Toma Tomas
Toma Tomas ܬܐܘܡܐ ܬܐܘܡܐܣ توما توماس | |
|---|---|
 Toma Tomas in his seventies | |
| Born | 1924 |
| Died | 15 October 1996 (aged 72) |
| Nationality | Iraqi |
| Other names | Abu Joseph |
| Occupation | Guerilla leader |
| Known for | Guerilla leader |
Toma Tomas (Syriac: ܬܐܘܡܐ ܬܐܘܡܐܣ) (1924-1996) also known by his nom de guerre Abu Joseph, was an Assyrian politician and the leader of al-Ansar, a communist, Marxist–Leninist militia in Iraq during the 1960s and 1970s which fought on behalf of the Iraqi Communist Party against the Iraqi government.
Early life
Toma Tomas was an ethnic Assyrian born in Alqosh, in 1924, he was an adherent to the Chaldean Catholic Church. He witnessed the Simele massacre first-hand when Assyrians escaped the massacres to Alqosh. This event was crucial in shaping his political ideas in the future.[1]
After finished elementary school in Alqosh, he moved to Mosul where he finished high school and joined the Iraq Levies. He later found his way to Kirkuk to work at an oil company. There he learned about communism and joined the Iraqi Communist Party in the early 1950s.[2]
Struggle against the central government
He moved to his home town after the
For almost 30 years Toma Tomas led the Ansar in many battles against the Iraqi army in the region stretching from the Turkish borders to
Death
He died in Syria on 15 October 1996 and was buried at the Chaldean cemetery in
References
- ^ "Papers of Toma Tomas". Archived from the original on 2016-10-18. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
- ^ a b الأصيل توما توماس , لم يكن للكراهية مكانا في قلبه.[permanent dead link], NirgalGate (in Arabic)
- ^ في الذكرى الثامنة لرحيل ( توما توماس - ابوجوزيف ) Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine, Ankawa.com (in Arabic)
- ^ نقل رفاة البيشمركة الانصاري توما توماس لمسقط راسه بعد اكثر من عقد على وفاته Archived 2012-07-18 at archive.today, AKnews (in Arabic)
External links
- Toma Tomas' diaries, Zahrira (in Arabic)