Aramaeans in the Netherlands
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Since the early 1960s, but increasingly so since the late ’70s and early ’80s of the past century, the Aramaean people found a new home in the Netherlands after fleeing from Turkey. They were called 'Christian Turks' by the Dutch and only after seeking asylum in some local churches and besieging a Catholic church in Den Bosch in 1979 they were recognised as refugees. After this event many more fellow Aramaeans found their way to the Netherlands.
The main reason for their large-scale immigration to The Netherlands was the oppressive atmosphere of widespread discrimination by the Turkish government and Kurdish militant tribes. This was apparent in their religious, political, socio-cultural and economic spheres. Turkey, moreover, did not invest in the infrastructure of the South-Eastern part of the country and couldn’t care less about the welfare of the indigenous Aramean population. The government also continued its policies of not recognising the Aramaeans as a people with its distinctive identity. Hence the Turks treated them as second rate or even third rate citizens and severely restricted their religious, political and socio- cultural activities. The need for workers in post-World War II Western Europe and the tolerant humanistic (see: Humanism) climate were huge pull factors on the Aramaean population of Tur Abdin.
Almost all Aramaeans in the Netherlands belong to the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch. They live mainly in Enschede, Hengelo, Rijssen, Oldenzaal (all municipalities in Twente, a region in the province of Overijssel) and in Amsterdam. The monastery, which is the seat of the Archbishop is located in Glane, a rural hamlet on the outskirts of Enschede.
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[edit] Enschede
At present, the Aramaeans in Enschede number about 4,500 souls on a total population of about 160,000. This means that almost 3% of the population is Aramaean.
[edit] Churches
As the Aramaean population grew larger a need for spiritual guidance arose. In 1984 a church was acquired in the city centre of Enschede. Since then, priest Paulus Akman is responsible for the religious needs of the people of the Mor Yakub D’Saroeg church. It was consecrated in the same year by the late Archbishop Mor Julius Yeshu Cicek († 2005).
The Aramaean population in Enschede grew steadily throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. Most of the refugees then came from Tur Abdin. But in the mid- 1990s a second wave of immigrants from Syria came to Enschede and other places in The Netherlands. Also the people, who at first lived in or near the centre of Enschede, more and more moved to the South of the city. Here, the houses were bigger and more suitable for the larger than average families. And as more people moved there, they drew more people towards them.
A large part of the Aramaeans in Enschede is now concentrated in the neighbourhoods called Stroinkslanden, Helmerhoek and Wesselerbrink. In some parts of these three neighbourhoods, the percentage of Aramaeans is 20% or even more. As this concentration became more evident and the population grew larger, a need for a second church arose. In 1996 construction began at the Wesselerbrinklaan and in 1998 the church of Mor Quriakos was finished. Since 1999 priest Samuel Esen takes care of the religious needs of the Aramaeans in South Enschede.
[edit] Civil organisations
As more and more refugees came to The Netherlands the need for translators and assistance in the asylum procedures grew larger. For these purposes the Syriac Orthodox Cultural Organisation (SOCO) was founded. As the name suggests this organisation did not only provided assistance in the procedures, but also increasingly became a place of social- cultural importance for the Aramean population of Enschede and its surroundings. The organisation developed a lot of activities in its first years. Assistance and translating were two things, other activities were: Dutch and Aramaic language lessons, information talks for various groups, activities targeted at the integration in Dutch society, but also activities specifically for both women and children and so forth.
In 1989 two other organisations were founded: the Suryoyo Youth Organisation and the Suryoyo Dolabani Organisation. In 1993 these two merged with the SOCO and formed Platform Aram. Ever since, Platform Aram’s meeting place and office are located next to the aforementioned church of Mor Yakub d’Saroeg
[edit] Platform Aram
Platform Aramis a well known name within and outside of the Aramaean community in Western Europe. Platform Aram operates under the umbrella of the Syriac Aramaean Federation Netherlands (SAFN). It is a meeting place for its members and provides in the social and cultural needs of the Aramaean population of Enschede. With more than a thousand members it is even one of the biggest civil organisations in Enschede. To safeguard and teach the Aramaean culture to its members is the biggest goal of Platform Aram. Further it stimulates successful integration in Dutch society by organising various activities. With the latter, the own Aramaean identity is never lost out of sight. It also has contacts with the local municipality and other organisations in Enschede and is thus able to advice the municipality on policy issues regarding the Aramaeans in Enschede.
Platform Aram consists of a few committees. The three important ones are the women’s committee, the youth’s committee and the sports committee. These three are responsible for most of the activities and events held in Enschede. Informative and educative events are regularly held for various target groups. One can think of lectures on Syriac Orthodox religion, the history, the Sayfo (literally: 'Sword', this word is used to describe the genocide of World War I) and so forth. Throughout the year excursions are organised to enable the youth to get in contact with Aramaeans elsewhere. Further sports activities are organised and teams are sent to participate in tournaments abroad. Especially the football and volleyball teams are known to be tough contestants.
The youth committee also cooperates with the youth committees of other organisations under SAFN. Activities with the youths of Hengelo and Rijssen take place regularly. The main drivers of this cooperation are the developments in communications and the growing need of the Aramaean youths to get in contact with each other.
[edit] Hengelo
http://www.mariakerkhengelo.nl
[edit] Civil organizations
[edit] Amsterdam
[edit] Churches
[edit] Civil organizations
[edit] Rijssen
[edit] Churches
[edit] Civil Organizations
[edit] Oldenzaal
[edit] Churches
[edit] Civil Organizations
[edit] Monastery of Saint Ephrem
In 1979 the late bishop Mor Julius Yeshu Çiçek was consecrated and services were held in the church of Mor Yuhanun in Hengelo, which had already been purchased two years before. Two years later the people acquired a monastery in Glane, named after Mor (Aramaic for Saint) Ephrem the Syrian († 373), to establish the metropolitan’s Holy See. It is located just outside of Enschede and close to the border with Germany. In 1984 the monastery was consecrated by His Holiness Mor Ignatius Zaka I was, patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch and all the East.
The monastary is made up of the main building which also houses a small church, a reception building, and the cathedral of Virgin Mary Mother of God.
On the premises of this monastery the Aramean people of The Netherlands have their own burial grounds. The late Archbishop Mor Julius Yeshu Çiçek is buried in a tomb underneath the cathedral.
