WCA President Re-Elected and Video Message to Form New Board
On 7 March 2021, the chairmen of the Aramean Member Federations of the World Council of Arameans (Syriacs) ("WCA") re-elected Johny Messo as the WCA President. The following day, WCA published this video message below by Johny (in Aramaic with English subtitles), calling upon talented and dedicated young Aramean men and women to join the new WCA Board.
10% Speech Turkish President at Swedish Parliament about Arameans (Syriacs)
Interestingly, ca. 10% of the speech given yesterday on 13 March 2013 by Turkey’s President at the Swedish Parliament concerns the Aramean (Syriac) people! Below follow first his 212 (out of a total of ca. 2100) words, then a few comments by the World Council of Arameans (Syriacs) as regards his key message:
OPEN LETTER TO H.E. Mr. Ahmed Al-Sharaa on Syria’s Future and the Place of the Aramean Christians
H.E. Mr. Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa
Presidential Palace, Damascus
Syrian Arab Republic
Your Excellency,
On behalf of the World Council of Arameans (Syriacs), a world federation since 1983 and a UN-recognized NGO since 1999, we extend our congratulations on your new leadership role and the historic responsibility of guiding Syria into a future of unity, peace, stability, and prosperity.
The Arameans, one of the oldest indigenous peoples of Syria, have contributed over 3,000 years to its cultural, spiritual, economic, and historical heritage. Our ancestors established thriving city-states in ancient Aram, the historical name for Syria, including Damascus, Hamath (Hama), Beth Agusi (Aleppo), Arpad (Tell Rifaat), and Gozan (Tell Halaf). These Aramean centers of governance, trade, and culture reflect our enduring connection to this land and our profound commitment to Syria’s stability, wellbeing, and progress.
As Syria embarks on a new chapter, it faces immense challenges that affect all its citizens, including the Aramean communities. For example, in Maaloula, one of the last bastions of Syria’s ancient Aramaic, our community confronts threats that endanger its unique heritage. Similarly, the Arameans in Northeast Syria under the administration of the YPG (SDF) aspire once again to a territorially united, administratively cohesive, and militarily centralized Syria that guarantees their safety, equality and inclusion.
We join Your Excellency in advocating for the lifting of Western sanctions, which have brought unbearable hardship to all Syrians. This is a pivotal step toward national recovery and unity. We also look forward to working with you to foster a Syria that values its rich cultural mosaic. By preserving and promoting Syria’s unique Aramean heritage, we can contribute to cultural and spiritual tourism that supports local economies and highlights Syria’s historical significance on the world stage. The World Council of Arameans (Syriacs) is eager to collaborate with your administration in achieving such shared goals.
Our shared history underscores our authenticity and contributions to Syria. Since the time of the Rashidun Caliphate and the Umayyads in Damascus, our forefathers played a crucial role in transmitting Mesopotamian, Persian, and Greek sciences, medicine, and philosophy to Arabs, helping to shape a golden age of intellectual and cultural achievement. Today, the Arameans once again stand ready to contribute to the rebuilding and unification of Syria, drawing inspiration from this legacy of collaboration and progress.
In this spirit, we respectfully request the opportunity to meet with Your Excellency in Damascus at your earliest convenience to discuss how we can work together on a united and successful Syria. Arameans from the diaspora and the homeland are ready to contribute to the inclusion, safety, and flourishing of all Syrians, while safeguarding the cultural treasures that make Syria a unique beacon of civilization and coexistence.
As the new year approaches, we wish you and your administration continued wisdom, success, and strength in guiding Syria toward a brighter future through this transformative time. May your leadership bring lasting stability, blessings, and happiness to all Syrians under your guidance in the coming year.
Sincerely yours,
Johny Messo
President
World Council of Arameans (Syriacs)
Download the letter in both English and Arabic, with its original letterhead, here as a PDF.
فخامة السيد أحمد الشرع
دمشق - قصر الرئاسة
الجمهورية العربية السورية
رسالة مفتوحة إلى فخامة السيد أحمد الشرع بشأن مستقبل سوريا
ومكانة المسيحيين الآراميين
٢٩/١٢/٢٠٢٤
فخامتكم،
بالنيابة عن الاتحاد السرياني (الآرامي) العالمي، الاتحاد العالمي منذ عام 1983 والمنظمة غير الحكومية المعترف بها من قبل الأمم المتحدة منذ عام 1999، نتقدم بأحر التهاني لفخامتكم بمناسبة توليكم القيادة الجديدة والمسؤولية التاريخية في توجيه سوريا نحو مستقبل من الوحدة والسلام والاستقرار والازدهار.
لقد ساهم الآراميون، وهم من أقدم الشعوب الأصلية في سوريا، على مدار أكثر من 3000 عام في التراث الثقافي والروحي والاقتصادي والتاريخي لهذا البلد. أسس أجدادنا دولًا مدنية مزدهرة في آرام القديمة، الاسم التاريخي لسوريا، بما في ذلك دمشق وحماة (حماة) وبيت أغوسي (حلب) وآرباد (تل رفعت) وجوزان (تل حلاب). تعكس هذه المراكز الآرامية في الحكم والتجارة والثقافة ارتباطنا العميق بهذه الأرض واهتمامنا المستمر في ضمان استقرار سوريا ورفاهها وتقدمها.
مع انطلاق سوريا في فصل جديد، فإنها تواجه تحديات هائلة تؤثر على جميع المواطنين، بما فيهم المجتمعات الآرامية. على سبيل المثال، في معلولا، أحد آخر معاقل اللغة الآرامية القديمة في سوريا، يواجه مجتمعنا تهديدات تمس تراثه الفريد. وكذلك، فإن الآراميين في شمال شرق سوريا تحت إدارة قوات سوريا الديمقراطية (قسد) يتطلعون مجددًا إلى سوريا موحدة جغرافيًا، منسجمة إداريًا، ومركزيًا عسكريًا، تضمن سلامتهم ومساواتهم ودمجهم في المجتمع.
نحن نؤيد مع فخامتكم رفع العقوبات الغربية، التي جلبت معاناة لا تحتمل لجميع السوريين. هذه خطوة حاسمة نحو التعافي الوطني والوحدة. كما نتطلع إلى العمل مع فخامتكم من أجل تعزيز سوريا التي تقدر تنوعها الثقافي الغني. من خلال الحفاظ على التراث الآرامي الفريد في سوريا وتعزيزه، يمكننا المساهمة في السياحة الثقافية والروحية التي تدعم الاقتصاد المحلي وتسهم في إبراز الأهمية التاريخية لسوريا على الساحة العالمية. إن الاتحاد السرياني (الآرامي) العالمي حريص على التعاون مع إدارتكم لتحقيق هذه الأهداف المشتركة.
تاريخنا المشترك يبرز أصالتنا ومساهماتنا في سوريا. فمنذ عهد الخلافة الراشدة والأمويين في دمشق، لعب أجدادنا دورًا حاسمًا في نقل العلوم والفلسفة والطب اليونانية والفارسية والميسوبوتامية إلى العرب، مما ساعد في تشكيل عصر ذهبي من الإنجازات الفكرية والثقافية. واليوم، يقف الآراميون مجددًا مستعدين للمساهمة في إعادة بناء سوريا ووحدتها، مستلهمين من هذا الإرث المشترك في التعاون والتقدم.
وفي هذا السياق، نطلب بكل احترام فرصة للقاء فخامتكم في دمشق في أقرب وقت ممكن لبحث سبل التعاون معًا من أجل بناء سوريا موحدة وناجحة. الآراميون من الشتات والوطن مستعدون للمساهمة في إدماج جميع السوريين وضمان سلامتهم وازدهارهم، مع الحفاظ على الكنوز الثقافية التي تجعل من سوريا منارة فريدة من نوعها في الحضارة والتعايش.
مع اقتراب العام الجديد، نتمنى لفخامتكم ولإدارتكم المزيد من الحكمة والنجاح والقوة في توجيه سوريا نحو مستقبل أكثر إشراقًا في هذا الوقت التحولي. نسأل الله أن تحقق قيادتكم الاستقرار الدائم والبركات والسعادة لجميع السوريين تحت إشرافكم في العام المقبل.
وتفضلوا بقبول فائق الاحترام،
جوني مسو
رئيس
الاتحاد السرياني (الآرامي) العالمي
Kurdish Nationalists Should Stop Using the Treaty of Sèvres (10 August 1920) as a Rallying Battle Cry
Kurdish separatists should come to terms with the death of the Treaty of Sèvres, signed hundred years ago today. This document was perhaps the first international recognition of the Kurdish people and of their right to autonomy with the additional possibility to secede from Turkey and establish an independent state called Kurdistan (Articles 62-64). Therefore, their nationalists feel betrayed by the imperial powers of the day for making this ‘promise’ on 10 August 1920, when agreements were made to partition the Ottoman Empire into various nation-states.
What Do Christians Want in Syria
What Do Aramean (Syriac) Christians Really Want in Syria?
By Daniel Gabriel, Human Rights and UN NGO Director, World Council of Arameans (Syriacs)1
Syria is at a critical impasse. While the so called “Arab-Awakening” has called for increased democracy and freedom across the Middle East, countries like Syria are now experiencing the complete opposite. We are seeing calls for the shedding of more blood and we have seen the demise of society, the fear of all, a horrific future for minorities and an imminent sectarian war.
Launch of International Contest to Compose Aramaic National Anthem for Aramean People
Today, we proudly launch an International Contest to compose an Aramaic National Anthem for the Aramean People! The letter below gives all the details you need for now. More information and a live program on our Aramaic TV Channel Suryoyo Sat will follow soon.
Syriacs in Turkey and their rights
Syriacs in Turkey and their rights
ORHAN MİROĞLU
The Syriacs, also referred to as Arameans, in Sweden enjoy a privileged status and extensive rights in political parties and the bureaucracy. Five years ago, during the discussions over the Swedish national budget, the amount allocated to the king raised a controversy. A Syriac bureaucrat from Tur Abdin concluded that the amount allocated to the king was too much and thus opposed it.
Letter to EU Foreign Minister Ms. Kallas on Syria: Strategic Partnership Proposal
Re: Syria’s Indigenous Aramean People Seek Strategic Partnership
Sunday, 5 January 2025
Your Excellency, dear Mrs. Kallas,
Please accept our heartfelt congratulations on your recent appointment, along with our best wishes for 2025. We wish you great success in advancing Europe’s foreign policy during these challenging times.
Motivated by your commitment to defending minority rights in Syria, we write to draw your attention to a unique opportunity to work together for the survival of one of the world’s most ancient peoples: the indigenous Arameans of Syria, Türkiye, Iraq, and Lebanon, who still speak ‘the language of Jesus’.
For 3,000 years, the Arameans have been integral to the cradle of civilization, shaping the Middle East and beyond. Our Aramaic language once united empires and profoundly influenced Judaism, Eastern Christianity, and Islam. It substantially enriched the intellectual heritage of the Arab Muslim world, which in turn inspired Europe’s cultural and scientific renaissance. Yet, amidst Syria’s instability, this ancient civilization faces an existential threat. Its survival now hinges on immediate and targeted action.
Today, 500,000 Arameans live across the EU, enriching the societies that have welcomed us with their important contributions. Firmly rooted in EU societies, our diaspora embodies values such as equality, human rights, and democracy, while enhancing Europe’s cultural and economic fabric. We respectfully seek your support in advocating for EU policies on Syria that protect the survival, cultural heritage, and equitable representation of vulnerable minorities, with particular emphasis on the Arameans as Syria’s oldest indigenous people and the original speakers of its national language before Arabic.
Your visionary leadership can drive transformative change and strengthen the EU’s role as a global leader in safeguarding human rights and cultural heritage, paving the way for a more inclusive, stable, and thriving Middle East. Together, we can ensure that Syria’s native peoples and minorities remain an integral part of its future, contributing to a vibrant cultural mosaic that enriches both the Middle East and Europe, rather than seeing their ancestral homeland emptied and their final remnants forced to seek refuge in Europe. Our unique perspectives, rooted in centuries of navigating the Middle East’s complexities, may also offer valuable insights for fostering lasting peace and stability in the region.
We would be deeply honored to meet with Your Excellency to discuss our ideas further and explore opportunities for effective collaboration between the European Commission and our world federation.
With profound respect and warm anticipation,
Johny Messo
President
World Council of Arameans (Syriacs)
Download the letter with its original letterhead here as a PDF.
