# Syriac Assembly Movement

The Syriac Assembly Movement (Arabic: حركة تجمع السريان) (Syriac: ܙܘܥܐ ܟܢܘܫܝܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ), formerly known as the Syriac Independent Gathering Movement (Arabic: حركة التجمع السرياني المستقل), is an Assyrian political party from Iraq. The party's membership comprised mostly Assyrian Christians, particularly those who belonged to the Syriac Catholic community, and to a lesser extent those of the Syriac Orthodox Church.
On several occasions, SAM cooperated with other political parties, mainly on issues related to protection of ethnic and religious rights of minority groups in Iraq. The party was headquartered in the town of Bakhdida, and at its height in publicity, was led by Anwar Matti Hadaya until his death in 2017.

## History

In a statement that was publicly posted on their Facebook page in 2024, the party mentioned the date of their founding as January 15, 2004 by Isho Majid Hadaya. Hadaya was born in 1954, and in the wake of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, had aspired to create a political party that represented Syriac Orthodox and Catholic components of the Assyrian community, under the Syriac-Aramean label.
The party collaborated with several Assyrian political parties and other organizations after its founding, especially in the face of violence towards the Assyrian community in Iraq. The party signed a joint declaration of objectives alongside 13 other political parties and organizations in Ankawa in 2011. In 2012, the party received a visit by MP Luis Caro Bandar, who was a member of the Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council. They also met with the Assyrian Democratic Movement in Bartella the same year. In 2017, SAM joined other Christian/Assyrian parties in formulating a comprehensive political platform on the creation of a new governorate in the region of the Nineveh Plains.
After the Fall of Mosul to ISIS, the party issued a condemnation of the violence and made a public appeal to the Federal government of Iraq and the Kurdish Regional Government in order to fight back against extremists.
In 2017, the then-president of the party, Anwar Matti Hadaya, passed away. Aside from leading the party, he had also been part of the KDP-led Nineveh Provincial Counil.

### Killing of Isho Majid Hadaya

In 2006, Isho Majid Hadaya was brutally gunned down outside of his office in Bakhdida. Sources noted that on October 31, he had submitted a proposal that called for the creation of an Assyrian autonomous region in Iraq. It is speculated that the Kurdistan Democratic Party was affiliated with the murder, as they vehemently opposed Assyrian autonomy in Iraq and have been condemned of marginalizing Assyrian politics in Iraq during the tumultuous period.
Years after his death, memorials for Hadaya continued to be held by Assyrian communities in the diaspora. Additionally, his death is commemorated every year in November by the party.

## Electoral history

In the December 2005 Iraqi parliamentary election, the party ran under a coalition called Al-Nahrain National. Although the coalition won Basra and some villages in the Nineveh governorate, the party wasn't able to win any seats in parliament.
In the 2009 Iraqi governorate elections, the party won a seat in the Nineveh governorate, replacing the seat formerly held by the National Rafidain List and the Assyrian Democratic Movement. The party ran as part of the KDP-backed Ishtar Patriotic List.
The party also participated in the 2018 Iraqi parliamentary election, under List 131. However, they received the lowest number of votes out of all the Assyrian parties and won no seats. The party was able to receive an endorsement from the Syriac Catholic Church, which prompted immense backlash, especially from residents of Bakhdida.
In the 2023 Iraqi governorate elections, the party participated under a coalition of parties called the Hammurabi Coalition, led by Ano Abdoka. The coalition was unsuccessful in winning any seats.

## Criticism

The Syriac Assembly Movement has been criticized by the Assyrian community in the past for its affiliation with the KDP. In a report by the Assyrian Policy Institute, the group criticized how the party was being co-opted as a part of the sectarian divides of the Assyrian community to undermine their political representation. The report noted how the party had previously received funding from the KDP, and was part of the KDP-led Nineveh Provincial Council for the Nineveh governorate.
API's report also noted how even amongst its members, there was a sectarian divide between the Syriac Catholic and Orthodox churches. The party was composed primarily of Syriac Catholics, with Syriac Orthodox Christians having no involvement with the party nor showing any support. The report made further mention of the party's loss in the 2018 governorate elections, where it received only around 2,000 votes.

### Affiliation with Salwan Momika

Before the 2018 Iraqi parliamentary election, Assyrian journalist Max Joseph wrote about SAM's participation in the elections, with its key figure being Salwan Momika. Joseph had noted that the party held no seats in parliament, yet had won the 2009 Nineveh governorate elections by corruption, and that Momika was affiliated with the controversial Dawronoye movement. He also linked a Facebook page that contained pictures of Momika taking part in party activities, as well as him holding the Aramean-Syriac flag.
Momika's involvement with the party was rediscovered after public controversy surrounding him and his role in the 2023 Quran burnings in Sweden. His previous activities in Assyrian politics, including SAM and the Kataib Rouh Allah Issa Ibn Miriam militia, were also linked to Rayan al-Kildani and the Babylon Movement.

## Modern Activity

The Syriac Assembly Movement is largely considered inactive in the scope of modern Assyrian politics in Iraq. However, in recent years, there have been a few instances where the party has appeared in small activities. In 2021, the party joined a coalition of six other parties in issuing a statement to the Independent High Electoral Commission, calling for a recount of votes following the 2021 Iraqi parliamentary election. The statement noted the suspicious win of seats that the Babylon Brigade had obtained following the elections, and the parties were skeptical that the win was legitimate.
In 2024, the current president of the party, John Hidaya, met with Romeo Hakkari of the Bet-Nahrain Democratic Party to congratulate him on a successful party conference, as well as to discuss the current situation of Assyrians in Iraq.
The party is also part of the Christian alliance, a coalition based on Ano Abdoka's previous Hammurabi Coalition, which expanded to include Armenian organizations. The other parties are also considered to be inactive. In the wake of the 2024 Kurdistan Region parliamentary election, the party (under the alliance) announced its decision to boycott the elections following the removal of minority seats the previous month. The party was also part of a statement that expressed public support for Masrour Barzani in the wake of criticism against him.