Sayfo Genocide Memorial in Brussels defaced
BRUSSELS — A monument in Brussels commemorating the 1915 Sayfo Genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire and its allies against the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people has been defaced with derogatory remarks by unknown individuals.
The monument holds profound significance as a tribute to the hundreds of thousands of martyrs of the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) community who were killed at the hands of the Ottoman army and allied Kurdish clans.
The attack on the monument occurred on Friday evening.
In #Brussels, the capital of #Europe 🇪🇺, the memorial commemorating victims of the 1915 #Syriac genocide #Sayfo has been vandalized, featuring references to the Ottoman Empire.
Strongly condemning this! pic.twitter.com/5HRtga88eN
— Gabriel ☦︎ ܓܒܪܐܝܠ (@gabrieltrayono) August 27, 2023
Orhan Aydin, a former Brussels municipality activist, told Suroyo TV that investigations are set to be launched into this appalling act.
The residents of Brussels, hailing from these affected communities, have united in their condemnation of the defacing of the monument. They urgently call upon the local authorities to initiate a thorough investigation to unveil those responsible for this act of vandalism.
Constructed in 2015 to commemorate the centenary of the 1915 genocide, the memorial, situated in Brussels’s Gitte District, serves as a poignant reminder of the past atrocities endured by the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people.