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David Gaunt
David Gaunt is professor of history at Södertörn University College, Stockholm, Sweden. He is a social historian who has written widely on the history of minorities and everyday life. He is the author of Massacres, Resistance, Protectors: Muslim-Christian Relations in Eastern Anatolia during World War I, a seminal work on the Assyrian Genocide.
Yet the world did forget.
And they are rising again to destroy their non Muslim infidels
Why is the world sitting by ? Waiting for annihilation?
I come from an Assyrian family that originated from Western part of Assyria, today South-East Turkey, known also by the majority of Assyrians as Hakkari. some time in 1914 while my grand father was far away from his village, Turkish army thwarted into his tranquil village and including entire Assyrian villages and annihilated them from existence, including his own family by the sword. We Assyrians call it “Syefo Day”. One and only one among our family survived this heinous, demonic ravage onslaught of the Turkish army and that was then my 14 years old grand father. The world is indebted to recognize the harsh agony of total genocide inflicted against the Assyrian inhabitants in South East Turkey by the ruthless hands of the Turkish Army. Western world citizens should stand defiant and oblige their governments to recognize the Assyrian Genocide and teach its citizens the ugliness that was committed by the bloodthirsty Turkish Army against the native Assyrian citizens.
So you mean that Mardin is not a majority Kurdish city and not histrionically Kurdish but maybe Syryaic or Armenian? Armenian and Kurds lived together for thousands of years without troubles only the Ottoman usage of Islam made such big troubles between Armenians and Kurds and caused the massacres of Armenians, Syriac, Christina Kurds, Alawys. But please do not distort history to the extent that you deny the Kurdish identity for every village and city an Amrenin family or Syriac once lived. Christianity is a religion older than Islam, but Zoroastrianism is even older and human being is the oldest. The current generation condemn the massacres against their Armenian people and support this case everywhere.So, please stop thinking negatively about Kurds and open your mind for stronger relations with the rising nation of Kurds.
Dear Mr Dewani, Mardin was a predominantly Arab city before the First World War. Second came Armenian and Assyrian Christians. To my knowledge there were no Kurds at all in the town. Kurds lived in the countryside around the town.
This is a very important article. It is a careful analysis, and needs to be kept in mind throughout 1915, and beyond. It will answer claims that the Genocide was merely a matter of ‘inter-communal violence’, which is the attitude today of those western governments that do not wish to assign blame on to the Ottoman-CUP government in power in 1915
Great article about Yousuf Karsh’s hometown. In his autobiography, “In Search of Greatness,” the famous Canadian-Armenian photographer talks about life in Mardin before the deportations and his family’s escape to Syria, including a graphic story of how his father saved his life when Yousef was caught sketching a mud wall with bones and skulls sticking out of it by a small stream on the border. Too bad his is no longer alive to read this excellent article.
I ‘m from the Assyrian village of Urnes which is few km from Midyat.
Once my village was almost inhabitet by Assyrians,now no one is left because of discrimination and the massacer of 1915.In one day the Kurds of the village killed more then 40 men,after that;they began with the childeren and the woman.Those who they made slave and were converted to islam were saved,others were trown true the air and killed with the sword.There were also some hidden by the moslim neaburse,like my grand father who was a young boy at those days.Those who escaped went to the village of Ainwardo which is few km from Urnes.
Alied prisoners-of-war worked on the railway to Baghdad during World War One and came across Assyrians in south-east Anatolia. Perhaps it is coincidence that a character in Russell Crowe’s propaganda piece “The Water Diviner” includes a Muslim character from Mardin? Glad to see Dr Gaunt working on the Genocide of the Assyrians.
It was my privilege to live and teach in SE Turkey for 14 years, 2 of them in Mardin. This was until the authorities “deemed it unsuitable to renew my residence permit.” Getting to know the Assyrians and Armenians of Mardin and Tur Abdin was a highlight of my years in the region.
However, today many of the authorities still despise Christians. They refused to assist me when our house was robbed. The taking over of Christians’ property still continues to this day in that region. My prayers are with your brave people still remaining there.
Very good article. I’m going through a few of these issues as well..
Thank you for this article! My family is catholic armenian from mardin. This article is exactly how I had heard the stories. But far more detailed.
My father and uncle, Abdo and Salime Byda, lived in Mardin and were orphaned as a result of the slaughter during the
early 1900s. An orphanage run by Catholics took them in and they remained until they were in their late teens. My dad said very little about his childhood but, each Christmas, I would write out checks my father enclosed with his annual letter to the orphanage. I was very young and do not remember the name of this orphanage. From the few stories my father told, I suspected it was weeks of walking before they reached it. Would your readers perhaps recognize the name?
Antoinette Byda