Remembering Fuat Deniz

“Stop highlighting the genocide or your people will get hurt.”

A week ago today Dr. Fuat Deniz, a professor of sociology at the University of Örebro in Sweden, had his throat slit by an unknown assailant.

Dr. Deniz was an Assyrian Christian, and was known for his studies of the genocide against the Assyrian Christians committed by the Ottoman Turks during and after the Great War. Although his murderer has yet not been found, there are reasons to believe that he was killed for political reasons.

According to Nerikes Alhehanda, people will be demonstrating tomorrow all over Sweden in memory of Fuat Deniz (translation by Kepiblanc):

Demonstration in memory of Fuat Deniz

Tomorrow, Wednesday at 6 PM o’clock, a demonstration against public violence is scheduled at Olof Palme square in Örebro. The demonstration will be arranged in memory of the late university professor Fuat Deniz. So says a press release by University of Örebro and the recently established society “Friends of Fuat”.

“The murder of the university professor, columnist, and author Fuat Deniz has shocked Sweden. When a teacher is killed on the job it’s a signal to the entire society that we must remember to stick together and defend values such as democracy, openness, and security. As Deniz himself states in his upcoming book, democracy isn’t a condition, it’s action,” says the press release.

The Minister of the Environment will speak

Speakers will be Deniz’ family and colleagues as well as spokespersons from the academic world, idealistic organizations and the state police. The Minister of the Environment, Mr. Andreas Carlgren (center party) is an example of the participants at the demonstration.

According to the press release anyone who wants to support an open society will be welcome. It will begin with a silent minute of commemoration. Other places where such demonstrations are planned: Stockholm, Göteborg, Uppsala, Lund, Linköping, Jönköping, and Norrköping.

AINA has this report on the upcoming demonstrations:
- - - - - - - - -

The murder of Fuat Deniz, a senior lecturer and researcher at Sweden’s Örebro University has prompted action against violence and what is seen as an attack on the open Swedish society. Eight Swedish university towns have prepared for ceremonies to be held simultaneously on Wednesday 19 December at 18.00 Swedish time.

“We want to honour the memory of Fuat Deniz and what he stands for: peace, democracy and dialog”, says Afamia Maraha from the newly established committee “Fuat’s Friends” who are organizing the events together with the University of Örebro.

The following towns will hold a ceremony: Örebro, Stockholm, Jönköping, Uppsala, Lund, Linköping, Gothenburg and Norrköping. Colleagues and family members of Fuat as well as politicians and writers will deliver speeches on the murder which has shocked many in Sweden.

“Fuat and I met each other through the passion we both shared. I will continue to work for free debate and tolerance”, says Runa, the wife of Fuat Deniz.

For more information about the events in Swedish visit www.hujada.com.

Swedish Assyrians are planning to build a monument to the Turkish genocide in Södertälje, but have been obstructed by Swedes of Turkish origin, who are trying to block construction of the monument. Since the murder of Dr. Deniz, Assyrians have told the press that they have been threatened by the Turks, according to AINA:

Former head of the Assyrian Federation in Sweden, Simon Barmano, revealed in an interview today with Swedish paper Länstidningen that he received threats from Turkish officials.

The threat was delivered to Barmano during a meeting this summer he had with four Turkish governors who were on a visit to Sweden.

On 31 August he met the governors in their hotel in Täby, north of Stockholm.

“I wanted to discuss issues concerning Assyrian lands in south eastern Turkey, but the governors were only interested in one thing: The anticipated memorial monument on the Turkish genocide against Assyrians [to be erected in the Swedish city of Södertälje, hometown of some 20,000 Assyrians since the 70s], and our efforts for recognition of the genocide,” says Simon Barmano.

The governors, from Mardin, Dyiarbakir, Giresun and one of Ankaras districts, told Barmano to stop the monument because it would “not serve any good purpose anyway”. When Simon Barmano said that the monument is important and that the Turkey should acknowledge the genocide the Turkish governors changed their tone, telling Barmano to “stop highlighting the genocide or your people will get hurt”.

“You have already hurt our people so much, in which more ways can you hurt us?” Barmano replied.

The strong objection Turkey has towards the anticipated monument was revealed when it recently became known that people with Turkish origin had influenced Swedish politicians to stop the monument. Assyrian groups in Sweden are however continuing to push for the installation of the monument.

Hat tip: Paul Green.