FAIRFIELD, Australia (AINA)—A monument commemorating the genocide of 750,000 Assyrians in World War One was unveiled on Saturday, August 7, reported the Assyrian International News Agency.
The genocide began on April 24, 1915 and lasted approximately three years. It was master-minded by Ottoman Turks and executed largely by Kurds, their accomplices and mercenaries. The genocide also claimed the lives of 1.5 million Armenians and 500,000 Greeks.
More than 2,000 Assyrians and Australians attended the dedication at Bonnyrigg Park. The monument was sponsored by the Assyrian Universal Alliance and officially approved by the Fairfield city council on December 15, 2009. It was designed by Assyrian artist Lewis Batros. Construction of the monument began three months ago.
The monument is dedicated to the Turkish genocide of Assyrians as well as the 1933 massacre of Assyrians at Simmele by Iraqi government forces, in which 3,000 Assyrians were killed. The plaque on the monument reads:
May this remembrance be a blessing to the world by increasing awareness to fight the evils of genocide in a brotherly spirit and by initiating international awareness of the Assyrian nation’s rights to existence among the nations of the world.
The monument was strongly opposed by the Turkish community in Australia, who claimed the monument would “sow division” between the Assyrian and Turkish communities. This argument was repeatedly made despite the fact that there is no interaction between these two communities and hence no division to sow. Assyrians are Christians and speak modern Assyrian (neo-Aramaic), while Turks are Muslims and speak Turkish.
That the genocide occurred, which most Turks and Turkey deny, is incontestable, as thousands of documents from the period, hundreds of eyewitness reports by foreign missionaries and diplomats, as well testimony from hundreds of survivors demonstrate. To claim that acknowledging this would sew division is false. By the same logic, denying the genocide and preventing the erection of the monument would also have “sown division.” In fact, there is already division between these two communities because Turks deny the genocide, which is a fact of history. To truly heal the division, Turks should acknowledge the genocide which would bring the communities closer together.
The purpose of the monument is not to cast blame, but to begin the process of healing for the Assyrians. Ninety five years after the genocide, its effect is still felt. Assyrians have yet, as a nation, to come to grips with that catastrophe, which claimed 75% of the Assyrian population. The monument, as a simple symbol of acknowledgment, begins that healing process. For Turks and Turkey to deny the genocide and the monument is to keep the wound open and let it fester and prevent the healing of Assyrians, Greeks and Armenians.
It would be in the interest of Turkey to come to grips with its history. Denial is not an option or a good strategy. Turkey should follow the German model in regards to the Jewish holocaust.
The Assyrian genocide monument in Australia is not the first of its kind, genocide monuments have been erected in Los Angeles, Chicago, Paris, and Russia, but it is the most controversial one to-date.
On February 5, 2010 the mayor of Yerevan signed an order approving the construction of an Assyrian Genocide monument in Armenia and allocating 16 square meters for the site. The monument is currently in the planning stage.
Excellent. We all need to do everything publicize turkish crimes against all the Christians.
You guys are funny. You still believe in the genocide story with exaggerated numbers, don’t you? You guys need to find some other way to define and unify your nation and culture. Open up all genocide monuments you want; one day history is gonig to tell why Armenians were forced to migrate. It’s unlikely your grandparents would tell you how they killed Turks under Russian occupation, but stick to their sad stories. Oh, if you need a suggestion on how to unify your nation, try to help Armenians living in Armenia instead of sitting in US in your California houses and watching Kardashians. Armenians in Armenia are starving, which is why tens of thosands of them are illegally working in Turkey. How come Turks accept that, right? Wow, maybe your genocide story has some flaws… Cheers!
SOME 5-10% OF TURKEYS POPULATION IS MONGOLIAN -TURKS.
THOSE MONGOLS MURDERED THEMSELVES THE WAY FROM MONGOLIA TO TAKE THE TERRITORY THEY NOW CALL TURKEY.
THE SAME HAS HAPPENED TO WHAT IS TODAY CALLED BULGARIA AND HUNGARY,
WHERE ONLY 5-.10% OF THE POPULATION IS TURKISH BULGARS ANF HUNGARIANS,
THE REST IS SLAVIC.
HOW SELFDECEIVED YOU ARE
YOU ARE FORCED TO REPEAT YOUR MURDERS AS A RESPONSE TO THE TRIUTH WHO ARE EMERGING,
BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT EVILPOSESSED DO,
WHEN THE PRESSURIE OF THE TRUTH BY THE POWER OF GOD FACES THEM.
GOD BEVERE FOR SUCH HAUGHTY MINDED AND SELFDECEIVED PEOPLES AS THE TURKS,
WHICH IN THIS CASE TRY TO JOKE AVAY THE TRUTH SAYING GENOCIDE ARE SO FUNNY AND GIVE CHEERS.
THIS CAN ONLY END WITH REPEATED EXTERMINATION ONE OR ANOTHER WAY.
Arn.Sweden:
The Turks are a human cancer, a creeping agony in the flesh of the lands which they misgovern, rotting every fiber of life … I am glad that the Turk is to be called to a final account for his long record of infamy against humanity…
food on the table bullshit “argument” from you lowlife again? does this idiotic stupidity ever get old with you morons i guess not. LOL oh i forgot you got “rich” by all the stuff your ottomans murdered and pillaged from capable Armenia Greeks etc. don’t worry though, stop your crocodile tears for Armenia. She more than capable of building her bright future because she is talented beyond murderous your scum turks could ever achieve in all your bloody existence . as usual your Mongolian “talent” lies, as you demonstrated over and over only achieved through murder, genocide and pillage of talented peoples like Armenians. this is 21th century this crap of yours has gotten old. belive me time will come when your kind will be called to answer for all your crimes against humanity. ALL of them.
turkish GRBAGE YOU. LOL
Same old knukle dragging turkish baboon. All this time in civilization absolutely NOTHING to show for. ZERO, ZILCH NADA.
Sorry monkeys, don’t intend to insult any of you. LOL
Deniz Belasi, your ancestors are no different than the Nazis and you are no different than people like mahmoud ahmadinejad and other Holocaust deniers. Accept it. No one in Turkey is even allowed to mention the genocide without getting arrested or killed. What does that tell you about your country? They will never join the EU because everyone knows how backwards Turkey really is.
Jjay: how about “civilized” european countries where you get arrested for denying so genocide? Do you think they give their citizens freedom of expression?who you dont say anything about them?
aruke that’s right, civilized europeans countries SHOULD arrest you for denying the Armeinan and other genocides, and through you scums out of Europe. Unfortunately they give your kind waaaaay too much to spread your turkish lies.
let me ask you does you cesspool of a country give too much freedom to ohhh, say, Hrant Dink right freedom of expression? or more precisely is it freedom of expression without being murdered by your despicable so called deep state “government”?
WHY DON”T YOU SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THAT YOU SCUM OF THE EARTH?????????????
ok, you started being funny:)
I did not mention about any country. It was you who started talkin about lack of freedom of expression in Turkey, And I just gave you an example of how some European countries also restrict freedom by not letting people accept or deny anything they want. And again, it was you who said that Europe is behind of Europe because people cannot express what they want in Turkey. I just asked you a contra-question: how can you say that Turkey is less civilized than Europe in that matter, since European people are not free to deny so called genocide?
The Turks are a human cancer, a creeping agony in the flesh of the lands which they misgovern, rotting every fiber of life … I am glad that the Turk is to be called to a final account for his long record of infamy against humanity.
Voltaire characterised the Turks as:
“tyrants of the women and enemies of arts”
“to chase away from Europe these barbaric usurpers”
The Turks are a human cancer, a creeping agony in the flesh of the lands which they misgovern, rotting every fiber of life … I am glad that the Turk is to be called to a final account for his long record of infamy against humanity…
Reply
Restrict freedom?! mean “restrict your freedom” to murder , “restrict your restrict” to rape?1 “restrict your freedom” to commit genocide at will and “restrict restrict” to falsify history?! Do do not see barbaric turk CAN NEVER EVER join any civilization as long as it’s idea of “restricting freedom” are as above. Do you not see why turk cannot rise above it’s traditional cesspools and become normal human because you kind operates on you barbaric mongol ideas of the world? I forgot you’re not capable of seeing it. after all you are a turk. cursed by the civilized world.
The Turks are a human cancer, a creeping agony in the flesh of the lands which they misgovern, rotting every fiber of life … I am glad that the Turk is to be called to a final account for his long record of infamy against humanity…
FREDOOM OF EXPRESSION DO NOT GIVE ANYBODY RIGHT TO SPREAD LIES !!!.
Arn.Sweden.
Arn.Sweden: For your information, we are talking about expressing opinions. 90% of people who say they accept/deny genocide charges don’t know anything about true facts. They just express their opinions on the issue. Here is the definition of “opinion” for you:
opin·ion (ə pin′yən, ō-): a belief not based on absolute certainty or positive knowledge but on what seems true, valid, or probable to one’s own mind; judgment
So, please share with us, how did you decide that those who accept or deny genocide are telling truth or lie?
William Ewart Gladstone, a 19th century British Prime Minister was quoted in the same book as saying:
Let me endeavor, very briefly to sketch, in the rudest outline what the Turkish race was and what it is. It is not a question of Mohammedanism simply, but of Mohammedanism compounded with the peculiar character of a race. They are not the mild Mohammedans of India, nor the chivalrous Saladins of Syria, nor the cultured Moors of Spain. They were, upon the whole, from the black day when they first entered Europe, the one great anti-human specimen of humanity. Wherever they went a broad line of blood marked the track behind them, and, as far as their dominion reached, civilization disappeared from view. They represented everywhere government by force as opposed to government by law.—Yet a government by force can not be maintained without the aid of an intellectual element.— Hence there grew up, what has been rare in the history of the world, a kind of tolerance in the midst of cruelty, tyranny and rapine. Much of Christian life was contemptuously left alone and a race of Greeks was attracted to Constantinople which has all along made up, in some degree, the deficiencies of Turkish Islam in the element of mind!
Restrict freedom?! mean “restrict your freedom” to murder , “restrict your restrict” to rape?1 “restrict your freedom” to commit genocide at will and “restrict restrict” to falsify history?! Do do not see barbaric turk CAN NEVER EVER join any civilization as long as it’s idea of “restricting freedom” are as above. Do you not see why turk cannot rise above it’s traditional cesspools and become normal human because you kind operates on you barbaric mongol ideas of the world? I forgot you’re not capable of seeing it. after all you are a turk. cursed by the civilized world..
Deniz Belasi: exactly!!! I absolutely agree with every single sentence of yours. Population who lives under poverty in Armenia don’t care if USA or Europe recognizes any genocide. All they need is food on the table and a decent job. Hard to imagine, but lets say all nations on the world say that Ottomans killed Armenians. So what? Do you think it will financially benefit Armenia? All it will do is pushing Turkey away from Europe and USA making it like Iran. Do you really want to live next to an unfriendly neighbor? You act without thinking.
The Turks are a human cancer, a creeping agony in the flesh of the lands which they misgovern, rotting every fiber of life … I am glad that the Turk is to be called to a final account for his long record of infamy against humanity
The New York Tribune told its readers in the year 1919: “the Turks have always been a parasite and a stench in the nostrils of civilization”
what does genocide denial have with Armenia’s economy??!! and who told you that Armenians of Armenia are famished?? and where did you get the idea that Armenians of Armenia don’t care about the Armenian Genocide?? in fact, Armenians in Armeia are not as poor as you think, you can go and see it yourself and the number of the so-called illegal Armenian immigrants in what is today called Turkey hardly exceeds 10000, the astronomical figures announced by your government are just blatant lies, by the way, if Turkey is such a wealthy and rich country, why do MILLIONS of turks live in European countries??!!
Restrict freedom?! mean “restrict your freedom” to murder , “restrict your restrict” to rape?1 “restrict your freedom” to commit genocide at will and “restrict restrict” to falsify history?! Do do not see barbaric turk CAN NEVER EVER join any civilization as long as it’s idea of “restricting freedom” are as above. Do you not see why turk cannot rise above it’s traditional cesspools and become normal human because you kind operates on you barbaric mongol ideas of the world? I forgot you’re not capable of seeing it. after all you are a turk. cursed by the civilized world…
As an Armenian born in DeirZohr of parents both of whom were orphaned from the genocide of 1915-23, I look forward for the day when Turks, Muslims and their Christian populations will once more embrace each other as loving kins and neighbors. Our current World Civilization is coursing everyone of us in that direction and Turkey, to its credit, is the first and the best among Muslim nations to try and come to terms with this cruel and violent past of ours, ever since those two religions started competing with each other in a world that didn’t know any better between one religion and the other.