Islamist man attacks people during Assyrian New Year celebrations in Iraq

An Islamist man attacked people with an axe during the Assyrian New Year celebration in Iraq.

Several people were injured and taken to hospital after an Islamist attacker attacked people on the Assyrian New Year (Akito) in the city of Dohuk, Iraqi Kurdistan, on Sunday. The attacker, who was carrying an axe, shouted "Islamic State, Islamic State remains" and attacked people. During the attack, a 17-year-old boy and a 75-year-old woman suffered serious injuries and a fractured skull, and were immediately taken to hospital.

One of the security forces present at the scene was also injured, and was eventually arrested by the partygoers. There is no exact information about the injured, but some of them are reported to be in critical condition.

The Assyrian New Year, or Akito, was a spring festival in ancient Mesopotamia that played an important role in the development of religious theories, myths, and rituals. The Akito festival was celebrated for thousands of years in Sumerian, Babylonian, and Assyrian cultures, and its name is derived from the Sumerian word for barley, which symbolized the clear and detailed relationship between the king and high priests and the gods. The Assyrians also attend the Akito festival every year, wearing colorful clothes and flags, and celebrate this day with joy.

The celebration was disrupted by an Islamist man with a knife attack, and evidence after his arrest indicated that his attack was not planned by a terrorist group but was just an individual act; however, this incident has raised many concerns among the Iraqi Christian community, so much so that in response to the attack, members of this community called on the Iraqi government to combat the spread of extremist ideologies in the country.

"We call on the government to review religious and educational programs that promote militant ideology," said Niyab Yousef Touma, a member of the Assyrian Democratic Movement, while condemning the attack. "This was a terrorist act that has no justification. Despite an ancient festival like Akito being celebrated peacefully for decades, this attack demonstrates the dangers facing ethnic and religious minorities."

"Even in the past, during the fasting month of Ramadan, the Muslim people of the region would offer us food and water with respect and empathy. We are a minority not only because of our religious beliefs, but also because of our ethnicity, and we are often harmed. But we still have hope, and our presence in this march is a sign of our stability and continuity in this region for thousands of years."