The Slow Disappearance of the Syriacs from Turkey ― And of the Grounds of the Mor Gabriel Monastery

The monastery is in the southeastern corner of Turkey, close to Syria and Iraq, was founded in AD 397, and is unique in teaching young people Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke and the liturgical language of the Syrian Orthodox Church. Religious and political activists describe how the monastery has survived many attacks over the centuries, but Turkish government efforts to seize its extensive grounds may bring it down, because the Syriac population of the region who supported it in the past have been sliding into diaspora away from the conflict between Kurds and Turkey. The topics include the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the "Seyfo" against the Syrians, Turkish secularism with an Islamic flavor and persisting obstacles to religious freedom, the role of religious freedom in the context of the accession negotiations between the European Union and Turkey, The Saint Gabriel Monastery Trust, and united for the sake of the Mor Gabriel Monastery. There is no subject index. Distributed in the US by ISBS. Annotation c2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)