Sayfo - Updates:

Sodertalje - Sweden

40 Hunger Strikers

  • The Vice chairman of the Swedish Parliament: Eva Zetterberg
    The Vice-Chairman brought with her the voice of respect from the Swedish government to the Assyrians-Suryoye Hunger Strikers. This of course was a reason for many newspapers and TV stations to also attend the Hunger Strike. By her visit, she showed the friendship and care of the Swedish people to the Assyrians-Suryoye and their cause.

  • Representatives of many different political organizations.
    The Hunger Strikers have been in the Swedish media constantly. The issue of recognition of the genocides is fresh in the memory of the Swedish people. Recently the Armenian Genocide has been greatly debated in the Swedish media, this of course brought also the Assyrian-Suryoyo Genocide on the table. All parties' officials showed their sympathy and told that they will discuss the Assyrian-Suryoyo Genocide question within their organizations.

  • Archbishop Ablahad Gallo Shabo of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch for Scandinavia.
    Mor Ablahad G. Shabo truly presented himself as a friend of the Hunger Strikers! His words were full of compassion and solidarity. Along with him, hundreds of Assyrians-Suryoye were listening to the slogans of the Hunger Strikers. " A sohde lo g-maythi" = The Martyrs will not die! " Idho b-Idho g-dobina, lu athro g-doHrina" = We will join hand in hand, we will return to the Homeland". Mor Ablahad G. Shabo invited all the participants and visitors to pray with him for the souls of the 500.000 Assyrians-Suryoye Martyrs. The Syriac Orthodox Archbishop did not allow the Hunger Strikers to explain why they were doing this action, but instead he acted as a real chairman and asked the visitors to explain why the Hunger Strikers were doing this! At the end he finally asked the Hunger Strikers to give their speech and "enlighten the people with their truthfulness = sharirutho!" Mor Ablahad G. Shabo, who himself is a descendant of the famous hero "Gallo Shabo" of the resistance against the Turkish and Kurdish attacks of the village 'Ayn-Wardo, blessed the Hunger Strikers and all their sympathizers.


  • Committee of Swedish Churches and many different solidarity groups keep visiting the Assyrians-Suryoye activists every day. Speeches from different individuals and representatives show the impact that this action has on the Swedish people.

  • Chorepiscopos of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Yacoub d Nsibin of Sodertalje, Father Gabro bar-Qasho and his Church Board blessed the Hunger Strikers with their visits.


  • The priest of the Syriac-Catholic Church originally from Midyat, known for his patriotism, offered his help and assistance, and blessed the strikers.

  • Swedish Media: Journalists of almost all the Swedish newspapers have visited the strikers.
    Copies of the vast articles on the Hunger Strike are to be seen while the visitors enter the building. The Swedish Television already knows of the existence of the Assyrians-Suryoye in Sweden, but now they have a clear picture of what happened to our people and what the true reasons are, and why they fled to Sweden and the rest of the World. Even CNN-Sweden attended the Hunger Strike and showed interest in the film-material that was presented by the organizers of the Hunger Strike on the Assyrian-Suyoyo-Chaldean Genocide: SAYFO.

  • Professors of the university of Uppsala and Stockholm who are experts in the fields of genocides, human rights and middle-east studies visited the Assyrian-Suryoye activists.


  • Many different teachers and education officials visited the Assyrians-Suryoye and bought many informative materials that were present. Dr. Ulf Bjorkland of the Stockholm University gave a small lecture on the Assyrian (Suryoyo-Chaldean) Genocide. He is an expert on what happened in Mesopotamia during the dark days of the SAYFO.

  • The Assyrians-Suryoye of Sweden showed their interest and their respect to the Hunger Strike.

  • Priests and Church Committee Boards, clubs and prominent individuals have been keeping the Hunger Strikers company during the past days.


  • Assyrian-Suryoyo poets such as George Shamoun and the famous Tuma Nahroyo (from Germany!) read poems on the genocide and the heroic resistance of the Assyrians-Suryoye-Chaldeans in those difficult days.


  • The Assyrian-Suryoye Singers: Addo Rhawi, Aboud Zazie.
    Supported the Hunger Strikers with their vocal talents. Folklore dances and patriotic songs were a lust for the ears and eyes of the Swedish and Assyrians-Suryoye visitors.

    A truly remarkable thing is that the number of participants of the Hunger Strike gets higher! Some of the sympathizers enjoyed the brotherly atmosphere and sense of patriotism that they decided to stay with the sympathizers.

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