Foundation stone laid for Sayfo monument in Qabre Hewore (Qahtaniyah), Beth Nahrin

QABRE HEWORE (Qahtaniyah), North and East Syria — On the occasion of the 110th anniversary of the Sayfo Genocide, perpetrated against the the Syriac people by the Ottoman Empire and allied Kurdish tribes, the foundation stone for the Sayfo Martyrs’ Memorial was laid in the town of Qabre Hewore (Qahtaniyah), in the Beth Nahrin region.

The event began with a gathering in front of the Syriac Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary, where attendees observed a minute of silence in honor of the martyrs’ souls. This was followed by a “Teshmeshto” prayer service, led by Father Simaan Issa, for the repose of the genocide victims. A candlelight march then proceeded toward the Qajla neighborhood, where a historical and spiritual overview of the massacres and their meaning to the Syriac people was delivered.

Faraj Maruki gave a speech on behalf of the people of Qabre Hewore, followed by a statement from the Syriac Union Party, read by Faya Ardesh, the party’s co-chair in Qabre Hewore. The party emphasized that the massacres were not merely tragic historical events, but a brutal attempt to uproot the Syriac people from their land, crush their identity, bury their language, and burn their faith. The statement described the atrocities as a systematic genocide, orchestrated by a savage and racist regime, carried out with cold-blooded precision and unspeakable cruelty. More than 300,000 Syriacs were killed, churches were destroyed, women were raped, and children were slaughtered at village doorsteps—not for any crime, but simply for being Christian and Syriac.

The party stressed that this memorial is not merely symbolic—it is a declaration of ongoing resistance. It is not just for remembrance, but a cornerstone in the wall of truth, a message to the world that the Syriac people are still here—alive, thinking, organizing, fighting, and building. The party affirmed that it will not cease its demand for official international recognition of the genocide, nor its call for historical and legal accountability for the perpetrators, their supporters, and those who remained silent.

Following the statement, participants cut the ribbon to inaugurate the memorial and lit candles in memory of the victims. The ceremony concluded with the screening of a documentary film featuring an overview of the massacres and testimonies from survivors and their descendants.