April 24 marks 110 years since the genocide that struck the Christian peoples of the Ottoman Empire. Syriacs – together with Armenians and Greeks – were brutally murdered, driven from their homes, and erased from the lands they had inhabited for thousands of years. We call it Seyfo – the Year of the Sword. And although more than a century has passed, the wounds remain unhealed. The silence remains unbroken. The denial still continues.
But this is not only about history. Seyfo is not a distant memory – it is a living reality. The violence, persecution, and displacement of Christians in the Middle East continue to this day. The faces and places may have changed, but the ideology remains the same. And most disturbingly: the silence remains the same.
So we must ask ourselves:
Why are you silent, fellow human being?
Why are you silent, politician?
Why are you silent, media?
Why do you march for some, but turn your gaze away from others? Why is the suffering of Christians so easy to ignore, so often overlooked, so rarely acknowledged?
And most importantly: Why this double standard?
This is not only a betrayal of a people. It is a betrayal of the very foundation upon which Western civilization stands.
We, the Aramean people, are the carriers of a heritage that belongs not only to us. We spoke the language of Jesus. Our ancestors wrote the scriptures upon which laws and nations were built. We spread Christianity eastward and westward. We built monasteries, schools, libraries, and shaped theology and philosophy that still run through the veins of Western culture and belief.
So when the West turns its back on us – the Christians of the Middle East – it does not only abandon a people in distress. It betrays itself.
The West’s indifference to our suffering is a moral failure. To turn a blind eye to our fate is to turn a blind eye to one’s own roots.
We do not seek pity. We seek recognition. We seek dignity. We seek the same solidarity rightfully shown to others. For the suffering of one people should never be weighed against another. Every life matters. Every injustice matters.
But we Syriacs–Arameans must also look inward. As a people, we must examine ourselves
For far too long, many of our own leaders and organizations have failed to act decisively. The memory of Seyfo is too often honored with candles and vague social media posts – but rarely with a unified political strategy, widespread education, or a strong international voice. Too often, the responsibility has fallen on isolated individuals. Too often, we have let the years pass without building the strong institutions necessary to defend our rights, preserve our history, and elevate our shared voice.
This silence – our own silence – is dangerous. It has left many of our youth in darkness, without knowledge of who they are, where they come from, or what their ancestors endured. When we fail to educate, we lose strength. When we forget our story, we forfeit our future.
As leaders, as organizations, as congregations – we cannot forsake this responsibility. To do so is to abandon not only our people, but ourselves. It is to deny the memory of those who fell – then and now.
We are a tree – and without our roots, we die.
We cannot grow strong without understanding the soil from which we rise.
The time has come to rise.
To organize beyond borders, churches, and generations.
To demand recognition.
To speak the truth with courage and humility.
To educate our youth – not in bitterness, but in pride.
To tell the world: We are still here. And we will not be forgotten.
Long live the memory of Seyfo – in the light of eternity, not only in sorrow but in strength.
And long live the heritage upon which the West was built – if it dares to carry it.
By Habib Dilmac, Chairman of Syriac Federation in Sweden