Support Assyrian hero Elias Nassir and his Family

Elias Nassir is one of four founders of the Khabour Guards, an Assyrian defence group formed to protect the Assyrian villages in Khabour as the conflict in Syria began.

The Khabour Guards fought bravely against ISIS during its February 2015 assault on the Khabour Region. Months later in April 2015, Elias and Khabour Guards co-founder Dawod Jindo were betrayed by their stated allies, the Kurdish YPG, and taken at gunpoint from his home in Tel Tamar to an unknown location where they were both shot multiple times and left for dead.

Tragically, Dawod died at the scene, but Elias miraculously survived. Despite being shot five times, including in the mouth, Elias managed to crawl to a nearby road where he was discovered by a passer-by who took him to the nearest hospital. Elias, badly wounded and unable to speak due to his injuries, wrote down the names of his attackers before slipping into a coma. Learn more about Elias’s story here.

After barely escaping death and fearful for the safety of his wife and young children, Elias realized there was no way he could remain in Syria, and so together with his family, he escaped to Lebanon hoping for a chance to resettle in the West. But life for Assyrian refugees in Lebanon is incredibly expensive, and Elias spent his life savings surviving in uncertainty for years amid high rents and cost of living in Lebanon as he and his family awaited their fate. During his time in Lebanon, Elias also underwent several costly medical surgeries as a result of the assassination attempt in April 2015.

Carrying all of the painful memories, the loss of his friend and brother-in-arms, and the sacrifices he has made throughout these tragic years so our people could know some semblance of dignity and honour in our homeland, Elias has now joined our Assyrian community here in Canada last month with next to nothing after almost five years since he nearly gave his life to protect our homeland.

In these trying and difficult days ahead as Elias and his family adjust to life in a completely different country and society, let us show our appreciation for his sacrifice by welcoming him into our community and making this transition for all of them as painless as possible.

Elias is a man who not only put everything on the line for his family and our people in a war-zone, but for Assyrians everywhere. He bravely gave us the truth and fought for freedom for Assyrians to live honourably and in peace in our homeland.

He took a stand for all of us and is a modern Assyrian hero for it. Let us embrace him as one.


ACSSU is proud to organize this fundraiser benefitting the Nassir family as they rebuild their lives in Canada. All donations will be issued to the Nassir family. While we recognize that no fundraising goal can account for the unique sacrifices Elias and his family have made, we hope this small amount reminds them that there is an entire community behind them as they work to get back on their feet. Please direct any questions to info@acssu.ca.