11/10/2024

Syriac Union Party honors martyrs of Bethnahrin National Council in memorial ceremony

HASAKAH, North and East Syria — In a solemn ceremony held at the Syriac–Assyrian Martyrs’ Shrine in Hasakah, North and East Syria, the Syriac Union Party (SUP) organized a memorial to honor the martyrs of the Bethnahrin National Council (Mawtbo Umthoyo D’Bethnahrin, MUB). The event was attended by representatives from various institutions of the MUB, leaders of the Syriac Military Council (Mawtbo Fulhoyo Suryoyo, MFS) and the Syriac Security Forces (Sutoro), as well as officials from the Democratic Autonomous Administration of Region of North and East Syria (DAARNES) and political parties in the region. Members of the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) community and other groups from Gozarto (Jazira) Canton also participated, along with the supervisor of martyrs’ families.

The ceremony began with a minute of silence to pay tribute to the martyrs, followed by a performance from the Syriac Cultural Association’s Scout Band, which played melodies commemorating the occasion.

Kino Gabriel, member of the MUB Administrative Committee and official of the Center for Syriac Strategic Studies, read a statement on behalf of the MUB. Maha Shabo, a member of the Executive Council of the Syriac Union Party, also delivered a speech, alongside Armin Mardo, Co-Chair of the Foundation for the Families of Syriac–Assyrian Martyrs, who praised the sacrifices of the MUB martyrs. All speakers renewed the pledge to honor the martyrs by continuing their mission for freedom and justice.

Head of the Syriac Women’s Union (SWU) Georgette Barsomo highlighted the significance of 10 October as a historic day for the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people. She noted that the martyrs of the MUB embodies the philosophy of freedom and resistance, fighting for an independent homeland and the rightful claims of the oppressed on their ancestral lands. Barsomo emphasized that the martyrs represent not only a cultural and historical heritage but also a legacy of sacrifice for the cause of the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people.

Gabriel Chamoun, Deputy Co-Chair of the DAARNES’s Executive Council and a member of the SUP’s Executive Committee, reassured the families of the martyrs and the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people that the party will continue to serve the cause of the martyrs. He stressed that the struggle for freedom, initiated by those who gave their lives, remains central to the party’s mission.

Head of the SUP’s Zalin (Qamishli) branch Rubel Baho reiterated that the martyrs are the foundation of national action, inspiring the will and motivation needed to achieve national rights and a political solution for Syria’s future.

The ceremony concluded with attendees lighting candles on the martyrs’ shrines, accompanied by the Syriac Cultural Association’s Scout Band.