(AINA) -- The recent completion of Dr. Sabro Bengaro's doctoral dissertation, Germany's Islamic Strategy During the First World War and the Impact of the Jihad Declaration on the Assyrian Genocide of 1915, marks a significant milestone for both Assyrian scholarship and the global pursuit of recognition for the Seyfo genocide. For more than a century, the Assyrian experience of systematic destruction during World War I has been overshadowed in mainstream historiography, despite strong evidence of coordinated state policy, mass deportations, and widespread massacres. Dr. Bengaro's work contributes authoritative research to this underdeveloped field by situating the Assyrian Genocide within the broader ideological and geopolitical framework of German - Ottoman cooperation and the mobilization of jihad.

Related: The Assyrian Genocide

A key contribution of the dissertation lies in its rigorous demonstration of how the Ottoman Empire's 1914 jihad proclamation, supported strategically by Germany, served as an ideological justification for violence against Christian minorities, including the Assyrians. While previous scholars have examined the use of jihad as a political tool against Allied powers, few have analysed its specific impact on Assyrian communities in Hakkari, Tur Abdin, and the Mosul Vilayet. By drawing on German diplomatic records, Ottoman military communications, missionary accounts, and Assyrian ecclesiastical testimonies. Bengaro's research shows that the jihad rhetoric did not merely provide a religious justification, but directly shaped local and imperial policies that "facilitated" the annihilation of Assyrian populations.

Beyond its historical findings, the dissertation holds substantial strategic value for global efforts to secure formal recognition of the Assyrian Genocide. Turkey's denialist arguments often hinge on claims that violence against Assyrians was incidental or an unintended consequence of wartime upheaval. Bengaro's evidence-based analysis, undermines these positions by demonstrating patterns of intent, coordination, and ideological mobilization consistent with the standards used in contemporary genocide scholarship. As a result, his research strengthens the evidentiary foundation that Assyrian organizations, academics,, and legal advocates rely upon when engaging governments, parliaments, and international bodies.

For Seyfo Centres around the world, this work is more than a scholarly achievement. It is an essential tool in their ongoing mission to preserve memory, educate the public, and secure international recognition. The dissertation's archival depth and analytical clarity provide material for educational programs, museum exhibits, policy briefs, and academic collaborations. Its findings help integrate the Assyrian case into the broader narrative of Ottoman Era genocides, reinforcing the reality that the destruction of Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks formed a unified pattern of a state directed mass violence.

Ultimately, Dr. Sabro Bengaro's dissertation represents both an academic breakthrough and a symbolic victory for the Assyrian nation. At a time when historical denial remains widespread and geopolitical realities complicate the pursuit of justice, the emergence of rigorous, multilingual, doctoral-level scholarship by Assyrian researchers is of immense importance. By reclaiming the historical narrative and placing the Assyrian experience firmly within internationally recognized frameworks of genocide studies, this work not only honors the memory of the victims but also strengthens the collective resolve to seek truth, recognition, and accountability. Congratulation Dr. Sabro on these great efforts, and many wishes for continuous success to serve the mission.