Month: September 2010

Assyrian International News Agency AINA
Sept 4 2010

Auckland (AINA) — Assyrian genocide scholar Sabri Atman, director of
the Seyfo Genocide Research Center, presented a lecture on August 26
at the Assyrian Nineveh Association. In his lecture Mr. Atman outlined
the Turkish genocide of Assyrians in World War One, in which 750,000
Assyrians (75%) were killed by Turks and Kurds between 1915 and 1918.
He also discussed other genocides and pogroms of Assyrians.

The lecture also included a documentary film on the Genocide which
included interviews with individuals that lived during 1915 and
onwards and their experience and the horror they went through during
events carried out against them by the Ottoman Turks, Kurds and
Persians in WWI.

The Assyrian Youth Group, along with the Assyrian Nineveh Association
and the Assyrian community in Auckland, joined Sabri Atman at One Tree
Hill on Saturday, September 4. At this prominent location in Auckland,
Assyrian and New Zealand flags were raised. Signs reading “Never Again
1915,” “We Will Never Forget Simele 1933” and “Hands Off Mor Gabriel”
were held by the participants.

There are about three thousand Assyrians living in New Zealand, based
in Auckland.

Mr. Atman began his genocide awareness tour in early July in the
United States of America, then he came to Australia for the unveiling
of the Assyrian Genocide Monument in Fairfield (AINA 8-7-2010,
8-30-2010). From Australia he came to New Zealand will continue his
tour in Greece, Israel, Syria, Sweden, Switzerland, and Armenia for
the remaining of the year. Mr Atman’s aim is to travel to many
countries to educate Assyrians and raise awareness for the recognition
of the Assyrian Genocide.

The next stop in Mr. Atman’s tour is Athens, where he will demand the
recognition of the Assyrian Genocide from the Greek government.

Rena Shlemun contributed to this report.

Assyrian International News Agency AINA
Sept 4 2010

(AINA) — A number of Melbourne’s Assyrian and Hellenic organizations
issued a joint statement today condemning recent acts of vandalism
against two Sydney memorials dedicated to the Assyrian Genocide and
the Assyrian Levies (AINA 8-30-2010). The six signatories included two
Greek federations and a number of Assyrian political, social and
cultural organizations. The six signatories to the letter affirmed
their opposition to all acts of vandalism and voiced a call for
worldwide recognition of the Assyrian, Armenian and Pontian-Greek
Genocide.

The statement follows:

We the undersigned Melbourne-based Assyrian and Greek organizations
express our deep concern at recent events which have seen two Assyrian
memorial sites vandalised. Sydney’s Assyrian Genocide Monument
(recently dedicated by the Assyrian Universal Alliance) and the
Assyrian Levies Plaque (dedicated by the Assyrian Levies Association)
were both vandalised with physical damage and the painting of
anti-Assyrian profanities in the preceding week.

Both the mentioned monuments stand in tribute to millions of
Assyrians, Armenians and Pontian-Greeks who were ruthlessly murdered
in a calculated campaign of extermination by the Ottoman Empire.
Historians have termed this the first genocide of the twentieth
century. The Assyrian-Australian community, like other communities
residing in Australia, is entitled to remember these victims of
genocide with dignity and without hindrance from vandals. We
explicitly condemn the vandalism of the monument and memorial plaque
and call upon the relevant authorities to investigate the matter
hastily.

While the perpetrators of both these incidents are as yet unknown, and
police investigations are continuing, it is clear from the content of
the vandalism, on the Assyrian Genocide Monument in particular, that
those involved hold a strong level of enmity towards the Assyrian
people.

The struggle for the recognition of the Assyrian, Armenian and
Pontian-Greek Genocide is a continuing one. The historical truth of
the genocide is not in question, as suggested by the forces of
genocide denial. The school of scholarly evidence is overwhelming. In
fact, the world’s leading group of genocide scholars, the
International Association of Genocide Scholars has affirmed that the
Assyrian, Armenian and Pontian-Greek was indeed perpetrated by the
Ottoman Empire during its dying days. This recognition is in addition
to dozens of federal, state and local governments around the world who
have also recognized the Assyrian, Armenian and Pontian- Greek
genocide.

We renew our call for worldwide recognition of the Assyrian, Armenian
and Pontian-Greek Genocide. In particular, we call upon the Australian
federal government, in addition to state governments, to join their
counterparts around the world and add their voice to truth and justice
by recognising the genocide.

We the undersigned organisations extend our support to all
organizations that have contributed to the Assyrian Genocide
recognition movement, affirm our rejection of acts designed to insult
the memories of those who were murdered and condemn any attempt to
distort the truth of the Assyrian, Armenian and Pontian Greek
Genocide.

Australian Assyrian Arts and Literature Foundation
Federation of Pontian Associations of Australia
Panepirotic Federation of Australia
Assyrian Democratic Movement
The Popular Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Council
Beth-Nahrin Cultural Club

By Joseph Haweil