Each year, as Greek, Armenian and Assyrian communities gather to commemorate the genocides of the late Ottoman period, familiar symbolism appears. Those lost are remembered not only as victims, but as martyrs. This understanding of martyrdom has become one of the most powerful symbols connecting Greek, Armenian and Assyrian communities to their traumatic past.
Baghdede (Qaraqosh), North Iraq -- The sixth Baghdede Youth Festival opened with more than 700 young people taking part in a day of prayer, reflection and communal activities under the theme "Following in the Footsteps of Saint Francis." Held under the patronage of the Syriac Catholic Archdiocese of Mosul and its Dependencies, the festival was attended by Archbishop Mar Benedictus Younan Hanno.
Liege, Belgium -- The European Syriac Union (ESU) will hold the fourth edition of its Sayfo exhibition in Liege this month. The exhibition titled Sayfo 1915: Le peuple syriaque, histoire d'un génocide oublié (Sayfo 1915: The Assyrian People -- The Story of a Forgotten Genocide) is scheduled to open this Saturday, 12 September, at the local Church of Sainte-Marie des Anges.
Syria's Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Kabawat said the country's new constitution must guarantee equality before the law for all Syrians and ensure the participation of religious and ethnic groups in political life. She said such provisions would be crucial to rebuilding trust in state institutions and curbing emigration, particularly among Christians.
Damascus, Syria -- Gabriel Mushe, member of Syria's People's Assembly and political official of the Assyrian Democratic Organization (ADO), has called for legislation recognizing the Assyrian language and safeguarding the cultural and linguistic rights of Syriacs (Arameans-Assyrians-Chaldeans) in Syria.
Rijsen, Netherlands -- The first thing heard on a Sunday morning at the Syriac Orthodox Church of St. Ignatius Nurono is not Dutch. It is Syriac, part of the Aramaic language family. This ancient language rises with the incense, carried through the church in hymns whose words have been sung by generations of Christians long before the community's families ever arrived in the Netherlands.