Young Assyrians and Assyrian National Council Commemorate Simele Massacre and Sayfo Genocide in Sydney

SYDNEY — Suraye (Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian) organizations and institutions in the homeland of Beth Nahrin (Mesopotamia) and the diaspora held commemorative events to mark Assyrian Martyrs’ Day and the 93rd anniversary of the Simele Massacre, carried out by the Iraqi Army in cooperation with its British counterpart against members of the Suraye people.

Among the events was a commemoration organized in Sydney by The Young Assyrians (TYA) and the Assyrian National Council–Australia (ANCA). The commemoration, held in front of the memorial dedicated to the victims of the Sayfo Genocide, brought together representatives of Suraye, Armenian, and Greek institutions, academics and researchers, members of the Australian Federal Parliament and the Parliament of New South Wales, prominent Suraye figures, students and teachers from Syriac-language schools, as well as friends and supporters from the wider community.

The event opened with the Lord’s Prayer, led by Father Ramen Youkhannis, representing the Assyrian Church of the East, and Father Korkis Dawood, representing the Ancient Church of the East, with the participation of deacons. Those present then observed a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the Simele Massacre and the Suraye, Armenian, and Pontic Greek victims of the Sayfo Genocide. The Australian and Suraye national anthems were subsequently played.

During the commemoration, representatives of TYA and ANCA delivered speeches addressing the massacres, their causes and consequences, and their lasting impact on the Suraye people. The speakers said that when an entire generation is annihilated, displaced and scattered, the loss cannot be measured in numbers alone. They noted that the knowledge, customs, traditions and heritage passed down by that generation could no longer be transmitted to subsequent generations, while community leaders were also deprived of the opportunity to fulfill their roles.

“They did not merely represent a human tragedy; their loss was a loss for our nation. How many teachers, doctors, artists, writers, priests, leaders, innovators and fathers died before they could leave their mark? How many communities were silenced before they had the chance to flourish? How different would the state of our nation be today if their lives had not been ended in such a tragic way? As we commemorate our martyrs, we also remember the future that was taken from them — and from us.”

The speakers called for the right of the Suraye people to establish an autonomous region in Nineveh Plains to be guaranteed in accordance with the Iraqi Constitution, which they said safeguards such rights for indigenous peoples. They stressed that efforts would continue until the demand is achieved.

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