Massacres at Sairt
Djeudet Bey, Military Governor of Van, upon entering Sairt with 8,000
soldiers whom he himself called the "The Butchers' Battalion" (Kassab
Tabouri), gave orders for the massacre of the Assyrians. "The
Chaldean-Assyrian diocese of Sairt comprises, exclusive of the
Chaldean-Assyrians of the town, more than thirty villages, not to count a
large number of other villages inhabited by Jacobite-Assyrians, of whose
number we are ignorant. All these prosperous villages were pillaged,
looted
and burned, those who dwelt therein being put the sword." The following is
an almost complete list with the number of Chaldean-Assyrians inhabitants
who were massacred:
Sairt 2000
Sadagh 2000
Mar-Gourya 1000
Guedianes 500
Hadide 1000
Redwan 500
Dehok 500
Ketmes 1000
Der-Chemch 200
Piros 1000
Tentas 500
Tellimchar 1500
Telnevor 500
Benkof 200
Mar-Cmoune 300
Harevena 200
Der-Mar-Yacoub 500
Bekend 500
Ain-Dare 200
Berke 500
Archkanes 500
Galwaye 500
Goredj 500
Artoun (Altaktanie) 500
Der-Mazen 300
Der-Rabban 300
Char****h 200
Artoun 1000
(Shall This Nation Die? pp. 122-123)
Eye-witness account of the Massacres: "A certain Youssouf, son of Kas
Chaya,
during this time had concealed himself in the Chaldean Cathedral. Driven
out
by hunger, the unfortunate man left his hiding place one night and came to
a
house, where his sister Marian was. That very night band of persecutors
arrived. We all fled to the roof in terror. Youssouf, fearing for his
life,
hid himself under a mattress. One of the brigands, who was following us
upstairs, discovered Youssouf. He pulled him from under the mattress,
threatening him with death. Youssouf bravely make the sign of the cross
and
cried aloud: "Jesus, into you hands I commit my soul." He asked to see his
little nephew, an only son among seven sisters, kissed him tearfully and
bade us farewell. With us there was also a boy of twelve, called
Fardjalla,
who had escaped death on the first day, and whom we had hidden with our
men.
Worn out by the excessive heat he had come out and joined us. He. too, was
seized and began to cry, screaming: "Oh, they are going to kill me." His
sister called out to him: " Do not be frightened, dear, you will be happy
in
Heaven." The scoundrels then took the two poor Assyrian boys outside the
house, and shot them before its very door." (Shall This Nation Die? pp.
133).
Winter 1915
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