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                                     THE   L   I   G   H   T   H   O   U   S   E
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              TWO KEY PRINCIPLES NEEDED FOR A NEW DAWN
               IN THE HISTORY OF THE ASSYRIAN NATION
 

                                              Part 2 of 2
 

We can also utilize the taxation mechanism to feed our needy children,
cloth them, teach them,  give them a chance to grow up as Assyrians in
the Christian faith, give them health and medicine, give them a sense
of pride and a chance to be more influential than us in making their
mark on the face of this earth. Allow them to build a better world for
themselves pro-actively, and  not be reactive like us and the ones before
us, to the global political/social upheavals of their time.
 

Examples of such upheavals were :
 

1) IRAN's 1979 Revolution, resulting in mass migration of our people
   to West
2) IRAQ's persecution of the Assyrians in Northern Beth-Nahrain, and
   forcing them to be refugees in every European country and the
   American continent
3) The hunger of our people in Soviet Union after the political/economical
collapse of that country
4) Forced Prostitution of our women due to poverty in some U.S cities!!!
5) Dying of our people in Syria due to lack of clean water and being
   stuck between the politics of Syria and Turkey
6) Killing of our people in Lebanon's civil war
 

... and, the list goes on, not mentioning the silent genocide of our
people during world war I and II in the Middle East, where 750,000
people perished. This was by some estimates two third of our population
at that time. Armenians and Jews were smarter; they talked about it and
leveraged from it while our lack of infrastructure numbed us to respond.
 

These were and are our brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, cousins, and
grand parents who have not been as lucky as us to go to college, have a
roof over their head and eat three meals a day. Or may be it was and is
a part of our own story that we have forgotten or want to forget.
 

When the economies of the West collapse under their own weight where do
we want to raise our children?  Maybe our best choice would be gang
infested cities of U.S and other western countries, where our children
will be forced to have their own gangs and get de-railed as a survival
tactic through assimilation with Mexicans, blacks, Portuguese, and other
nationalities. What if we can fund their future through a systematic way
of education in the East and West, through schools that will breed
Assyrian scholars rather than lost Assyrian souls.
 
 

Principle TWO: Assyrian nation's Democratic national movement solution:
 

We need a grass root  political system that represents the true
population of our generation and not the mini ivory towers that our
so-called political dictators/self elected  political leaders have
erected around themselves, living in a fantasy world, and thinking that
the whole world knows about them and their personal agenda.
 

Creation of an Assyrian Congress is the key to the implementation of
this plan. Let's use what is done in the past and learn from others.
 

We have to utilize our cultural centers throughout the world, after a
transformation from entertainment centers to true cultural centers,
to act as a  whole and not a collection of isolated activities. The
leadership of these organizations are responsible and accountable as
a part of their duty to work and complement other activities in their
regions. Through local organizations, the concept of an Assyrian
Congress and the democratically elected Assyrian government needs to
be implemented.
 

We need to transform our conventions to physical links of face to
face communications of our people about our national agenda and a
meeting with our democratically elected representatives. Only at this
time, we can truly enjoy our celebrations, because there is a reason
to celebrate our achievements as a nation. We can transform and
mobilize our localized masses throughout the world in support of a
common cause via our local social and religious organizations. The
local leaders have to see the unification of agenda as a center stage
of their activities and think of a bigger picture. Churches need to
accelerate their re-unification talks and rally people to participate
in the affairs of their national awareness in a global sense. If they
do not , their secular audience will be lost in no time.
 

We need your input, Mr. and Mrs. Lawyer, politician, doctor, engineer,
student, house wife,..., to start a true Zenda(Assyrian for Spark) in
our community and  be the conscious of our nation..
 

We request from you to think about it, act out of your love for your
people and nation , and push for unity in your own circles of micro
infrastructures (Social/cultural societies, churches,  political
parties, humanitarian, educational institutions, etc.) to work together.
We are asking you as the representative batch of our educated people to
ponder and think about these issues and try to digest the importance of
your role to save the future of your own children and that of your
fellow Assyrian neighbors. There is a need for an awareness and movement
in a true global sense by people like yourself  who need to take action
and get involved.
 

We must try to utilize the Zenda forum as a vehicle to inform each other
on the events happening to our nation in a global scale.  Lets start to
leverage the strength of our virtual nation and communicate with each
other and take steps to execute what is right for our people. Please write
to Zenda with your views and share your information on organizations
that can be influential in supporting the two key principles mentioned
in this article.  If interested in more information regarding the
Assyrian Aid Society write to:
                                41 Sutter St.
                                Suite #1534
                                San Francisco, Ca. 94104
 

Jeanclaude Toma
A small but proud Assyrian voice
Milpitas, California
 
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 G  O  O  D    M  O  R  N  I  N  G    B  E  T - N  A  H  R  A  I  N
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          RENEWED RIVALRY AMONG KURDISH POLITICAL GROUPS
 

(ZNRU: Turkey) Rival Iraqi Kurdish groups in northern Bet-Nahrain
accused each other of cooperating with Baghdad or Tehran in an
outbreak of fighting between Kurds that has shattered a U.S.-mediated
cease-fire. ``Credible reports indicate growing coordination and
collaboration between the KDP (Kurdistan Democratic Party) and
the Iraqi regime,'' the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) said
in a statement faxed from its Ankara office.  The PUK said Iraqi
government forces, including armored units, have taken up positions
against its fighters at several points on the edge of the Kurdish-
controlled region. Massoud Barzani of KDP denied the claim. He said
the PUK of Barzani's long-time adversary Jalal Talabani was using
heavy artillery given to it by Iranian forces who briefly entered
north Iraq last month to fight an Iranian Kurdish group.  Turkey fears
that feuding between the Iraqi Kurds helps Turkish Kurd rebels
establish themselves in northern Bet-Nahrain.  Turkish Foreign Minister
Tansu Ciller reaffirmed Monday Turkey would not accept any change in
the power structure in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq.
 
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                  S   U   R   F   S     U   P   !
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"Shlama Elokhon Kasheirea d'Zenda,  thank you for your hard work in
bringing us the news and keeping us abreast of the current events.
Please correct the following date error in your next publication:
[A.D. (1890) Persian Crown Prince visits Urmie, Iran calling upon the
Bishop of Urmie, Mar Gauriel.  The royal visit was a gesture of good-
will between Iran and the Christian foreign powers which had settled
in the Azerbaijan region since 1930's.]  Do you mean 1830's?"
 

Bellos Nisan
Sunnyvale, California
 

[Yes indeed.  The missionaries began arriving in Azerbaijan and northern
 Bet-Nahrain in 1835.]
 
 

"I am an Australian video producer of educational videos and I have
received a contract from a government agency to translate a birth
video into ten different languages.  One of these was put down as
"Assyrian", but my contact at a translation agency said there was not
such a language, but could be connected with Iran or Iraq.  I went
back to the government agency who asked for the translation, but they
were acting for another party and did not know either.  I would be
grateful for any information on what language is classified as Assyrian
or if there is more than one. At least I would be able to go back to my
client with a better idea of what was needed.  Many thanks in Advance."
 

Kym Tank
ktank@ozemail.com.au
Australia
 

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              S  U  R  F  E  R  S      C  O  R  N  E  R
=====================================================================
 

    PLACES TO BE, THINGS TO DO AT THE ASSYRIAN NATIONAL CONVENTION
 

Assyrian Women's Panel Discussion       Sat, August 31   1:00-3:30 pm
Election of the AANF President          Sun, September 1 Afternoon
Informal Gathering of the Net Surfers   Sun, September 1 1:30-3:00 pm
           Deva Cafe & Bistro   12th & J Street
 

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              N   E   W   S       D   I   G   E   S   T
=====================================================================
 

                 THE ASSYRIAN COMMUNITY IN FINLAND
 

(ZNDA: Finland)  On August 17 & 18  Assyrians in Finland held their
first community meeting.  About 75 participants from Iraq and Iran
attended the two-day meeting organized in Oulu, Finland.  Mr. Ashur
Nissan comments that "we, as a small number of Assyrians in this
northic country on the edge of globe, decided to continue our war
against time, and to maintain our inheritance and our connection
with other Assyrians worldwide."  There are less than 100 Assyrians
living in Finland.
 
 

       ASSYRIAN WOMEN'S PANEL DISCUSSION TO BE HELD IN MODESTO
 

(ZNDA: San Jose)  A panel discussion on the status of Assyrian-
American women will be held on Saturday, August 31, during the
Assyrian American National Convention in Modesto, California.
Pamella Saffer, director of Women's International League for Peace
and Freedom, will discuss the role of women as instruments of
peace in the world.  Other speakers include Christine Yalda, an
attorney and PhD-candidate at Arizona State University and Kim
Yalda, a school principal in California. Both speakers will address
cultural and political identity of Assyrian women today.  Lastly,
Dr. Aryan Ishaya, professor of cultural anthropology,  will assess
the changing roles of the Assyrian women over the past century.
 

        12:00 noon      Registration (free to public)
         1:00 pm        Panel Discussion
         2:00 pm        Question & Answer
         3:00 pm        Networking
 
 

        ASSYRIAN DANCERS AT THE UCLA'S IRANIAN FOLK FESTIVAL
 

(ZNSC: Los Angeles)  Last week, a group of Assyrian dancers performed
the traditional dances during the First Annual Iranian-American
International Summers Festival held at the University of California in
Los Angeles.  An information booth, exhibiting replicas from the Assyrian
artifacts in the British and Metropolitan Museums, was set up to provide
information for the Festival attendees.  A pamphlet of the Assyrian
alphabet and "Who Are Assyrians" article were handed out.  The work of
the local Assyrian artists was well received. The event was broadcasted
on Iranian News Media and the Assyrian dancers and exhibit were
mentioned several times.
 

                       ASSYRIAN SCHOOLS IN IRAN
 

(ZNAS: Tehran)  Currently there are two K-12 Assyrian schools in
Tehran, Iran:  St. Mary School for Girls (formerly Shooshan) and the
Behnam School for Boys.  The former is run by the Assyrian Association
of Tehran (Motva'd Tehran) and the latter is under the supervision of
the Assyrian Chaldean Catholic Church.  In addition to the general
curriculum as taught in all schools in Tehran, the Assyrian schools
also conduct afternoon religious training in the Assyrian language.
Presently, over 500 students are attending St Mary's and Behnam
Schools in Tehran.  The two schools in Urmie, Iran, are also supervised
by the Assyrian Chaldean Catholic Church where 770 elementary through
junior high and 300 high school students are taught Assyrian language
by 32 Assyrian teachers.
 
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D I  R  E  C  T  O  R  Y  OF THE  N  E  W  S   S  O  U  R  C  E  S
=====================================================================
ZNAR (Archeology Magazine)
ZNAS (Assyrian Sentinel)
ZNMN (Mercury News)
ZNNQ (Nabu Quarterly)
ZNNY (New York Times)
ZNRU (Reuters):  ClariNet Communications Corp.
ZNSC (soc.culture.assyrian) newsgroup
ZNTN (Turkish News Agency)
ZNUP (United Press International)
ZNDA (Zenda: zenda@ix.netcom.com)
 

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  C   A   L   E   N   D   A   R     OF     E   V   E   N   T   S
=====================================================================

Aug 29-Sept 2   AANF National Convention
                Red Lion Inn Hotel
                Modesto, U.S.A.
 

Sept 9          Assyrian Food Festival
                Assyrian Church of the East
                San Jose, California
 

Thru April 6    The Ain Ghazal Exhibit
                Smithsonian Institute
                Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
                Washington D.C.
 
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                    E N T E R T A I N M E N T
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Assyrian National Convention
Modesto/Turlock, California
August 29 - Sept 2, 1996
 

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          R E G U L A R  C L A S S E S  &  M E E T I N G S
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Fridays          Assyrian Educational & Cultural Club at
                 Modesto Junior College
                 1:00 pm
                 Founders Hall 108
                 Modesto, U.S.A.
 

Saturdays        Nisibis School
                 10:30-1:30
                 The Church of the East
                 Toronto, Canada
 

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  A  S  S  Y  R  I  A  N     S  U  R  F  I  N  G     P  O  S  T  S
=====================================================================

Publications on the Syriac Language Studies
        http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/users/gk105/papers/publications.html
 

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               P  U  M  P    UP THE   V O L U M E
=====================================================================
                 ENGLISH                ASSYRIAN
 

                 Painting (verb)   saay/yaa/ru:/taa  [M]
                 Color             gou/na            [M]
                 Gallery           bet/khiz/wa/ne    [M]
 

Pronunciations:
 

   a   as in   bat             b    big          s    sit
   aa          make            ch   church       sh   shovel
   a:          father     d    dog          t    top
   aw          awe             f    fun          td   [tdlaa=three]
   e           let             g    go           th   thigh
   ee          leak            h    hit          TH   those
   i           kid             j    judge        v    van
   i:          like            k    kite         w    way
   ou          ouch            l    link         y    you
   o:          boat            m    make         z    zip
   oi          boy             n    not          zh   pleasure
   u:          boot            p    pot
   u           pulley          q    [qaatdoo=cat]
   *           'do-nut         r    red
_____________________________________________________________________
F = Feminine     M = Masculine      P = Plural
 

 
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             B  A  C  K     TO THE      F  U  T  U  R  E
=====================================================================
 

B.C. (ca. 1900) Assyrians trading colonies are formed in Anatolia
(modern Turkey), the main metallurgic center of the ancient near
east.
 

<< Ancient Iraq, Roux  >>
 

A.D. (737) The Arabian Caliph, Mehdi, decrees that all churches
built since the Muslim conquest of the Prophet Mohammed and Omar
be destroyed.  Over 5000 Christians were forced to either accept
Islam or death.
 

<< The Ashurbanipal Library Newsletter, Vol 3, #1 >>
 

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              L    I    T    E    R    A    T    U    S
=====================================================================
 
              ******** An Assyrian Folk Song ********
 
We have a cow which we love!
It gives us very tasty milk!
It goes out in the morning to graze on a meadow.
It returns in the evening and milk is with it.
The cow moos every morning.
Why don't you know what it wants?
It says:  "give me grass and water,
and you will get fatty milk!
and if you give me more barley,
you and the cheese and the milk will be richer!
 

<< Journal of the Assyrian Academic Society, Vol VI, #2 >>
 

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    T  H  I  S    W  E  E  K     I  N    H  I  S  T  O  R  Y
=====================================================================
 

August 31, 1971:  Assyrian-Swedish youth publish the first issue of
Neesha Magazine in Assyrian, Swedish, and Arabic.
 

=====================================================================
                      B     R    A     V     O
=====================================================================
 

Last week the wedding bells in Tehran, Iran rang for Caroline & Carlo
Ganjeh.  Mr. Ganjeh, a ZENDA reader from San Jose, California, is the
president of the Assyrian United Organizations of California and the
Western Regional Director of the Assyrian American National Federation.
 

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      W   E   L   C   O   M   E     T O     Z   E   N   D   A
=====================================================================
Zenda welcomes our new on-line subscribers from:
 

CORPORATE ACCOUNTS
                        None
UNIVERSITY ACCOUNTS
                        Arizona State University
PERSONAL ACCOUNTS
                        Belgium
                        Finland
                        Modesto, California
 
 

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  A   C   K   N   O   W   L   E   D   G   E   M   E   N   T   S
=====================================================================
Zenda wishes to thank the following individuals & organizations
whose contributions appear in this issue:
 

                Sargon Tavour           Los Angeles, California
                Bellos Nisan            Sunnyvale, California
                Ashur Nissan            Oulu, Finland
                George Kiraz            Cambridge, England
                Sharokin Betgevargiz    San Jose, California
 
___________________________________________________________________
ZENDA  prints your comments and suggestions free of editing, as they
appear in our mailbox.  All letters will be printed in our SURFS UP!
section unless directed otherwise.
 

We urge you to submit the activities of your local and national
Assyrian communities, personal accomplishments, and meeting/school
events to ZENDA no later than Sunday, 12:00 PM, Pacific Standard Time.
 

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        Our Next Issue will appear on Monday, September 9, 1996.
 

Please note that ZENDA will not be published next week so that we may
bring you a complete report from the Assyrian American National
Convention to be held in Modesto, California.
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