Sam Darmo Praises President Barzani's Support for Assyrians on 80th Birthday

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Sam Darmo, president of the Assyrian Foundation for Justice in the United States, has congratulated President Masoud Barzani on his 80th birthday, praising his support for Assyrians and the historical ties between the Kurdish and Assyrian peoples.

In a congratulatory letter to Barzani, Darmo expressed appreciation for the Kurdish leader's positions on Assyrian history, identity and rights, describing their meetings over the past year as particularly meaningful.

Darmo said President Barzani demonstrated a "deep knowledge" of the historical experiences of both communities, as well as what he described as wisdom and a long-term political vision.

Shared History Highlighted

Darmo said his discussions with President Barzani had left a lasting impression, particularly the Kurdish leader's reflections on historical relations between Kurdish and Assyrian leaders.

He specifically referred to the relationship between Assyrian Patriarch Mar Benyamin Shimun and the martyred Kurdish leader Sheikh Abdul-Salam Barzani, as well as ties between Sheikh Ahmed Barzani, Mulla Mustafa Barzani and Assyrian leaders.

Darmo said these historical links illustrated a relationship that extended beyond modern political divisions.

The Assyrian Foundation for Justice president also praised President Barzani's recognition of the Assyrians as an indigenous people of the land, rather than simply as a minority.

He said that recognition of Assyrian history, identity and rights was deeply valued by the community.

Simele Memorial Praised

A significant part of Darmo's message focused on President Barzani's support for establishing a memorial complex in Simele to commemorate the victims of the 1933 Simele massacre.

Darmo described the proposed memorial as a "powerful tribute to historical memory, justice, and reconciliation."

The Simele massacre remains a deeply sensitive event in Assyrian collective memory, and efforts to preserve its history have increasingly been linked to broader calls for recognition and reconciliation among Iraq's ethnic and religious communities.

For Darmo, President Barzani's backing of the memorial carries significance because it connects remembrance with recognition of the historical experiences of Assyrians in Iraq.

Historical Documents

Darmo also included two historical documents with his letter to President Barzani.

One was a message dated Aug. 17, 1951, from Sheikh Ahmed Barzani to Patriarch Mar Eshai Shimun XXIII. The second was a letter dated April 22, 1969, from Mulla Mustafa Barzani to then-US Secretary of State William Rogers.

The documents were presented as additional evidence of longstanding political and historical links between Kurdish and Assyrian leadership.

Darmo concluded his letter by wishing President Barzani continued health, strength and peace, as well as a long life devoted to promoting peace and prosperity.

A Message Beyond the Birthday

Darmo's message comes as President Barzani marks his 80th birthday on Aug. 16, a date that also coincides with the founding anniversary of the Kurdistan Democratic Party.

Beyond the birthday greeting, the letter highlights a broader theme in the Kurdistan Region: the relationship between Kurdish political institutions and the region's Assyrian, Chaldean and Syriac communities.

Darmo, an Assyrian nationalist activist originally from Kirkuk, leads the US-based Assyrian Foundation for Justice, which focuses on defending the rights and presence of Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian communities and documenting their historical causes.

His message places President Barzani's support for Assyrian identity and historical memory at the center of his birthday tribute, while emphasizing the continuing importance of relations between the two communities.