Mhallami

The Mhallami, Mahallami, or Mardelli ( ar, محلّمي, Mḥallame; ku, Mehelmî; syr, ܡܚܠ̈ܡܝܐ, Mḥallmāye; tr, Mıhellemi) is an Arabic-speaking tribal ethnic group traditionally living in and around the city of Mardin, Turkey. Due to migration since 1920 they have a large presence in Lebanon as well. As a result of the Lebanese Civil War, large numbers fled to Europe, particularly Germany. They typically identify themselves as Arabs, but are sometimes associated with other ethnic groups such as Kurds, Assyrians/Arameans. though their historical roots are not definitively established. They are Sunni-Muslims and primarily speakers of an Arabic dialect that has Turkish, Kurdish, and Aramaic influences.

Origin

Multiple claims regarding the origins of the group have been presented, that the group descends from the Assyrian/Aramean population of the Mardin region that converted to Islam and Arabized linguistically or that the group originates from the Arab Peninsula.

The date of their appearance in Anatolia is unknown, but likely sometime in the 5th century. There are no known written records by their ancestors of this period. Among the Mhallami there is a view that they are descended from Banu Hilal tribes, but historical sources and research indicate that this is somewhat unlikely. Arab ancestry is more probably from Rabi'ah tribes, possibly Banu Shayban, though this does not preclude Kurdish and/or aramean roots. Some sources view the group as ethnically or denominationally Assyrian.

English traveller Mark Sykes wrote in 1907: ''This tribe has a peculiar history. They claim that they were Christians 350 years ago ..They speak mixed Arabic and the women wear red clothes and are not veiled. Ibrahim Pasha says they are now a mixed race of Arabs and Kurds. Some families are said to still descent from the Aramean Christians.''

This theory is also confirmed by orientalist Ishaq Armala and by the Syriac Orthodox patriarch Ignatius Aphrem I who indicated that the Arameans who converted to Islam under pressure started calling themselves ''Mhalmoye'' at the end of the 17th century.

Demographics

Mhallami of Turkey

In 2015, the founding chairman Mehmet Ali Aslan became the first Mhallami to be elected a member of the Turkish Parliament from the Kurdish HDP party. The migration of the Mhallami from Turkey to Lebanon began in the 1920s. In the 1940s, tens of thousands more came to Lebanon, mostly in the cities of Beirut and Tripoli. The last leader of the Mhallami in Turkey is lawyer Şeyhmus Miroğlu, member of beytil emir.

Mhallami of Lebanon

The Mhallami had traditionally settled in large numbers in Lebanese regions such as Tripoli, the Beqaa Valley and Beirut where they have become an integral part of the country's Sunni community after migrating from the Mardin Province in Turkey. Lebanon had a population between 70,000 and 100,000 Mhallami prior to Lebanese Civil War. Their origin and legal status became a particular concern when they started to seek asylum in Western European countries ''en masse'' in the early 1980s.Heinrich Freckmann, Jürgen Kalmbach: ''Staatenlose Kurden aus dem Libanon oder türkische Staatsangehörige? (Ergebnis einer Untersuchung vom 08.–18. März 2001 in Beirut, Mardin und Ankara)''
Hannover, Hildesheim, 2001; S. 3–4

Mhallami of Europe

The Mhallami were among the Lebanese Civil War refugees from Lebanon who came to Germany and other European countries such as the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden during the Lebanese civil war since 1976 Ralph Ghadban, ''Die Libanon-Flüchtlinge in Berlin.'' Berlin 2000. ISBN 3-86093-293-4, Nachdruck 2008, S. 71, 87, 89, 238 and have since been partially tolerated or live as asylum seekers.Heinrich Freckmann, Jürgen Kalmbach: (PDF; 43 kB), Hannover, Hildesheim, 2001; S. 3–4 With around 8,000 people, Berlin has the largest Mhallami diaspora community in Europe (as of June 2003).''Es muss dringend etwas passieren''
die tageszeitung, 6. Juni 2003.

See also

* Lebanese people in Germany
* Miri-Clan
* Al-Zein clan
* Ömerli, Mardin

References

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Arab groups
Turkish Arab people
Ethnic groups in Turkey
Semitic-speaking peoples
Mardin Province