Assyrian groups demand hate speech law after “Akitu Attack”
Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, theDemocratic Assyrian Movement called for the criminalization of hate speech andextremism in response to the attack on celebrants of the Babylonian-AssyrianNew Year in Duhok.
In a statement, the movementcondemned the attack, stating, "A misguided individual assaulted two membersof our Chaldean, Syriac, and Assyrian community who were celebrating theBabylonian-Assyrian New Year 6775 during the procession held today."
The movement pointed out that this incident,which appears to have an extremist nature, is the first of its kind since thepublic celebrations of the Babylonian-Assyrian New Year began in 1992 in Duhok,a city known for its security and safety.
It stressed that the responsiblesecurity authorities in the governorate should not treat this as an isolatedincident.
The movement urged the government toimplement laws that criminalize incitement to hatred and extremism againstethnic and religious communities, noting that such criminal acts threaten civilpeace and harmonious coexistence among citizens.
Furthermore, the statement also emphasizedthe need for the investigation results to be disclosed transparently to thepublic, to understand the motives behind this “cowardly attack,”.
