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THE ASSYRIAN GENOCIDE MONUMENT IN BELGIUM
Assyrian International News Agency AINA
Aug 9 2013
Bannaux, Belgium (AINA) -- On August 4, 2013 hundreds of Assyrians
(also known as Chaldeans and Syriacs) and their friends from all
over Europe gathered at the site of the Bannaux Sanctuary in the
municipality of Sprimont/Belgium. At the heart of Europe people came
together to unveil a monument commemorating the Assyrian victims
of the genocide of 1915 perpetrated by the former Ottoman State
(AINA 8-5-2013).
With the 100th anniversary of the Turkish genocide of Assyrians,
Armenians and Greeks approaching, this latest genocide monument is
the seventh Assyrian monument to be erected since 2000. Assyrian
genocide monuments have been erected in Australia, America, Armenia,
Wales and France. A monument is planned for Sweden.
The location of the Bannaux Sanctuary, now holding an additional
attraction, could not be more appropriate. In the winter of the
year 1933, the mother of God appeared to an 11 year old girl called
Mariette. Since then the place holds a shrine and has emerged as
one of the most popular Catholic pilgrimage sites in Europe known as
"Our Lady of Bannaux."
Bannaux is a small hamlet just southeast of Liège and 50 miles east
of Brussels in French-speaking Belgium. The Shrine of the Virgin of
the Poor includes the 'Sacred Spring', the Chapel of the Apparitions,
a large church, several small chapels throughout the forest, the
Stations of the Cross, a hospital for the sick who come for healing
and a pilgrim's information office.
The monument was erected thanks to the effort and diligence of the
leading members of the Syriaque-Institute of Belgium, which also
represents the Assyrian Genocide Research Center. Belgium is the
second country, after France, in Europe where an Assyrian Genocide
monument has been erected in a public space.
The famous Assyrian artist Moushe Malke carved the monument from a
granite block weighing 12 tons. The artist used mythical images from
the Assyrian pre-Christian and Christian eras, thus reminding of the
killing of hunderds of thousands of Assyrians during World War I by
the former Ottoman government. The Turkish Republic, as successor of
the Ottoman state, until this very day denies the genocide and any
wrongdoing. At the same time it is increasing its political efforts
to undermine the efforts of Assyrians, Armenians and Pontic Greeks
for the recognition of the mass killings of the Christian population
during the World War I -- a crime against humanity that has been
well documented and accepted by the international genocide scholars
(AINA 12-15-2007). The Swedish Parliament (The Riksdagen) was the
latest European country, which on March 11, 2010 adopted a resolution
recognizing the World War I killings of Armenians, Assyrians and
Pontic Greeks by the Ottomans as a genocide (AINA 3-12-2010).
The ceremony started at 2pm at the Sacred Spring and was led by
dignitaries and a childrens' choir chanting church songs. After the
crowd of hundreds of people arrived at the site of the monument,
people took seats in a glade surrounded by trees; the almost two and
half meter high stone was positioned between two trees and veiled with
black satin, tied with a red bow. The unvealing ceremony began after a
short welcome by the moderators of the day, Abud Gabriel and Shamiram
Ayaz. Mouche Malke, the artist, abbot Leo Palm, principal of Banneux,
Benoit Drèze, Belgian Federal Parliament Deputy and Melke Gabriel,
a son of a survivor of the genocide, jointly pulled down the black
satin veil, giving full sight to the monument. The unveiling was
accompanied by the cheers and shouts of joy from the audience. The
blessing ceremony of the monument was conducted by H.E. Polycarpus
Augin Aydin, Archbishop of the Syriac Orthodox Church, and followed by
prayers and chants attended by Bishop Aloys Jousten, Bishop of Liège,
abbot Leo Palm and many other church representatives of the Syriac
Catholic Church, the Syriac Maronite Church, the United Protestant
Church of Belgium, the Assyrian Church of the East and the Russian
Orthodox Church of Liège.
The text engraved in two languages (French and Syriac) on the
monument reads:
Virgin of the Poor, pray for Assyrian (Syriac) Martyrs of Seyfo
genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 and relieve the
suffering of their children.
In his short speech, Fatrus Gabriel from the Syriac Institute of
Belgium said that "this is a monument for peace. The artist has carved
a dove into the stone as symbol of peace to commemorate our martyrs.
As you have seen, we also let two white doves fly to symbolize peace,
therefore hoping for their resurrection. We do not blame the Turks
as a people for the genocide. We have many friends among them who
are also present today. We hope that this monument contributes to
the process of recognition of the Assyrian Genocide. Although the
pain has been passed down from generation to generation, it may heal
slowly so that peace is restored between the people concerned."
In his speech, Sabri Atman, the director of the Assyrian Genocide
Research Center, made a call on the leaders of the Turkish state to
stop their denial policy. He stressed that "the Republic of Turkey
was built upon the systematic ethnic cleansing of Assyrians, Armenians
and Pontic Greeks in 1915. The Ottoman Empire is responsible for the
physical annihilation of 1.5 million Armenians, 750,000 Assyrians
and 500,000 Pontic Greeks." He mentioned that similar monuments have
already been erected in Australia, France and Armenia and a next one
is due in Athens. But a time will come, when "Mardin, Hakkari, Van
and Istanbul will host such stumbling stones," he added. Atman also
criticized the efforts of the Turkish Embassy in Brussels, which sent
threatening letters to Assyrian clerics and associations denying that
such a thing as the genocide happened in 1915 and demanding not to join
the event. Similar letters were apparently sent to Belgian officials.
Melchior Wathelet, State Minister for Energy and Mobility, Dominique
Drion, Belgian Provincial Minister of Education, sent messages of
solidarity, stating that "Assyrians, as one of the oldest people in
the Middle-East, have been victims of many genocides. The Turkish
state needs to confront this injustice." The Prime Minister was
represented by Marie-Dominique Simonet, former Minister of Education
of the Federation Wallonie-Bruxelles, and Michel de Lamotte, MP of
the Walloon region, both expressing their support for the Assyrian
community of Belgium and the need for recognition of the genocide by
the Belgian State. The MP Benoit Dreze endorsed the proposal in the
presence of Mr. Emmanuel Radoux, President of CPAS (Centres Publics
d'Action Sociale) and magistrate of Social Affairs of the community
of Sprimont. The mayor of Sprimont was represented by Emanuel Padoux,
emphasizing the importance of such a monument and expressing joy to
host it.
In a surprise appearance, Zalgai Aho appeared and delivered a message
of sympathy. She is the daughter of the Assyrian poet and national
activist Ninos Aho, who passed away on July 15, 2013 in San Pedro,
USA. Ninos Aho, who was in recent years a messenger for the recognition
of the genocide, was supposed to be present at this unveiling event
Bannaux. Zalgai Aho expressed gratitude for the organizers and
particularly the artist for carving the title of a famous poem of
her beloved father on the monument, which reads "A Grain of Wheat."
Furthermore, the official ceremony was enriched by the presence and
messages delivered by several delegates of Assyrian political and
civil organizations from Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden,
Poland, Switzerland, France, the U.S., and Australia. To mention are
delegations from Assyrian national organizations in Europe (among
them the Assyrian Democratic Organization, the Assyrian Democratic
Movement, the Assyrian Universal Alliance and the European Syriac
Union) and Assyrian Federations from Sweden, the Netherlands and
Germany. Moreover, clerics from various churches as well as Armenian,
Greek, Kurdish and Turkish guests attended and delivered messages of
solidarity at the ceremony. All speakers repeated the appeal to the
Turkish government to face its tragic history and requested recognition
and apology for the crimes committed against its Christian population
in 1915.
According to the invitation (see below) the event was sponsored by more
than a dozen Assyrian organizations, including the Inanna Foundation
and the Yoken-bar-Yoken Foundation.
The ceremony ended with acknowledgements of the organizers to all those
participating as well as all those excused (among them Archbishop
Philoxenus Mattias Nayis), which sent their solidarity messages in
writing supporting the recognition of the Assyrian genocide.
By Abdulmesih BarAbraham and Miryam Abraham
Abdulmesih BarAbraham holds an Msc. from the University
of Erlangen/Nuernberg. He has published numerous articles on the
situation of the Assyrians in the Middle East. In an international
human rights tribunal in 1987 judging on the minority issues in
Turkey, he represented Assyrian organizations and presented the
Assyrian Genocide to the public. The tribunal was led by the Society
for Endangered People. Currently he is Chairman of the board of
trustees of the Yoken-bar-Yoken Foundation and Board member of the
Mor Afrem Foundation.
Miryam Abraham is a Bachelor student in Governance and Public Policy
at the University of Passau.
http://www.aina.org/news/2013089120251.htm
Assyrian International News Agency AINA
Aug 9 2013
Bannaux, Belgium (AINA) -- On August 4, 2013 hundreds of Assyrians
(also known as Chaldeans and Syriacs) and their friends from all
over Europe gathered at the site of the Bannaux Sanctuary in the
municipality of Sprimont/Belgium. At the heart of Europe people came
together to unveil a monument commemorating the Assyrian victims
of the genocide of 1915 perpetrated by the former Ottoman State
(AINA 8-5-2013).
With the 100th anniversary of the Turkish genocide of Assyrians,
Armenians and Greeks approaching, this latest genocide monument is
the seventh Assyrian monument to be erected since 2000. Assyrian
genocide monuments have been erected in Australia, America, Armenia,
Wales and France. A monument is planned for Sweden.
The location of the Bannaux Sanctuary, now holding an additional
attraction, could not be more appropriate. In the winter of the
year 1933, the mother of God appeared to an 11 year old girl called
Mariette. Since then the place holds a shrine and has emerged as
one of the most popular Catholic pilgrimage sites in Europe known as
"Our Lady of Bannaux."
Bannaux is a small hamlet just southeast of Liège and 50 miles east
of Brussels in French-speaking Belgium. The Shrine of the Virgin of
the Poor includes the 'Sacred Spring', the Chapel of the Apparitions,
a large church, several small chapels throughout the forest, the
Stations of the Cross, a hospital for the sick who come for healing
and a pilgrim's information office.
The monument was erected thanks to the effort and diligence of the
leading members of the Syriaque-Institute of Belgium, which also
represents the Assyrian Genocide Research Center. Belgium is the
second country, after France, in Europe where an Assyrian Genocide
monument has been erected in a public space.
The famous Assyrian artist Moushe Malke carved the monument from a
granite block weighing 12 tons. The artist used mythical images from
the Assyrian pre-Christian and Christian eras, thus reminding of the
killing of hunderds of thousands of Assyrians during World War I by
the former Ottoman government. The Turkish Republic, as successor of
the Ottoman state, until this very day denies the genocide and any
wrongdoing. At the same time it is increasing its political efforts
to undermine the efforts of Assyrians, Armenians and Pontic Greeks
for the recognition of the mass killings of the Christian population
during the World War I -- a crime against humanity that has been
well documented and accepted by the international genocide scholars
(AINA 12-15-2007). The Swedish Parliament (The Riksdagen) was the
latest European country, which on March 11, 2010 adopted a resolution
recognizing the World War I killings of Armenians, Assyrians and
Pontic Greeks by the Ottomans as a genocide (AINA 3-12-2010).
The ceremony started at 2pm at the Sacred Spring and was led by
dignitaries and a childrens' choir chanting church songs. After the
crowd of hundreds of people arrived at the site of the monument,
people took seats in a glade surrounded by trees; the almost two and
half meter high stone was positioned between two trees and veiled with
black satin, tied with a red bow. The unvealing ceremony began after a
short welcome by the moderators of the day, Abud Gabriel and Shamiram
Ayaz. Mouche Malke, the artist, abbot Leo Palm, principal of Banneux,
Benoit Drèze, Belgian Federal Parliament Deputy and Melke Gabriel,
a son of a survivor of the genocide, jointly pulled down the black
satin veil, giving full sight to the monument. The unveiling was
accompanied by the cheers and shouts of joy from the audience. The
blessing ceremony of the monument was conducted by H.E. Polycarpus
Augin Aydin, Archbishop of the Syriac Orthodox Church, and followed by
prayers and chants attended by Bishop Aloys Jousten, Bishop of Liège,
abbot Leo Palm and many other church representatives of the Syriac
Catholic Church, the Syriac Maronite Church, the United Protestant
Church of Belgium, the Assyrian Church of the East and the Russian
Orthodox Church of Liège.
The text engraved in two languages (French and Syriac) on the
monument reads:
Virgin of the Poor, pray for Assyrian (Syriac) Martyrs of Seyfo
genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 and relieve the
suffering of their children.
In his short speech, Fatrus Gabriel from the Syriac Institute of
Belgium said that "this is a monument for peace. The artist has carved
a dove into the stone as symbol of peace to commemorate our martyrs.
As you have seen, we also let two white doves fly to symbolize peace,
therefore hoping for their resurrection. We do not blame the Turks
as a people for the genocide. We have many friends among them who
are also present today. We hope that this monument contributes to
the process of recognition of the Assyrian Genocide. Although the
pain has been passed down from generation to generation, it may heal
slowly so that peace is restored between the people concerned."
In his speech, Sabri Atman, the director of the Assyrian Genocide
Research Center, made a call on the leaders of the Turkish state to
stop their denial policy. He stressed that "the Republic of Turkey
was built upon the systematic ethnic cleansing of Assyrians, Armenians
and Pontic Greeks in 1915. The Ottoman Empire is responsible for the
physical annihilation of 1.5 million Armenians, 750,000 Assyrians
and 500,000 Pontic Greeks." He mentioned that similar monuments have
already been erected in Australia, France and Armenia and a next one
is due in Athens. But a time will come, when "Mardin, Hakkari, Van
and Istanbul will host such stumbling stones," he added. Atman also
criticized the efforts of the Turkish Embassy in Brussels, which sent
threatening letters to Assyrian clerics and associations denying that
such a thing as the genocide happened in 1915 and demanding not to join
the event. Similar letters were apparently sent to Belgian officials.
Melchior Wathelet, State Minister for Energy and Mobility, Dominique
Drion, Belgian Provincial Minister of Education, sent messages of
solidarity, stating that "Assyrians, as one of the oldest people in
the Middle-East, have been victims of many genocides. The Turkish
state needs to confront this injustice." The Prime Minister was
represented by Marie-Dominique Simonet, former Minister of Education
of the Federation Wallonie-Bruxelles, and Michel de Lamotte, MP of
the Walloon region, both expressing their support for the Assyrian
community of Belgium and the need for recognition of the genocide by
the Belgian State. The MP Benoit Dreze endorsed the proposal in the
presence of Mr. Emmanuel Radoux, President of CPAS (Centres Publics
d'Action Sociale) and magistrate of Social Affairs of the community
of Sprimont. The mayor of Sprimont was represented by Emanuel Padoux,
emphasizing the importance of such a monument and expressing joy to
host it.
In a surprise appearance, Zalgai Aho appeared and delivered a message
of sympathy. She is the daughter of the Assyrian poet and national
activist Ninos Aho, who passed away on July 15, 2013 in San Pedro,
USA. Ninos Aho, who was in recent years a messenger for the recognition
of the genocide, was supposed to be present at this unveiling event
Bannaux. Zalgai Aho expressed gratitude for the organizers and
particularly the artist for carving the title of a famous poem of
her beloved father on the monument, which reads "A Grain of Wheat."
Furthermore, the official ceremony was enriched by the presence and
messages delivered by several delegates of Assyrian political and
civil organizations from Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden,
Poland, Switzerland, France, the U.S., and Australia. To mention are
delegations from Assyrian national organizations in Europe (among
them the Assyrian Democratic Organization, the Assyrian Democratic
Movement, the Assyrian Universal Alliance and the European Syriac
Union) and Assyrian Federations from Sweden, the Netherlands and
Germany. Moreover, clerics from various churches as well as Armenian,
Greek, Kurdish and Turkish guests attended and delivered messages of
solidarity at the ceremony. All speakers repeated the appeal to the
Turkish government to face its tragic history and requested recognition
and apology for the crimes committed against its Christian population
in 1915.
According to the invitation (see below) the event was sponsored by more
than a dozen Assyrian organizations, including the Inanna Foundation
and the Yoken-bar-Yoken Foundation.
The ceremony ended with acknowledgements of the organizers to all those
participating as well as all those excused (among them Archbishop
Philoxenus Mattias Nayis), which sent their solidarity messages in
writing supporting the recognition of the Assyrian genocide.
By Abdulmesih BarAbraham and Miryam Abraham
Abdulmesih BarAbraham holds an Msc. from the University
of Erlangen/Nuernberg. He has published numerous articles on the
situation of the Assyrians in the Middle East. In an international
human rights tribunal in 1987 judging on the minority issues in
Turkey, he represented Assyrian organizations and presented the
Assyrian Genocide to the public. The tribunal was led by the Society
for Endangered People. Currently he is Chairman of the board of
trustees of the Yoken-bar-Yoken Foundation and Board member of the
Mor Afrem Foundation.
Miryam Abraham is a Bachelor student in Governance and Public Policy
at the University of Passau.
http://www.aina.org/news/2013089120251.htm