Suraye political parties protest in Tel Keppe (Tel Keif) over land rights, allege authorities blocked demonstrators

05/08/2026

TEL KEPPE, Iraq — Hundreds of members and supporters of three Suraye (Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian) political parties gathered in the Nineveh Plains town of Tel Keppe (Tel Keif) on Wednesday to protest what they described as ongoing demographic change, land seizures, and violations of property rights, while accusing local authorities of obstructing the peaceful demonstration.

The protest, organized by the Beth Nahrain Patriotic Union (Huyodo d’Beth Nahrain Athroyo, HBA), Assyrian Democratic Movement (ZOWAA), and Assyrian Patriotic Party (Atranaya), took place in front of the Tel Keppe District Administration building after the parties had formally notified authorities in accordance with Iraqi law.

Organizers said the demonstration marked a new phase in their campaign to restore property rights and halt land distribution policies they argue are aimed at altering the demographic composition of Nineveh Plains, the historic homeland of Iraq’s indigenous Suraye community.

Read Also: Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky criticizes governments of Iraq and Kurdistan Region for failing to counter demographic change and for not returning land to the Suraye

Speaking during the protest, HBA President Joseph Sliwa accused security forces of preventing participants from reaching the demonstration through a series of checkpoints around the town.

“Today, participants from our people, including members and supporters of the Assyrian Democratic Movement, were prevented from entering the town through several security checkpoints. This is an arbitrary measure that violates the law and the Iraqi Constitution, which guarantees the right to peaceful protest,” Sliwa said.

He emphasized that the demonstration was entirely peaceful.

“We are here today carrying no weapons, neither firearms nor any other weapons. We have come to harm no one,” he said. “The Iraqi state is our state, and the district administration belongs to all Iraqis. What justification is there for preventing our people and supporters from entering Tel Keppe?”

Sliwa said the restrictions suggested that authorities were unwilling to allow peaceful public criticism. He said that authorities who feared peaceful demonstrations had something to conceal and that those who blocked people from peacefully demanding their rights should be the ones facing scrutiny.

Addressing Nineveh Governor Abdul Qader al-Dakhil directly, Sliwa criticized what he described as a gap between official rhetoric supporting Iraq’s Christian communities and actions taken on the ground:

“Mr. Governor, you appear on television, on social media, before the European Union, and during your visits abroad speaking proudly about Iraq’s Christians. But today, you prevented us from holding this peaceful protest. Words alone are no longer enough. The people are fully aware. We demand actions that match your statements.”

Sliwa added that, “the Governor of Nineveh bears significant responsibility for what has happened today.”

The demonstration centered on longstanding disputes over landownership in Tel Keppe and other parts of Nineveh Plains. Organizers argue that land redistribution measures and administrative decisions rooted in policies introduced under Iraq’s former Baathist government continue to undermine the constitutional rights of indigenous residents despite the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime.

In his speech, Sliwa said the community continues to face systematic efforts targeting its presence in the region.

“Our Chaldean, Syriac, and Assyrian people in Nineveh Plains and throughout Iraq continue to endure systematic violations and targeted policies affecting our lands, properties, and historical heritage through demographic change projects, legal manipulation, abuse of authority, real estate mafias, and administrative corruption,” he said.

“Since 2003, these practices have only intensified, to the point where the seizure of our people’s properties has become a dangerous phenomenon requiring an urgent national and legal response,” he added.

The protest follows weeks of growing criticism by Suraye organizations over land distribution procedures in the district. Community leaders argue that such measures violate Article 23 of the Iraqi Constitution, which prohibits property ownership intended to alter the demographic composition of an area.

Read Also: European Syriac Union backs Tel Keppe protest against land seizures and demographic change

Sliwa reiterated that position during Wednesday’s demonstration.

“Any project involving the redistribution of land or the transfer of ownership in a manner that changes the demographic composition of Nineveh Plains constitutes a violation of the Iraqi Constitution and must be immediately halted, with those responsible held legally accountable,” he said.

He urged authorities to permanently scrap any projects or procedures that would contribute to demographic change in Nineveh Plains while safeguarding the constitutional rights of the Suraye people and preserving their historic presence in their ancestral homeland.

Following the demonstration, Sliwa told SyriacPress that the demonstration was held to confront demographic change plans, the greed of armed groups, and their ambitions to seize the lands of Suraye people. He said that some participants were prevented from entering Tel Keppe on security orders in an attempt to obstruct and derail the protest. “Despite that, we succeeded in holding the rally, expressing our position, and submitting our memorandum of demands to the Tel Keppe district administration,” he said. 

The protest builds on a broader campaign launched by the three parties, which have called on Suraye communities across Iraq and the diaspora to support efforts to restore property rights, uphold court rulings, and preserve the historic presence of Christians in Nineveh Plains. Organizers have described the dispute as not only a local land issue but also a test of Iraq’s commitment to the rule of law, constitutional protections, and equal citizenship for its indigenous communities.