On the 87th anniversary of their execution on November 15, 1937, Seyit Rıza and his companions were remembered in a heartfelt commemoration held in England.
During the ceremony, speakers emphasized”Let them fear even revealing their burial sites. Their legacy is far too grand to be confined to a mere piece of cloth or a shallow grave.”
The event was organized collaboratively by the UK Alevi Cultural Centre and Cemevi, the Dersim Cultural Centre, and the British Alevi Federation.
Ali Doğan, Chair of the Dersim Cultural Centre in London, opened the event with greetings in Kurmanji and Kırmancki, recalling Seyit Rıza’s defiant words: *”I could not counter your lies; this is my sorrow. But I never bowed before you; this is your sorrow.”
Müslüm Dalkılıç, Co-Chair of the British Alevi Federation, highlighted the policy of denying burial sites and called on the state to acknowledge its history of massacres against Alevis “To this day, there is no record of where Seyit Rıza and his companions were buried after their execution. The state deliberately withholds this information. Our greatest demand as Alevi Kızılbaş is for the burial sites of Seyit Rıza and his companions to be disclosed. This is a heavy burden on the Alevi community.”
Ibrahim Has, Chair of the UK Alevi Cultural Centre and Cemevi, condemned the fabricated trials and relentless persecution “We will never forget the sham trials that flouted even the rules of wartime law, the dishonorable and reckless assaults!”
He described the resilience of the Alevi-Kızılbaş community despite centuries of oppression: “In Dersim, homes were destroyed, villages burned, and lives annihilated. Children were taken away, and survivors were exiled. Yet, despite attempts to erase their existence, Seyit Rıza and his companions never compromised their faith, culture, or beliefs.”
The commemoration served as a poignant reminder of a dark chapter in history and a call for justice and remembrance.