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  • Turkish Genocide of Assyrians Destroyed the Future of Assyrian Socie

    AINA Assyrian International News Agency
    Sept 2 2014

    Turkish Genocide of Assyrians Destroyed the Future of Assyrian Society

    http://www.repairfuture.net
    Posted 2014-09-02 18:21 GMT


    According to Feyyaz Kerimo, writer and teacher living in Sweden, the
    1915 genocide had irrevocable effects on Assyrian identity which is
    made weaker and fell apart today. While, last events occurred in Iraq
    and Syria caused new immigration waves, an idea to return to Turkey is
    far away for new generations who were born and grown up in diaspora.

    Today, how Assyrians define their identities? Are there any changes
    occurred in recent years in this definition?

    Kerimo: Generally, the concept of national identity, occurred
    especially around language and history with the Renaissance. It
    expresses a common ground around some characteristics. As far as I am
    concerned, a national identity is firstly a "problem of belonging".

    Assyrians are identified as a "minority", a "religious minority" or
    usually (even until today) a "community" in their own homeland
    Bethnahrin (Mesopotamia in Assyrian language). For example, the
    description of "community" is expressed by spin-doctors of government
    consciously in Turkey, because it is found beneficial. Such
    descriptions are not realist and real since they allow us to withdraw
    from our rights and freedoms as a people even if partly.

    Since Assyrians were always left behind in territories where they
    live, they had to express themselves around the "church" and the
    "religion" which is the only organization that was remained standing.
    As going in compliance with the grain; they identified themselves as
    "Christians" among a Muslim majority for last 2000 years. Thus,
    Assyrians reply as "I am Christian" to the one of the fundamental
    questions of sociology as "Who are you?". Because the only
    characteristic that distinguishes them from the majority of the
    society (Muslim) is being Christian (to the best of their knowledge).

    But, Assyrian society faced with the same question when they went to
    diaspora after they were urged to emigrate from their homeland. For
    them, Europe was Christian and their own "homeland". When they faced
    with this question, for example in Sweden, they answered again as "I
    am Christian". But, this time, they faced with the same question,
    again: "Okay, I understand, but who are you?" said Swedish. Because
    for a Swedish person, the religion is not one of distinguishing
    characteristics of an identity.

    That time, Assyrians understood that, they need some other
    characteristics in order to express themselves other than being
    "Christian". Thus, Assyrians, embarked on a quest of identity
    collectively in Diaspora. And this quest, which is not seem and
    improved so healthy, caused a "polarization" among the Assyrian
    society.

    If I would explain generally: There is a party which asserts that they
    are Aramaic since they speak Aramaic language; and there is another
    party which say that they are grandchildren/generation of Assyrians
    who established empires in Old Mesopotamia. Due to some fanatic
    "Aramaic" or "Assyrian" (such like supporting a football team) among
    these parties, this problem came to the point that these two parties
    denied each other. Today, the number of people, who make the same
    thing, is not very few.

    When we mentioned about the Assyrian identity; in my opinion, all of
    those who live in the same territories (Mesopotamia) for six thousand
    years and those who speak in the same language (Western and Eastern
    Assyrian language) and have a common cultural history within the
    historical process and who identify themselves as Assyrian, Chaldean,
    Assyrian, Aramaic, Maronite, Melkit, Yakubi, Nastouri, etc, are
    children of the same and one community.

    Today, the basic problem in the Assyrian identity, is such that, a
    common sense of belonging was created by basing the Assyrian national
    identity, which is also cut into small pieces, weakened, assimilated
    and atomized, on an actual historical perspective. This is, in
    consequence, a problem of conscious and illumination. This is also in
    the level of crawling in our country. .

    Here, in this context, identity depends on both "the conscious of me"
    and the "continuity of it". In other words, it is not enough for
    people to know that who they are today. They have to reach to the
    conscious of "Who we were yesterday, who we are today and whom we want
    to be tomorrow". This awareness stipulates the revealing common sense
    of belonging that could reveal itself as in form of some symbols and
    the adaptation - the comprehension - by the public. It is possible to
    show the envisagement of a common future with history, culture and
    language with all dialects in terms of Assyrian identity and 1915
    Genocide that they suffered from.

    But even all those characteristics exist, if you have no awareness to
    protect and improve them, none of those make any sense or have any
    importance. The most important problem in Assyrians is unluckily that!

    We know that Armenian Genocide makes a break in the Armenian Identity,
    that it plays a determinative role in the identity. Does 1915 Genocide
    has a similar determinative role on Assyrian Identity?

    Kerimo: Assyrians call 1915 Genocide as "Seyfo", "Seyfo" means "Sword"
    in Assyrian language. Because, in 1915, Assyrian society were
    slaughtered and "put to the sword". Hundred of thousands Assyrian
    women, men, children, old, young people were slaughtered brutally and
    bloodthirstily; they were exiled to Syria, Caucasia, Ira and Iraq,
    they were raped., they were became "Muslims", their properties were
    disseized, their churches were fired/destroyed. And this was not
    enough, their centuries old church archives were fired and destroyed.
    And may be, the most important thing was that, a "fear" that breaks
    every bone in their body and blood was spread into Assyrians.

    In my opinion, the most important break in the Assyrian identity due
    to this trauma shows itself firstly in the damage occurred in
    "collective memory". Since, nearly all written resources were
    destroyed, dates and events (especially genocide) was passed down by
    means of traditional verbal lecture and today it is partly transferred
    as such. 1915 Genocide with its tragic events, injustices and
    unfairness, which has an important role on Assyrian collective memory,
    has a determinative role in the identity and awareness of Assyrians.

    This trauma, moreover, caused a "natural" response in Assyrians (since
    there is no awareness) against Islam, Muslim, Turk and Kurd that all
    symbolize the killer. Because, who made an attempt on Assyrians'
    lives, cut heads of Assyrians with loud cries saying "Allahu Ekber"
    and they raped, fired and demolished. I could see the symptoms of this
    trauma by living it. In the high school where I am working, my
    Assyrian students reveal themselves with some behaviors when they are
    majority, such as expelling Muslim students, not becoming friends with
    them and feeling lack of confidence against them. This clearly reveals
    that the genocide is transferred from old generations to new
    generations in oral way. This problem is very remarkable as it shows
    the size of the fear.

    This trauma implied another break in the identity of Assyrian
    civilization; "being alone, lack of confidence, introversion" and
    always "suffering" psychology. We still heard some words from our old
    generations such as; "we do not have any rights", "why even bother?",
    "you try for nothing" frequently. Genocide is not only limited with
    1915 but involved all 1900s and when it continued in other forms (for
    example: "Speak Turkish" campaign, surname law, wealth tax, etc. );
    lack of confidence for others was on the rise and shows itself as
    "trust only to the one who belongs to your nation".

    In the other hand, another break in the Assyrian identity happened in
    the social structure of the society. As is known, while we are
    mentioning about the social structure in a society, we mentioned about
    two sides of it; one is the moral (cultural) and the other is material
    (physical) side. What I intend to say when I mention about the
    cultural side is the social structure of Assyrian society which we
    called social affairs and consists of social status, roles and value
    judgments was broken into pieces. Which I intend to say when I
    mentioned about the physical side is "the residence style (village and
    city) of the population that constitutes the appearance of the
    Assyrian nation as a society was destroyed. Their houses, prayers,
    workplaces; briefly there is no village, small town and residential
    area that was not destroyed, stayed not destroyed. The society was
    exposed to be an "immigration society" during and after the genocide
    or in a better expression, they were forced to be!

    We usually forget that the genocide is gender-based, we could not say
    or we remain silent since there is no research about it. In fact, an
    important break that destroyed our identity happened in this area. In
    1915 Genocide, women and men were treated in different manner. Men
    (including boys) were slaughtered or they were died due to starving or
    diseases when they were exiled to Deyr Zor or they were executed by
    firing squad. Women were raped, young girls were forcedly captured and
    raped and they were forcedly became wives of some Turkish, Kurdish,
    Arabic, Persian and Azerbaijani men or forcedly employed as servants
    (I mean as "slaves") in their houses. Since there is no study on this
    issue, we do not know how this situation affected women that could
    survive from the genocide and next generations and how it was
    transferred to day. And another important issue that we could not know
    is, how this situation effected the roles and sexuality of man and
    woman in the Assyrian society.

    Another important break that occurred in Assyrian identity as a result
    of the genocide is destroying "the intellectual background". Assyrian
    society is mostly a villager community. They are engaged in
    agriculture and stock breeding in order to put bread on the table.
    Craftsmanship became popular afterwards. Important Assyrian crafts and
    masters of that region in several fields such as masonry, dyeing,
    sculpture, stone-masonry and filigree were born. Some intelligentsia
    who had an idea of "nation formation" within the public since some
    missioners came to the region after the second half of the 1800s and
    Assyrian students who received education in colleges of the region
    (Elaz??, Adana, Mardin, Antep, Harput, Diyarbak?r, vb.) and since some
    priests who were opened to the "illumination" and also focused and
    concentrated on history, language and culture. Assyrian intelligentsia
    such as A?ur Yusuf, Naum Faik, Feridun Aturaya, Senharib Bali tried to
    raise awareness of the public, published newspapers, made speeches and
    meetings in order to create a "national unity" among the public that
    was broken into pieces. They gave importance to the organization in
    order to crown it with a national action. While, being very near to an
    Assyrian Homeland, genocide took all these intellectual background
    from the hands of the public. All leaders, leading personalities were
    killed immediately or forced to be exiled. All these intellectual
    background was destroyed as such.

    Here, in this context, the most important break that the genocide made
    in the Assyrian identity is that the genocide took and destroyed the
    hope for future from the hands and conscious of public, in my opinion.
    Thus, Assyrian society has no "common future imagination" today.

    Assyrians could not open a school in Turkey for a long time, they
    could not receive education in Assyrian language. Now, an attempt for
    a school exists. What are the factors and effects of not having a
    school? And What does opening a school changes?

    Kerimo: Since a permission to open a school, which is given to
    Assyrians, was turned to "a form of groveling to Erdo?an" by some
    people and organizations both in Turkey and Diaspora; this permission
    could not be discussed on a true basis. Because, this permission to
    open a school occurred after a court decision, not with a
    special/private government decision. But some Assyrians who took the
    advantage of this permission, started visits to the government and
    Erdo?an by expressing their gratitude in the messages such as "We owed
    Mr.Erdo?an a debt of gratitude", "We are grateful for AKP Government".
    In fact, it mustn't be forgotten that this government and its police
    departments which grabbed and disseised lands and territories of Mor
    (Saint) Gabriel Monastery (Deyrulumur) and had to give back due to
    international pressure.

    Actually, Assyrians have "Minority Rights" as the same in Armenian and
    Greek societies due to Treaty of Laussanne. Because in the Treaty of
    Laussanne, some rights are entitled to all Non-Moslems and whose
    native language is not Turkish, without stating names. Those Articles
    37-44 of Laussanne Treaty cover also Assyrians. Assyrians were ignored
    by both Mustafa Kemal and nemesis of minorities, ?smet ?nönü. They
    were not accepted as Turkish, but at the same time, they could not use
    their rights based on being Turkish. They also were not accepted as a
    minority and not allowed to use their rights based on being a
    minority. Assyrians have not been existed in the Republic of Turkey
    for years.

    And immediately Assyrians became discovered in recent years in Turkey.
    Now, we mention about a potential which nearly two thousand people
    live in Midyat and villages; 10-15 thousands of Assyrians live in
    Istanbul. In the circumstances, we have to ask that: why is it
    happened now? If you did not give any permission to Assyrians to open
    a school as of the establishment of Republic until today and even
    closed ordinary language lessons given in churches by soldiers-police
    forcedly with threats; and if you even do not allow repairing one
    Assyrian church today; we ask this question.

    Since they do not pose any potential risk in terms of both population
    and politics in Turkey, Assyrians and residential areas of Assyrians
    (Mardin and Midyat) are now used as touristic attraction center. Thus,
    the government and written and visual media of that government make
    news about Assyrians and do not see any risks in shooting TV series in
    our houses by means of TV channels. On the contrary, to make a
    business about Christian Assyrians constitutes a nice color on the
    showcase of Turkey against Western countries. These are all shown as
    an evidence of how the Government of Turkish Republic is "tolerant"
    and "democratic". Thus, when Prime Minister or the President of
    Republic takes one of the metropolitan bishop with them when they go
    abroad. Assyrians become awindow-dressing in these territories after
    all those years.

    Having no schools causes Assyrians to be a society which is
    illiterate, have feudal values and of which development was prevented
    and which is consciously kept undeveloped. They could not grow up
    literate, intellectual generations. This condition causes in Assyrians
    to be too late in terms of national conscious and national identity.
    They are far from being an intellectual society who could read, write
    and speak in their own native language. They are hard put to adopt and
    comply with modern society in every aspect. Thus, the biggest enormity
    was made to Assyrians by leaving them without any school. They were
    prevented from learning their own native language and from speaking,
    writing and even thinking in their own language.

    Firstly, we have to mention that managers of Tarlaba?? Assyrian
    Ancient Church, who attempted to open a school, will have their work
    cut out for them in actually these terms. You open an Assyrian
    kinder-garden but you do not have any teachers. If you have a course
    teacher, he/she does not speak Assyrian language. If they know, they
    have no pedagogical education. If they have pedagogical education,
    they have no book to teach. In conclusion, the problem is big and
    opportunities and materials are limited. Thus, maybe it is inevitable
    to start with opening a kinder-garden first.

    Chance of success of this project is bound to how pioneers in this
    issue are insistent. Of the project of opening a school would be
    successful, there would be a glimmer of hope for the future. At least,
    a young generation, who could speak and think in their own native
    language, shall be grown up. And these young people shall be Assyrian
    men or women of letters or educators and teachers of tomorrow, even in
    partly aspect. And products that could address to the every field of
    society shall be occurred in Assyrian language. This will cause both
    Assyrians and society in which they live to enrich in every field. A
    more conscious, more politized Assyrian society will occur.

    After those happened in Syria and latest in Iraq, Assyrians who lived
    in this territory, were again forced to immigrate. We know that a few
    number of Assyrians of whom grand grandparents must leave Midyat are
    now refugees in this city. How the Assyrian society is affected by
    this situation?

    Kerimo: The problem of immigration is not a new concept for Assyrians.
    The history of Mesopotamia is full of immigrations of societies and
    communities from one place to another. In modern societies, the
    immigration issue has very different reasons and dimensions.
    Especially industrialization and as a result of it, the urbanization
    made immigration from rural to urban areas unavoidable and obligatory.
    In Midyat, when products which were grown up by my grandparents who
    were engaged in agriculture were not enough to maintain the family, my
    father must create himself another field of business in Adana and
    Elaz??. Assyrians must immigrate from their own residential areas to
    other places in every period and era due to economic, politic,
    military juntas, social and cultural pressures, ethnical and religious
    reasons. 20th century wars and other different reasons reveal a
    condition in which immigration is seen as a way out, an escape by
    Assyrians.

    In the Middle East region, Assyrians were often exposed to massacres
    for centuries. Massive massacres continue from Bedirhan era until
    today.. Assyrians is one of the societies who feel the price of having
    a different religion and different ethnic roots most in their hearts
    and conscious. Thus, our society, which could not feel itself relaxed
    as a society as of last two thousand years, are waiting for the
    opportunity ready with their passports in their pockets. Because, in
    this territory with lack of stability and peace, they understand from
    their experiences that no area or place to live shall be given for
    them anymore.

    Assyrians, who could not get over from the weakness as a result of
    being non-organized and weak, have no staying power even in the
    smallest crisis. They could only find solution in going abroad. This
    cause a huge immigration once in ten years. Wars that continue for
    years makes the seek for a peaceful area to live quicker in Assyrians'
    conscious. It is enough to mention the fear and violence that was
    created by I??d, which cuts heads of people with swords bloodthirstily
    just because they are not "Sunni Followers". Assyrians must /forced to
    immigrate to places far away from the shadows of wars and massacres in
    order to rescue and live their lives in a honorable way.

    Immigration is liken to the erosion which takes the most productive
    part / layer of the earth. Assyrians, which are the oldest settled
    public of Mesopotamia, always experience an immigration in each era
    and send off their most "productive layer" (youth) to the immigration.
    Thus, Assyrian public mass loose the most productive layer which shall
    be the locomotive of improvement and progress.

    Very few Assyrians in Diaspora, come to their villages and spend at
    least a few time in a year in their homeland. How much is the thought
    of "return" common in Assyrian society? What must be changed in Turkey
    for such a return?

    Kerimo: Two years ago, one of my friends, who came from Midyat,
    brought me a branch of a grapevine. I was very happy and we quickly
    planted this in our garden. We watered it and put some fertilizer and
    did our best in order to protect from the cold weather. But, this
    branch was withered and dried day by day and at last, died.

    In other words, when you take a part a society, a community from their
    homeland, they always seek for where they come from, they miss and
    always imagine to return to those places. I took a stone from my
    grandparents' house in Midyat to Stockholm. It stays in my study room,
    on the window ledge against me now. I feel myself stronger when I look
    at this stone, I remember and realize my history, where I came from,
    my past and what we lived yesterday and where I live today. But the
    same stone, makes my desperate longing bigger with each passing day.

    Accordingly, the matter of return, is the common dream of Assyrian
    masses in Diaspora. But, it is only a dream, a longing. It is not seem
    possible to have it real due to cyclical conditions of today. Each
    Assyrian young person, who see the violence in Middle East territory,
    asks us naturally and fairly that "How could you think of returning
    there?" When we hear tragic life stories from Assyrians who came here
    after escaping and survived from the massacre in Iraq or Syria, those
    ideas undoubtedly removes and are erased from our minds.

    Thus, to expect the matter of return in terms of Assyrians as massive
    returns from Diaspora to homeland, is not a realistic view. There
    shall be personal, individual returns happened and these shall be
    happened also in the future. But, Assyrians grow up their 3rd and 4th
    generations in Diaspora and those who were born and grown up here do
    not have any idea to return back. An idea of return is far away from
    those generations. It is an utopia. It is nearly never seen in the
    history that societies that are accustomed to high living standards,
    return.

    When the state of Israel was established and called for who lived in
    abroad to return, nearly none of those Jews who lived in Western
    Europe returned. Most of those who returned are those who escaped from
    the pressure, terror and massacre of World War II and Hitler fascism
    in Eastern Europe and who looked for a peaceful place to reside. In
    the same way, when Republic of Armenia was established after USSR was
    separated, there was no massive immigration happened from Europe and
    America to Armenia. There is immigration in such opposite way and
    today, Armenia becomes emptier with each passing day.

    Thus, in my opinion, the fundamental problem is not a problem of
    return to Turkey from Diaspora. It is more particular problem that
    those territories must be made an attraction center to live for whom
    live there in order to stay there and not to immigrate. The
    fundamental issue is the problem of turning these territories
    individually a place where people could live as free and equal in
    peace and tranquility and in a steady manner.


    http://www.aina.org/news/20140902142138.htm

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