On Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 3 pm Eastern Time, the news media and members of Congress are invited to a special, private screening of the award-winning documentary Defying Deletion; The Fight Over Iraq’s Nineveh Plains. The event, sponsored by the Assyrian American National Coalition, the Iraq Sustainable Democracy Project, and Lamassu Productions, is an opportunity to present to American media and Congress the ongoing plight faced by Iraq’s indigenous and ancient Christian Assyrian community that now sits at the tipping point of genocide. The film will be followed by comments from members of Congress and individuals from the Assyrian-American community.
This 25-minute documentary profiles the persecution of one of the oldest Christian sects. Defying Deletion is an emotionally charged documentary that focuses on the ethnic cleansing, cultural genocide and region‐based targeting of the Assyrians (also known as Chaldeans and Syriacs). Viewer discretion is advised.
Despite the ten years that America has been fighting for the freedom of the Iraqi people, the media has left largely unreported the full story of the ongoing suffering and persecution of Iraq’s Christian Assyrians. Most Americans know little about Assyrian history, which is rooted deep in their ancestral homeland of the Nineveh Plains of northern Iraq. Since the US led invasion in 2003, over 600,000 Assyrians, more than half their pre-war population, have fled the country in the wake of targeted persecution. Dozens of churches have been bombed and thousands have died, with little media coverage of the larger context of persecution that effectively will deplete Iraq of Christianity within a decade without intervention.
Scheduled to attend are; Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL), Rep. Anna Eshoo, (D-CA), Rep. Frank Wolf, (R-VA), with numerous other members of Congress, pending confirmation.
Defying Deletion combines actual footage and personal testimony of Assyrians who have been forced to escape to other countries for refuge. Many leading international figures have taken a stand and lent their voices to the strong message delivered by this startling production.
26 year old filmmaker, André Anton, set out to use his documentary as a vehicle to create awareness, expose truth and start a movement. Now, two years later, Defying Deletion has garnered the interest of leading international figures who are speaking out about the travesty the Assyrian people are facing in Iraq. The film has won top honors at multiple film festivals across the country and is gaining prominence as a “must see” documentary.
This is a rare opportunity to learn about a critical geopolitical and humanitarian threat that jeopardizes future national security interests of the United States in Iraq.
Defying Deletion is an eye-opening film that will provoke any American. To watch a preview, please visit www.DefyingDeletion.com
Where: Capitol Visitors Center, SVC 201-00. Enter the Visitors Center, Senate side, East Capitol Street
When: Thursday, July 14, 2011 / 3:00 PM ET
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