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HR0234 - 104th General Assembly
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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The Assyrian people, a Semitic community who also | ||||||
| 3 | identify as Chaldeans and Syriacs, are the indigenous people | ||||||
| 4 | of Mesopotamia who possess a history dating back to ancient | ||||||
| 5 | times in what is now modern-day Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran; | ||||||
| 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 Semele 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 and includes approximately | ||||||
| 14 | 100,000 individuals residing in Illinois, comprising the | ||||||
| 15 | largest concentration in the nation; and | ||||||
| 16 | WHEREAS, The Assyrian community has shared their rich | ||||||
| 17 | culture and traditions with neighbors and friends while also | ||||||
| 18 | serving 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, and engineering, enriching | ||||||
| 2 | the cultural and economic fabric of our State; and | ||||||
| 3 | WHEREAS, The Assyrian New Year, known in ancient times as | ||||||
| 4 | Akitu, is celebrated on April 1 to mark the arrival of spring | ||||||
| 5 | and symbolizes rebirth, renewal, and the enduring spirit of | ||||||
| 6 | the Assyrian people; and | ||||||
| 7 | WHEREAS, The Chicago Assyrian community will proudly | ||||||
| 8 | commemorate Assyrian New Year 6775 with a vibrant parade on | ||||||
| 9 | Honorary King Sargon Boulevard, along a stretch of Western | ||||||
| 10 | Avenue, on April 6, 2025; therefore, be it | ||||||
| 11 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 12 | HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 13 | we declare April 2025 as Assyrian American Heritage Month in | ||||||
| 14 | the State of Illinois in celebration of the Assyrian American | ||||||
| 15 | community; and be it further | ||||||
| 16 | RESOLVED, That we recognize the resilience, culture, and | ||||||
| 17 | contributions of the Assyrian people as we join them in | ||||||
| 18 | celebrating their rich heritage and the dawn of Assyrian New | ||||||
| 19 | Year 6775; and be it further | ||||||
| 20 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 21 | presented to the Assyrian American National Federation as a | ||||||
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| 1 | symbol of our respect and esteem. | ||||||