Assyrian Martyrs Day: The British Betrayal of the Assyrians by Yusuf Malek

Date: August 9, 2023

For this Assyrian Martyrs’ Day, we encourage you to explore and study an intriguing book from the Ashurbanipal Library, housed at the Assyrian Cultural Foundation.

Originally published in 1935, Yusuf Malek’s The British Betrayal of the Assyrians is a detailed narrative that delves into the events leading up to the Simele Massacre in Iraq in August 1933. Throughout the book, you will find several duplicated letters from government officials alongside the author’s firsthand experiences.

Yusuf Malek, an Assyrian politician, author, and interpreter for the British army during the first World War, embarked on a journey in a newly independent Iraq, where he dedicated his focus to advocating for the Assyrian cause.

Before creating his book, Malek requested the British government to respond to the Simele Massacre, which was committed by the Iraqi government forces. The British, however, had their own interests, and those interests were with the Iraqi government, since Britain had an agreement protecting its dominion over Iraq’s petroleum. The Assyrians and their wellbeing mattered little.

The British Betrayal of the Assyrians puts forth the argument that the British government is responsible for supporting Iraqi ruler Faisal even as the Iraqi government infringed on Assyrian national rights and persecuted them. Additionally, the book criticizes the British government’s deceptive reaction to the Simele Massacre and its abandonment of its Assyrian allies, leaving the Assyrians at the mercy of Iraqi government officials. This led to Arab, Kurdish, and even Yezidi tribesmen to kill Assyrians indiscriminately and destroy and loot their villages.

The book contains an assortment of letters that vividly depict the atrocities of the Simele Massacre. One of these letters, written by Reverend R.C. Cumberland, an American missionary, observes that the “Simel[e] massacres and similar events have gone far to destroy the confidence of the Assyrians… in the good-faith of the Government. There seems not to be the personal integrity in the government services to form a stable administration.”

Indeed, the Iraqi government’s perpetration of the Simele massacre and the persecutions that followed silenced the Assyrian movement in Iraq and divided the Assyrian leadership for decades to come. However, it also fomented a renewed nationalist spirit among Assyrians in the diaspora.

Today, the Assyrian Cultural Foundation honors the Assyrian martyrs of the Simele Massacre, the Assyrian Genocide during World War I, and other catastrophic events throughout Assyrian history. Let us commemorate the sacrifices of our martyrs throughout the long history of the Assyrian nation that have been the foundation of our existence as a people today.

To learn more about this book and explore its contents, please contact our librarian, Sarah, at sarah.gawo@acf-us.org, to schedule a visit to the Ashurbanipal Library.

You can read a digital copy of the book here: https://archive.org/details/britishbetrayalo0000yusu/page/n389/mode/2up?q=massacre

If you want your own physical copy, the book can be purchased here:  https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/yusuf-malek/the-british-betrayal-of-the-assyrians/paperback/product-15perr.html?page=1&pageSize=4

Written by: Sarah Gawo

Published by: Brian Banyamin 

Bibliography

“The British Betrayal of the Assyrians.” Lulu, www.lulu.com/shop/yusuf-malek/the-british-betrayal-of-the-assyrians/paperback/product-15perr.html?page=1&pageSize=4. Accessed 1 Aug. 2023.

Lang, Esther. “Assyrian Martyr’s Day.” Assyrian Cultural Foundation Assyrian Martyrs Day Comments, www.auaf.us/blog/assyrian-martyrs-day/. Accessed 1 Aug. 2023.

“Yusuf Malek.” Wikipedia, 16 June 2023, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yusuf_Malek.

Yusuf, Malik. The British Betrayal of the Assyrians. Lulu Press, 2005.

The Vorderasiatisches Museum

Date: July 18, 2023

The next museum collection we will be discussing is the Vorderasiatisches Museum in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, Germany. The collection of ancient near eastern objects began with the discovery of what is likely the most well-known piece in the collection, The Ishtar Gate of Babylon.   

The Ishtar Gate was built in 575 BCE by Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II. The gate is constructed out of brick that is coated in a rich blue glaze, intended to mimic the appearance of the precious stone lapis lazuli. It features bas-relief sculptures of lions, which are representative of the Goddess Ishtar, aurochs (a type of extinct bull) which are representative of the storm God Adas, and depictions of the mythical creatures such as mushussu red dragons, which are representative of the God Marduk. The gate was used during Kha b-Nisan each year as the processional way through which the new year’s celebration passed into the city during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II.    

The Ishtar Gate was unearthed by German archeologist Robert Koldewey in a series of excavations that took place from 1899 to 1914. Based on research conducted by British historian Claudius Rich, Koldewey managed to find two royal palaces belonging to King Nebuchadnezzar as well as the Ishtar Gate. The excavation was funded by the German Oriental Society, which was founded in 1898. The presence of this funding pressured archeologists to take actions to recoup the cost of the excavation. This was primarily done through the smuggling of artifacts back to Berlin. They were originally a part of the collection at the Kaiser Friedrich-Museum, now the Bode-Museum. The Ishtar Gate was completely deconstructed, with each individual piece cataloged using a numbering system intended to help the team to reassemble the gate on site at the museum. The individual pieces were hidden in barrels of straw, shipped down the Euphrates River, and eventually made their way to Berlin. The process of reconstructing the gate onsite at the museum was a meticulous undertaking. The museum staff was tasked with sorting through hundreds of barrels containing contents of the Ishtar Gate, which had to be desalinated and reconstructed using a combination of contemporary bricks fired to resemble the blue glaze of the gate. The original gate was constructed in two parts comprised of a larger back section, and a small frontal section. The museum did not have the space to constructed the larger back section of the gate on site, and so those pieces of the Ishtar Gate remain in storage. The reconstruction of the frontal section of the gate, however, remains on display to this day.  

In 1903, there was another significant development in the growth of the collection. Robert Koldewey’s assistant, Walter Andrae, began excavating the Assyrian city of Assur. Assur was the first capital of Assyria, its religious center, and is believed to have been first settled around 2500 BCE. Though later Assyrian kings would declare capitals at Nimrud, Khorsabad, and Nineveh, Assur always remained the religious capital of the empire. It was the location of the Temple of Assur, also referred to as the Old Palace, where some Assyrian kings were returned and buried upon their death. Walter Andrae’s team uncovered various city structures and buildings, including multiple religious temples to various Assyrian Gods and Goddesses such as Sin, Ishtar, Shamash, Anu, Adad, and Nabu.   

When the excavation ended in 1914, the finds were divided between the Germany and the Ottoman Empire. In the time that the German archeologists were bringing the artifacts back to Berlin, World War I began. The team temporarily stationed in neutral Lisbon Portugal. However, when Portugal declared war against Germany in 1916, the artifacts from Assur were seized and put on display in the Museum of Porto. The objects were returned to Germany in 1926 where, along with other near eastern objects at the Kaiser Friedrich Museum, the collection was moved to the Pergamon Museum. In 1945, during World War II, the Soviet Union stole the Assur works from the museum. They were held in the Soviet Union until 1958 when they were returned to East Germany. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 allowed for another step forward for the community of German archeologists, as now they were able to collaborate with each other across East and West Germany. In 1997, Johannes Renger led The Assur Project. The Assur Project was an academic undertaking aimed at creating a database of the finds at Assur and organizing them into publications.   

Today The Vorderasiatische Museum in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin Germany is made up of fourteen rooms which feature objects from ancient Sumerian, Babylonian, and Assyrian society. Their reconstructions of ancient monuments in particular afford visitors the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the ancient peoples who once built and experienced these objects themselves. By prioritizing shared knowledge and collaboration with other archeologists, the team at the Pergamon Museum has been able to uncover truths about, and piece together our understanding of life in ancient Assyria.   

  Written by: Melanie Perkins 

Bibliography  

Berlin, Staatliche Museen. “About the Collection – Vorderasiatisches Museum.” Staatliche Museen Zu Berlin, https://www.smb.museum/en/museums-institutions/vorderasiatisches- museum/collection-research/about-the-collection/. Accessed 9 Feb. 2023.  

“Ancient Near Eastern Cultures.” Staatliche Museen Zu Berlin, https://www.smb.museum/en/museums- institutions/vorderasiatisches-museum/exhibitions/detail/ancient-near-eastern-cultures/. Accessed 9 Feb. 2023.  

Pedde, Friedhelm. “ANE TODAY – 201501 – Recovering Assur From the German Excavations of 1903-1914 to Today’s Assur Project in Berlin – American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR).” American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR), https://www.asor.org/anetoday/2015/01/recovering- assur/. Accessed 9 Feb. 2023.  

Mar Benyamin Shimun XXI

Date: March 11, 2023

Mar Benyamin Shimun, Catholicos Patriarch XXI, was born in Qudchanis, Turkey in 1887. His mother, Asyat, was the daughter of a famous Assyrian chieftain, Qamber of Eeil, and his father, Eshai, was born of the patriarchal line of the Church of the East. Growing up, he received an education from a notable Assyrian scholar from the tribe of Tkhooma. During this time, he learned a great deal about politics and diplomacy.

On March 2, 1903, Mar Benyamin was ordained as a Metropolitan. However, after the death of his uncle, Mar Ruel Shimun, Catholicos Patriarch XX, on March 16, 1903, Mar Benyamin was elevated to the Patriarchal throne on March 30, 1903 at the age of 16. Observers noted that he quickly learned how to conduct himself as a mature leader despite his age, as he was aided by his sister, Surma Khanum.

Years after his consecration, World War I began and reverberated throughout the world and the Middle East. The conflicts between various regional powers place the Assyrian nation in a most difficult position, leading to much conflict and atrocities. With much difficulty, Mar Benyamin took it upon himself to lead the Assyrians of Hakkari out into the safety of Urmi, where they joined their brethren.

Also, he helped many Assyrians escape to Russia after having successful negotiations with Tsar Nicolas of Russia for Assyrian settlement in their residential areas. According to Braum and Winkler, Mar Benyamin accomplished “the transfer of 15,000 of his people into the Caucasus, where they founded a new homeland in the present-day states of Armenia and Georgia.” In 1917, Mar Benyamin was decorated by the Russians who wanted to show their appreciation to the Assyrians for helping them in their fight. In 1918, Mar Benyamin was assassinated by a Kurdish officer. He was 31 years old.

Mar Benyamin Shimun, Catholicos Patriarch XXI, embodies the true meaning of a hero. His bravery and courage helped many Assyrians find sanctuary in a very turbulent time in history, and for that, we honor him every year.

Published by: Brian Banyamin

Written by: Sarah Gawo

Bibliography

Baum, William, and Dietmar Winkler. The Church of the East: A Concise History. Routledge, 2003.

“He Lived and Died For His Beloved Assyrian Church & Nation.” Assyrian Enterprise, http://www.assyrianenterprise.com/MiscAnnounc/M.Benyamin/MBenyamin.html.

Shoumanov, Vasili V. The Assyrian Martyr: Mar Benjamin Shimun, Patriarch of the Church of the East. Center for the Assyrian Genocide Studies, 2008.

Shumanov, Vasily. “The Patriarch Mar Binyamin Shimmun a Martyr of the Assyrian Nation & The Church of the East.” Zinda, 15 Mar. 2004, http://www.zindamagazine.com/html/archives/2004/3.15.04/.

SyriacPress. “Today in History: East Syriac Patriarch Mar Shimun Binyamin Murdered by Kurdish Chieftain Simko Agha.” SyriacPress, 3 Mar. 2022, https://syriacpress.com/blog/2022/03/03/today-in-history-east-syriac-patriarch-mar-shimu n-binyamin-murdered-by-kurdish-chieftain-simko-agha/.

Werda, Joel E. “A Short Biography of Mar Benyamin Shimun XXI.” Nineveh, 1981.

Agha Petros

Date: February 23, 2023

Petros Elia was born in Baz, Hakkari in April 1880, during the reign of the Ottoman empire. He went to school in Hakkari, then later traveled to Urmia, Iran, where he received a Catholic missionary education.

After he finished school, he began teaching in his hometown of Baz. Then, he became an assistant in the Ottoman Empire, and later an ambassador in Iran for the Ottoman consulate, as a result of his fluency in various languages. According to Solomon Solomon, “While serving in his new position, he used his influence to help the Christian population of the area to a degree that the Pope sent him a medal as a token of gratitude.”

When World War I began, Petros Elia resigned from his job to join the war effort. Following Russia’s invasion of Iran, Petros Elia was appointed as a general during World War I and started being referred to as Agha Petros. At this time, the Allies (Great Britain, France, Russia, etc.) gave him command over the left-wing of the Assyrian army.

Throughout the war, Agha Petros led successful campaigns against the Ottomans and Kurds, most notably, the Battle of Souldouze. At Souldouze, Agha Petros beat back the Ottoman force against greater odds. Moreover, Agha Petros defeated the Ottomans in Sauj Bulak and drove them out, as well as the Ottoman and Kurdish forces in Mosul. All things considered, it’s accomplishments, such as these, which earned him the title of being Assyria’s greatest military hero.

In his later years, he participated in the 1923 Lausanne Conference in an attempt to resettle Assyrians. Years later, he moved to France, where he passed away in February, 1932 at the age of 52.

Published by: Brian Banyamin

Written by: Sarah Gawo

Bibliography

“Agha Petros.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Nov. 2022,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agha_Petros#:~:text=Petros%20also%20defeated%20the%
20Ottomans,quite%20a%20few%20of%20them.
Donef, Racho. 1923: Agha Petros and the Lausanne Telegraphs, 29 Sept. 2003,
http://www.atour.com/history/1900/20030929a.html.
Naayem, Joseph. Shall This Nation Die? Lulu Press, 2005.
Shihale, Joe. “Genaral Agha Patrus .” Agha Putrus,
https://www.betnahrain.net/Biographies/agha.htm.
Solomon, Solomon S. Prominent Assyrians. [Publisher Not Identified], 1991.