The Alliance for African and Asian Indigenous Minorities (AAAIM)

The Alliance for African and Asian Indigenous Minorities (AAAIM)

Jews, Assyrians, Imazighen, Copts, Yezidis, Arameans, Druze,  Kurds and many more make up the often persecuted and ignored indigenous minorities of Africa and Asia. We at AAAIM are a grassroots international alliance that strives to foster bonds of solidarity and friendship between these many ancient groups and advocate together in our shared best interests.

While the Jewish people often seem to exist under an obsessive spotlight, other living ancient peoples of the region exist in near-total obscurity. Most of these minorities lack political power or international representation, are ill-equipped to defend and determine themselves in the face of frequent persecution, experience the consistent distortion of their identities, and are almost always abandoned by the international community in their times of need. Additionally, while People are increasingly concerned about the ongoing consequences of European Colonialism, they are sadly unaware of the many ancient peoples still suffering the consequences of Pan-Arabist and Islamic Colonialism.

The global lack of awareness on these issues leaves ancient indigenous peoples without allies and makes well-meaning Westerners vulnerable to disingenuous propaganda narratives spread by our shared opponents.

So you may be thinking that this sounds like a great initiative, but what can it do to benefit the Jewish people in particular? What is the advantage of supporting AAAIM over a Jewish-specific organization?

The raw fuel that drives contemporary antisemitism is the often malicious miscategorization of the Jewish people. It has become popular to view us not as a people at all, but instead as the members of many nations who are adherents to a shared religious doctrine no different from the other  “Abrahamic faiths.” In reality, we are one of the many ancient peoples and civilizations that have survived thousands of years of colonialism and persecution for refusing to abandon their history and their identity.

Because Jewish self-definitions are so much older than the latest perspectives on race, ethnicity and religion, attempts to categorize us within these confines inevitably fail and invariably create harm.  We must clarify our place not among the community of ‘faiths’ but within the collective of living ancient peoples whose unique cultural, linguistic, and spiritual heritages have sustained them throughout history.

Our failure to effectively define ourselves to the world has allowed those who hate us to define us.

This misconception persists not only because of many people’s distrust of Jews and the wall of lies built around us, but also, an overall ignorance of the reality of minority groups throughout this region. Only by properly categorizing the Jewish people within the collective of ancient peoples can we reshape the fight against contemporary antisemitism and have our identity, needs, and rights accurately understood. However, it is both impossible and unethical to do so without bringing the struggle of other indigenous groups to the forefront.

By spreading awareness around these issues, we will not only be confronting a key source of external threats to the Jewish people but also addressing the main driver of internal division, especially among younger Jews in the Diaspora. Many Diaspora Jews who wish to work for a better world often incorrectly believe that advocating for themselves is in opposition to fighting for other marginalized peoples. This misconception has led to decreasing affiliation among young Jews, the spread of anti-Zionism, and the distortion of Judaism.

The reality is that the Jewish people, and the Jewish state, are deeply interconnected with the needs and struggles of some of the most vulnerable people on the planet. By reorienting our attention around the other ancient peoples of the region, rather than an American lens facing East, Jews will be better able to strengthen our own people as well as those who are in even greater need.

Repositioning the Jewish people within their proper context of solidarity with these other ancient peoples will create the building blocks for a revival of affiliation among young Diaspora Jews facing an increasing crisis of identity. These individuals are unlikely to participate in a Jewish-specific organization, but they will be highly attracted to an organization that includes Jews within a broader coalition driven by common history, similar goals and shared obstacles.

Additionally, many within these different communities have long supported Israel and the Jewish people, but in our eagerness to appease those who seek or are indifferent to our destruction, we have failed to consistently be there for our natural allies. Despite this, during May of 2021, when it seemed that the entire world was against us, some of the fiercest and most persuasive defenders of Israel were members of these other ancient peoples.

It is our conviction that if we had joined voices long ago, the world would look radically different today.

What are we raising money for?

The paradigm shift we intend to create will require comprehensive educational and organizational engagement, from K-12 schools to college campuses and community/faith-based organizations, traditional media, and social media while enabling person-to-person advocacy and community building. However, This initial fundraising drive will go towards the production of a series of high quality promotional and educational videos for our website, public relations campaign, and social media partners. Your donations will also allow us to perform in-person outreach through hosting an event series starting in New York City that will focus on fostering empathy, connections, and understanding among and between our various communities.

In celebrating our diverse ancient cultures together, we are building the necessary momentum for change.

Examples of educational and entertainment-oriented content we will be funding:

• A 3-5 minute promotional video outlining the goals and objectives of our organization: This video will be for viewing on our website as well as to send to potential collaborators and traditional media outlets
• A series of highly accessible social media-ready videos, introducing the histories, present conditions,  cultural elements, and personal stories of the various people groups
• A series of comedic videos ridiculing and explaining the different tropes and stereotypes held against our peoples, for example, while ‘big nose’ stereotype may not seem so harmful, it is used to demonize and dehumanize Jews, Assyrians, and Kabyle alike.
• Independent reporting from the homelands and diaspora of the various communities

Your financial support will help us compensate journalists, content creators, and organizers among our communities throughout the globe.

We will also be commissioning an initial cohort of artists from different communities to design apparel and merchandise. This will be another avenue for promoting visibility that creates opportunities for people to represent and open conversations about our movement, our communities and our goals.

We will also be developing curricula, lesson plans, reading lists, and other educational resources to disseminate to teachers, administrators, DEI offices, etc.

Given the slander, erasure, and genocide suffered by the ancient minority groups of Africa and Asia, it is self-evident that a new movement rooted in commitments to truth, mutual recognition, love for diversity, and global justice is needed to overcome the lies and violence perpetuated against all of us. Such a movement is precisely what we are creating through AAAIM.

As a new grassroots organization, we need YOUR help to grow our membership and get our message out.

Celebrate yourself, champion others, and join us!