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Assyrian
National
Referendum
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. Who should complete the Referendum form?
A. The form must be completed by every adult (18 or over) Assyrian individual.Q. Who should complete the Referendum form?
A. The form must be completed by every adult (18 or over) Assyrian individual.
Q. I am half Assyrian, can I complete the form?
A. Yes, you may complete the form even if you are a quarter Assyrian.
Q. Can my non-Assyrian spouse complete the form?
A. Yes, if he or she desires to do so.
Q. I have completed the form for myself and my wife. Our son is 17 ˝ years old, can he also complete the form?
A. Yes, as long as he will turn 18 by August 15, 2004.
Q. I’m Chaldean, do I need to complete this form?
A. Yes, this is a national Referendum for all Assyrians regardless of their Church denominations.
Q. What is the purpose of this Referendum?
A. Referendum is a civilized approach the indigenous people of a country can take to demand their historical, national, and political rights in their own homeland.
Q. I have been hearing on AssyriaSat that the form will be translated to different languages, but so far I have only seen the Assyian/English/Arabic version, and the Assyrian/English/Farsi version.
A. The form will also soon be available in Assyrian/English/Armenian, and Assyrian/English/Russian version. We encourage the local Referendum Committees in European countries to translate the Arabic version to the language of that country, (e.g., French, German, Dutch). Please make sure you provide us the draft translated form for approval before distribution.
Q. How much time do we have to gather the name of all the Assyrians around the world?
A. Since the goal is to submit the results of this Referendum to the Iraqi Parliament asking for the recognition of the Assyrian name and rights in the Iraqi Constitution, and the deadline for the New Iraqi Constitution is August 15, 2005, we must have received all the names gathered preferably before August 01, 2005. However, if the Iraqi Constitution deadline is extended, we will also extend the Referendum deadline to gather more Assyrian names.
Q. Where can I find a copy of the Referendum form?
A. There are a number of ways you can access the form:1. Find and print the form off www.betnahrain.org The form has been sent to many Assyrian websites to post for easy access of our people around the world.
2. You may call AssyriaSat at (209) 538-4130 or (209) 537-0933 and request
the form to be either mailed or faxed to you.3. You may send an e-mail to the Assyrian National Referendum Committee at: assyrianreferendum@yahoo.com and request a copy of the form.
Q. After I complete the form, what do I do with it?
A. First you make as many copies as possible to gather the names of your Assyrian friends and family. Then, if you are given the form by a member of your local Referendum Committee, you may return it to them. Or, you may mail the form directly to the address at the bottom of the form : Assyrian Referendum, P.O.BOX 3539, Modesto, CA 95352, USA You may also fax the completed forms to (209) 538-2795
Q. Can I just provide my name on the form?
A. No. Other than the (optional) e-mail address field, every other field must be completed thoroughly for the form to be officially recognized by the United Nations.
Q. I am concerned about providing personal information (name, address, birth date, etc) on this form. How can I be assured the info will be protected?
A. You can rest assured that the Referendum is conducted accordance with the applicable laws of the United Nations. Therefore, all the information provided on the form will be kept strictly confidential.
Q. I have heard on AssyriaSat that the form has been changed. What happens to all the forms we have sent in so far? Do we need to complete the form again?
A. No. The new form contains the same information gathering fields the old form had. The only changes are the order of those fields on the form, inclusion of the Assyrian language on the form and a field that asks for the number of the people in the family (including the minors). Do not worry about not having provided the total number of your household members on the old forms. Our aim is to obtain an estimated number of the Assyrian population around the world.
Q. I have made numerous copies of the old forms, and now it has changed. Should I throw away the old copies and make new ones?
A. Absolutely not. You may still use the old copies, but make sure you have the newest form for any future copies you plan to make.
Q. I myself have received a cover letter along with my form. Should I give a copy letter to people I distribute the forms to?
A. Preferably yes, so that people can see for themselves what the goal of this Referendum is and the fact that is purely an independent national project.
Q. Where I live we do not have a local Referendum committee. Can anyone organize one?
A. Yes, as long as no changes are made to the form. In fact, we encourage every town, state, or country to organize its own committee to ensure gathering as many Assyrian names as possible.
Q. If this Referendum is independent of any organization, church denomination and political party, then why is it presented by AssyriaSat and Bet-Nahrain organization?
A. AssyriaSat has assumed the sponsorship of this project because it is the only 24/7 global, Assyrian owned media our nation has. Remember, the goal is to reach as many Assyrians as possible. But it is impossible for the California Referendum committee to reach every Assyrian in this world. That is why we encourage organization of local committees in any country the Assyrians reside.
Q. How many names must we have to make a great impact on the Iraqi Parliament and the United Nations?
A. No one knows the answer to that question. Obviously, the more numbers we have, the louder our voice will be heard!
Q. I keep hearing that the names gathered will be submitted to the Iraqi parliament and the United Nations. Where do all these names go for the time being?
A. In the time being, for your protection, and in compliance with the United Nations confidentiality laws and resolutions, the names are maintained in a secured Data Base and the actual forms are kept in a secure location.
Q. In regards to the last field on the new referendum form (Number In Household), which member of the household should complete that field?
A. Only one person in the household (a family with shared address) should complete that field with the number of the people living in that family. For example, in a family that consists of a husband, a wife, 1 adult child (18 years and over), and two minor children, the husband completes that field by entering the total number of the household members “5”. The person entering that number must remember to include himself/herself in that number. If that same household also had 2 grandparents living with them, the total number would be “7”. To simplify the record keepings, please staple all forms submitted by one family together.
Q. A friend of mine is worried that if he completes the form, he will be sent back to Iraq. Is that true?
A. Absolutely not. The goal of this Referendum is to ask in a most civilized way for the recognition of the Assyrians’ historical and national rights in their homeland’s upcoming Constitution. So, even if an Assyrian individual has fled Iraq or lives in a country without proper immigration documents of that country, he/she can complete the form without any risks to their current living arrangement or immigration status. For further assurance, please visit the United Nations website at www.un.org for the confidentiality laws and resolutions as well as the rights of the indigenous people of a country.
Q. I have relatives who keep telling me not to complete the Referendum form.
A. Use your own judgment. The Referendum form does not harm anyone except those who have ill dreams for our nation.
Q. This Referendum is just another attempt by Bet-Nahrain and AssyriaSat to divide our people and destroy unity.
A. You are absolutely right! Bet-Nahrain and AssyriaSat have brought division among our people, just like the division between God and Satan, Light and Dark, Jesus’ apostles and Yhuda. Unity can only be achieved when there is a common goal. The goal of Referendum is to gather the Assyrian voice and power and submit the demands of our rightful place in our homeland. Unity can not be achieved with those who would like to compromise our identity and are too afraid to demand our rights.
Q. My cousin is from Zowaa and has told me to not complete the form because Dr. Dadesho will get credit for it! But I really want to. What can I do?
A. Follow the voice of your conscious. Many of the members of Zowaa who truly are Assyrians have already completed the form even though they fear retaliation from their friends at Zowaa?
Q. I have gathered 250 names and plan to distribute some more in my town. Should I send these 250 forms now? Or wait until August 15th to send them all at once?
A. Please send the 250 you have already completed now, rather than mailing huge boxes in the mail. There is no set rule, but a couple hundred at a time seems reasonable enough. And, thank you for helping the Referendum.
Q. I have the list of my church members, but don’t have anyone to help me send the form to those few thousand people. Considering we only have less than 2 ˝ months left till the deadline what would you suggest I do?
A. You may mail the list to us, at the same address on the bottom of the Referendum form. We have a large committee in California that will process and mail those forms within 2 days.