Church of Västerås in Sweden held Divine Liturgy for Sayfo martyrs

VÄSTERÅS, Sweden — Along with other churches and institutions of the Syriac (Aramean-Chaldean-Assyrian) people across the world, commemorated the Sayfo martyrs Remembrance Day which was announced on 15th June.

The Had B’Shabo and Mor Elio Church in Västerås, Sweden, commemorated those killed during the 1915 Sayfo Genocide by holding a Divine Liturgy for their souls. The Divine Liturgy was presided over by priest of the church Father Malak Olger.

After the Divine Liturgy, Father Olger spoke about the importance of remembering the Sayfo Genocide.

Father Olger added that, “We, as Syriac people, must remember the Sayfo Genocide that took place against our ancestors in 1915.”

The Sayfo Genocide was committed by the Ottoman Empire and allied Kurdish, Arab, and Circassian forces in the early 20th century against the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people and occurred parallel to the genocides of Armenians, Greeks, and Yezidis. Upwards of 300,000 of the region’s estimated 700,000 Syriacs (Arameans–Assyrians–Chaldeans) were massacred. More than 200,000 were forcefully displaced or deported south.