Over 700 rally in Jönköping, Sweden, to demand Swedish recognition of 1915 Sayfo Genocide

JÖNKÖPING, Sweden — More than 700 people gathered in Jönköping, Sweden, on Friday evening for a demonstration that combined historical remembrance with political advocacy. The crowd, which included the city’s mayor and five Eastern Church priests, called on the Swedish government to formally acknowledge the1915  Sayfo Genocide in which upwards of 250,000 Syriacs (Arameans–Assyrians–Chaldeans) were killed. 

The demonstration was organized by political parties and institutions representing the city’s Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) community, following an initiative launched by the Bnay Beth Nahrin website. The initiative emphasized the goal of “unifying political action” and pressing Swedish authorities to adopt a clearer official stance on one of the darkest chapters of modern Middle Eastern history.

The march began at 6:00 PM, led by demonstrators carrying a large banner reading “Recognize the Sayfo Genocide of 1915.” Upon reaching the designated site for speeches, the gathering opened with prayers. The priests first offered prayers for the souls of the martyrs in Western Syriac, followed by a prayer in Eastern Syriac, symbolizing unity in ritual and collective memory. 

A joint statement issued by the organizing institutions was read aloud by two young women, Mariana Yonan and Sophia Bula. The statement contained two central demands. First, that the Swedish government officially recognize the Sayfo Genocide, and second, that Turkish and Kurdish authorities return confiscated properties and lands belonging to the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) community in the Tur Abdin region. 

Jönköping’s Mayor, Tord Sundqvist, also addressed the crowd, stressing the demonstration’s humanitarian message. “We are here to demand recognition of the Sayfo Genocide, not to seek revenge,” he said, underlining that the call for recognition was rooted in human rights and justice rather than retribution. 

Organizers highlighted that the Jönköping event was not intended as a one-time event but as the beginning of a sustained political process. The initiative aims to bring the Sayfo Genocide issue further into Sweden’s public agenda, potentially opening the door to parliamentary debate on historical memory, justice, and recognition.