"Sefo between memory, justice..." Calls for recognition, documentation

On Sunday, the Suryani Union Party organized a dialogue seminar titled "The Sefo Between Memory and Justice" at the Kolbunkian Hall in Qamishlo, attended by a distinguished group of politicians, prominent figures, human rights activists, and representatives from local institutions in the city.

The seminar began with holding a minute of silence in tribute to the victims of the massacres, and was moderated by journalist and civil activist Hala Mirza, who led discussions covering four key topics..

The Sefo as a Historical Event

The first session, titled "The Sefo as a Historical Event," was presented by Ilham Mutli; the representative of the Syriac Women's Union in Syria. She discussed the massacres that targeted Christians, Assyrian Syriacs, Chaldeans, and Armenians, and cited several historical events in this context, including the massacres in Lebanon and Syria in 1860, the Diyarbakir massacre in 1895, the massacres under Sultan Abdul Hamid in 1896, and the Adana massacre in 1909. She pointed out that the victims of these massacres were predominantly members of the Christian population.

She also addressed the role of Syrian women in confronting genocide, emphasizing that although they suffered greatly, they never stood idly by. She stated: "Women play a vital role in healing wounds and raising public awareness, as well as in preserving language, history, and revitalizing Syrian cultures. The resilience of Syrian women has been fundamental to passing down memory from generation to another and maintaining cultural identity despite attempts to erase it."

The Sefo and Transitional Justice

The second topic, titled "The Sefo and Transitional Justice," was presented by Zuhair Youssef; the researcher at the Syrian Strategic Studies Center. He stated that the Sefo represents a pivotal chapter of suffering and sorrow in the memory of the Syrian people, spanning from 1848 until the first quarter of the twentieth century.

He clarified that discussing the Sefo incident is not merely a recounting of the past, but rather a formal legal documentation of the crimes committed in international forums to ensure they do not recur and to advocate for the rights of the Syriac people.

The Sefo from a Syrian Perspective, and Making Use of Armenian Experience

The third axis, titled "The Sefo from Syrian and Armenian Perspectives: The Importance of Making Use of the Armenian Issue's Experience in the Process of Recognition and Historical Memory," was delivered by Hakop Bersomyan; the member of the Relations Committee of the Armenian Orthodox Archdiocese and head of the Follow-up Committee on the Armenian Issue in Jazira.

Bersomiyan stated that the term "Sefo" derives from the word "Seif (Sword)" and has come to represent acts of killing, displacement, property confiscation, as well as the destruction of churches and religious landmarks.

He explained that the temporal and geographical convergence brought Armenians and Syriacs together in numerous regions, and that accounts from survivors and reports consistently describe similar patterns of mass killings and societal disintegration. He emphasized that interpreting the Armenian genocide as a conflict between Muslims and Armenians fails to reflect the full picture; rather, ethnic and political factors played a central role in the massacres, alongside religious dimensions.

The Role of Civil Society and Media in supporting Sefo

The fourth session, titled "The Role of Civil Society and Media in Supporting Sefo," was delivered by journalist Samer Hanna. He stated: "When the Sefo tragedy occurred, media outlets were not yet established; as a result, many facts only reached the world years later through memoirs, documents, and individual accounts from survivors. Today; however, the media has become the first line of defense."

He noted that preserving the memory of Sefo is not solely the responsibility of historians, but also that of journalists, writers, researchers, intellectuals, and anyone who advocates for free speech, because journalism is a matter of ethics and humanity.

The seminar featured presentations that linked the crimes committed by ISIS mercenaries to those of the Ottoman Empire, holding the Ottoman Empire accountable as the entity that issued the orders for the genocide and displacement of Christians. Speakers also confirmed that the failure of the Turkish government was a fundamental contributing factor to these massacres, stressing the necessity of addressing the issue and documenting its details.

ANHA