TURKISH HACKERS FACILITATE ASSYRIAN BOOK SALES
Rosie Malek-Yonan

Assyrian International News Agency
June 2 2009

Los Angeles (AINA) — In the early part of the 20th century, the
Ottoman government carried out a deliberate and systematic mass
ethnic cleansing of its Christian inhabitants, namely the Assyrians,
Armenians and Greeks. The proclamation of a fatwa for jihad against
the Christians in Turkey quickly spread to northwestern Persia, in the
densely Assyrian populated region of Urmia (Urmi). From 1914 to 1918,
two-thirds of the Assyrian population perished in a genocide that has
remained cloaked under a shroud of secrecy. However, the anonymous
Assyrian Genocide’s staggering losses of 750,000 souls remains ever
present in the remembrances of a nation that has vowed to never forget.

My maternal grandmother and paternal grandparents were survivors of the
Assyrian Genocide. As I was growing up, the oral history describing
the events of 1914 through 1918 by my grandparents were constant to
me, just as they were to most Assyrian families. There seemed to be
a need for a steadfast vigilance by these family elders who spoke of
the mass murders of our nation in great detail.

Touched by a single event that unified the Assyrian nation, for
survivors such as my grandparents, the constant retelling of these
events was indicative of the personal conflict the elders were sorting
through and a reflection of the frame of mind of much of the nation.

In time I began collecting corroborating letters, photos, family
journals, family war diaries, newspaper articles and clippings and
the quest for documenting and preserving this unwritten chapter of
Assyrian history.

The extraordinary events my grandparents described formed images
that hung in my mind haunting me my entire life. To this day, I
am astounded at the valor of all the survivors and how they faced
their demons and lived to tell their tales as eyewitness to their own
tragedy. Their bravery and dauntless spirit and ability to endure in
times of adversity were nothing short of remarkable.

I am in awe of the fallen Assyrians who called on their own courage
to face the heinous crimes committed upon them. They are the silent
heroes of my nation.

Those who know no compassion and mercy astonish me. Those who live
daily lives weighted down by hatred resulting from ignorance. The
very ones who continue to condemn Assyrians for their nationality
and religion.

But mostly, I am still lost in admiration of my grandparents’ sense of
dignity, honor and grace that was the code by which they lived. They
were among the more than 70,000 Assyrians forced to flee Urmia in
the final mass exodus of the winter of 1918 that split off in two
opposing directions. My 18 year-old maternal grandmother, Maghdleta,
whose husband had just been murdered, fled north towards the Russian
frontier, while my paternal grandparents bundled their newborn infant
and followed other Assyrians south towards Mesopotamia. Not everyone
was as lucky as they were to reach safety.

Though the perpetrators of these crimes against the Assyrians were
Ottoman Turks, Kurds and local Turks in Persia, I was never taught
to hate an entire race of people. Everyone must be judged on his or
her own deeds. "Don’t condemn one man for the sins of another even
if they share the same blood or name," my grandmother would say.

In 2005, I published my book, The Crimson Field, chronicling the
life of Maghdleta, my grandmother’s hellish reality of the Assyrian
Genocide. At the time, I wasn’t aware of the extraordinary journey I
was about to embark upon. I was simply making a record of one Assyrian
family’s life.

Against everyone’s advise, I sent a copy of The Crimson Field to a
Turkish journalist from Istanbul. She wrote back saying: "It will be a
privilege for me to read your book and to have a deeper insight about
one of the oldest cultures of the world and their great tragedy. How
I wished my heartfelt apology could alleviate the sufferings the
Assyrian people have gone through! Your considering me as an elder
sister would be a great consolation for my feeling of shame for being
a member of a nation which is responsible for those sufferings."

The book I had written to document my family’s history was rapidly
leading to bonds across the seas with strangers whom I have come to
know as friends.

The withholding of historical facts and the manipulation of evidential
findings and lack of global public education on the subject of the
Assyrian Genocide has not only lead to the persistence of denial by
governments around the globe including the United States, but it has
also perpetuated the continuation of a century-old raced-based hatred
and hostility.

However, the Turkish journalist’s statement to me reinforced my belief
that there are courageous people who will stand with the Assyrians
in their quest for the recognition of the past atrocities committed
against my nation. Truth shines its own light and will emerge through
darkness.

While Assyrian sympathizers are bountiful, Turkish laws prohibit
journalist or anyone for that matter from publicly acknowledging and
supporting the Assyrian Genocide. For this reason, I will not reveal
the identity of this journalist who will surely be condemned for her
perspective on a subject still taboo in her country.

The pledge of friendship with this remarkable Turkish journalist as
well as scores of other Turkish readers of my book, are the bonds
of humanity and understanding that I had hoped my book would bring
about. Atrocities committed by a nation cannot reflect every member of
that nation. Every person shall stand alone on judgment day regardless
of ethnicity, gender, religion and color of skin.

In her final review of The Crimson Field she writes: "It’s a deeply
moving, impressive, inspiring book, full of emotions and vivid
depictions of life. I admire it."

But it is naive to presume that one journalist’s viewpoint is
representative of all Turks. Clearly there still exists a deep
racial hatred and intolerance that is passed on from generation to
generation. Since 2005, my book’s website has been hacked into by
Turks several times (AINA 1-21-2008, 11-20-2007). The latest and
sixth such incident occurred just last week. The Turk behind this
malicious act was most probably a young hacker who knows nothing of
the circumstances of the Assyrians who seek justice and not revenge.

This Turkish hacker has no idea who my grandmother, Maghdleta, was and
what sacrifices she made to ensure the safety of future generations of
her family and nation. All he sees is a book that represents a nation
that he must hate not because of anything done to him or even his
family but because he blindly follows in the footsteps of his father.

Ironically, as savvy as they are, the only thing these Turkish hackers
have managed to accomplish thus far is to drive the sales of my book
through the roof! Perhaps a nod of gratitude is in order for this
economic boost.

The Turkish government’s shroud of secrecy to suffocate the Assyrian
Genocide is slowly slipping as more and more hackers continue to bring
focus on this issue through Internet vandalism. Though I cannot condone
such dreadful behavior, I can’t help but chuckle at the end result.

The acceptance of the Assyrian, Armenian and Greek Genocides will
ultimately result in the downgrading of many Turkish notables who
have been revered as historical heroes of the Ottoman Empire.

I am an optimist and will hold out to the idea that perhaps one day,
civilization will advance to a level when we can begin to have open
dialogue about all genocides and holocausts without contributing to
more hatred even if we have to downgrade a few heroes.

Rosie Malek-Yonan is an Assyrian actor, director and author of The
Crimson Field. She is an outspoken advocate of issues concerning
Assyrians, in particular bringing attention to the Assyrian Genocide
and the plight of today’s Assyrians in Iraq since the U.S. lead
invasion of Iraq in 2003. On June 30, 2006, she was invited to testify
on Capitol Hill regarding the genocide and persecution of Assyrians in
Iraq by Kurds and Islamists. She is on the Board of Advisors at Seyfo
Center in Europe that exclusively deals with the Assyrian Genocide
issue. She has acted opposite many of Hollywood’s leading actors and
has received rave reviews both as an actor and director. Most recently,
she played the role of Nuru Il-Ebrahimi, opposite Reese Whitherspoon
in New Line Cinema’s "Rendition," directed by Oscar winning director
Gavin Hood. To schedule an interview with Rosie Malek-Yonan, please
send your request to contact@thecrimsonfield.com.
From: Baghdasarian