Assyrians, Kurds, and Ottomans: Intercommunal Relations on the Pe ...

These developments led Rassam to report again on the cruelty that Bedr Khan Beg was still practising against the indigenous Christian and Yazidi populations of the provinces under his rule. Those who lived within his emirate of Bohtan were ruled with an iron fist. The religious leaders, especially the mufti () of al Jazirah, Abdul Qaddus (), were constantly claiming that the Muslims were free to kill the Christians and that a Christian’s blood was worth only 30 piastres, which was equal to 2.25 dinars.¹²

29 May 1847

Both Mulla Abdul Qaddus and Shaikh Abdul Izrael () encouraged Bedr Khan to adopt the fanatical tenets of the Darwishes () and to undertake mass slaughters of the Christians of Tiyari and Hakkari, as well as the Yazidis and Syrian Orthodox of Tur Abdin. These extremist Muslim fanatics surrounding the Bohtan leader declared that ‘the time of the Christians on earth is over and killing them is thawab () a pious act’. Thus the Christians were forced to convert to Islam or flee to other districts. Shammas (Deacon) Anton Ghanemah, whom Bedr Khan employed as an accountant, mentioned that he knew many terrible stories but was afraid to come forward and tell them until his master was eliminated.¹³

Rassam further reported that Bedr Khan had committed a new attack against the Christians under his rule. His envoys sent to inquire on the subject reported that Matran (Bishop) George, the Syrian Orthodox Bishop of Tur Abdin, a ninety-three-year-old man, with twelve other leading Syrians there, had vanished after visiting Bedr Khan. They had gone to his headquarters to beg him for mercy and to ease the oppression of the Christians under his rule. Bedr Khan had replied to the appeal of the aged bishop, ‘You are Kafir [—infidels], how dare you complain against Muslim believers?’ and had had the bishop and his companions abused without mercy, and all were thrown in prison. After two days, Matran George’s body was thrown to the Christians, while the consul reported that there was so far no information about the others. The envoy, however, had reported the painful treatment of the Christians, who were practically slaves to the Kurdish aghas in al Jazirah and all surrounding regions, living in constant terror of becoming the next victims. The people were even afraid to leave their villages.