Kemal Yalçin has written many books about our history, particularly about the genocide. As a popular historian, he writes books that are easy to read, even for those with no prior knowledge of the genocide. He devotes himself to this subject by frequently traveling to Turabdin and the villages where the genocide took place, and he personally meets with descendants of genocide victims and others who are knowledgeable about Assyrian history. This lends credibility to his historical accounts and his books.
The author has now released another book about the Assyrians, and his latest work focuses on the village of Enhil and its leader, Bisso Danho. The book documents the role that the Assyrian leader Bisso Danho d’be Kahya played in saving the village, its inhabitants, and refugees from the swords of the Turks and Kurds. The book describes how, as a result, Enhil became the only Assyrian village in Turabdin that was not attacked, and where no massacres took place during the Seyfo.
Many people found refuge in the village; among them were survivors who had made their way there from other nearby villages, and Armenians fleeing the genocide in Amid (Diyarbakir) also found refuge in Enhil.
Enhil became a safe haven for all who feared for their lives. The author, Kemal Yalçın, who is Turkish himself, depicts the barbaric scenes that unfolded during the Sayfo of 1915, but the book also extends beyond the years of the genocide. It serves as a timeline of the past hundred years and also sheds light on the abuses that followed in the wake of Sayfo.
So how did the village leader, Bisso Danho, and his friends manage to accomplish this seemingly impossible task? A key factor was the exceptional sense of inclusion; in Enhil, no distinction was made between people. Whether they were Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, or Armenian, everyone was treated with the same protection and compassion.
Unlike in Midyat, they did not envy the wealth of others. They did not believe Hanne Safar, one of Midyat’s leaders, when he said that the Orthodox had nothing to fear. Moreover, Bisso Danho had managed to win over the entire village. Bisso Danho also received help from Midyat’s governor, Azizke Aga. Navigating among so many hostile and cunning enemies is an art in itself. The people of Enhil also sent large quantities of provisions to the village of Aynwardo while they defended themselves against 13,000 Kurdish and Turkish soldiers for two months.
“By documenting Enhil’s unique fate, Yalçin gives us yet another piece of the puzzle of our collective history. Bisso Danho’s legacy shows that unity and compassion were the strongest weapons against the barbaric scenes of the Seyfo. A deeply moving portrayal of heroism that we carry with us with pride.”
