Patriarch Aphrem (C), head of the Syriac Orthodox Church and Bishop Afram Athneil (R) of the Assyrian Church of the East at the opening of the Assyrian genocide monument in Qamishli, Syria.
ishtartv.com - aina.org
2016-06-19
Qamishli,
Syria (AINA) -- A genocide memorial monument for the victims of the Turkish
genocide of Assyrians during World War One was unveiled today in Qamishli,
Syria. The Turkish genocide occurred between 1915 and 1918 and targeted
Assyrians, Armenians and Pontic Greeks -- the Christian subjects of the Ottoman
Empire. 750,000 Assyrians were killed (75%), 1.5 million Armenians and 500,000
Pontic Greeks.
The
ceremony was attended by Patriarch Aphrem, head of the Syriac Orthodox Church
and Bishop Afram Athneil of the Assyrian Church of the East, as well as Syrian
dignitaries.
Turkey
has denied the genocide and claims the victims were casualties of war.
The
monument is the 18th genocide monument erected by Assyrians in various cities
throughout the world (AINA 2013-08-08).
Yesterday a genocide monument was unveiled in Locarno, Switzerland (AINA 2016-06-19).
The
genocide monument comes on the heels of the German recognition of the Assyrian
and Armenian genocide two weeks ago (AINA 2016-06-06). To
date, 13 countries, municipalities and organizations have recognized the
Assyrian genocide.
Hours
after the ceremony a suicide bomber attacked a related event but was stopped by
members of the Sutoro Assyrian militia. Three Assyrians were killed and five
wounded in the attack (AINA 2016-06-19).
The Assyrian genocide monument in Qamishli, Syria.
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