'Genocide' monument vandalised

30 Aug 2010, 2:05 pm   -   Source: SBS Staff and agencies
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The memorial opened earlier this month, to controversy and elevated racial tensions between Turkish and Assyrian communities. (Fairfield Champion)

The memorial opened earlier this month, to controversy and elevated racial tensions between Turkish and Assyrian communities. (Fairfield Champion)

A Sydney memorial dedicated to the alleged Assyrian genocide during World War One has been vandalised with offensive slogans overnight.

A Sydney memorial dedicated to the alleged Assyrian genocide during World War one has been vandalised.

According to the Fairfield Champion, vandals spray-painted offensive slogans on the memorial overnight.

The memorial opened earlier this month, to controversy and elevated racial tensions between Turkish and Assyrian communities.

In December of last year Turkish ambassador Oguz Ozge warned that the decision to allow the $70,000 memorial jeopardised Australia's relationship with Turkey and threatened to divide the community.

The Fairfield Champion has also reported that a war memorial in Fairfield Park, dedicated to Australian and Assyrian soldiers, was also vandalised with a mixture of concrete and paint.

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Genocide??

Joe - from Sydney, 2 years ago

If Australia was attacked by some 5 countries at the same time, would it accept that it committed genocide against those people by killing them? of course not. This is what people cannot seem to understand. Turkey was not in WW1 for the fun of it, it was being torn to pieces. If it was not for Ataturk this is what Turkey could have been like today: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:TreatyOfSevres_%28corrected%29.PNG These claims of genocide are not met with strong opposition for nothing.

???

JD - from NSW, 2 years ago

Chris, I would say there is a monumnet to Kemal Ataturk because of his involvement in the Gallipoli campaign, and his speach to the mothers of the allied dead after the war. After that time he helped move Turkey to a more progressive society... I'm not saying it's perfect now and you have some valid points about modern Turkey. I wouldn't want to trivialise the issue and say 'get over it' because if it happened to my people I would be angry, but we are in a new country lets focus on what unites.

BIASED

David - from Fairfield, 2 years ago

SBS is biased just by writing 'genocide' instead of genocide, why don't they mention Armenians and Greeks also suffered genocide by the Turks?, SBS always makes it sound like Assyrians are the only ones who claim genocide by the Ottoman Turks and cant prove it, the fact remains Turkey committed a triple genocide against the nationalities mentioned above.

Censorship at SBS..Again!

Chris - from Melbourne, 2 years ago

SBS, what is wrong with mentioning and comparing the aptnes of the Kemal Ataturk Memorial in Canberra with that of the genocide monument? It was after all in response to another comment. Or are you again biased? YOU SBS, yes YOU start these stories and discussions, and then omit information and views that balance the arguments submitted via readers' comments. The moderater must be Turkish.

Not igronance, breaking the cycle of hate.

JD - from NSW, 2 years ago

Joe, My point is a monument like this perpetuates the division between the Assyrian and Turkish people If you read my previous comment again you will see I did not mention any group of people, my argument was for all groups including mine. Every people that have been subjected to colonialisim have suffered terribly, but we don't see the Greeks or Serbs erecting monuments to the 500 years they suffered under the Ottoman empire, or the Irish building monuments to their suffering under English rule

Don't get over excited

Shish - from NSW, 2 years ago

It was most likely just a few juvenile kids with a can of spray paint. It's not really something to get over excited about. Anyway, Fairfield Councillors should have had better foresight about allowing a symbol of division within the community and installed security camera's to pre-empt such problems.

Ignorance.

Joe - from ACT, 2 years ago

How ignorant can you be JD, infact you are doing nothing but denying history. We are talking about a race, my race, of people that were almost wiped out. It seems very easy for you to dismiss this. Heres a thought, why not tell the Jews to leave their "HOMELAND BAGGAGE" behind and perhaps to get over it and not build anymore museums here in Australia or anywhere for that matter, as it may divide us! How can you value multicultralism if you dont embrace it?

Why Robbo

beege - from Perth, 2 years ago

the reason why no-one is talkinging about it is that the world media and UN will spin it as an example of white aussie racism.

We al one Blod Assyrian and Jewish

Moshy David - from Bondi, 2 years ago

Thanks for Australian Government to let people knows about the Assyrian/ Armenian and even there was many Jewish with them as one of them was my uncle Thanks again

Why are we surprised?

Chris - from Melbourne, 2 years ago

Let's take of the rose coloured glasses for a moment. Turkey has a law that will throw you in jail for insulting 'Turkishness'. This is a nation that pretends to be democratic and reasonalble, yet this seems to be a ruse to develop it's economy. Like Carmen has said, they are not asking for anything but acknowledgement. You can't sweep disgrace under the rug forever.

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