Armenian Genocide Memorial Church in Deir ez-Zor liberated

By Asbarez | Monday, 06 November 2017

The Armenian Genocide Memorial Church in Der Ez-Zor after being liberated from ISIS by Syrian armed forces The Armenian Genocide Memorial Church before being attacked by ISIS 23316504_1829790000386416_4252543970290110083_n 23319220_1829790160386400_1456464697593092820_n 23132004_1829789840386432_8552499201103592896_n

DER EZ-ZOR, Syria—The Armenian Genocide Martyrs Memorial Church, which was the target of relentless attacks during the Syrian conflict, has been liberate by the Syrian armed forces, the Al-Masdar news agency reported over the weekend, publishing photos of the ruins of the edifice.

The Armenian Genocide Martyrs Memorial Church, or Holy Martyrs as it is commonly referred, was erected on the site where thousands of bones from martyrs of the Armenian Genocide were left untouched as a memorial to the death marches, during which Armenian perished.

The photographs published by Al-Masdar show the extent of the damage to the building, which housed artifacts and mementoes from survivors of the Armenian Genocide. The city had been blocked off by the invading Islamic State force, also known as ISIS, ISIL or Daesh.

The destruction and attack on the Armenian Genocide Martyrs Memorial Church was condemned by US and European officials, as well as the Armenian government.

In 2010, in a memorable speech at the site, President Serzh Sarkisian compared it to Auschwitz,  the symbol of the Holocaust.

“Quite often historians and journalists correctly compare De Zor with Auschwitz saying that ‘Der Zor is the Auschwitz of the Armenians.’ I think the chronology of events forces us to formulate the facts in a different manner: ‘Auschwitz is the Deir ez Zor of the Jews.’ Merely a generation later humanity witnessed the De Zor of the Jews,” said Sarkisian at the time. “Today, as the President of the Republic of Armenia, the homeland of all Armenians, I am here to ask: ‘Where and when will our Nuremberg [trials] be held?”

The Syrian armed forces announced the liberation of the city from the Islamic State.

While no immediate plans have been announced by the Syrian government to restore the memorial, it is likely to be renovated during the rebuilding of Deir ez-Zor.


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