Sayfo Genocide commemorative events held in Hamburg and Polheim in Germany

HAMBURG and POLHEIM, Germany — Commemorative activities for the 1915 Sayfo Genocide continued in Hamburg and Polheim, Germany, with events organized by the Bethnahrin Women’s Union (Huyodo d’Neshe d’Bethnahrin, HNB) and the European Syriac Union (ESU).

In Hamburg, the event was spearheaded by Noura Kabalan and Aziz Kabalan, respectively, in collaboration with the Syriac Orthodox Mor Dimit Church Women’s Committee and the Church Council, led by Suleiman Aydogdu.

The ceremony began with the lighting of candles in the church, followed by a prayer led by Father Hanna for the repose of the martyrs’ souls. Discussions highlighted the barbaric acts committed by the Ottoman Empire against the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people and the lasting impacts of these atrocities.

In Polheim, the Syriac Club organized a memorial event attended by representatives from both Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) and German institutions. Israel Beth Joseph, representing the Mayor of Polheim, addressed the significance of remembering Sayfo and emphasized the need for ongoing recognition.

Professor Ernest Hester highlighted the importance of international acknowledgment of the Sayfo Genocide, while Helena Aee from the Bethnahrin National Council (Mawtbo Umthoyo D’Bethnahrin, MUB) discussed the Ottoman policies that sought the eradication of the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean), Armenian, and Greek peoples.

The event concluded with Father Lahadou Aydin, Maryam Budak from the HNB, and Israel Beth Joseph laying flowers at the Sayfo Memorial in Polheim, honoring the memory of the martyrs.

In related news, the Syriac Orthodox Mor Ephrem Church in Södertälje, Sweden, also held a commemorative event in front of the Sayfo Memorial, including a prayer for the martyrs.

Additionally, a Syriac monastery in Schwyz, Switzerland, hosted a remembrance event led by Bishop Mor Dionysius Issa Gorbuz, who spoke on the crimes against the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) and other Christian peoples in the Ottoman Empire.