Thursday, August 14, 2014

 

Honourable John Baird, Canada's foreign affairs minister welcomed the president of Assyrian Aid Society of Iraq, Mr. Ashur Sargon Eskrya, Ms. Renya Benjamen and Dr. Ramzi Benyamen to his office in Ottawa, Ontario. The delegation discussed the genocide taking place in Iraq at the hands of ISIS as hundreds of thousands of Assyrian Christians (also know as Chaldeans and Syriacs) and Yezidis are in mass exodus from their indigenous lands and are facing extinction. 

On an immediate and permanent solution, the delegation discussed Canada's role in establishing a safe haven in the Nineveh Plain for the Assyrian Christians, Yezidis and other minorities in Iraq such that they may return to their homeland where at the end of its mandate, the safe haven should be governed and protected by the indigenous people of Nineveh Plain.

The delegation also stressed the urgency of humanitarian aid for the stranded Assyrians and Yezidis to be channelled through local representative of NGOs. 

Minister Baird welcomed the delegation and stressed Canada's concern for Iraq's minorities and Canada's role in protecting religious minorities.