In Dohuk, Iraq, a celebration turned tragic when an assailant armed with an axe disrupted the annual Assyrian Christian parade held for their new year, leaving three individuals injured. The event, observed every April 1, witnessed a large turnout of Assyrians from Iraq and beyond, who came together in northern Iraq sporting traditional attire and waving Assyrian flags.
Witness accounts describe the attacker as an unidentified individual who charged at the procession while shouting Islamic slogans. The attacker managed to injure three people before being subdued by onlookers and security personnel. Videos shared on social media captured the moment he was restrained, repeatedly chanting, “Islamic State, the Islamic State remains.”
The injured included a 17-year-old boy and a 75-year-old woman, both of whom suffered skull fractures, along with a member of the local security forces working with a surveillance drone. All were taken to a hospital for treatment, confirmed by local security authorities.
At the hospital, Athraa Abdullah, mother to the 17-year-old Fardi, expressed her distress. Her family had been displaced by ISIS in 2014, and she lamented facing terror again at an event where they sought refuge. Janet Aprem Odisho provided a harrowing account of her 75-year-old mother, Yoniyah Khoshaba, being attacked near the parade while they were shopping.
Odisho, originally from Baghdad but now residing in Ain Baqre near Alqosh due to past unrest, recounted how the assailant targeted them with the axe. Despite attackers’ attempt to wreak havoc, the Assyrian community was undeterred in its resolve.
In the aftermath, the Assyrian community faced a surge of hate speech online. Ninab Yousif Toma from the Assyrian Democratic Movement (ADM) condemned the attack, criticizing both regional and Iraqi federal authorities for failing to curb extremist teachings. He urged a reevaluation of educational and religious narratives that breed hatred and promote ethnic and religious extremism.
Toma however, acknowledged the consistent support from local Kurdish Muslim residents over the years, noting that the Assyrian new year, or Akitu, has been peacefully celebrated in Dohuk since the 1990s. He emphasized that the incident appeared to be an isolated, unplanned act of violence.
Emphasizing the resilience of Assyrians, he highlighted their enduring presence in the region despite being a minority ethnically and religiously. The community continues to cherish their heritage, reflected in their determination to observe the new year festivities even after the attack.
During the celebrations, despite the incident, participants showed solidarity by draping the wounded teenager in an Assyrian flag. The flag, though stained with blood, became a powerful symbol of perseverance and unwavering spirit as it was carried high in the continued parade.