Kanoon I 23, 6746 Volume II Issue 44 December 23, 1996
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A Weekly Online Publication of the ZENDA Assyrian Newsagency
"Lo, the star which they saw in the east, went before
them, till it came
and stood over where the young child was."
Matthew 2:9 (New Testament)
TO OUR CHRISTIAN READERS, MAY CHRISTMAS BRING JOY AND HOPE FOR YOU & YOUR LOVED ONES. MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR.
Staff of ZENDA
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T H I S W E E K I N Z E N D A
===========================================================================
The Lighthouse...................... A Letter From
the Heart
Good Morning Bet-Nahrain............ No New Entry
Surfs Up............................ "let me clarify
the alleged information"
Surfers Corner...................... Assyrian School
Action Committee
News Digest......................... Middle East
Water Crisis
Calendar of Events.................. Dr. Gabriele Yonan's
Lecture in Chicago
Elections of the AAA of San Jose
Entracte............................ More on New Year's
Eve Party in Germany
Intelligentsia...................... Classes, Lectures
& Meetings
Assyrian Surfing Posts.............. Syriac Studies at
Notre Dame
Pump up the Volume.................. Always
Back to the Future.................. Shalmaneser's Cavalry
& Tamur the Lame
Literatus........................... Mar Ishai Shimun
on Assyrian Christianity
This Week in History................ Alphonse Mingana
Bravo............................... Assyria Online Cited
in the MS Directory
The Directory....................... News Sources
Bshena.............................. Australia
Salute.............................. Mar Bawai, Peter,
Ashur, and the AAS
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THE L I G H
T H O U S E
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A LETTER FROM THE HEART
Last Thursday I found myself joyless, wounded, and in
need. I was begging
for anything that could stop the dull ache within me.
With so many friends
and foes dancing in my head and all around me suddenly
I found myself alone
and confused. My sense of mistrust had left me
hopeless and in despair.
Their glances of admiration were meant for someone else,
I thought to
myself. Perhaps those whom I deserted were right
about the future. Could
my struggle be pointless and only a childish escape from
the reality of our
times? Are my words of encouragement desperate
lies spoken by a frightened
man left alone in this lifeless and deathless existence?
In order to save a life one must understand the body and
its delicate
design. Likewise I can only save the soul of the
downhearted when I learn
to understand their thoughts and feelings. Not
a day goes by without my
reflecting upon their misery and joy. The struggle
of my own private life
loses ground to the needs of their hardship in the North,
the Caucasus, and
the West. Shortly after my intoxication with the
success of my short-lived
accomplishments I find myself alone in the ruins of the
Great City, waiting
for the final Desert Storm to mask the ageless tracks
of our past
existence. In secret I long for anonymity and an
end to my aimless voyage
to a place where I can belong to somewhere and am wanted
by someone.
I am wondering about you tonight as I have every night
of my life. The
laughter in your beautiful eyes is my sole refuge from
this estranged
existence. Last Thursday I wished I was holding
your body tightly pressed
against mine. But it was only a wish, as are all
my dreams and
aspirations, they say. Have you too abandoned me
and my passion for life?
Do my assertions bore you now? To you, sorrounded
with that absent-minded
deity of life’s transient pleasures, they must sound
like the cries of the
crazy hero of La Mancha. For I too am preparing to battle
the giant
windmills of time.
Perhaps I should have not written this. I know that
you have not learned
to control your emotions and in your loneliness these
harsh words may leave
you helpless and weak. But you ought to know the
truth, that I will draw
objects and ideas the way I see them. Hence the
people I work with will
continue to distrust me. Unlike you they are afraid
of me and my
paintings. Christmas trees in my drawings are not
adorned with ornaments.
There is no Santa Claus handing presents to the wide-eyes
children. Winter
is cold and harsh; it takes life away and the Second
Coming brings hope and
not wealth to a people that never complain and always
remain thankful. In
their despair I see hope and in their faith I see the
true meaning of the
Resurrection. Last Thursday, discouraged to draw,
I was hopelessly staring
at the blank canvas of my mind.
My love for you is changeless and true. It has been
for ever, ever since I
found my inspiration in your eyes. I know that
you understand my work and
all the paintings in my mind. When I paint the
Assyrian children of Bet
Nahrain I want people to read their thoughts and see
their dreams. The old
man in my portrait of an Assyrian village in Georgia
is too tired to move
on. He only has enough strength to lift his hands
and pray for the final
judgment. A mother washing her husband’s pant and jacket,
his only clothes
in over nine months in a Jordanian refugee camp, disappears
into the thick
black landscape of my unsold painting. The suffering
of these men, women,
and children is the essence of life in my work.
Possessionless but content
are these gentle inheritors of the kingdom we seek in
our places of
worship. Their salvation is my penitence.
To this cause I will remain
true as I am to your love.
Last Thursday for me there was only pain, the blind and
endless torment of
failure. Once again Christmas had arrived. I felt as
if I had lost everyone
and I had lost myself. All that remained was you.
I poured myself a
glass of red wine and danced with you in my thoughts.
You were no longer
just the maiden of my dreams and the Innana of the forbidden
temple. For
the first time since we last kissed I could taste the
red wine in my glass.
My dreams, their pain, and your smile had become one.
Merry Christmas my love,
Wilfred
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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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No News Received In The Past Week
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S U R F S
U P !
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"In regard to some of the information reported in ZENDA
(the issue of
December 16, 1996) concerning the situation of the Assyrian
Church of the
East in the LA area, I would like to inform you and your
readers with the
following. In proper administrative-canonical action,
his Grace Bishop Mar
Aprim Khamis, who is the prelate-in-charge of the Assyrian
Parishes in
Western United States, has decreed to release Reverend
Barkho Daoud from
his pastoral duties in the North Hollywood Parish in
preparation for the
latter's transfer to another parish of the Assyrian Church
of the East in
the Chicago (Illinois) Area. It is with great solicitude
and pastoral
concern that we in the Assyrian Church of the East are
observing this
situation and the developments that have ensued at Saint
Mary's Parish.
Further let me also clarify the alleged information which
appeared in ZENDA
concerning the Reverend Kando D. Kando as being the candidate
to replace
Reverend Barkho Daoud at Saint Mary's. This rumor
is simply untrue.
Reverend Kando is not and never has been a candidate
for Saint Mary's
parish. He was ordained to the priesthood specifically
to serve the
Assyrian Church of the East at Saint Paul's Parish in
Orange County, CA,
and is still ministering to our faithful, there.
You, also, ought to know
that, by the time this reply is published in ZENDA, His
Grace Bishop Mar
Aprim Khamis would have ordained, on Sunday, December
22, 1996, at Saint
Mar Zaia Church in Modesto, CA, another person to the
priesthood who shall
later be installed as the new pastor for Saint Mary's
Parish in North
Hollywood.
With expression of my prayers, I wish you and your readers
a Merry
Christmas and a New Year replete of God's grace and blessings."
Mar Bawai Soro
Bishop
Assyrian Church of the East
Rome, Italy
"I have read your electronic newslater, ZANDA, since the
first issue .I
find it good and informative. Can I please have permission
to take some
article or
information for SURYOYO ONLINE? The sourses will
be writen every time the
information be published. SURYOYO ONLINE (SOL)
is an Online Jounal of the
Syrian Orthodox Church, Syriac Studies and the Arameans.
SOL was founded on
October 20, 1996, in Goettingen, Germany to inform the
readers/servers
about all SURYOYE and SURYOYE Churchs with different
topics."
Gabrial Rabo
Germany
***********
"In the last few years I have been concerned with an idea
which is very
difficult to provide, but very important for our Assyrian
people. I mean
the foundation of the Assyrian university on the basis
of some existing
university. Such an idea has been realized in Kiev by
Jews who created the
Solomon University on the basis of the Kiev Polytechnical
University using
its buildings, equipment, facilities and (partly) staff.
The Assyrian
University could gather scientists and students from
all the world and give
both the general and Assyrian education. We discussed
this idea a few years
ago at the Round table meeting in Moscow (within the
Assyrian Festival)
attended by representatives of Assyrian organizations
from former Soviet
Republics and some countries of the Near East and Europe,
and it was
supported. I aware that such a complicated project requires
great efforts
and funding,and nowadays can be realized only in USA.
With this respect the
bequest of Benjamin S. Adams could be the first foundation-stone
of the
Assyrian University. I also believe that some outstanding
Assyrian
scientists from the former Soviet Republics could be
involved into this
project. My best wishes to all our brothers and
sisters throughout the
world, Happy New Year and Merry Christmas."
Promarz Tamrazov
Kiev, Ukraine
************
"I would like to inform Zenda subscribers who reside in
Santa Clara Valley
and are members of the Assyrian American Association
of San Jose that we
are circulating a "Petition for Democratic Elections"
among the members.
The purpose of this petition is to amend the bylaws of
our Association to
give every member the opportunity to exercise their right
to vote in the
upcoming and future General Elections. This petition
has been mailed to
all of the member of our Association. Please sign
the petition and return
it to us in the return envelope provided with the petition.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the
editor and the
staff of Zenda for providing this invaluable service
to the Assyrian
Nation. Merry Christmas and my best wishes for a successful
1997."
Ramin Daniels
San Jose, California
************
"Am 31.Dezember.1996 von 19 bis 3 Uhr werden wir Assyrer
von Wiesbaden und
Umgebung im Buerger Haus Oestrich eine Silvester-Party
feiern. Fuer gute
laune ist unter Anderem mit Tanzmusik gesorgt.
Eintrittskarten sind vom
17.November bis zum 22.Dezember in den Vereinsraeume
fuer
Vereinsmitglieder: 25,-DM; Gaeste: 40,-DM und die Kinder
zwischen 6 und 12
Jahren: 15,-DM erhaeltlich. Adresse: Buerger Haus
Oesterich im
Paul-Gerhard weg
Adrin Taksh
Berlin, Germany
[Danke schon! Das hort sich ja toll an...(For English
Translation please
see ENTRECTE.]
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S U R F E R S
C O R N E R
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ASSYRIAN SCHOOL ACTION COMMITTEE
The purpose of the Assyrian School Action Committee (ASAC)
is to create
an Assyrian elementary school in the United States.
In addition to the
basic foundation courses of math, science, and English,this
school will
preserve our culture by providing Assyrian language,
culture, history, and
religion classes.
The prime objective of ASAC is to study all available
avenues for achieving
this goal. The results of the study will then be
used toward establishing
the school.
The success of this endeavor depends upon the participation
of a large
majority of Assyrians. Therefore, ASAC encourages
any interested Assyrian
to visit ASAC's web site at www.assyria.net/al-schools.
Currently, our web
site features the mission statement, the charter, and
a survey. Your
response to this survey is greatly appreciated, as it
is an invaluable tool
in the planning phase of ASAC's goal.
Any Assyrian interested in contributing to ASAC's efforts
or inclined to
become a member of ASAC may contact Anoukin Mooshabad
at
amooshab@bayou.uh.edu or Gilyana Chamaki at chamaki@allover.com.
Rachelle Badal
San Jose, California
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N E W S
D I G E S T
===========================================================================
UNITED NATIONS WARNS OF MIDDLE EAST WATER
(ZNDA: United Nations) A United Nations report has warned
that Middle East
nations will face a severe food and water crisis if they
fail to adopt
appropriate policies to stem the degradation of their
land and water
resources. Regional officials and experts from the Food
and Agriculture
Organization's regional office are meeting in Cairo to
reassess regional
resources and make recommendations to governments. In
its report last week,
the Near East office of the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization, or FAO, warned that regional states faced
serious problems
with the food chain due to indiscriminate land use and
contamination of
underground and drinking water resources. It said that
renewable water
resources in 16 out of 30 countries were down to below
500 cubic meters
(17,500 cubic feet) a year. Current forecasts indicated
that by 2025 the
region would have only 32 to 66 percent of the renewable
water sources
which were available in 1990. During 1981-86, FAO said,
agricultural
production in the region increased at an annual rate
of about 2.1 percent
while population grew at 3 percent. Current projections
indicated that,
between 1980 and 2000, food production in the region
will rise by 2.8
percent against an increase in food demand of 3.2 percent
a year. The
trends also showed that many of the countries were becoming
increasingly
dependent on imports to meet their food requirements.
The experts are
discussing ways to ensure a sustainable development of
irrigation and
drinking water resources, a soil and terrain database
for integrated land
use and reforms in governmental policies. FAO says the
discussions are part
of a universal plan of action for food security, which
was approved at the
World Food Summit in Rome in November.
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C
A L E N D A
R OF E V
E N T S
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Thru April 6
The Ain Ghazal Exhibit
Smithsonian Institute
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Washington D.C.
AAA of Southern CA (818) 506-7577
Jan 3
"Assyrians and German Diplomacy, New Lights on the Holocaust:
Documents of the Foreign Office, 1897 - 1918"
A Lecture by Dr. Gabriele Yonan
of Institute of Semitic Studies
Free University Berlin
sponsored by the Assyrian Academic Society
North Park College, Isaacson Chapel
5110 N. Spaulding
Center for Middle Eastern Studies
Chicago, Illinois
7:00 P.M.
Jan 10
General Elections of the
Assyrian American Association of San Jose
BETA: 20000 Almaden Road, San Jose, California
8:00 pm
Jan 15
Ashur & Marduk: The State Gods of Assyria & Babylonia
Lecturer: G. Frame
Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations
University of Toronto
St. George campus
Toronto, Canada
8:00 p.m
Mar 12
Guardians of the Gate: The Assyrian Winged Colossi
Lecturer: A. Harrak
Near and Middle Eastern Civilization
University of Toronto
St. George campus
Toronto, Canada
8:00 p.m
April 9
Recent Excavations at Gordion, Turkey:
An Achaemenid Persian Imperial Town in Central Anatolia
Lecturer: T.C. Young, Jr.
Royal Ontario Museum
Toronto, Canada
8:00 p.m
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E N T R A C T E
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Dec 25
Christmas Party '96
Assyrian Church of the East
680 Minnesota Avenues
San Jose, California
Entertainers: Ogin & Ashur Bet-Sargis
Dec 31
CHICAGO
New Year's Eve Party
Assyrian American Ladies Association of Chicago
1618 w. Devon
Chicago, IL 60660
Entertainment: RAMSIN SHENO
All You can eat and drink!
Donation: Non Members $ 45.00
Members $ 35.00
Kids
$ 15.00
For table reservation, call Sonia Aghakan
(773) 271-5539 (H)/ (773)338-3922
SAN JOSE
New Year's Eve Party
Westin Hotel
Santa Clara, California
Entertainers: Sooren & Edmond
Donation: Non Members
$ 75.00
Members $ 65.00
Babysitting Service Available
LOS ANGELES
New Year's Eve Party
Hilton Hotel- LAX
Los Angeles, California
Entertainers: Ogen & Black Cats
Donation: $ 65.00
GERMANY
Dec. 31st
Buerger Haus Oestrich-Winkel
Poul-Gerhard weg
Oestrich
from 7:00 pm to 3:00 am
Entertainers: Assyrian tapes and Disco musik
For ticket reservation from Nov 17 thru Dec 22
Contact ABGAD
Donation: Members
25 DM
Non-Members 40 DM
Kids (6-12) 15 DM
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I N T E L L I G E N T S I A
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Thursdays
Nineveh Choir under the direction of Maestro Nebu Issabey
BETA: 20000 Almaden Road
San Jose, California
8:00 pm
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
Nisibin School
10:00-12:00 pm
BETA: Assyrian American Association of San Jose
San Jose, California
SUNDAYS
Assyrian Boy Scouts
Assyrian American Association of Southern California
Assyrian Club
5901 Cahuenga Blvd
North Hollywood, California
9:30am to 12:30pm
Contact Sargon Gewargis @ fishtale@juno.com
(818) 891-3705 after 7:30 pm
Assyrian Student Union
California State University, Northridge
Assyrian American Association of Southern California
Assyrian Club
5901 Cahuenga Blvd
North Hollywood, California
6:00pm
Contact Sargon Gewargis @ fishtale@juno.com
(818) 891-3705 after 7:30 pm
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A S
S Y R I A N S
U R F I N G P
O S T S
===========================================================================
Class Offerings for Summer 1997 Session
Syriac Institute of Classes Notre Dame University
Instructor: Dr. John Amar
http://www.nd.edu/~col/syriac.html
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P U M P UP THE V O L U
M E
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ENGLISH
ASSYRIAN
Always
a/mee/na/eet
[M]
aal/mee/na/eet [M]
mto/ma/eet
[M]
___________________________________________________________________________
F = Feminine M = Masculine
P = Plural
===========================================================================
B A C K TO THE
F U T U R E
===========================================================================
B.C. (850's) By the middle of the ninth century cavalries
were well
established. In the Battle of Qarqar Shalmaneser
III claimed to have 2,002
chariots and 5,542 cavalrymen.
<< The End of the Bronze Age, Drews >>
A.D. (1392) Mongolian ruler, Timur the Lame, subjugates
Bet-Nahrain and
Armenia. In Baghdad alone a pyramid of 90,000 heads
was erected on its ruin.
<< The Nestorian Churches, Vine >>
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L I T E
R A T U
S
===========================================================================
"My people have had a great struggle to maintain their
Christian faith.
They have had to stand against other religions having
the advantage of
State support, and they have frequently suffered in great
racial
disturbances. But their witness goes on, and I
pray God that easier days
many soon be granted them...I favour every contribution
toward the bringing
into closer relationship of all the people of God:
for 'there shall be one
fold, and one shepherd.'"
Mar Eshai Shimun
Former Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East
London, England
February 1937
===========================================================================
T H I S W E E K
I N H I S T O R
Y
===========================================================================
December 23, 1881: born in Mosul, Iraq (then Mesopotamia),
Alphonse
Mingana, Assyrian scholar in ancient Aramaic and Syriac
studies.
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B R A
V O
===========================================================================
ASSYRIAN WEBSITE CITED IN THE MS INTERNET DIRECTORY
Assyrian Online, perhaps the oldest Assyrian website on
the internet, is
mentioned in The Microsoft Bookshelf Internet Directory
96-97, edited by
Kevin Savetz, under the category of Anthropology, Archaeology,
and
Paleontology. Congratulations to the past and present
editors, webmasters,
and contributors of this fine Assyrian website.
The following is the entry
published regarding http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~jatou/
:
{Part anthropology, part modern culture and politics,
and part religious
studies, this site has many links on the subject of the
ancient land and
people of Assyria and their descendants. Topics include
an essay and FAQ
about modern-day Assyrians, and links to the Usenet newsgroup
soc.culture.assyrian. There is a link to The Palace of
Ashurnasirpal, a
computer-generated animation in QuickTime® and MPEG
displaying a
"fly-through" of this ancient structure. This page also
has translations
into English from two texts by Ephraim of Syria. This
site also contains an
entire online course in Akkadian, with pictograms, phonograms,
and many
images of the fonts that were used.}
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the D I R E C T O R
Y
===========================================================================
ZNAD (Assyrian Democratic Organization)
ZNAM (Archeology Magazine)
ZNAP (Associated Press International)
ZNBN (Bet-Nahrain Inc/ KBSV-TV "AssyriaVision")
ZNDA (Zenda: zenda@ix.netcom.com)
ZNNQ (Nabu Quarterly)
ZNNV (Nineveh Magazine)
ZNRU (Reuters)
ZNSJ (San Jose Mercury News)
ZNTM (Time Magazine)
ZNUP (United Press International)
ZNUS (US News & World Report)
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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:
PERSONAL ACCOUNTS
Australia
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S A L
U T E
===========================================================================
Zenda wishes to thank the following individuals &
organizations whose
contributions appear in this issue:
Peter Jasim
Chicago, Illinois
Ashur Simon Malek Toronto, Canada
Adrin Takhsh
Berlin, Germany
Mar Bawai Soro
Rome, Italy
Assyrian Academic Society of Chicago
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The Staff of ZENDA is taking a short holiday break.
Therefore, ZENDA will
not be published next week. Our Next Issue will appear
on Monday, January
8, 1996.
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