ACSYA Inc. Statement on Assyrian Remembrance Day 2021

Today, 7 August, is Assyrian Remembrance Day, also known as Assyrian Martyrs Day. This day aims to commemorate Assyrian victims of genocide, persecution, and oppression throughout history. This includes the systematic massacres in Bohtān, Hakkâri, Ṭūr ʿAbdīn, the Nineveh Plain, and Ūrmīyā between 1828 and 1847, as well as the genocidal campaigns that followed in 1895–1896, 1909, and between 1914 and 1925, carried out first by the Ottoman Empire and its successor state, the Republic of Turkey, the Simele Massacre of 1933 in the then Kingdom of Iraq, and the massacre that followed at Ṣorīyā in 1969 under Iraq's Baʿath regime.

Assyrian Remembrance Day also covers more recent events, such as those committed by Islamic State “IS” or “ISIS” (also known by its Arabic language acronym ‘Daesh’) between 2014 and 2017. Indeed, these series of events were terrible and defining episodes for the Assyrians, which undoubtedly changed the course of their modern history. It is for this reason that this date is of significant importance and has a permanent place in the Assyrian nation and community's collective memory.

Integral to the process of recovery and reconstitution is the accurate documentation of historical records pertaining to the events leading to and during these genocides. This, however, is strongly threatened by genocide denialists and increasing levels of disinformation. Today, Assyrian Remembrance Day is ever more important, as it contributes to the development of historical accuracy and counters repeated attempts to deny and distort the historicity of such events. Furthermore, educating ourselves and others about the causes, consequences, and dynamics of such crimes is central in strengthening the resilience of young people against ideologies of hatred, intolerance, and xenophobia.

On this annual day of commemoration, ACSYA Inc. stands in solidarity with the Assyrian people in Australia and elsewhere, including allies around the world, to reaffirm its unwavering commitment to promote education, advocate for recognition, and drive accountability for those directly involved in committing such atrocities and their collaborators. It is important now, more than ever, to develop and maintain effective commemorative policies, and to address the residual trauma suffered by victims and their descendants who, to this day, are trying to understand and come to terms with such traumatic experiences.

Marking Assyrian Commemoration Day Online

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