The annual New Year parade for Assyrian Christians in Dohuk, Iraq, turned tragic as an axe-wielding man attacked the festivities, injuring three individuals.
Details of the Attack
On April 1, the vibrant parade celebrated the Assyrian New Year, known as Akitu, attracting thousands of Assyrians from Iraq and around the world. Participants proudly waved Assyrian flags and donned traditional clothing to mark this significant cultural occasion.
However, the celebration was abruptly interrupted when an unidentified man charged towards the crowd, shouting Islamic slogans. He struck three people with an axe before being subdued by bystanders and local security forces. Video footage from the incident showed the assailant restrained on the ground, repeatedly declaring, “Islamic State, the Islamic State remains.”
Victims and Eyewitness Accounts
The victims included a 17-year-old boy and a 75-year-old woman, both of whom sustained serious injuries, including skull fractures. A member of the local security team, who was monitoring the parade with a drone, also suffered injuries. All three were promptly hospitalized for treatment.
Athraa Abdullah, the mother of the injured teenager named Fardi, recounted the day’s events, explaining that her son had been sending celebratory photos moments before the attack. “We were already attacked and displaced by ISIS, and today we faced a terrorist attack at a place we came to for shelter,” she lamented.
Janet Aprem Odisho, whose mother was struck during the assault, described the chaos: “He was running at us with an axe… I ran away when she fell.” Her family, originally from Baghdad, also suffered displacement due to past violence.
Community Response and Aftermath
In the wake of the attack, the Assyrian community faced a surge of hate speech and negative commentary on social media. Ninab Yousif Toma, a member of the Assyrian Democratic Movement, condemned the incident and urged both local and federal governments to address the root causes of extremism. “We request both governments to review the religious and education curriculums that plant hate in people’s heads,” he stated.
Despite this violent incident, Toma emphasized that the Assyrian community has celebrated Akitu in Dohuk since the 1990s without prior violence. He acknowledged the support of their Kurdish Muslim neighbors, stating, “This was likely an individual, unplanned attack, and it will not scare our people.”
Symbol of Resilience
The attack did not deter the Assyrian community from continuing their celebrations, which symbolize renewal and rebirth. As the injured teenager was taken to the hospital, participants wrapped his head in an Assyrian flag, which later reappeared in the parade — stained with blood yet held high as a poignant symbol of community resilience.
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