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- 8 May 2007
Assyrian Levies
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The Hon. DAVID CLARKE [3.43 p.m.]: The commemoration of Anzac Day on 25 April each year is a special time in the life of the Australian nation. It is the day when we commemorate, honour and pay homage to the bravery and sacrifice of those Australians who have fought in wars to protect our nation's freedom and way of life. It is also a time when we remember and honour our allies in these conflicts. Here in Sydney and elsewhere, contingents of allied ex-servicemen and ex-service women, including the British, Americans, New Zealanders, French and others, march side by side with Australian ex-servicemen and ex-service women. Among those who march each year in Sydney on Anzac Day, and who again marched this year as part of the allied contingent, were the Assyrians, under the banner of the Assyrian Levies Association. Indeed, the Assyrian-Australian community treats Anzac Day with a special and praiseworthy reverence because in both the Second World War and the First World War Assyrian troops fought alongside Australian troops.
On our recent Anzac Day I was deeply honoured to have attended a special commemoration organised by the Assyrian-Australian community in St Hurmizd's Assyrian Cathedral and the community's cultural centre, the Edessa Auditorium at Fairfield. This is the occasion each year when the Assyrian community remembers all allied service personnel, especially the Assyrians who served with the allies.
While the Assyrian community worldwide is not a large group, the history of the Assyrian nation goes back thousands of years. In fact, it recently celebrated its 6,757th New Year. The Assyrians are noted in history for many things: They constituted one of the greatest empires of the ancient world; they were builders of great cities like Nineveh and Babylon; they were pioneers in science, astronomy and medicine; they were builders of some of the world's first universities; and they have the distinction of being the first nation to convert to Christianity. Their language is the language spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Because they were our allies in two world wars, the Assyrians have a special bond with Australia. What a great bond that is—Australia, one of the youngest nations of the world, was allied in both world wars with Assyria, one of the oldest nations of the world. Australian troops are renowned for their fighting qualities, as symbolised by Gallipoli, Tobruk and the Kokoda Track. Assyrian troops are also renowned for their fighting qualities, as symbolised by their efforts in the Middle East and southern Europe. As I have said, this bond goes back to the days of the First World War, when the Assyrians fought with such tenacity and valour in the Mesopotamia region. For the first few years of that war they scored a series of stunning victories over the Turks, and in so doing won the admiration and respect of Britain, Australia and others. However, after the collapse of Russia and her withdrawal from the war, events changed dramatically, and for the worse. The Assyrians, now fully exposed to the Turks, found that they were on their own and greatly outnumbered. They paid a horrifying price for their loyalty to the allied cause. The Turks unleashed a campaign of unparalleled genocide against the Assyrian population, annihilating some two-thirds of its number. In percentage terms, it was probably the greatest genocide against any people in recorded history.
Following the Second World War the British, in admiration of the Assyrians' fighting skills, created what has become known in military history as the Assyrian Levies. In the years leading up to the Second World War, the Assyrian Levies played a significant role as part of British forces in maintaining peace in the Mesopotamia region. With the coming of the Second World War, the Assyrians wrote a new chapter in their military heritage. They served as parachutists attached to the Royal Marine Commandos, and in their own Assyrian Levies formations saw active service in Italy, Albania, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon and Palestine. History acknowledges that they significantly assisted in defeating Axis domination of the Middle East.
So tonight I pay tribute to the fighting men and women of the Assyrian nation who over the past 100-odd years have stood shoulder to shoulder with Australia and other free nations in the defence of freedom. I pay tribute to the Australian Assyrian Levies Association and its achievements. I pay special tribute to the president of the association, Gabriel Kiwarkis, who has done so much to document the proud record of the Assyrian Levies. Both the Australian nation and the Assyrian nation worldwide can take great pride in his achievement in documenting the alliance between Australians and Assyrians encompassing the two world wars. Mr Kiwarkis has been tireless in his efforts and is highly regarded by the Returned Services League of Australia.
I also acknowledge the good work of the vice president of the Assyrian Levies Association, Paul Azzo, and Zaya Toma, who leads the Assyrian Levies Youth Section. As representatives of the new generation of Assyrian-Australians they epitomise the good qualities inherent in both peoples. In modern times the Assyrian people have faced perilous and difficult times. Their support of the allied effort in the First World War brought annihilation of a major portion of their population. They have also suffered persecution at the hands of Saddam Hussein and even now they suffer persecution at the hands of Islamist extremists in Iraq. It is a miracle of the ages that they continue to survive. I am greatly moved by the reverence and importance that the Assyrian-Australian community affords to Anzac Day and I am greatly inspired by the efforts of Assyrian forces in time of war. I am greatly moved that after so many years both Assyrians and Australians ensure that their fallen comrades are not forgotten. Lest we forget.
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