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SR0700 - 104th General Assembly
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| 1 | SENATE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The Assyrian people, a Semitic community who also | ||||||
| 3 | identify as Chaldeans and Syriacs, are the indigenous people | ||||||
| 4 | of Mesopotamia in what is now modern-day Iraq, Syria, Turkey, | ||||||
| 5 | and Iran who possess a history dating back to ancient times; | ||||||
| 6 | and | ||||||
| 7 | WHEREAS, The Assyrian people have faced systematic | ||||||
| 8 | persecution in their ancestral homeland, including the | ||||||
| 9 | Assyrian Genocide of 1915, which claimed the lives of hundreds | ||||||
| 10 | of thousands, and the Simele Massacre of 1933, where thousands | ||||||
| 11 | were killed by the Iraqi Army; and | ||||||
| 12 | WHEREAS, The Assyrian community in the United States | ||||||
| 13 | numbers nearly half a million people, with approximately | ||||||
| 14 | 100,000 residing in Illinois, the largest concentration in the | ||||||
| 15 | nation; and | ||||||
| 16 | WHEREAS, Assyrian Americans have shared their rich culture | ||||||
| 17 | and traditions with neighbors and friends while also serving | ||||||
| 18 | as model citizens and public servants; and | ||||||
| 19 | WHEREAS, The Assyrian people have made significant | ||||||
| 20 | contributions to Illinois and the United States through their | ||||||
| 21 | achievements in the arts, business, media, law, politics, | ||||||
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| 1 | education, medicine, architecture, engineering, and other | ||||||
| 2 | fields, enriching the cultural and economic fabric of this | ||||||
| 3 | State and the nation; and | ||||||
| 4 | WHEREAS, The Assyrian New Year, known in ancient times as | ||||||
| 5 | Akitu and traditionally celebrated on the first of April, | ||||||
| 6 | marks the arrival of spring and symbolizes rebirth, renewal, | ||||||
| 7 | and the enduring spirit of the Assyrian people; and | ||||||
| 8 | WHEREAS, The Chicago Assyrian community has expressed | ||||||
| 9 | plans to proudly commemorate the Assyrian New Year 6776 with a | ||||||
| 10 | series of vibrant three-day festivals throughout the City of | ||||||
| 11 | Chicago and the Village of Skokie, where the largest condensed | ||||||
| 12 | Assyrian population resides, in April 2026; therefore, be it | ||||||
| 13 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL | ||||||
| 14 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare April 2026 | ||||||
| 15 | as Assyrian Heritage Month in the State of Illinois; and be it | ||||||
| 16 | further | ||||||
| 17 | RESOLVED, That we commend the Assyrian community in | ||||||
| 18 | Illinois for their enduring contributions, resilience, and | ||||||
| 19 | cultural heritage. | ||||||