyrian music and heritage.

 On August 20^th, 2016 Mr. Ashur attended the AAS of America meeting that took placea in San Francisco. The meeting was attended also by Mr. Ashur Yousif president of the Society and members of the society Mrs. Mona Malik and Mr. Sargon Shabbas and Mr. Samuel Eshaya and others. While in California, Mr. Ashur met with many humanitarian organizations to discuss future coordination between them. On August, 22^nd he met AASI supporters in Sacramento. He met the president of the Assyrian Evangelical Church in San Jose. On August, 25^th he met with Mr. Narsai David the previous president of the AAS of America.

Tour in Illinois State:

Mr. Ashur Sargon arrived in O’Hare airport in Chicago on August, 25^th and was greeted by Mr. Peter Pethyo vice president of the AAS of America, Mrs. Rania Benjamin who is in charge of the Chicago chapter of the AAS, Mr. Hurmiz Tayro who is in charge of Chicago branch of ADM and a crowd of relatives and friends. During his visit to Chicago, Mr. Ashur accompanied by Mr. Fred Jacob met many representatives of the churches and humanitarian organizations. On August, 25th he met His beatitude Mar Paulus, bishop of the Assyrian Church of the East. On August, 26 he met with Mar Gewargis the bishop of the Ancient Church of the East. On August, 28^th both Mr. Ashur and Mr. Fred organized a meeting with heads and representatives of the Assyrian organizations in Chicago. Also attended the meeting; Mar Gewargis of the ancient church of the east. Also they met Minister Taglat Humer Ashurian from the Evangelical Assyrian church in Chicago. Also he met the president of AUA foundation and the administrative committee. He also visited the ANCI and was greeted by Mr. Sheba Mando president of the ANCI and many of the board of directors where they discussed the current situation of the Assyrians in Iraq. Mr. Ashur also attended the special meeting of the AAS- Chicago chapter. Also, he met with Mr. Juliana Taimoorazy, director of the ICRC. Mrs. Violet Khamo attended the meeting too. Mr. Peter Pethyo and Dr. Rouel Gewargis attended most of Mr. Ashur and Mr. Fred Jacob meetings during their visits to Chicago.

President of AAS-Iraq Participates in Assyrian-American Federation Convention:

During his visit to Arizona Mr. Ashur Sargon met with the president and members of the AAS-Arizona Chapter. Both sides discussed the general conditions of the Assyrian people in Iraq especially the IDPs form Mosul city and Nineveh plains and the role that the AASI had played in supporting them during the last two and a half years since ISIS occupation on Nineveh.

On September, 3^rd Mr. Ashur took part in the opening of the Assyrian Federation Convention in Phoenix, Arizona. On September, 4^th He participated in the seminar about the Assyrian Education Program in Iraq and in the diaspora that was organized by Ms. Mona Malik. Mr. Fred Jacob the Assyria Education Program director at the ministry of education in Erbil and Mr. Mikhail Mammo from Sweden attended the discussions too. At the closing of the convention Mr. Ashur attended the closing dinner of the convention. He congratulated Mr. Martin Youmaran and the new administrative committee for winning election.

President of AASI visits Washington DC and his participation in the third convention for the defense of Christians.

During his tour in USA, Mr. Ashur Sargon visited Washington DC and met with many officials and representatives of the international organizations. The AASI participated in the Forum in Defense of Christians “Maintaining Christianity in the middle east after the genocide’ that took part in Washington DC between Sep. 7^th and Sep. 9^th and was organized by the Defense of Christians, Philos project, the national Armenian-American Committee and the international corporation Institute. On Sep. 6^th Mr. Ashur met in the state department building with Knox Thomas, the counselor for the religious minorities in the Far East, middle and south Asia. Mrs. Mona Malik attended the meeting.

Mr. Ashur also discussed the conditions of our IDPs that were forced out of their homes in Mosel and Nineveh Plains with Mrs. Catherin Koreky, president of the institute of world peace counsel.  One the same day he met Dr. Nasseba Younis the senior researcher at the Atlantic institute that specializes in democracy studies in the Middle East.

On Wednesday September, 7^th Mr. Ashur met Dr. Kenneth Hell, president of freedom of religions Institute. He also met Republican Congressman Frank Wolf from Virginia. At the White House, he met Mrs. Melissa Rogers the special councilor to President Obama.

On Wednesday Sep. 7^th Mr. Ashur participated in the opening of the third forum of Defense of Christians. Many Christian representatives from Christian communities and civic and NGOs attended this forum. On the Morning Thursday Mr. Ashur attended the forum session and together with Mrs. Mona Malik they met Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi. They also met Congresswoman Anna Esho. He met Mrs. Barlin Ali the program coordinator at USAID. Also they met Members of Knight of Columbus. On the third and last day of the forum, the AAS took part in the forum where Mrs. Mona talked about the past and present genocide followed by Mr. Ashur speech regarding Nineveh plains people production. The IDPs suffering and AASI role in providing for the IDPs from Nineveh was explained as well the vision for the region after ISIS and the necessary work needed for this neglected area by all the consecutives governments of Iraq. The AASI delegates played a big and good role in voicing the suffering of our people and reaching out to the participants from members or the US congress to make them understand our conditions in our homeland and advocate for the idea of our right to establish new province in Nineveh plains. At night they attended the closing dinner of the forum besides many congressmen where they met Congressman Jeff Fortenberry. At the end of his tour in Washington DC area Mr. Ashur met Mr. Philip Davis from the International Orthodox Christian Charities.