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# A discussion on academic erasure of Assyrian history
- URL: https://www.assyriapost.com/a-discussion-on-academic-erasure-of-assyrian-history/
- Published: 2026-08-26T20:38:58.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-26T20:38:58.000Z
- Description: A conversation between Assyrian scholars exposes how academics in Middle East studies have long overlooked Assyrian indigeneity and echoed patterns of atrocity denial.
- Author: The Assyria Post
- Tags: History

For decades, the standard historical narrative of the modern Middle East has been dominated by nation-state formation, pan-Arabism, and big-power geopolitics. Yet, embedded within this history is a glaring omission: the ongoing marginalization and erasure of the Assyrian people. 

In a panel discussion hosted by the *Assyrian Studies Association on 31 July 2026*, historians Dr. Arbella Bet-Shlimon and Dr. Mariam Georgis took aim at how academia treats minority populations, genocide, and ethnic nationalism in the Middle East.The discussion centered on Dr. Bet-Shlimon’s recent publication in the *Review of Middle East Studies*, titled *"'Propaganda of the Victims': Atrocity Denial, Ethnic Nationalism, and the Disparagement of Assyrians in Middle East Studies."*

A focal point of the conversation was the aftermath of the 1915 Ottoman genocide–known to Assyrians as the *Seyfo* ("The Sword")–in which hundreds of thousands of Assyrians, alongside Armenians and Greeks, were systematically exterminated.

Dr. Bet-Shlimon outlined how early 20th-century atrocity denialism managed to bleed into mainstream modern scholarship. Rather than recognizing Assyrians as victims of targeted violence and displacement, scholars have historically minimized their plight or echoed rhetoric originally engineered by state perpetrators to justify persecution. *"Arguments originally favored by genocide deniers continue to be repeated, sometimes even by scholars who do not view themselves as genocide deniers,"* Bet-Shlimon noted during the discussion.

Dr. Mariam Georgis highlighted how dominant political discourses reduced Assyrians from an indigenous nation with deep ancestral roots in Mesopotamia to a mere "religious minority" or an inconvenient footnote in regional history. By framing the Middle East strictly through the lens of post-colonial Arab, Turkish, or Persian nation-building, academia has implicitly participated in the erasure of non-dominant indigenous groups. Both scholars argued that true decolonization of Middle Eastern studies requires recognizing the continuous presence, rights, and struggles of Assyrians.

Critiquing ethnic nationalism is a central tenet of modern history and political science. However, Dr. Bet-Shlimon warned of a dangerous trend: using critiques of nationalism to delegitimize the self-determination and political agency of persecuted indigenous groups. When academics dismiss Assyrian claims to identity or historical trauma as mere "ethnic nationalism" or "victim propaganda," they effectively strip vulnerable groups of their historical narrative while shielding dominant regional powers from accountability.

The panelists concluded that rigorous historical inquiry must hold itself to higher standards, one that critically examines state narratives, confronts genocide denial, and fully integrates the voices of indigenous peoples like the Assyrians into the broader history of the region.

[Erasure in plain sight: Assyrians and academic biasFor decades, the field of Middle East studies has prided itself on decolonizing narratives and giving voice to the oppressed. However, a groundbreaking article by Dr. Arbella Bet-Shlimon in the Review of Middle East Studies shows how Assyrians have been systematically left behind.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5d/f5/5df5a6c1-1f57-4975-951e-ddd33d31dec7/content/images/icon/Icon-AP-1-64df17ac-df55-4d9b-ae21-4c5851f7001a.png)The Assyria PostThe Assyria Post![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5d/f5/5df5a6c1-1f57-4975-951e-ddd33d31dec7/content/images/thumbnail/Arbella-cover-ecb7fd9c-f92f-43db-950e-223e9ffe53de.png)](https://www.assyriapost.com/erasure-in-plain-sight-assyrians-and-academic-bias/)