Syriac diaspora communities mark 110th anniversary of Sayfo Genocide around the world

On 15 June, Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) communities around the world solemnly remembered the Sayfo Genocide, marking 110 years since the coordinated massacres carried out by the Ottoman Empire and its Kurdish tribal allies in 1915. From Europe to Australia, public ceremonies, liturgies, and educational forums underscored a unified call for official recognition and justice for the estimated 300,000 to 500,000 Syriacs (Arameans–Assyrians–Chaldeans) murdered in the campaign of violence and displacement.

Commemorations Across Europe

In Sweden, the heart of the Syriac diaspora’s European presence, congregations in Södertälje and nearby towns observed Divine Liturgies at prominent churches. Syriac Orthodox Patriarchal Vicar in Sweden Archbishop Mor Dioscorus Benjamin Ataş presided over services at St. Ephrem’s Church in Södertälje, followed by prayers at the community’s Sayfo memorial monument.

Director of External Relations for the Syriac Orthodox Church in Germany Mor Julius Hanna Aydin led parallel observances at St. Jacob of Sarug Church, while Father Jimmy Danho reflected on the significance of 15 June as the day when Ottoman forces unleashed a systematic campaign of extermination against Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) villages and towns.

Sayfo commemoration in Södertälje, Sweden:

In Örebro, clergy and lay members gathered at the Martyrs’ Memorial outside St. Aho’s Church. “Our martyrs were silenced by the sword,” declared community elder Said Baran, “but their memory is a flame we keep alive — until the world calls them what they were: victims of genocide.”

In Sweden’s capital, Stockholm, a dialogue forum convened by researcher Emmanuel Poli explored newly uncovered archival materials, shedding light on how Ottoman officials orchestrated the killing of entire Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) communities between June and August of 1915. Attendees, including academics and descendants of survivors, stressed that remembrance is itself an act of resistance against both historical erasure and ongoing discrimination.

Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, Archbishop Mor Polycarpus Augin Aydin led services in Enschede and at the Monastery of St. Ephrem. The World Council of Arameans (Syriacs) supplemented the religious ceremonies with public exhibitions and lectures detailing the Ottoman Empire’s intentional policies of deportation and mass murder.

Similarly, in Belgium, prayers at local churches were followed by public gatherings where speakers urged the Belgian government and European Union institutions to formally recognize Sayfo as genocide — a designation already affirmed by many historians but still lacking unanimous international acknowledgment.

Sayfo Commemoration Brussels, Belgium:

In Locarno, Switzerland, the Bethnahrin National Council (Mawtbo Umthoyo d’Bethnahrin, MUB) orchestrated a memorial at the Peace Garden’s Sayfo monument. Father Abrohom Bander led congregants in Teshmeshto prayers — ancient liturgical texts in the Syriac language — and Cameran Arbagan delivered an impassioned address in Italian, calling on the Swiss government and international bodies to finally pass resolutions recognizing Sayfo as genocide. “Justice delayed is justice denied,” he urged, highlighting Switzerland’s history of neutrality and its moral responsibility to stand with oppressed minorities.

Commemorations in Germany spanned several regions. In Baden, a small but determined gathering honored the victims with prayers and hymns. At Mar Yaqoub Sarouji Church in Göppingen, scholar Mattias Bajar moderated a youth-focused panel discussion on Sayfo, encouraging younger generations to engage with their heritage through research and storytelling. In Pulheim, Archbishop Mar Filiksinos Matias Naish joined community representatives at the Sayfo memorial for prayers and poetry recitations that blended Syriac and German-language verses. Meanwhile, at Mar Yohanon Dkfoné Church in Delmenhorst, Bishop Hanna Aydin led a moment of silence as church bells tolled in unison — a poignant reminder of lives abruptly cut short a century ago. Smaller services offering Teshmeshto prayers also took place in Tauber, Bebra, and Verl at Mar Yaqoub of Nisibis Church, illustrating the widespread reach of Syriac communities across Germany.

Halfway around the globe in Sydney, Australia, the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) community assembled at Mar Afram Church for a Divine Liturgy, after which wreaths were laid at the church’s Sayfo monument. At Mar Melki Church, traditional hymns gave way to speeches emphasizing the genocide’s role in shaping contemporary Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) identity and faith. Participants recited Teshmeshto prayers invoking the memory of martyrs whose stories were transmitted orally across generations.

A Unified Message of Remembrance and Justice

Despite geographic distances and diverse local traditions, all events carried a common message: preserving the memory of Sayfo is crucial for achieving historical justice and combating denial. Organizers emphasized that official recognition of the 1915 massacres as genocide would not only honor the victims but also set a precedent for protecting vulnerable minorities worldwide.

As Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) communities from Europe to Australia observed this 110th anniversary, they reiterated that remembrance is more than ritual — it is an ongoing commitment to truth, dignity, and reconciliation. With renewed vigor, they vowed that the story of Sayfo will remain alive in churches, homes, and public squares until the world fully acknowledges both the suffering endured and the resilience demonstrated by the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people.