With the blessings and under the auspices of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, the Academia Symposium Engagement Committee of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate will present a webinar panel discussion: “30 Year Christian Genocide in the Late Ottoman Period, 1894-1924.” This informative and illuminating webinar will be held on Sunday, September 10, 2023 at 2 PM EDT.
The panel discussion will cover the Christian genocide (Armenian, Assyrian, and Greek Orthodox) during the period of 1894 to 1924, and specifically the persecution of the Greek Orthodox Christian inhabitants of Smyrna, leading to the burning of Smyrna and the exchange of Greek and Turkish populations in 1923.
The webinar will offer unique insights and observations from a distinguished group of panelists:
- Thea Halo, a Pontic and Assyrian painter, journalist, and author of Not Even My Name;
- Ismini Lamb, Director of the Modern Greek Studies Program at Georgetown University, where she has taught Greek language, history, and culture for more than 30 years, and co-author (with Christopher Lamb) of The Gentle America: George Horton’s Odyssey and His True Account of the Smyrna Catastrophe;
- Constantine Hatzidimitriou, an historian, Adjunct Assistant Professor at St. Johns’ University and City University of New York, and author of American Accounts Documenting the Destruction of Smyrna 1922;
- Lou Ureneck, retired Professor of Journalism at Boston University and author of The Great Fire: One American’s Mission to Rescue the Victims of the 20th Century’s First Genocide.
In addition, Gus Tsilfides, President of the Pan-Pontian Federation of USA and Canada will offer commentary. Moderating the panel discussion will be Louis Katsos.
