Syriac Orthodox Church under Attack in Diyarbakir, Southeast Turkey
The World Council of Arameans (Syriacs) has just received alarming messages from the final remaining Arameans in the Sur district of Diyarbakir in Southeast Turkey, that this unique heritage site is in great danger of being destroyed soon. The last Aramean family in the city, which once was inhabited by thousands of Arameans, was barely able to find a safe place.
24 May 2012: In front of the Syriac Orthodox St. Mary Church. H.E. Mor Gregorius Melki Ürek, the Bishop of Adiyaman and Urfa (Edessa); Fr. Yusuf Akbulut, the priest of the Church; the Sur District Mayor, Mr. Abdullah Demirbas; Aramean Committee Members in charge of the Church; the WCA Delegation, headed by Mr. Johny Messo.
Our local sources inform us that the area surrounding the ancient-old Syriac Orthodox St. Mary Church in the Sur district has been destroyed. One of its walls may possibly have been damaged. The WCA President, Johny Messo, spoke to the last remaining family and became extremely concerned about the ongoing developments in this part of the city. While speaking over the phone, one could even hear explosions and gunfire in the background.
Fr. Yusuf and his wife are the last Aramean family who could barely escape the fighting. With a traumatized voice, he explained: “My wife and I managed to escape the Church just moments ago with great difficulty. Even the police could not help us when we contacted them, because they were not allowed to enter this part of the town. A few days ago, we already sent our children away in order to put them in safety. My wife and I, however, could not leave this ancient-old Church,” which symbolizes the last living presence of the Arameans in this once flourishing Aramean city.
He continued to explain that they were left no choice anymore, but to escape at once: “We heard the fighting coming closer to us and we felt the ground shaking more and more. Especially my wife got terribly afraid and then we both decided that we had to run for our lives. We ran outside with white flags in our hands and, thank God, we could barely find a safe place. Not even at home or church we were safe. Our psychology has been greatly impacted by what we have experienced lately.”
24 May 2012: The Sur District Mayor, Mr. Abdullah Demirbas, speaking about why his Council decided to accept the WCA's request to rename a street after an Aramean street. Here he is also seen wearing his medal of honor, which the WCA gave him for his efforts to promote the ethno-religious diversity of the town.
Asked about the conditions of the ancient church, whether or not it is still intact, Fr. Yusuf answered: “When we escaped, we saw so many streets completely destroyed. Our hometown was unrecognizable and it looked like a war zone. We don’t know what has happened to our Church, because we didn’t dare to look while we were running for our lives. Now we have little hope left that there can be a future for us, Aramean Christians, to stay in the land of our forefathers.”
The WCA has immediately informed various Turkish Government officials, requesting their urgent intervention. The fighting between the Turkish army and the Kurdish PKK has seen a resurgence lately in many towns and cities across Southeast Turkey. The WCA has asked to immediately instruct the army units operative in Diyarbakir to spare innocent civilians and ancient heritage sites.
The WCA has visited the Arameans, the church, the governor, the mayor and the mayor of the Sur district in Diyarbakir more than once. On 24 May 2012, the WCA was able to get the street of the church respectfully renamed after one of the saints and scholars of the Syriac Orthodox Church, Jacob (Dionysius) Bar-Salibi (†1171). The Council of the Sur district approved the request and the then mayor, Mr. Abdullah Demirbas, and the WCA President both attached the Turkish street name sign to the wall of the St. Mary Church that has now come under siege. A few months later, again upon the request of the WCA, the same sign was added in the Aramaic language.
For more photos, see http://www.wca-ngo.org/multimedia/galleries/wca-images/opening-bar-salibi-street-in-diyarbakir-turkey-24-may-2012.
Download the current press release here in PDF.
24 May 2012: The courtyard of the St. Mary Church, filled with Aramean Christians from Istanbul and the WCA Delegation.
24 May 2012: The WCA President, Mr. Johny Messo, is seen here confirming the street name sign to the Church Wall.
24 May 2012: Fr. Yusuf Akbulut of the St. Mary Church, right behind the Church posing with the WCA Delegation, consisting of (right to left): Mr. Philip Hanna (WCA Legal Counsel), Mr. Sabo Hanna (WCA Cultural Heritage Director), Mr. Johny Messo (WCA President), Mr. Melki Toprak (Chairman of the Federation of Arameans in Switzerland), Mr. Nail Can (Vice-Chairman of the Aramaic satellite channel Suryoyo Sat). The sign above is written in Latin characters, but is Aramaic for: WELCOME.
Buyono: hcomo al a Suryoye bi Qamishlo
U Huyodo Suryoyo Tibeloyo wa Huyodaydeh b-awyutho qwitho ne ‘am u Sootoro bi Qamishlo u lo kmaqbli ayna gabo, gayso aw ‘amo nukhroyo d-qoyem mqabel du ‘amo Suryoyo wa noturaydeh!
Aramese organisaties en bisschop van Homs vragen Tweede Kamer hulp voor Aramese christenen in Syrie en Irak
Enschede / Den Haag, 14 november 2015 - Aanstaande dinsdag 17 november 2015 zullen de World Council of Arameans, de Suryoye Aramese Federatie Nederland en de Aramese Beweging voor Mensenrechten een petitie aanbieden aan leden van de Tweede Kamer. De petitie zal overhandigd worden door Aramese vluchtelingen uit Maaloula. Maalolua is één van de oudste christelijke steden ter wereld, waar tot twee jaar geleden het West-Aramees, de taal van Jezus, gesproken werd. Twee jaar geleden werd het bezet door Al Nusra. Het christelijk erfgoed werd vernietigd. Geestelijken zijn er ontvoerd en mensen werden op straffe van de dood gedwongen zich te bekeren tot de Islam. Zij die weigerden werden vermoord. Inmiddels is Maaloula in handen van het regeringsleger.
In 2013 overhandigde de SAFN eveneens een petitie, betreffende de situatie van christenen in Syrië, aan de Vaste Commissie voor Buitenlandse Zaken van de Tweede Kamer (zie hier).
New Bomb Attack kills Three Aramean Christians in Qamishli, northeast Syria
On Sunday evening, 24 January 2016, the formerly predominantly Aramean Christian city of Qamishli in northeast Syria has been attacked for the third time in less than a month time. Café Star in the largely Christian quarter of the city was bombed, resulting in the death of at least three Aramean young men and about 10 persons injured.
Arameans of Qamishli establish association
After months of preparatory work, on 18 December 2015 the WCA proudly announced the foundation of a Syriac Aramean Association in Qamishli, a town in northeast Syria that borders southeast Turkey, with support of the WCA Member Federations and the Aramaic TV Channel Suryoyo Sat.
Landmark Decision: Armenian Parliament Recognizes Aramean Genocide
On 24 March 2015, the Armenian National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia in Yerevan passed a Bill condemning the Genocide of the Greeks and Arameans Perpetrated by Ottoman Turkey in 1915-1923. The draft Bill was adopted with 117 votes “for,” with no abstentions or votes “against” the Bill. The World Council of Arameans (Syriacs), the United Nations NGO representing Aramean Christians across the world, applauds the Republic of Armenia for its recognition of this forgotten Genocide.
The Armenian Standing Committee on Foreign Relations had earlier sponsored the Bill leading to healthy debate in the Parliament. The discussions referred to several international resolutions and conventions in order to substantiate their decision. This included the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 96 of 11 December 1946, titled “The Crime of Genocide,” the 11 December 1946 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and the 26 November 1968 Convention on the non-applicability of statutory limitations to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The Aramean (Syriac) people were subjected to a horrific Genocide by the Ottoman (Turkish) Government in 1895 and from 1915-1923. This year of 2015, marks the 100 year anniversary since the terror rained on the Armenian, Greek and Aramean (Syriac) populations of Turkey.
The Aramean people are the indigenous people of Southeast Turkey and, like the Armenians and Greeks, suffered a campaign of race extermination by the Ottomans, who were assisted by numerous Kurdish tribes. The Arameans who managed to escape the Genocide, continued to suffer the theft and occupation of their indigenous lands and constant terror, persecution and massacres in Southeast Turkey. This has now led to a large Diaspora living in exile throughout the world.
It is a fact of history that as Turkey wiped out over 1.5 million Armenians, the Ottomans also sanctioned the systematic annihilation of the Arameans (Syriacs) and Greeks. Henry Morgenthau, U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire (1913-16), testified as follows about the ethnic cleansing of the Arameans (also referred to as “Syrians” for historical reasons) by the Turks:
“And now the Young Turks, who had adopted so many of [Sultan] Abdul Hamid’s ideas, also made his Armenian policy their own. Their passion for Turkifying the nation seemed to demand logically the extermination of all Christians – Greeks, Syrians, and Armenians ... They would destroy all Greeks, Syrians, Armenians, and other Christians, move Moslem families into their homes and into their farms, and so make sure that these territories would not similarly be taken away from Turkey” (Ch. XXII).
Mr. Johny Messo, President of the World Council of Arameans (Syriacs), welcomes the Resolution and remarks: “During this 100 year anniversary of the Ottoman Genocide of the Armenians, Greeks and Arameans, we are left at a crossroads. In order to step into a brighter future, states must recognize their past and decide whether they wish to remain stuck in the past or prefer to move forward. Just like the German State recognized the Holocaust, for instance, it would benefit the Turkish State to come to terms with the dark pages of its history, reconcile with the victims, and gain the respect and appreciation of the world community. During this centennial year, we ask all governments of the world, in particular of Turkey, to mirror the example of the Armenian people.”
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NOTE ON THE MISSTRANSLATION OF ARMENIAN ASORI AS “ASSYRIAN”
In recognizing the Genocide of the Arameans (Syriacs), the Armenian Parliament refers to “Asori.” In Armenian, “Asori” and “Asoreren” are well-acknowledged terms to mean “Syrian” people and “Syriac” language, which are originally Greek terms for the Semitic (Hebrew and Aramaic) names of the “Aramean” people and “Aramaic” language. Historians, linguists and scholars of Armenian Studies widely confirm the historical and linguistic fact that “Asori” should be translated as “Syrian; Aramean.” They have also clearly clarified the confusing and inaccurate translation of the resembling English term “Assyrian,” which itself is actually “Asorestants’i” in Armenian.
For the Turkish term Süryani, which has also sometimes erroneously been translated as “Assyrian,” see a brief explanation with academic references at http://wca-ngo.org/heritage/288-fact-sheet-sueryani-means-syrian-syriac-or-aramean-aramaic.
Click here to download this Press Release in PDF.
Ongoing Kurdish Terror Attacks Against Aramean Christians in Syria
URGENT APPEAL TO MEDIA, POLITICIANS, EMBASSIES AND HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS
The Christians of Syria are under attack yet again. However, this time from those who until now have been perceived as victims themselves – the Kurds. In a shocking move, Kurdish YPG forces have unleashed a wave of ongoing intimidations, threats and assaults on the final remaining Aramean Christians in northeast Syria. The WCA condemns this campaign of terror against a vulnerable minority and calls upon the media, politicians and human rights organizations to speak out and help to cease the policy of covert demographic engineering.
The burial of Aramean martyr Gabi Henry Daoud has attracted thousands of Arameans and others in Qamishli, Syria
Christmas gift to Qamishli
On 28 December 2015, the WCA and its Member Federations, distributed food packages to 400 Aramean families in Qamishli, northeast Syria; see here for a similar Easter Gift. The WCA's local branch, the Syriac Aramaic Association of Qamishli, coordinated everything. What was meant to be a happy and joyful event, was destroyed the next day when 13 Christians (9 Arameans, 4 Armenians) were killed in the same city by unidentified terrorists.
Click here for a video report in Modern Aramaic.
Food packages have been prepared and distributed by the Syriac Aramaic Association of Qamishli.
The humanitarian aid gift was a project of the WCA, its Member Federations and sister organizations.
Members of the coordination team hand out the food packages and register their number.
The first families arrive to pick up their food package.
To follow and support the WCA, download our FREE smartphone app under "WCA" or "WCA NGO" in iTunes and GooglePlay, and become a WCA Member in just 1 minute via www.SupportWCA.com.
Genocide - Appeal to German Government
Below is a joint declaration that calls upon the German Government to assume its responsibility concerning the Ottoman Genocide against the Aramean, Greek and Armenian populations during World War I. Signed by a number of organizations, the text was drafted on 7 March 2015 in Gütersloh, Germany, at The Third Aramean Congress titled "SAYFO 1915-2015 and the Aramean Identity" that was organized by the World Council of Arameans (Syriacs) and the Federation of Arameans in Germany. Afterwards, a live program was held on Suryoyo Sat, the Aramaic-speaking satellite channel.
Click here for the German original & click here for the English PDF version.
Urgent Appeal to the Federal German Government:
Recognition of the Aramean Genocide after 100 Years!
Do not leave the restoration of the victims’ dignity up to a regime, which is not ready to assume responsibility.
The overwhelming amount of facts, expressed in numerous scientific researches, studies and projects, speak a very clear language: The genocide against the Arameans, Armenians and Greeks is a historical fact.
We, the undersigned Aramean organizations, call upon the Federal German Government to finally officially acknowledge the genocide against the Christian minorities of the Arameans, Armenians and Greeks in the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1923, and thus finally end the century-long distortion and denial of a historical fact. Your silence and non-recognition of the genocide are strengthening the Turkish State in its irresponsible dealing with its history, and are also insulting the victims and their descendants.
- Open your eyes for the historical facts; open your heart for the suffering of the victims and their descendants; open your conscience to the violated dignity of hundreds of thousands of innocent people.
- By not recognizing the historical facts, by using relative terms and euphemisms, you are strengthening the Turkish State in its unyielding position towards the descendants of the victims, who until today are suffering from state-organized accusations, marginalization and persecution.
- Be an active partner of the victims in the reconciliation process between the descendants of the victims and the perpetrators, and no “accomplice” in a system that prefers state persecution over sincere state responsibility.
- Today, 100 years later, the Turkish authorities are still unyieldingly persecuting the descendants of the victims in Turkey and all over the world, whenever they break the silence that has been prescribed by the state. Align yourselves with these victims and leave the alliance consisting of deniers, liars and hypocrites who are withholding the victims the right to adequately esteem their suffering.
- Now, 100 years later, the time has come for the Federal Republic of Germany to demonstrate responsibility and solidarity, and to join the countries that do not shrink from reminding Turkey of its responsibility towards the victims and their descendants.
- Help a State, which since a century suppresses its responsibility, to finally assume responsibility and act responsibly.
- Today, 100 years after a state-organized murder of hundreds of thousands of innocent people, you are called upon to help the victims to regain their dignity!
Gütersloh, Germany
10 March 2015
The signatories
• WCA – World Council of Arameans [Syriacs]
• BVDAD – Bundesverband der Aramäer in Deutschland
• Föderation der Aramäer in der Schweiz/Federazione degli Aramei in Svizzera
• Suryoye Aramese Federatie Nederland
• Fédération des Araméens de Belgique
• Aramaic Christian Organization in Israel
• Syriac Federation of Sweden
• Syriac Association of Australia
• Aramaic American Association
• Aramean Association of the United Kingdom
• Syriac Association of Vienna/Austria
• Youth Federation of Arameans in Sweden
• Kreis Aramäischer Studierender Heidelberg
• Nisibin – Stiftung für Aramäische Studien
• Suryoyo Sat International
• Suryoyo Sat Germany
• Suryoyo Sat Sweden
• Suryoyo Sat Holland
• Suryoyo Sat Belgium
• Suryoyo Sat Switzerland
• Lebnon Network
• Sayfo Comité 1915
• Aramaic Charity Organization
• Aramese Beweging voor Mensenrechten
• Aramean Democratic Organization in Sweden
LIVE PROGRAM ON SURYOYO SAT
