Thousands of Assyrians Rally in Sweden in Support of Besieged Monastery in Turkey

    

Södertälje, Sweden – AINA —

Nearly four thousand Assyrians gathered in the
town of Södertälje on Sunday to protest the attempts by Muslim village leaders
in south-eastern Turkey to confiscate lands belonging to the ancient Saint
Gabriel monastery (AINA
12-2-2008,
9-16-2008).
Representatives of major Swedish political parties, Assyrian organizations and
bishops were present to convey a message of support to the 1600 years old
monastery.

Assyrian representatives committed themselves to do whatever is necessary to
stop the attacks against what they consider to be the last standing Assyrian
Christian symbol in south eastern Turkey.

European politicians are standing by the Assyrians and the Saint Gabriel
monastery (AINA 12-9-2008).
The German ambassador to Turkey, Dr. Eckart Cuntz, visited the monastery (AINA
12-12-2008) and Swedish
MPs Mats Pertorft and Yilmaz Kerimo are planning to attend the second court
hearings which will begin on the 19 December.

Between 1914-1918 a genocide was perpetrated against the Assyrian population
in northern Mesopotamia and especially in the areas of what is today south
eastern Turkey. Turks and Kurds cooperated to wipe out the non Muslim population
in the name of Jihad. Today only 3000 Assyrians remain in south-eastern Turkey.
For many Assyrians today the attacks against the Saint Gabriel monastery are
seen as a continuation of the 1914-1918 genocide, which Turkey still denies.

Click here for
pictures of the St. Gabriel monastery.