Mhallami
| Total population | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Regions with significant populations | ||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
| Languages | ||||||||||||||||||
| Religion | ||||||||||||||||||
| Related ethnic groups | ||||||||||||||||||
The Mhallami, or Mhalmites, (Arabic: محلّمى, Mḥallamī; Syriac: ܡܚܠܡܝ̈ܐ, Mḥallmāye/Mḥallmoye; Turkish: Mıhellemi) are a Semitic people originating from the Assyrian/Syriac people. They originally spoke Aramaic and were Eastern Rite Christians, but are now primarily speakers of North Mesopotamian Arabic (qiltu variant) and Sunni Muslims of Shafi`i madh'hab.
Contents |
[edit] Origin
"A small minority of the Syriacs, around 1%, has converted to Islam, but remains Syriac in culture and language...The flag of the Muslim Syriac minority is a vertical tricolor of violet, yellow and green, bearing a white crescent moon and five-pointed star on the upper hoist."[2] Sir Mark Sykes, in his book 'The Caliph’s Last Heritage', p. 578 says that 'the Mahallemi' became Muslim to be able to eat meat during a Lenten famine. He writes, 'They speak a bastard Arabic, and their women wear red clothes and do not veil. Ibrahim Pasha says they are now a mixed race of Arabs and Kurds. Some families are supposed to be Christians.
[edit] Mhallami of Lebanon
Lebanon had a population of 70,000 to 100,000 Mhallami prior to Lebanese Civil War.[3] Their origin and legal status became a particular concern when they started to seek asylum in Western European countries en masse in early 1980s.[4]
[edit] Mhallami association
The first Mhallami cultural association of Turkey was founded in February 2008 in Hapsınas (Mercimekli) village of Midyat[5] where the people still speak fluent Syriac.[6] The association, jointly with the Syriac Cultural Association of Midyat, had organised the first international Mhallami conference in August 2008.[7]
[edit] References
- ^ Organisierte Kriminalität: Schrecklich nette Familien; Spiegel Online (German)
- ^ Nations Without States: A Historical Dictionary of Contemporary National Movements. by James Minahan (1996, Greenwood Press) p. 247f.
- ^ Die Libanon-Flüchtlinge in Berlin Ralph Ghadban (German)
- ^ Staatenlose Kurden aus dem Libanon oder türkische Staatsangehörige? RA Freckmann (German)
- ^ Mıhellemi Kültürü Üzerine Dernek Midyat'ta Kuruldu Bianet (Turkish)
- ^ Mıhellemiler Hakkında mhalmi.com (Turkish)
- ^ 1. Uluslar Arası Mıhellemi Konferansı Midyatsesi (Turkish)
