Assyrian culture is characterized by various annual celebrations, with the majority being tied to Christianity. These celebrations include marriage rituals, funeral rituals, and traditional Assyrian cuisine. The ancient Assyrian religion was largely polytheistic, with multiple gods and goddesses associated with different domains and aspects of life. The Assyrians preferred Āshūr and Āshūr, who were associated with the heavens and earthly world.
Assyrians observe a prescribed ritual of mourning when a death occurs, with a local priest administering the ritual. One of the most important rituals in the Assyrian religion was sacrifice, which the Assyrians believed required regular offerings of food, drink, and other offerings.
In imperial Assyria during the first millennium BCE, ritual pervaded every aspect of life, serving as the link between the divine realm and the life of the people. The corpus of royal rituals known to us includes a long series of acts performed by the king in the temples of Aššur, Ištar, and other gods.
Mourners wear only black until the 40-day mark and typically do not dance or celebrate major events for one year. Burial practices, including funerary rituals and kispu rituals, are also part of Assyrian wedding traditions. The Maqlu ritual targets sorcerers and witches, believed to be using dark magic to bring about misfortune, sickness, or even death.
📹 Assyrian Genocide: A Fate Worse Than Death
It seems impossible that we would forget genocides of entire people, but events like the Assyrian genocide show us how fickle …
What were the Assyrian beliefs and traditions?
Despite the fact that the Assyrians worshipped a number of different gods, they primarily regarded Ashur as their national deity. The Assyrians exhibited a proclivity for superstition, adhering to the belief in genii as city guardians and observing taboo days for specific activities.
How did the Assyrians treat the Jews?
During the invasion of Israel, many Israelite civilians were killed, including infants and pregnant women. This was repeated in later Assyrian conquests, such as the conquest of Elam. However, some people from the Northern Kingdom of Israel were not exiled and were invited by King Hezekiah to keep the Passover in Jerusalem with the Judean population. Hezekiah sent posts to spread the word among the remnant of the Northern kingdom, but some people of Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.
Even people from the Tribe of Issachar and strangers from the land of Israel participated in the Passover event. Biblical scholars like Umberto Cassuto and Elia Samuele Artom claimed that Hezekiah might have annexed these territories into his own kingdom. He sent letters to all Israel and Judah, as well as Ephraim and Manasseh, to keep the Passover in Jerusalem.
What were the rituals of the Assyrians?
The Assyrian religion placed a strong emphasis on the practice of sacrifice as a fundamental ritual for maintaining a state of satisfaction with the gods and ensuring the community’s protection and blessing through the regular offering of food, drink, and other goods.
Are Assyrians pagan?
Assyrians are predominantly Christian, adhering to East and West Syriac liturgical rites, using Classical Syriac as their liturgical language. They were early converts to Christianity alongside Jews, Arameans, Armenians, Greeks, and Nabataeans. The ancestral indigenous lands of Assyria are located in ancient Mesopotamia and the Zab rivers, now divided between modern-day Iraq, southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, and northeastern Syria. Most modern Assyrians have migrated to other regions, triggered by genocidal events and religious persecution by Islamic extremists.
The emergence of the Islamic State and occupation of a significant portion of the Assyrian homeland led to another wave of Assyrian displacement, including the 2003 invasion of Iraq by the United States and its allies and the Syrian civil war. Of the one million or more Iraqis who have fled Iraq since the occupation, nearly 40 were indigenous Assyrians, despite Assyrians accounting for only around 3 of the pre-war Iraqi population.
Do Assyrians believe in Jesus?
Christianity emerged in Mesopotamia by the mid-second century AD, but was separated from the Roman Empire by the Persians. The Assyrians became an independent Christian community, with their own head called a Catholicos and Patriarch. Assyrian Christianity developed independently from the rest of the Church, accepting the theology of Theodore of Mopsuestia and Nestorius and their teachings about Christ.
The Assyrians were not present for the Third Ecumenical Council that condemned Nestorianism, and many followers of Nestorius were expelled from the Byzantine Empire and sent into Persia. Some people still refer to the Assyrian Church as a “Nestorian Church”, although the Church itself asks not to be called this.
The Assyrian Church flourished for many centuries, sending missionaries to China and India. However, the Church was almost completely destroyed by the 14th century. In the 16th century, a group of Assyrians united with the Roman Catholic Church under the name of Chaldean Catholic Church, creating two distinct groups of Assyrian Christians: the Assyrian Christian Church of the East and the Chaldean Catholic Church.
How did the Assyrians worship?
The Assyrian religion was a complex system of rituals, ceremonies, and beliefs, with priests and priestesses playing a significant role. The religion also emphasized the belief in an afterlife, with the dead often buried with offerings for a comfortable life. The Assyrians also believed in demons and monsters that could harm the living. Despite being replaced by Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam, some gods and goddesses from the Assyrian pantheon have been incorporated into these later religions’ mythology, and many of the myths and stories have been passed down through the centuries.
Were the Assyrians violent or friendly?
The Neo-Assyrian Empire, which flourished between the ninth and seventh centuries BCE, was characterized by a history of relentless warfare. This era left a profound imprint on the annals of Mesopotamian history and the expansion of the empire.
What was the Assyrians lifestyle?
The Assyrians initially engaged in agricultural activities, which constituted a substantial component of their economic system. As their empire expanded, they became renowned for their military capabilities and governance, while also embracing civilization and innovations.
Why did God punish Assyrians?
The desire of the Assyrians to conquer a multitude of nations ultimately resulted in their demise. Their hubris and actions against Israel were met with divine retribution after the completion of God’s plan for Israel.
What 3 things were the Assyrians most known for in history?
The Assyrians, a people who have lived in the Middle East since ancient times, are known for their vast empire, ancient cities like Nimrud and Nineveh, and their fierce invasions into the Kingdom of Judah and Egypt. Their civilization was centered around the city of Assur, named after the supreme god of Assyria. The Assyrians controlled a vast territory from southern Iraq to the Mediterranean coast. Before Assur gained independence around 4, 000 years ago, it was controlled by the Sumerians, whose civilization declined due to political, military, and environmental issues.
How did Assyrians treat their people?
The Assyrians were known for their brutal war tactics, as evidenced by the words of an early king, Assurnarsipal. Although part of the Semitic language family, the Assyrian people are ethnically distinct from other Semitic groups. Assyria’s history is closely tied to its southern neighbor, Babylonia, as they spoke similar languages and worshipped similar gods. The two Mesopotamian empires were often rivals on the battlefield for influence in the ancient Middle East. Assyria’s history primarily spans from 2000 B. C. E., when Nineveh and Calah were founded, to the destruction of Nineveh in 606 B. C. E.
📹 The rise and fall of the Assyrian Empire – Marian H Feldman
Before the sun never set on the British Empire; before Genghis Khan swept the steppe; before Rome extended its influence to …
My grandfather is one of the survivors of these massacres in 1915 Mr. Yousif Bulus Isa Yaqo – family name “Botany“ Everything mentioned in this article is 100% true.! I have an audio recording recorded in 1979 of my grandfather, who was 74 years old this year. He mentions in detail how he and his mother only survived and reached Dohuk-Iraq (Mesopotamia) in 1915 and then to Alqosh-Mosul and then to Karamlesh. His entire family killed by Turkish Gendarmerie, his father, brothers, sisters, paternal uncles, maternal uncle, and grandmother, and the Kurds stole his sister and kidnapped her In Dohuk from his mother, and they left him and his mother dragging barefoot to Mosul (Nineveh).
Once you know about the genocides committed in the 20th century, the promise of governments to protect their citizens and demand the citizenry turn in their weapons start to sound a lot more sinister. Hand in your ability to fight back and we’ll keep you safe is a deal so raw and missing historical context it’s amazing. The two Assyrian cities that managed to repel the ottomans were left alone. Those who complied were murdered. It’s not hard to draw the necessary lessons from that.
A Greek author who survived these events, wrote a book about it. Once he escaped death because they were put in a line and a Turkish military officer was picking men for execution but he was drunk, stumbled and picked another person next to the author. The author suffered from survivor’s guilt until he died.
I am ashamed and feel disappointed after learning about the Armenian genocide. I was told by my parents that first, I am a human being and must respect all human beings regardless of their faith, color, culture, or creed. It is not acceptable in any form and anywhere. Hope peace prevails one day, and this world would be a better place to live, work, and support each other like we do here in America. Unfortunately, we can’t undo the history, but we can learn from why and what happened in the past. A Pakistani American
Thanks for bringing the forgotten story of genocide against Christians by those Ottomans. This were ruthless crime against Christians which were not properly documented and brought before public. Feels sorry for those who lost their life for their faith in Christ. Love and greetings from a Syrian Christian from India.
Being an Assyrian, I’m profoundly grateful for your efforts in raising awareness about a lesser-known historical atrocity that persists in denial to this day, much like the tragedy of the Armenians. It’s both astonishing and heartening to see individuals outside of our Assyrian community like yourself who have taken the time to learn about these events. On a personal note, my paternal grandfather was forced to flee Urmia at the tender age of six, enduring the loss of family members along the way. Equally heartbreaking, my maternal grandfather’s parents fell victim to the violence, leaving him to grow up as an orphan. Your acknowledgment and support mean a great deal to me and to the broader Assyrian community.
I’m an Assyrian from Iran, and I wholeheartedly appreciate individuals like you who recognize, acknowledge, and inform the world about the profound hardships as victims of genocide my nation has endured. My grandparent was an Assyrian soldier during Mar Shomon’s time and the horror stories of that period were passed down to us by my father.
I am from Azech (14:00) the village that fought back. But in the 1970s we “all” moved to Sweden. Not meny christians remain in the region. Still no rights for christians in turkey. In Norrköping Sweden we have rebuilt the community of Azech and we still talk about how our families survived and fought back. ❤
Bulgarian here. All Christians in the ottoman empire endured fates worse than death for centuries.. All this was conducted with the knowledge and support of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and British Empire. And Germany of course. They even romanticized the ottoman empire, most castles in western Europe would have a room decorated in a made up “ottoman” style. Many massacres went undocumented in Bulgaria and in some cases foreign reporters would witness the aftermath and publish articles and that is how the world would find out about it.(see Januarius Aloysius MacGahan) Nowadays we can sadly see articles of the war zones and witness unimaginable brutality to innocent civilians and small children and I can’t help but imagine that that is the kind of horrors my ancestors fled from. May these souls rest in peace
Sadly thousands of European Christians go on holiday to Turkey every year, and enrich those who have never expressed remorse for their historical crimes. Anyone attempting to comment too publicly against certain religions is accused of racism and of being a member of a particular political movement very active in 1930’s Germany……. why can’t we speak the truth and discuss it.
My family was from Antioch when it was part of Syria in Northwest Syrian then annexed by Turkey and the name of Antioch was changed to Hatai. For Turkey, any Christian particularly orthodox whether Greek, Antiochian, Assyrian or Armenian was considered a potential ally to the orthodox Russia and was exterminated. My grand parents fled and were part of the death marches. This genocide was heavily religious. This mentality is still prevalent in the Turkish government mentality. The Ottoman Kalifate is still a goal.
I’m a devout, Roman Catholic I do have a document that the pope at that time in Rome asked for funds to help the Assyrians and Armenians were being slaughtered. It’s a 1920 document. It’s actually in French, but the Catholic hierarchy was trying to help the peoples in those countries. And I do agree that even today turkey still does not acknowledge the atrocities that were done. I heard a saying with lies Islam dies.
I have the greatest sympathy for these Assyrians and Armenians. My people also have experienced similar treatment more than once but their sufferings were swept under the rug for Geopolitical and Ethno/Racial reasons and hardly anyone in America knows about it. I am glad that your are keeping the memories of those who perished alive by making these articles. They are not just nameless faces, but people like you and me and the viewers who deserve the rights to live in this often beautiful world of ours.
Thank you for addressing the important topic of the Assyrian genocide. As indigenous Mesopotamians, our community has endured immense suffering as a direct consequence of our religious beliefs and cultural heritage. Throughout history, Assyrians have faced persecution and targeted violence, resulting in significant loss of life, displacement, and the erosion of our ancestral traditions. It is crucial to shed light on these historical injustices and ensure that the memory of the Assyrian genocide is preserved for future generations. During this dark period, countless Assyrians were subjected to brutal acts of violence, including massacres, forced conversions, and forced deportations. Entire Assyrian villages were destroyed, leaving behind a legacy of pain, trauma, and a fragmented diaspora that continues to affect our community to this day. Thank you once again for bringing attention to the Assyrian genocide.
The more I learn about history, the more I get absolutely fascinated and disgusted on just how much atrocities and crimes against humanity Turkey managed to get away with and suffer absolutely NOTHING for it. Like heck, Germany comitted one genocide just a couple decades later and it got leveled to the ground, taxed an insane amount, split and claimed by different empires for decades. Turkey comitted THREE individual genocides against different people!
Most of the people on my mom’s side of the family were murdered. They were Greek. They weren’t taking up arms against anyone. They were just Christian, which meant they had to die. Instead of calling it an Armenian Genocide, it ought to be called a Christian Genocide, because everyone Christian–Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks–was targeted. The Armenians were hit the hardest, but they weren’t the only ones targeted.
I live in a G7 nation and they don’t🎓teach us about these atrocities in elementary or high schools and I think that’s a real shame! 💐To all Assyrians, I am so sorry for what your ancestors had to go through and I thank the Lord you are here today. I can only imagine those Ottoman evil-doers are gnashing their teeth in🔥hell. 💐Thanks for sharing the holy truth.
I am reading “The Beauty And The Sorrow” about WWI. It describes part of the Assyrian genocide, which I had not heard of before. Horrible like you wouldn’t believe, and for what? The book is well worth reading. It gives insights into what that war was like for many different people soldiers, civilians, nurses.
Thank you for this very well done documentary article. My father and grandparents were survivors of the Assyrian Genocide. They lived in the small villages of Gangachin and Bne Tuleke in the Bradost district of Iranian Azerbaijan. Today Assyrians still suffer the psychological scars that stem from this Genocide.
It’s heartbreaking to read about the genocides that have occurred. Our ancestors were often quite brutal. Even today, in this modern more enlightened era, genocides Still occur. Accountability and severe punishment seems to be the only way. As I often say, “Some people’s kids” I hope these wondrously brave peoples will finally have the peace that everyone has a right to
I am a Catholic from Malaysia, a country with 65% Muslims with 98% in Parliament. The country is heading to this direction. Economic Extermination is done since independence in 1957. perusal these articles about Assyrian and Armenian genocide gives me strength to continue to stay the course. Thank you to the individuals who have shared these articles.
Next time you do a mini documentary, try using a map to show us where all these events took place and don’t use the same photographs over and over. Having said that, thanks for what you did produce. I found it very informative, and it’s a good thing for the world to know about these things. Mankind has a ways to go yet to transcend our base instincts.
As a Kurd, I would love to apologize over what my ancestors did to you guys. I understand your pain (kinda as I also saw the horrors of Anfal and other nightmarish events) History books in Iraq and Kurdistan region often ignore Iraq and the region’s role in discrimination and genocide against Assyrians which is disgusting. Even today in Iraq, Turkey, and Syria… They are divided or fall victim to political issues. In Iraqi Kurdistan, they some Assyrians are allies of PDK (which is unironically racist against them) and PUK (which is cold or uncaring at best) or fall victim to lies of the Shia-dominated Iraqi parliament. In Syria, half of them support FSA, the others support SAA, and a part supports SDF (all of which aren’t that friendly or benevolent to their identity as one is Islamist, the other is Arab-Nationalist, and the third is Commie) In Turkey, let’s see… They could try to make themselves the allies of Turkish leftists because that might save them. However, most of those leftist parties are either useless or weak (HDP comes to mind) I hope your kind survives until another era, my brothers. I hope Christ protects you until then.
13:50 it’s ‘Ayn Wardo. Also, there were some other villages that were succesful at defending their lives, notably among them Enhil, which hasn’t been attacked at all due to the extraordinary diplomatic proficience of Bisso beth Kahya, the leader of Enhil. Many Christians from Midyat and nearby villages found shelter in Enhil and also survived. Another village that defended itself with weapons was Hah, which had welcomed almost every inhabitant of the neighboring village of Beth Qustan. Together they were able to survive. I have to emphasize that the Ottomans and Kurds were determined to completely exterminate the Christians in Tur Abdin and they got very close. Before the genocide the vast majority of the population in Tur Abdin were Syriac Orthodox Christians. After the genocide the Syriac Orthodox Christans became a minority and nowadays there are barely any left because of continued killings and displacement and kidnapping of little girls over the last hundred years. The region was so densely populated by Christians with so many churches and monasteries that Tur Abdin is also called the Mount Athos of the East.
I am none of those groups of people. However, I once experienced Turkish online users keep bringing up the genocide and brag about it, when told to stop, these users turn to active harassment, in the end, these guys got banned from the server While I do know some nice Turkish users, a lot of them are just ruining the reputation of their own nationality by being overly annoying and toxic
Thank you for bringing this topic in such a factual matter. To this day, and especially now under resurging nationalism under Erdogan in modern Turkey. Genocides that have happened in recent history are not only not taught but categorically denied. That’s why it is so important. to remember them. The worst part is, those are still happening in modern Turkey
My grandfather was a Greek immigrant who was born in 1890. He was sent away from his poor family to live with relatives in Egypt when he was 10 or 12. He came to America before WW1 and went back to Greece to fight in the Greek army. I’m assuming that he fought Turks. He was not a fan of the Turks, having lived under the Ottoman Empire. He also said that the Arabs had no respect for human life-a generalization for sure, but after Oct. 7, 2023 one can see why he felt that way.
As a Greek I think after that event, mesopotamia lost it’s identity. The place that gave birth to the first organised civilizations, is now inhabited by arabs muslims and became a total sh*thole. And with Syrian civil war so many monuments were destroyed. And then UN speaks about world peace, when the existence of nationalities in land that is not theirs, is common thing in global extension. The way you design borders is the number 1 reason to create a war and this is exactly what you wanted. Our Lord will take care of you. Greetings from nationalist orthodox Christian Hellas 🇬🇷☦️🫡
The Turks had German military advisors advise them on how to commit genocide due to their experience in orchestrating the genocides of the Herero and Namaqua peoples in Namibia. Even they were horrified by how brutal the Assyrian, Armenian, and Pontic Greek genocides were carried out. That should say enough about these genocides when the genocide teacher is horrified by their students project.
As a kurd, iam deeply ashamed by some of our ancestors part in this terrible atrocitie, the ottoman empire was vast and had many ethnic groups in it’s army, sadly we had a hand in this atrocitie, however i am glad that today we have many Christians and Assyrians in Kurdistan and we live peacefully together, it’s not perfect by any means but i think i can safely say that it’s the safest place for Christians in the region.
There is an Assyrian Church on a mountain top in Northen Iraq I had a chance to visit on one of my tours. We happened to be patrolling the area near there and it was mentioned by our interpreter. I have a couple of pictures of the outside I did not go in as I felt like a Hypocrite there as a soldier walking into a church said to be hundreds of years old
As a Turkish person, I didn’t know that. What a shame. I saw on news some Assyrians coming back to their original land. I hope we will learn from the past to build good relationships under a civilized, modern, and most importantly friendly stage. We must be sad not because Assyrians, Armenians, Greeks, or Turks massacred, but because human beings have been slayed.
“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.” John 15. 18-21
Aah…..Turkey. What do you do with a country which has a fine tradition of art and culture, but is outwardly war-like and aggressive? A child who is sneaky, is unpredictable, or is simply a sinister presence? Erdogan is being touted as the leader who will bring Turkey into the EU. I think they (the EU) would be well-served to see how Erdogan has behaved since being elected President, especially in terms of his dealings with NATO. This guy has ‘form’! Perhaps Erdogan sees himself as the next “Ottoman” leader. However, we can all cast our minds back to the desolation brought upon the Armenians and Assyrians, by the Ottoman regime around the time of WW1…..despicable acts of genocide. If Erdogan sees himself as the next major Muslim leader in the region, it would mean he has some juggling to do with his relationships, west to east, Muslim to Christian and so on. He has many masters to please – and upsetting any one of them could cause him problems.
As an Assyrian, our culture and history is basically destroyed, and now, while some of us reside in michigan, or chicago, or socal, ever since ISIS truly drove us out of the middle east, we are scattered and even merged with other ethnic groups because we are just considered unneeded, despite being sumerian in origin, literally, our ancestors were the first civilization and no one cares. We are gone.
As a Moroccan, I thank God and my grandfathers who defeated the Ottomans in battle and never let them commit these types of atrocities to us. I also read somewhere about the harsh treatment they treated the Algerians and the Tunisians. And they did it under the name of Islam, and Islam forbade its followers to not even harm a tree in wartime.
As a Canadian, I’m disgusted with my government’s failure to recognize the atrocities committed in Turkey and its surrounding areas buy the Ottoman Turks and their collaborators. At the same time, I would also like to air my disgust on the reprehensible treatment of the indigenous people of Canada which was being carried out by the Canadian government and its closest allies, the Catholic Church. Turkey’s government should be ashamed of itself for it’s premeditated attempt to wipe out the Assyrian people and own up to it.
As a Kurd, I deeply apologize for the pain cause upon my dear Assyrian brethren. It was truly a dark era in our collective history. I don’t say this to wash my hands clean of these horrible sins, but as true remorse and pain for the injustice committed against this kind and beautiful people, who’s only sin was that they where Christians and Assyrians.
Once upon a time, there was a big family who was happy and peaceful with their lives. When the family was wealthy and the most powerful family around, the father would protect his family and fight on their behalf. how nice ! no problem! After a while, the family’s economic situation worsened. Their distant neighbors, who wanted to seize the remaining wealth of the family, wanted to divide the family by making promises to some of the children. The father had to die to completely tear the family apart. One night, while the father was resting, powerful neighbors, together with some children of the family, attacked the father to kill him. The father resisted with one last strength and effort. Dad is not dead! The neighbors ran away. What happened to the traitor children? They were kicked out of the house. A few of them lost their lives trying to kill the father. They are also called children who suffered genocide in the Western world. (My ancestors are Bosnian, my child has blonde hair and blue eyes. However, it is not news that we are subjected to genocide or killed because we are Muslims.) Let’s see what stories we will listen to when America’s economy collapses.
greek, Assyrian and armenian genocide is forgotten because they are christian …. but we are always reminded of the holocaust and the people you cannot talk about …. bolshevik revolution, today with palestine unfortunately history is always written by the winners and the ones in control of the narrative
Turkey still perpetrates crimes such as this! Ottomans still colonize Armenia, Assyria and Kurdistan. These people are ancient in the extreme while the Turks are relative newcomers to the Middle East. Every piece of land at the Turks have been stolen from its native inhabitants. Just because they call themselves the Turkish Republic. doesn’t mean 0:03 that mean that they’re any less Ottoman colonial tyrants!
The Greek Genocide refers to the systematic extermination, forced deportation, and cultural destruction of the Greek population within the Ottoman Empire during and after World War I. It occurred alongside the Armenian and Assyrian genocides, as part of a broader campaign to eliminate Christian minorities within the collapsing Ottoman state. Key Elements of the Greek Genocide: Timeline: The Greek Genocide occurred primarily between 1913 and 1923, though the most intense period was during World War I (1914-1918) and its aftermath. Victims: The victims were predominantly ethnic Greeks living in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), Eastern Thrace, and the Pontus region along the Black Sea coast. Most were Orthodox Christians. Regions Affected: Pontus (on the Black Sea coast): The Pontic Greeks were heavily targeted. Asia Minor (Western Anatolia): Greek communities had been living in these regions for millennia. Eastern Thrace (European Turkey): Greeks were also targeted in areas close to the Greek border. Methods: Mass Killings: Large-scale massacres were carried out by Ottoman forces and paramilitary groups. Many Greeks were murdered in their villages, while others were executed in organized mass killings. Deportations: Many Greeks were subjected to forced death marches to the interior of Anatolia, where they died from starvation, exposure, and disease. Confiscation of Property: Greek homes, churches, and businesses were confiscated or destroyed, effectively erasing Greek presence from many areas.
Non voglio sentire neanche parlare di associazione della turchia alla UE…e meno che meno di cammino per l’integrazione della stessa allinterno della UE…..almeno fino a quando non ammettano le proprie colpe e responsabilità dei loro vertici di quegli anni circa il genocidio armeno greco e assiro, cioè della popolazione cristiana dell’impero ottomano …. Non si può trattare con una nazione che nega fatti storici di tale gravità o cmq che ne sminuisce la portata…..grazie
As a Russian, I would like to thank you for mentioning a role Russia played in this events. I met an Armenian lady in USA and she thanked me for my ancestors standing in the way of these atrocities. A lot of Russian soldiers died for the nations of Assirians, Armenians and Bulgarians. It is nice that some still remember this sacrifice. God bless all good people from any descent.
As recent as 2016-17 when isis took control of northern Mesopotamia where many Chaldean Christians villagers were subjected to the same fate as their historical Assyrian sisters and brothers. Practically all villagers left everything behind and barely escaped mind you they’re the original indigenous inhabitants. Countless human atrocities, not one successful conversion to any other religion !
Not heard of the Assyrian genocides before. Shocked to learn about this, those poor people. Such vile, despicable and unforgivable acts from the Turks (Ottomans). Modern day Turkey really should be made accountable for their past crimes against humanity. At the very least they should own up to it and acknowledge what their ancestors did. Thank you for this very enlightening article.
The fact that great many barbaric atrocities committed by entities such as Imperial Japanese unit 731 yet are completely forgotten while similar atrocities committed by Nazi Germany were Emphasized is something that needs more recognition! Similarly to how history seems to have completely forgotten the lengths of barbaric atrocities committed by the Soviet Union or Communist China is also something that needs more attention than is currently given
I went to school with a girl who was a descendent of survivors of the genocide. When i asked her where her family was from and she said “Turkey”, even back then i was like 😳 wow! I knew there was something significant about that without even knowing about the genocide yet. She told me later. She was a good friend… very truthful. She was the only one willing to tell me when the school was gossiping about me.
I’m an Armenian National. For my Assyrian brothers, and sisters. May You Live as Long as You Want. And May You Never Want As Long as You Live. I Wish You Happiness,and Prosperity. Stay Strong, and Enjoy Life, and Your Family. Kiss 😘 Them Everyday! Appreciate Their Company. Nothing is Guaranteed in This Life.
The people that I have met who are Turkish are lovely kind people. It’s really sad that none of us can trust our governments and military to lead us the way we would choose. Most of the time innocent people are caught up in things they don’t even understand. People who just want to live and let live. The people doing all the fighting are killing innocent people on both sides. Why? I don’t understand how some people can be so callus and uncaring while leading people who just want to live in peace at any cost. Not everyone is the enemy. I’m probably pretty naive having grown up in peace but I really would like to see the death, destruction, and atrocities in this world cease. ✌🏻💟🫂
Let’s also not forget the gypsies and other smaller groups of people that weren’t Turkish. In my hometown I was born in, in Armenia, there exists many Assyrian, gypsy, Greek communities, and a mix of others as well. My dad was a officer in the 70’ and 80’s. He’s told me that these people’s right or desire to be with their people is something that has always been respected in armenia. And we look at them as brothers and sisters, since everybody has the same messed up history. And since In Armenia, Armenians are the majority. It was Armenians that were punished if they disturbed these people. Messed up history.
Well done for the article clip. Not only genocide against Greeks, Armenians, Assyrians, but also genocide against Serbs. We Serbs were the first to raise uprisings and we expelled the Turkish occupiers, aggressors, criminals from the larger area of the Balkans. The Turks killed most of the Orthodox Christians. Never forget, never forgive.
As others pointed out, history repeat itself. The Assyrians were once the most powerful in the area of Mesopotamia and used to dish out misery among other regions. That said, man has and continue to use religion as the means to commit atrocities and this genocide is no exception. Glad some Assyrians were able to survive.
God bless all my ancestors. I am here to carry the torch forward. Your memories, your faith, your work has been continued on through me. The Lord blessed be his name has enabled me to see past this horrible event. He kept our bloodline alive. May Christ be with us all. A forgotten history to the west but never to me and my family!
Islam in a nutshell. This is exactly what would happen to the rest of the world if Islam were to spread. Glory to our Almighty Triune God, the opposite is happening. Muslims around the world are starting to see visions of Jesus and are beginning to accept Him as their Lord and Savior. I pray for all Muslims to open their hearts and minds to the truth of the gospel and find the everlasting peace and love which it holds.
My grandmother, bless her soul, when I was a kid told me that when the Turks entered their village at night, one of them had picked her scared & crying 3 year old cousin and smashed her against the wall, where she died instantly. In the 500 years of their rule, the Ottomans have committed unspeakable attrocities against those they subdugated. May none of the guilty rest in peace.
As a muslim, I feel outraged and feel disgust with what the ottoman did to the poor Assyrian or Armenian people. That ‘s a genocide. people should never be forced to convert that is against what is written in the Quran, I had an assyrian colleague who was nice and I loved her. Now next time I see an assyrian, I will let them know that I recognize and sympathise with them. We are all humans and everyone deserves peace and respect. Love and peace to all of you.
No it was taught in modern history in British schools in the 1960’s. This is the pity today schools in Britain teach an early history of the islands and then the teacher selects the period – or did then that would be studied for GCE. Our headmaster taught modern history because he avowed it would give us a better understanding of life as we lived it now and carried it forward. He was right and it should be mandatory today with a much wider based population. Forget slavery other than it happened but be aware and also be aware today of the matters of the Fertile Crescent, the North African coast the Cold War and the reunification of Germany. These are now the areas of history that should be taught to pupils so that there can be an informed base from which children advancing to adulthood can form an understanding of what is happening around them.
From the atrocities in the 1910s to the ethnic cleansing in 1923, to the pogroms in 1955 to the ethnic cleansing of Northern Cyprus in the 1970s, to the torcher of the Kurds in the 1980’s, all of these atrocities were perpetrated by the secular nationalists in Turkey, yet somehow the 4 centuries long Ottoman Caliphate and the very recent modern Islamists are to blame.
We can’t undo the past. History is part of our present world. Humans, despite what is currently happening in the middle east, have come a long way. The tales of the countless wars between different empires will always be told from generation to generation. Bloodshed was seemingly a prerequisite to winning wars, and for others, losing it. It seemed that land was the reason for the many wars. The amount of land you possess would depict power; and as the inherent thinking of mere man, they crave power…and would go through any means to obtain that objective..
No Syrian church it’s Syriac church which is in Syria and it’s for the Arameans who don’t go by aramean any more they go by Syriac Edit – Syrian is arab and Arabic not the same as Assyrian that Syrian church is not arab it’s Syriac and belongs to the Arameans who were a tribe but established in Syria
It’s always funny how discussing genocides committed by Turkey (Ottomans) in ANY capacity brings out the classic “But, but OTHER COUNTRIES DID IT AT SOME POINT TOO.” Okay, we’re not discussing those right now. We’re discussing a genocide committed by the Ottomans. Lots of articles discussing other genocides.
We Serbs stand with our sisters and brothers in faith over the sea. Turkey has never atoned for their terrorizing over the Christian population, and to this day stands with the separatist, extremist elements in the federation of Bosnia & Herzegovina, as well as the southern province of Serbia, Kosmet. Countries in the Balkans have had mutual distrust for one another, but the dislike for Turks has been greater than all of those put together. Although, it is interesting how modern Turks rarely cite the cleansing of their people in the wake of liberations before and during the First Balkan War. Many of them had to flee, and a substantial number was forced out. It might just be that genocide doesn’t exist for them, be they its perpetrators or victims.
Turkish nationalists haven’t fled your comment section yet. I was perusal a article the other day about how Turkey has become the problem member of NATO and in the comment section was a bunch of Turks denying the genocides. I’d love to see how they react when you make one about the genocide of the Greek minorities.
Its hard to say i enjoy your work. Its hard to say anything. I will say this, you do an excellent job. Thank you for keeping all these memories alive. Im sure all their families are grateful for your sharing. That being said i hope theres not many more articles like this that need to be made during future trials. I daresay history seems to be proving me wrong however. God bless the person reading. God be with us all
As a muslim kurd everytime i see such documentary I feel shame. Even though my family (the patriarch of the family great-great grandfather ahmed) helped the assyrians. A lot of assyrian and armenian children survived and think they are kurdish because some kurdish families hided them but the parents were killed and never came back so they adopted and raised them as their own children. Please make dna tests like ancestry maybe you will find lost family.
Wow it reminds me of Arab caliphate invasion of Iran where similar things happened to Iranian zoroastrians during the last king of kings ساسانیان ssassanids dynasty. It became very hard for Jews and Christians that lived in Iran as well so much so that they even changed our language to arabic😅 God bless them they are truly powerful the Arab caliphate then later the ottomans عثمانی osmanians….
The Navarin Massacre was a massacre that was part of a series of massacres that took place during Greece’s independence. The massacre took place in the city of Navarin in the Peloponnese Peninsula on August 19, 1821, and approximately 3000 Turkish residents of the city were massacred. Can you make a article about this? There is the Khojaly massacre, the history of what the Armenians did, I would like to see that as well.
I knew a wonderful, kind woman back in the 80’s who was an Iranian Assyrian. She and her family had fled when the Ayatollah was in power. She had been a teacher, but was unable to teach her in the United States and had to take a truly crappy clerical job ( I knew, I worked with her). Every single person in that place besides me treated badly, making racist comments. When Tehran was being bombed during the war with Iraq she was so worried about her relatives that she cried quietly, and they ridiculed her. I got in trouble for defending her more than once, the manager was unable to control her workers. It was like a zoo. Finally, both of us couldn’t take the cruel immature behavior anymore and left for other jobs. She really made an impression on me, I liked her very much and think about her from time to time. I’ve lost track of her. She said I was her only real friend here. Her name was Yasmin.
Bulgarians were under Ottoman occupation for 500 years… Ottomans were using the “Devshirme” system – a form of levy or blood tax where Christian boys, particularly from the Balkan regions, were taken from their families, converted to Islam, and trained to serve the state. Most notably, these boys could become Janissaries, elite soldiers in the Ottoman military. They were the most blood thirsty units, and performed the biggest monstrosities against their own (Bulgarians). Besides that, Bulgarians were paying the lowest monetary tax (10%) in Europe to Ottomans. In the Batak massacre, Ottoman irregular army liquidated 3000-5000 Bulgar civilians, which caused the Russo-Turkish War and Bulgaria ‘liberation’. There is also a story from my grand-father’s birth place (Uglen village) – before a Turkish killing squad reached the village, civilians were informed and hid in a close by cave. Unfortunately, just as the squad was passing by, a drunk Bulgarian went out and shot a pistol – the Turkish soldiers located the cave and set fire at the entrance, which caused all civilians to suffocate inside.
this genocide sounds so similar to the indigenous genocide canada inflicted. how horrifying. the paranoia that hurting groups of people for your own gain based on religion and ethnicity just destroys everyone involved. i can’t imagine having to live with the shame knowing this is your peoples history and what your people are capable of. sending love to assyrian and armenians world wide ❤ from indigenous peoples in canada. praying you prosper today ❤❤❤
History tell us the cruelty of wars and greediness of power. It is not right to hear people say,”this is war and anything can happen and can’t avoid innocent people to suffer and be sacrrified”. We live in modern time where we condemn inhuman atrocities. When will people truly learn to love one another and care for children and peace-loving people?
Когда армяне были депортированы в пустыню, они были приняты от арабских племен, жили с ними и женились на них и до сих пор присутствуют с нами с арабскими именами. Турки жили с армянами и христианами более тысячи лет в мире, но Россия и Великобритания пообещали им поддержать и установить для них государство в обмен на борьбу с ними, а затем покинули их и оставили их перед своей судьбой.