Iraq, Armenia mark 7 August in memory of Simele Massacre and Sayfo Genocide victims
BAGHDAD / YEREVAN — Two painful events in the history of the Suraye (Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian) people are marked on 7 August, namely the 1933 Simele Massacre in Iraq and the 1915 Sayfo Genocide, perpetrated against Suraye, Armenians, and Pontic Greeks by the Ottoman army and allied Kurdish tribes during World War I. On the occasion, calls have been renewed for official recognition of these tragedies, as well as for justice, the protection of diversity, and the promotion of peaceful coexistence.
In Iraq, Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament Farhad Amin Atrushi commemorated the victims of the Simele Massacre, which targeted members of the Suraye people in 1933, marking its 93rd anniversary.
Atrushi described the massacre as one of the most painful tragedies in Iraq’s modern history. He called for protecting the rights of the country’s various components, officially recognizing the massacre, and promoting the values of justice and citizenship in a manner that contributes to preserving Iraq’s diversity and preventing the recurrence of such tragedies.
In Armenia, the opposition Strong Armenia bloc in the Armenian National Assembly also marked 7 August as a day of remembrance for the victims of the Sayfo Genocide.
Strong Armenia bloc lawmaker Andranik Gevorgyan and Assyrian-origin MP Arman Avshian laid a wreath at a memorial dedicated to the victims of the Sayfo Genocide and paid tribute to their memory.
The bloc said the commemoration recalls the events of 1915, alleging that the Ottoman Empire burned around 3,000 Suraye alive inside churches, destroyed approximately 100 villages, and killed between 500,000 and 750,000 people, while also deporting tens of thousands of Suraye.
The commemoration comes amid renewed calls for recognition of the massacres and genocides suffered by the Suraye people. Advocates say official recognition is essential to preserving historical memory, advancing justice and accountability, and helping prevent the recurrence of mass atrocities against ethnic and religious communities.
The dual commemoration also underscores the continuing efforts of Suraye organizations and political representatives to secure recognition of the community’s historical suffering and to promote the protection of its rights, identity, and presence in its ancestral homeland.