“A monument without us is a monument without meaning”
– We reject the parliamentary committee’s proposal for the Seyfo monument
On June 11, 2025, our congregations and organizations were called to a meeting at Södertälje City Hall, where the parliamentary committee presented its proposal for a memorial monument for Seyfo – the genocide of 1915. What should have been a solemn and united moment for reflection, respect, and healing instead became a display of political arrogance, lack of dialogue, and a total absence of inclusion.
Despite the monument’s purpose to honor our martyrs and give voice to our collective grief and history, the committee chose to act behind closed doors. No consultations, no discussions, no participation. The proposal was presented for the first time – just two days before the municipal board is set to make a decision. This is not dialogue. It is a pre-scripted decision package, served with an expectation of silent acceptance. It raises serious concerns about democratic processes and respect for civil society.
A proposal without history, without soul – without us
The proposal now presented is not only inadequate – it is a monumental failure. It lacks any historical understanding of what lies at the core of Seyfo: martyrdom for the Christian faith. The peoples who were murdered in 1915 did not die as political victims, but as confessors of their Christian belief. A monument that ignores this central fact is not a Seyfo monument – it is a distortion of history.
That the committee has explicitly banned religious symbols – in a monument commemorating people who died precisely for their religion – is deeply disrespectful and indefensible. Our martyrs were executed because they refused to deny their faith. They died for the cross – and now the committee chooses to erase this from memory.
We are presented with an abstract construction devoid of emotional connection, resembling some form of tower – a symbol that holds entirely different meaning than what is relevant to Seyfo. This is not art. It is not remembrance. It is an ideological product, detached from both people and reality.
A monument for whom?
We rightfully ask: Who is this monument for? Is it for politicians eager to appear proactive without listening? For officials wanting to tick off an agenda item? It is certainly not being built for us – the descendants of the martyrs murdered in 1915.
When we raised our deep concerns and criticism during the meeting – both regarding the process and the content – we were met with a summarized response:
“It’s unfortunate that you feel that way, but it doesn’t matter right now.”
This response, delivered in front of gathered representatives from our congregations and organizations, not only reveals a total lack of respect – it also exposes a deeply troubling attitude. Shouldn’t the municipal leadership and responsible politicians strive to include and listen, especially in a matter so historically and emotionally charged?
Instead, Boel Godner and the parliamentary committee have chosen to turn a deaf ear. No willingness to reconsider, no openness to other voices, no listening. The stubborn refusal to even acknowledge the problem of excluding Södertälje’s and Sweden’s single largest group connected to this issue – a memorial monument concerning that very group’s deepest wounds – is alarming. What does it say about the relationship between the municipality and our congregations and organizations? What does it say about the view of our history, our faith, and our right to exist in Södertälje?
If this is the way to “unite Södertälje,” we must sadly conclude that it in practice leads to division. Unity requires attentiveness. Reconciliation requires inclusion. Memorial work requires respect. The committee has failed – utterly.
We say no – and we stand firm
We, the undersigned Syriac congregations and organizations, unanimously reject the proposal presented by the parliamentary committee. We see it as an insult to our martyrs, a betrayal of our history, and an attempt to diminish the faith our ancestors gave their lives to preserve.
We demand that the process be immediately paused, that the proposal be withdrawn, and that a new effort be initiated in open dialogue with the groups this monument is meant to represent. A memorial monument should not divide – it should unite. It should not distort – it should affirm the truth. It should not erase our faith – it should carry it.
Attempting to push this decision through without grounding, in rushed silence, is a deep democratic and moral failure. We do not support it. And we will not be silent when the memory of our martyrs is dishonored.
Signed by:
Syriac Orthodox Church in Sweden
Syriac Federation in Sweden
Syriac Aramean Youth Federation in Sweden (SAUF)
Youth Federation of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Sweden (SOKU)
Syriac Aramean Academic Federation (SAAF)
Syriac Association in Södertälje
St. Afrem Södertälje
St. Touma Södertälje
Aramean National Alliance
SAUF Södertälje
SOKU Södertälje
SOKU Lina Hage Södertälje
SAUF Lina Hage Södertälje