Ashur Yousif

Who was Ashur Yousif?

Ashur Yusef Efendi was a professor and an ethnic Assyrian nationalist leader prior to World War I and the Assyrian Genocide. Ashur was raised in Tur Abdin and like many in the area, was part of the Syriac Orthodox Church. He was educated at the Central Turkey College in Antep, and later became a professor of literature at the Euphrates College in Harput. In 1909, Ashur started publishing a Turkish-language newspaper named Murshid Athuriyion.

Ashur and his brother Donabed along with other Assyrian leaders from the village of Harput were arrested on April 19, 1915 and were all later hanged. His children and grandchildren have written numerous books on him. On June 24, 2006, Ashur Yusef's great-grandson Tigran Hovsepyan gave an emotional speech in the "Assyrian Society of UK" regarding the Assyrian Genocide and praised UK politicians Councillor Mike Elliot and Stephen Pound MP for their efforts on the issue.