French Senate Recognizes the Assyro-Chaldeans Genocide of 1915-1918 by Abdulmesih BarAbraham MSc. ― activist, writer, historian. | bio | writings
The French Senate voted by a majority on Wednesday, February 8, in favor of a resolution calling on the government to recognize the genocide of the Assyrian-Chaldeans of 1915-1918 and to make the day of April 24 a joint day of commemoration for the Armenian and Assyrian-Chaldean genocides.
French Sénat. Copyright: LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP.
The proposal for the resolution was introduced by Senator Valérie Boyer (Member of the Republicans - LR) under the title "On the recognition of the genocide of the Assyro-Chaldeans of 1915-1918", and was co-signed by LR Group leaders Bruno Retailleau and Hervé Marseille. It gained immediate support from more than 60 senators when it was recorded into the Senate on January 6, 2023.
At the session the Senate on Wednesday, the resolution was adopted by a vote of 300 to 2. It calls on the government "to officially recognize as genocide the mass extermination, deportation and suppression of the cultural heritage of more than 250,000 Assyro-Chaldeans by the Ottoman authorities between 1915 and 1918" and "to publicly condemn the genocide."
The resolution argues that combined and concerted extermination accounted for more than half of the population at the time, and was aimed at the negation of the Assyrian identity and its disappearance from the Ottoman region. This is underlined by the massive and systematic executions, the looting of the land and property of the Assyrian-Chaldean-Syriac population, and the systematic destruction of their cultural expression.
It is noted that in its five-page explanatory section, the resolution cites Professor Joseph Jacoub, author of several books and publications related to the Genocide (Assyrian: Sayfo – Sword or Year of the Sword) (1) as an expert, explaining that this "genocide and looting of land and property was accompanied by severe attacks on the cultural heritage: Historical monuments were destroyed and left abandoned, churches desecrated and schools demolished. Libraries of rare books and valuable manuscripts were squandered and destroyed, such as those of the Chaldean diocese of Seert or the Assyrian patriarchal seat in Kotchanes, a small village in Hakkari now abandoned, or the monasteries of the Syriac Churches in the Tur Abdin region."
Valérie Boyer is cited by LeFigaro stating that France has "a protective role towards the Christians of the Orient, based on a long history that goes back to the (Ottoman) capitulations (2) signed by Francis I with Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent in 1535."
"Unlike the Armenian Genocide, which has been recognized by many countries and international organizations and is considered one of the four genocides officially recognized by the UN, the massacre of the Assyrians still lacks recognition as a genocide," the senator said. Senator Bruno Retailleau argued that the reason for this is the fact "that it is a people without a state, while undoubtedly also hesitations existed."
Adding to that, Bruno Retailleau defended the recognition as "an act of truth in context of history, but also an act of resistance, both in the face of negationism and fatalism." "It is not in the name of the past, it is in the name of the future, the future of a people without a state, but not without memory," he added.
The LeFigaro article cites also Pierre Ouzoulias (CRCE with communist majority) commenting on the topic, saying that "as a minority among minorities, as the persecuted among the persecuted, as the forgotten among the forgotten, the Assyrian-Chaldeans have not ceased to suffer the consequences of the upheavals in the turbulent history of the Middle East. France, by recognizing the Armenian Genocide, which is not unique to Armenians, has not ignored them. The merit of this resolution is to link it more clearly with the tribute to all the dead of the genocide."
Many Assyrian personalities and representatives from various institutions, among them Professor Joseph Yacoub and the director of the Seyfo Center, Sabri Atman, were present during the Senate session. In a short statement distributed by Seyfo Center, the ongoing denial of the genocide by Turkey is considered as "the biggest obstacle to the healing of a deep and open wounds" of the Assyro-Chaldeans. Therefore, "the recognition by the French Senate can be seen as very important step," the statement adds.
RESOLUTION relating to the recognition of the Assyro-Chaldean genocide of 1915-1918
The Senate adopted the resolution which reads as follows: See the numbers: Senate: 227 (2022-2023).
Resolution on the recognition of the Assyro-Chaldean genocide of 1915-1918
The Senate,
Considering article 34-1 of the Constitution,
Having regard to Chapter XVI of the Rules of the Senate,
Having regard to the Charter of the United Nations of June 26, 1945,
Having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of December 10, 1948,
Having regard to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of December 9, 1948, and in particular its Article 2,
Having regard to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of 4 November 1950,
Having regard to the 2007 resolution of the International Association of Genocide Scholars recognizing as genocide the Ottoman campaign against the Armenians, Assyrians and Pontic Greeks of Anatolia between 1914 and 1923,
Having regard to law n° 2001-70 of January 29, 2001 relating to the recognition of the Armenian genocide of 1915,
Having regard to decree n° 2019-291 of April 10, 2019 relating to the annual commemoration of the Armenian genocide of 1915,
Considering that the historical, linguistic, cultural and religious specificities of the Assyro-Chaldeans make them a people with their own identity, distinct from that of the other peoples of the Near and Middle East; Considering that at the beginning of the 20th century, the Assyro-Chaldean population living in the Ottoman Empire amounted to more than 500,000 people;
Considering that before the First World War, the Assyrian-Chaldean people were victims of serious and recurrent persecutions and of several massacres, in particular those of 1895-1896;
Considering that between 1915 and 1918, the Ottoman regime organized the mass murder of the Assyro-Chaldean population, their exodus from the borders of the empire and their forced conversion to Islam; Considering that this combined and concerted extermination of more than 250,000 Assyro-Chaldeans, i.e. more than half of the population of the time, had as its objectives the negation of Assyrian identity and its disappearance from the Ottoman space, with regard to massive and systematic executions, the spoliation of land and property belonging to the Assyro-Chaldeo-Syriac populations as well as the systematic destruction of their property of cultural expression;
Considering that the Turkish authorities refute in every respect the very existence of an Assyro-Chaldean genocide, in the same way as an Armenian genocide by the Ottoman regime;
Considering that these two genocides took place concomitantly, under the same conditions and for the same purpose, but that they targeted two peoples who cannot be confused;
Considering that France recognized the Armenian Genocide in 2001 and that, since 2019, an annual day of commemoration is officially dedicated to it on April 24;
Considering that making known the atrocities and the sufferings suffered by the Christian minorities of the Ottoman Empire and by the Assyro-Chaldeo-Syriac populations participates, today as yesterday, in the fight against oblivion, for the establishment of responsibilities and legitimate reparations and against the reiteration of these tragedies;
Considering the importance of remembrance and respect for the dignity of the human person;
Invites the Government to officially recognize the mass extermination, deportation and suppression of the cultural heritage of more than 250,000 Assyrian-Chaldeans by the Ottoman authorities, between 1915 and 1918, as a genocide;
Invites the Government to publicly condemn the genocide committed by the Ottoman authorities against the Assyro-Chaldeans between 1915 and 1918;
Invites the Government to make April 24 the date of the annual commemoration of the Armenian genocide and the Assyro-Chaldean genocide.
French Senate Recognizes the Assyro-Chaldean Genocide: Exclusive Interview with Professor Joseph Jacoub by Abdulmesih BarAbraham MSc. ― activist, writer, historian. | bio | writings
The French Senate passed a resolution on Wednesday, February 8th, calling on the government to recognize the genocide of the Assyrian-Chaldeans of 1915-1918 and to make the day of April 24 a joint day of commemoration for the Armenian and Assyrian-Chaldean genocides. After the discussion the resolution was adopted by 300 votes to two.
In the shadow of WWI, the Assyro-Chaldeans (known also Syriac Christians), living in sountheastern region of the Ottoman Empire, too were deported, expelled and massacred by the Ottoman Empire, in the same manner as the Armenians. France recognizes the genocide of the latter since the law of January 29, 2001.
The proposal for the resolution under the title ‘On the recognition of the genocide of the Assyro-Chaldeans of 1915-1918,’ was tabled by Senator Valérie Boyer (Member of the Republicans - LR) and co-singed by LR Group leaders Bruno Retailleau and Hervé Marseille. It gained immediate support from more than 70 senators when it was recorded into the Senate on January 6, 2023.
Professor Joseph Yacoub
The five-page explanatory section of the resolution cites Professor Joseph Jacoub as an expert explaining that this "genocide and looting of land and property was accompanied by severe attacks on the cultural heritage: Historical monuments were destroyed and left abandoned, churches desecrated and schools demolished. Libraries of rare books and valuable manuscripts were squandered and destroyed, such as those of the Chaldean diocese of Seert or the Assyrian patriarchal seat in Kotchanes, a small village in Hakkari now abandoned, or the monasteries of the Syriac Churches in the Tur Abdin region."
I had the opportunity to talk to Professor Yacoub right after the resolution passed by the French Senate. He was not only present among the Assyrian personalities and representatives of various institutions following the historic Senate session, but also had a decisive part along the process to this resolution, In this interview, he speaks about the importance of this decision and the process that leds to the decision.
Professor Joseph Yacoub is honorary professor of political science from the Catholic University of Lyon and was the first holder of UNESCO's Chair of „Memory, Cultures and Interculturality,“ expert on minority issues, human rights and Eastern Christianity. He is the author of numerous books and articles on the Assyro-Chaldeans and the Oriental Christians. His most recent book (co-written with his wife Claire Yacoub) is Martyrs par amour en Perse. Mgr Sontag et ses trois compagnons (Martyrs for Love in Persia. Bishop Sontag and his three Companions), Ed. Salvator, June 2022, Paris.
Joseph Yacoub is born in Hassake, Syria. His parents, originally from Iranian Azerbaijan (Salamas district), suffered during the Turkish genocide of Assyrians during World War I, taking refuge in Georgia before settling in Syria in 1921.
The interview was conducted in French and translated.
Interview
Abdulmesih BarAbraham (AB): Professor Yacoub, thank you for your readiness to this interview. Please allow me first to congratulate the Assyrians in France and in particular you as a scholar and expert for pushing for the recent recognition of the Assyro-Chaldeans Genocide by the French Senate, which was accepted by an impressive majority. It seems it was the first time in France that the question of the genocide of the Assyrian-Chaldeans has been submitted to the Senate, followed by a vote.
Professor Joseph Yacoub (JY): First of all, thank you very much dear friend Abdulmesih.
Wednesday February 8, 2023 is not an ordinary day. We are facing history. The motion for a resolution to recognize the Assyro-Chaldean Genocide of 1915-1918 was examined in a public session by the French Senate and adopted by an overwhelming majority of votes casted: 300 for and 2 against!
Display in the French Senate, February 8, 2023. Picture from FB SeyfoCenter.
We owe this to the initiative of these noble children of France: Senator Valérie Boyer and Senator Bruno Retailleau, whose perseverance and tenacity have paid off. We salute in the same vein the continuous work accomplished by our dear and faithful friend François Pupponi, former MP of Val d'Oise and former mayor of Sarcelles. We express our deepest thanks and gratitude to these three pioneers.
How to explain this positive vote of the senators and how to analyze it?
The current dramatic news related to the Eastern Christians in Iraq, Syria and Turkey undoubtedly contributed to this. In this context, the situation of the Assyro-Chaldeans, a community that suffered persecution, migration and dispersion, has led us to re-visit the history. In doing so, parallels were drawn between the persecutions by the Islamic State (IS, Daech) and the genocidal and ethnocidal tragedy committed by the Ottoman Empire in 1915-1918.
This explains why this tragedy has gradually entered people‘s consciousness, and French politicians have seized upon it to place it in the public debate, since 2013, hoping to bring it to a successful conclusion.
(AB): Indeed, the decision marks a historic event. Reading the explantory section of the passed resolution, you are particulary cited there. This speaks for your engagement in the background in the preparation of this resolution. Could you elaborate on this.
(JY): First of all, I thank you, my dear Abdulmesih, for your trust.
It is the result of a long work of research and memory, which today finds a favorable echo. Let's start at the beginning. In my opinion, there can be no recognition without prior knowledge, knowledge being the mother of all battles, then comes communication. This work focused on our people, small in size, began in the 1980s. This renewal has two components: intellectual and political.
At the intellectual level, this meant serious academic research, which consisted of consulting unpublished rare documents and archives of various Western countries, to which must be added literature in Aramaic-Syriac and Arabic, written by eyewitnesses. It was then necessary to classify them in a synthetic way and to analyze them in the light of the international norms adopted on genocide, thinking in particular of the work of the lawyer Raphaël Lemkin. This work made it possible to break the silence surrounding the Assyrian question by giving it a solid basis and a foundation that validates it. It now enjoys a scientific status. This has resulted in publications in the form of books, studies in periodicals and numerous press articles and interviews. Since then, symposia and conferences have followed one another, with echoes in the media.
At the political level, the research work was accompanied by fieldwork aimed at public authorities (local, departmental and regional elected officials and government authorities) and the media. Here, we must mention the tireless work undertaken by the Assyro-Chaldean community, particularly in the Val d'Oise Department, which, having fled Turkey from 1980 onwards, had kept the memories of the suffering and calamities endured by their people in 1915.
The role of the associations is important to note. Active for 35 years, interlocutor of the public authorities, the two oldest associations, Association des Assyro-Chaldéens de France (AACF) and Union des Assyro-Chaldéens de France (UACF), must be mentioned for their activities of sensitization on the question, as well as the role of the Assyrian diaspora in the world (Germany, Sweden, the United States...), which drives a growing fight on this subject, the motto being: Not to forget! In this context, I must also mention the work done by people like yourself, dear Abdulmesih.
Thus, gradually, a broad consensus has emerged to position the issue in the public debate.
(AB): Thank you Malfono. Following your writings and published book over the last years, they appeared in very prestigious publications. Key themes are history, culture, religion and the genocide of Assyro-Chaldeans. Just about two weeks in the run-up for the decision of the French Senate, an important article of yours was published in the internationally renowned Le Figaro under the title "The official recognition of the Assyrian-Chaldean genocide is a duty of memory.“ In it, you appeal to the long French tradition of solidarity with Oriental Christians. What historical circumstances do you base that solidarity on?
(JY): Indeed, to grasp the significance of this act of recognition, we must go back in time in order to discover that France has always shown solidarity with the oppressed minorities of the Middle East and has shown particular benevolence towards the Assyro-Chaldeans.
Here, the past is remembered in our memory. With respect to the genocidal and ethnocidal tragedy of 1915-1918, France had taken a particular interest. Political and religious circles, intellectuals and the media had denounced these massacres. Let us recall that between 1915 and 1925, the Assyro-Chaldean question was an international topic, widely debated, even if the memory of their tragedy was somewhat obliterated between 1925 and 1970, to reappear from 1980 on.
Author of numerous works and a canon of Beauvais, Eugène Griselle (1861-1923), was an active advocate of the cause of the Assyro-Chaldeans in 1917 through his publications and his actions. Denys Cochin (1851-1922), MP of Paris, minister, writer and member of the French Academy, published an article in Le Figaro, on July 13, 1919, entitled "Pour L'Arménie" (For Armenia), in which we read: "A new massacre of Christians is imminent. The rest of Urmia’s women and children are in danger. The Nestorian and Armenian people ask for help immediately. Any delay may be fatal." Further he added: "Turkish fury did not distinguish between the Greek Orthodox, the Catholics, the Nestorians, the Chaldeans, or even the Yezidis, who are neither Christians nor Muslims and preserve, it is said, sacred books of fabulous antiquity, and the worship of the gods of Nineveh and Babylon." Men of letters have also been noted for their defense of the Assyro-Chaldeans, such as Frédéric Masson (1847-1923), perpetual secretary of the French Academy.
It should also be remembered that Frenchmen fell with the Assyrians in June-July 1918 on the Turkish-Persian front, in Urmia and Khosrava. We think in particular of Mgr. Jacques-Emile Sontag, son of Alsace, and Mathurin L'Hotellier, son of Brittany, along with two Assyrian martyrs: François Miraziz and Nathanaël Dinkha.
That being said, France's relationship with the Eastern Christians and the Assyro-Chaldeans date from before the tragedy of 1915, connections having been woven over the centuries. James (Yacoub) of Assyria in Tarentaise and Abraham of the Euphrates in Auvergne already mark a presence of Mesopotamia in Gaul in the 5th century. The historian Gregory of Tours in the 6th century (540-594) evokes these Orientals present in France who welcomed the Merovingian king Gontran in Orleans. Moreover, these Orientals spoke Aramaic, the language of Christ.
The nineteeth century inaugurates a crucial period. Through its works, France contributed to resurrect a people and its civilization, namely Nineveh and Babylon, long disappeared under the rubble. Thus, the funerary slab that enclosed it was lifted, to borrow this beautiful metaphor from Doctor Paul Caujole, head of the French Ambulance in Urmia. A world that we thought had become forever mute, collapsed and lifeless, is now coming back to life.
In this respect, the role of the French consuls in Mosul, in particular Paul-Emile Botta and Victor Place, was decisive. As early as 1847, archaeological pieces arrived by river to Le Havre to be placed in the Louvre Museum.
(AB): You just cited the article on the front page of the Le Figaro from July 13, 1919, in which the French readers were informed that "a new massacre of Christians is imminent. The rest of the women and children of Urmia are in danger. The Nestorian and Armenian people ask for help immediately. Any delay may be fatal …Turkish fury did not distinguish between the Orthodox Greeks, the Catholics, the Nestorians, the Chaldeans, or even the Yezidis…." Can we say that at the end of WW I the French authorities and public were aware of the deportations and massacres took place in East Anatolia and along the Border of Persia?
(JY): Yes, that is absolutely correct. Studying the French documents of the time and by scrutinizing the accounts and testimonies, we can see that the orders came from above, conceived by the Ottoman central power, the overall organization was methodically planned, the acts premeditated, and the execution systematic. The Dominican Hyacinthe Simon, who witnessed the massacres in Mardin, wrote in 1919: "The spring was not in our mountains, but in the capital; and I will deny the existence of the sun rather than the truth of this axiom: „The Young Turks of Constantinople have massacred the Christians of Turkey.“
Speaking of responsibilities, another Dominican, Jacques Rhétoré (1841-1921), who was also present in Mardin, challenged the Turkish authorities for their crimes in these terms: "These ministers of Constantinople who decreed the massacres, and these high officials who accepted the mission carrying them out.“
Even the daily American press reported. The New York Times for instance published on January 13, 1915, an article entitled: Christians in great peril, reporting on the precarious situation of the Christians of Turkey. The subtitle pointed to a clear ideological intentions of the government and its desire to homogenize the country by turquifying it. Talaat Bey declared, the newspaper wrote, "that there is room only for Turks in Turkey".
As for the massacres of Christians in Persia, conducted on the orders of the Turks, we can quote the American Presbyterian missionary Dr. William A. Shedd, who clearly blames Turkey during its occupation of the Urmia region from early January until May 20, 1915: "The Turks recruited large Kurdish forces from the region of Sujbulak and from the eastern districts of Turkey; with minor forces from Urmia and Salamas they assembled against Khoi and came to join the Turkish forces in Van under the leadership of Djevdet Bey. (...) During the months of Turkish occupation, there was never a moment of real security for the Christians. (...) During this period, the Turks were guilty not only of the actual failure to protect the Christians, but also of the direct massacres committed under their orders."
It was the same in 1918 on the Turkish-Persian front, where French diplomacy was very active.
(AB): Could you briefly remark on the position of France with regards to the demands of the Assyro-Chaldean delegations consisting of civil and religions leaders from all denominations during the post-war peace conference held in Paris 1919-20? Was France attentive to their demands?
(JY): Yes, at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, many Assyro-Chaldean delegates, both civil and religious, presented themselves, demanding autonomy for their homeland. One of the texts presented, we found it at the Municipal Library of Lyon, as a document of President Edouard Herriot.
(AB): Seems, France had very extensive knowledge of and interaction with the Assyro-Chaldeans and their Churches, which certainly served as a historical reference for the present Senators and facilitated their decision. But, what were the key arguments of the resolution that at the end of the day convinced the overwelming majority of the Senators?
(JY): In my opinion, it was the discovery of the genocide of 1915-1918, along with that of the Armenians, that was the driving force.
(AB): In fact a Le Figaro article cites Senator Pierre Ouzoulias clearly saying that Assyro-Chaldeans were co-victims of the Armenian Genocide, but their genocide needs to be recognized on its own. In addition Senator Valérie Boyer was cited talking about France‘s role as a protective power towards the Christians in the Ottoman Empire and history that goes back to the capitulation in the 16th century. Could you explain this in more detail?
(JY): Indeed, the 16th century saw the beginning of the era of Capitulations with the Ottoman Empire, by King François I and Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent. Since then, agreements have been concluded which allowed France, through its diplomatic and cultural representatives, to play an important role in the East, particularly in the field of education, until today.
France has also established since the 16th century, missions in Persia, where Assyrians have lived for more than 2000 years.
(AB): How did the French press comment on this recognition and the Senate's decision?
(JY): The event was widely and positively reported by the French media. I will mention in particular the daily newspaper Le Figaro. The journalist Jean Chichizola, deputy editor-in-chief, devoted two articles to the event, one before the vote, the other after the vote, whose titles and dates are as follows: "Towards a recognition of the genocide of the Assyro-Chaldeans" (February 6) and "The Senate recognizes the Assyro-Chaldean Genocide" (February 10)
(AB): The resolution calls on the government to recognize the genocide of the Assyro-Chaldeans of 1915-1918 and to make the day of April 24 a joint day of commemoration for the Armenian and Assyro-Chaldean genocides. How are the chances that the French government accepts this call? The reason I raise the question is that German government up to know did not act on the Genocide Resolution passed by the Bundestag in 2016.
(JY): At the outset, what is important to note is that the resolution adopted by the Senate recognizes the Assyro-Chaldean people as a distinct people, as well as its tragedy. In other words, the Senate text goes beyond commemoration, calling for the inclusion of this genocide as such. By emphesizing it as non-collateral to other massacres, that is to say, as singular, which cannot be confused with others. However, if we look at the texts recognizing the Armenian Genocide, adopted by the US House of Representatives and the German Bundestag, we see that they recognize, indirectly if I may say so, the Assyrian Genocide (under different names), which nevertheless remains confined to the explanatory memoranda, without going further. Hence the importance of direct recognition, as the French Senate is doing today, is very important.
It was therefore important to make the Assyrian-Chaldean Genocide a separate theme, to do justice to it and endow them with the status as a distinct people, with their own uniqueness, added to that of our Armenian brothers.
For years, personalities have been fighting for the recognition of the Assyro-Chaldean genocide, in the name of truth and to honor the memory of the victims. Members of Parliament are now working to have a text tabled in the National Assembly. Steps are underway.
We hope that the French government will give a favorable response to this resolution.
With this resolution, a new page is opened which marks the passage of the Assyro-Chaldeans from a people classified on the margins of history to a people now included in history.
(AB): Excellent and worthy finish. Dear Professor Yacoub, thank you very much for this informative interview.
Assyria
\ã-'sir-é-ä\ n (1998)
1: an ancient empire of Ashur
2: a democratic state in Bet-Nahren, Assyria (northern
Iraq, northwestern Iran, southeastern Turkey and eastern Syria.)
3:
a democratic state that fosters the social and political rights to all of
its inhabitants irrespective of their religion, race, or gender
4: a democratic state that believes in the freedom of
religion, conscience, language, education and culture in faithfulness to the
principles of the United Nations Charter —
Atour synonym
Ethnicity, Religion, Language
»
Israeli, Jewish, Hebrew
»
Assyrian, Christian, Aramaic
»
Saudi Arabian, Muslim, Arabic
Assyrian
\ã-'sir-é-an\ adj or n (1998)
1: descendants of the ancient empire of Ashur
2: the Assyrians, although representing but one single
nation as the direct heirs of the ancient Assyrian Empire, are now
doctrinally divided, inter sese, into five principle
ecclesiastically designated religious sects with their corresponding
hierarchies and distinct church governments, namely, Church of the
East, Chaldean, Maronite, Syriac Orthodox and Syriac Catholic.
These formal divisions had their origin in the 5th century of the
Christian Era. No one can coherently understand the Assyrians
as a whole until he can distinguish that which is religion or church
from that which is nation -- a matter which is particularly
difficult for the people from the western world to understand; for
in the East, by force of circumstances beyond their control,
religion has been made, from time immemorial, virtually into a
criterion of nationality.
3:
the Assyrians have been referred to as Aramaean, Aramaye, Ashuraya,
Ashureen, Ashuri, Ashuroyo, Assyrio-Chaldean, Aturaya, Chaldean,
Chaldo, ChaldoAssyrian, ChaldoAssyrio, Jacobite, Kaldany, Kaldu,
Kasdu, Malabar, Maronite, Maronaya, Nestorian, Nestornaye, Oromoye,
Suraya, Syriac, Syrian, Syriani, Suryoye, Suryoyo and Telkeffee. —
Assyrianism verb
Aramaic
\ar-é-'máik\
n (1998)
1: a Semitic language which became the lingua franca of
the Middle East during the ancient Assyrian empire.
2: has been referred to as Neo-Aramaic, Neo-Syriac, Classical
Syriac, Syriac, Suryoyo, Swadaya and Turoyo.
, Feb-11-2023 at 12:52 PM, (1)
