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The first Genocide of the 20th Century "The men were set apart from the women, and before the eyes of everybody they aimed the pistols on them and shot them dead, and the dead bodies of the victims fell down like sheep on the ground. After this, the Kurdish groups appeared like wild animals, armed with deadly weapons such as axes, hooks, swords, daggers, sticks and sickles. Oh, what bitter, sadness it is, which cannot be solaced, to see how the babies at the breast of their mothers were snatched and their blood was mixed with milk, how the mothers were raped before the eyes of everybody, and that there was nobody who could prevent or put a stop to that..."
(Numan Abdelmesih Qarabashi, 1903-1983) In the crumbling Ottoman Empire the First World War gave the ruling Turks a rise to deport and kill the Christian population of the country, the Armenians, Arameans (Syrians) and Greeks, because they considered them as the main obstacle for their foundation of a successfully nation. It's the first genocide of the 20th century. About 1,5 millions Armenians and more than 600.000 Arameans were killed. Today's Turkey contradicts this genocide. The fatal events brought devastation, suffering and death to the Christians in Tur Abdin. Beth Qustan 1914/15 At that time, 120 families lived in Beth Qustan. Yuhanun Beth Gevriye was the mayor of the village. Before the war in Hah started, Haco, a Kurdish "Aga" of a proximate village came to Beth Qustan to warn the dwellers of the imminent risk. He entreated the Islamic attackers to attack at first the village of Zaz and not Beth-Qustan. Thus, he gained time to warn the population of the attack. So they all could escape to the proximate village Hah. Isa Beth Curo took his old mother on his back till Hah. Asmar Mas'ed, who lived in Zaz at that time, could also escape to Hah. Two old people were killed. In the "Castle of Hah" they resorted. About 2000 Christians were in this castle. More than 200 brave men of both villages resist against the Kurds. After the War, they had to do hard work for the Kurds, like all the Christians in Tur Abdin. Their life depended on the mood of the Kurds. It wasn't yet possible to return to the village, not until Chelabi Aga, a kurdish leader, allowed them to return. After 7 long years, they returned with meager resources to Beth Qustan, to clean and restore what had been ruined. Nevertheless, before full recovery could be made, the famine and poverty brought on by World War was knocking at the door. Evil days awaited the dwellers of Beth Qustan and it needed much time till the wounds opened by War were closed, and the dust of tragedy settled. source: Gunhe d-Suryoye d-Tur Abdin, Choriepiscopos Suleyman Henno
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Priest of 1909
