The Syriac Woman: Guardian of Heritage and Shaper of the Future

By Semiramis Keryo

The Syriac woman has played a vital role in human societies throughout history. With a strong will and a powerful personality, she has preserved Syriac heritage and culture, serving as a cornerstone in passing it on to future generations. 

Her contributions to education and upbringing were evident through the monasteries, which served as educational and scientific institutions. Nuns engaged in copying and translating religious, literary, and scientific texts. Through their efforts to preserve and translate ancient manuscripts, Syriac culture was transmitted from generation to generation. Much of the credit for maintaining the Syriac language, customs, and traditions goes to the Syriac woman. 

Additionally, the Syriac woman embodies the values of family, cooperation, and community involvement. Family is an inseparable part of her life, and she plays a pivotal role in upholding social traditions and norms. Syriac women have continued to protect cultural heritage through art, literature, and education. Many of them became poets, writers, and artists, contributing to the promotion of Syriac cultural identity on a global scale. 

The Syriac woman represents many of the values and qualities that define her authentic culture, which has evolved over centuries of history. She has stood strong in the face of challenges and hardships, including the Sayfo massacres of 1915, committed by the Ottoman Empire and its mercenaries against the Syriac, Chaldean, and Assyrian people. These massacres had significant impacts on the Syriac people in general and on Syriac women in particular. 

Emerging from those atrocities with deep wounds, the Syriac woman witnessed the killing, slaughter, and forced displacement of her people. Nevertheless, she demonstrated resilience, courage, and an unyielding will to survive. She raised a new generation of resilient individuals armed with knowledge and intellect. She also contributed to supporting her family and strengthening her community economically, working side by side with men. 

The Syriac woman is capable of contributing wherever she finds herself. Since 2005, she has enhanced her status, keeping pace with advanced societies by establishing a women’s organization in Syria. On 20 July 2013, the first founding conference of the Syriac Women’s Union in Syria was held. Since then, she has taken on political and social responsibilities, participating in both international and local forums. She has assumed roles within the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, becoming a decision-maker despite all the challenges and obstacles she faced. Today, she stands as a co-president, a deputy in administration, and even as a soldier defending the Syriac homeland against terrorism. 

In short, the Syriac woman embodies the true spirit of Syriac culture through her authenticity, education, creativity in arts and literature, social values, and steadfastness in administrative, political, and military spheres. She has stood resiliently against all challenges, from the Sayfo massacres to the present-day Syrian crisis. 

The views expressed in this op-ed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of SyriacPress.