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ASSYRIANS REACHED JAPAN AS EARLY AS FIRST CENTURY The following is an excerpt from the arcticle entitled "Amazing Discovery in China Changes Christian History in Asia" written by Father Ken Joseph, an Assyrian, living in Japan and founder of the Keykio Institute (www.keikyo.com/index-e.html). Asia with China and Japan in particular are thought of as predominately Buddhist areas. The record of the Church is very limited throughout Asia with the exception of The Philippines and Korea. As amazing as it may seem the oldest Christian site in Asia has been discovered dating back to 638 AD. The site which is near the ancient Chinese capital of Sian has shattered previous understanding of the role of Christianity in China, Japan and Asia. The Nestorian Monument, a stone tablet in the city of Sian which was discovered in the 1600s was the only testimony to Christianity in China. What was always a puzzle was that it clearly stated that `monasteries abound in a hundred cities`. This monument which is often called the `Rosetta Stone` of Christianity in Asia was the only proof of this past. The discovery of the Christian site has dramatically changed all this. The Church is in the center of the Imperial area of the Tang Dynasty and its location is what is particularly bringing amazement to experts on the Silk Road. With the Church in the center of the imperial area it confirms for the first time the stories that have long been passed down and appear frequently in Chinese narratives which tell of a major Church in China in the Tang Dynasty from 618-877. According to The Cross and The Lotus by Lee Shiu Keung in 635, Bishop Alopen from The Church of the East began his mission in Chang Ang, present day Sian. Christianity had first come to China in the year 64 when the Apostle Thomas came to Sian, China from India where he had come in the year 52. Other believers are believed to have brought the gospel on to Japan by the year 70 AD. The Church had lost contact with the rest of the world through the cutting off of the Silk Road by the people of Turkestan and the restoration of the links brought great joy and strength to the Church in China, Japan and the rest of Asia as contact was once more restored with the rest of the Church. In 630, however the Silk Road was restored and travel between the East and the West resumed. The Tang Dynasty was a very special period in Chinese history where there was a broad policy of tolerance and interest in fostering foreign religions., In 638 Alopen completed the first Christian book in Chinese The Sutra of Jesus the Messiah. In this book it was carefully argued that Christianity was part of China's ancient tradition. In appreciation for the good of the Eastern Christians an Imperial Degree was proclaimed that provided for the first building of a Church. Later on The Church of the East was favored by another Imperial degree and Alopen was promoted to be Great Spiritual Lord, Protector of the Empire, Metropolitan of Chang An. The Church encountered ups and downs but following a period of persecution falling the fall of the Tang Dynasty grew again in the 13th and 14th Centuries and were again so respected by the Emperor that according to the ancient Chinese document the Yuan Shi, Chapter 89, the Governor appointed a special officer to take charge of the affairs of the Church of the East with the second high-test rank in China. This office was solely to manage the affairs of the many bishops, priests, monks and to see that ll the sacraments were carefully observed. According to the Yuan Shi there were 72 Church of the East monasteries during the period 1289 to 1320 not to mention the multitude of churches and believers. What happened? With the complete restoration of the Silk Road in the 13th Century Pope Nicholas IV sent John of Montecorvino to the Chinese court. The Priests of The Church of the East in the Imperial Court and the Franciscan`s did no get along . Once again under the Mongols there was a period of great religious toleration. This was again a period of great growth for the Church in China but this again came to an end in 1369 when communications with the world were cut off with the decline of the Mongol Empire. This hitherto almost unknown period in the Church in China and Asia testify to the great growth of the Church. What does this mean today? According to staff of the Keikyo Institute, which works to establish the proper Christian History in Asia the recent discovery has two main points. First, it completely alters the previously thought ideas about Asia in particular China and neighboring Japan. Previously it was thought that Christianity was a small part of the picture but with the recent discovery of a Church in the center of the Imperial Compound it can be clearly said that Christianity as it clearly stated in the Nestorian Monument was a central part of China at that time and there were Churches throughout China and Asia. Second, is that it clearly puts Eastern Christianity as a `Chinese` and `Asian` religion. Particularly with an Asia that is very conscious of the Colonial eras in which the conquering was doing in the name of Western Christianity this indigenous form of Christianity which although properly Christian was very democratic is recombined and admired. Why, some ask is it so important to find history? The answer is quite simple. In Asia history counts. To present individuals and whole areas with a gospel that has no connection with them is extremely difficult but to present the gospel to them as the faith of their fathers calling them not to accept a new religion but to `go back` is completely; different. Further, while many countries in the regions actively discourage `western religions` The Church of the East is clearly an `ancient` and `Asian` religion and it enjoys great support and respect. The name of the Church discovered in Sian China is the same as the oldest Temple in Kyoto, Japan which has a site within its former premises from the Church of the East. It appears quite clear that the oldest Temple in the Buddhist city of Kyoto used to be a Church. It points to the simple fact that when Jesus commanded the disciples to go to the `ends of the earth` they went and the gospel was proclaimed and the Church grew to India in 51, China in 64 AD, Japan estimated about 70 AD and throughout the world. The proclamation of the Gospel to those who have `never heart` as opposed to those who are descended from those who once knew brings the dual blessings of pride in ones past as well as the inherited prayers of generations gone previously. Ken
Joseph Jr Ken Joseph Jr. is author of a recently published book called "Japan: The Nation of the Cross" which explains the Christian history of Japan and Asia. In 1951 Joseph's parents were some of the thousands who answered Gen. Douglas MacArthur's call for missionaries to go to Japan to help it recover from World War II. Traveling with them on the same ship to Japan was a Japanese newspaper editor. When he learned the Josephs' ancestors were from Assyria he told them that people from that land had come to Japan more than 1,400 years ago, bringing medicine, freedom and democracy. These were Nestorian Christians who had settled in Japan by the 5th century. Joseph was once highly skeptical of his father's story, but after years of research he has found it to be true. Just months ago Joseph published "Jijika no Kuni, Nihon" (Japan: The Nation of the Cross), which is selling well in Japanese secular bookstores. He hopes to publish it soon in English. Watch Ken Joseph's interview produced by Christian Broadcasting Network at: http://www.christianity.com/CC/article/1,1183,PTID2546%7CCHID%7CCIID376957,00.html |
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ATTACK ON CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN PAKISTAN KILLS 16 Courtesy of the Guardian (Oct 28) (ZNDA: London) At least 16 people were killed in Pakistan yesterday when unidentified gunmen stormed into a Christian church and opened fire on the congregation. Police say dozens more were injured in the attack, which took place during morning prayers in the town of Behawalpur in Pakistan's Punjab province. Four masked gunmen arrived on motorcycles and fired indiscriminately on the 100-strong congregation at 9 AM local time, according to eyewitnesses. Worshippers tried to flee and hide under pews to escape what they called an indiscriminate hail of bullets. Survivors say the gunmen locked the doors and sprayed fire at the Protestant congregation who were using the church at the time, riddling the walls with bullet holes. Worshippers tried to flee and hide under pews to escape what they described as an indiscriminate hail of bullets. Father Emanuel, the priest conducting the morning service, and a Muslim police officer who was guarding the church when the attack took place are reported to have been among those killed. Eight bodies were taken to hospital, and eight more remained outside the church earlier today, according to Dr Altaf Malik, medical superintendent of the Civil hospital of Behawalpur. He said at least five more people were being treated for bullet wounds. St Dominic's is Roman Catholic-owned but was being used by Protestants, who do not have their own church in the area. There had been fears among the Christian community in Pakistan of a possible retaliation by Islamist extremists, following the US strikes on neighboring Afghanistan. Several Assyrian families from Iran currently reside in Pakistan. Christians make up about 1% of Pakistan's 120 million population, which is predominately Muslim. Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf said he was deeply saddened by the killings, which he blamed on trained terrorists. The gunmen fled after the attack and no one has yet taken responsibility, but intelligence officials said members of a banned Islamist group were under suspicion. They gave no details and no arrests have been made. |
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PHOENIX
NISSAN DEALERSHIP SUED OVER RIDICULING ASSYRIANS The order cited strong interrelated operations between the two dealerships
for allowing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to amend the
complaint it filed on behalf of three former employees. Managers at Pinnacle Nissan deny the allegations. Pinnacle Nissan General Manager John Cleaves has said the dealership employs a diverse group of people, has a no-tolerance policy against discrimination and offers employees a toll-free telephone number to report complaints, he said. The Equal Employment and Opportunity Commission spent about a year investigating the claims, then filed the complaint Sept. 29.
US MARONITES AND ASSYRIANS PROTEST CLASSIFICATION AS ARABS Reprinted from Mideast Newswire (Oct 22) (ZNDA: Washington) In an unprecedented move, leaders from the Assyrian, Maronite, Syriac, Chaldean organizations mailed 550 letters to the US Government leaders including President Bush, Vice President Cheney, all twelve Cabinet members , all members of the House and Senate, as well as Multimedia Encyclopedia. A copy was sent also to the Arab American Institute. Following, the letter was to be published in ethnic media around the nation. The letter signed by main organizations leaders, affirmed that 2.2 million Americans from Mideast descent are not Arab, but from Maronite and Assyrian descent, including Chaldeans and Syriacs. The letter said those ethnicities are the native peoples of the Fretile Crescent (I.e. Iraq, Syria and Lebanon), and were initially invaded by the Arab Conquest in the seventh century. Although plans were on the move as of last year, the letter comes as a result of an increasing debate about the identity of the Mideast American community. Many Middle East Christians in the US have complained that "Arab-American" and "Muslim-American" lobbies have been using their numbers to score political points in the public arena. The Assyrian-Maronite letter came to "end a debate and clarify a situation." However, sources told Mideast Newswire that the letter's main aim is not to engage in a confrontation with Arab-Americans but to lay down the grounds for a better understanding between the two Mideast communities in America. The source said "we have two American communities from Mideast descent. Those who are Muslims and those who aren't. And among those who aren't, including Copts, Persians and others, the Assyro-Maronites count for 80% of the Mideast rooted communities. All what we want, said the source, is for Arab American leaders and activists not to claim that we are part of their ethnic group. Particularly that we are more then 80% of the entire Mideast community in this country." The letter follows: [start of letter] Coalition of American Assyrians and Maronites We the undersigned, speaking on behalf of over 2.2 million Assyrians, including Chaldeans and Syriacs, and Maronites living in America herewith assert that Assyrians and Maronites are not and have never been Arabs -- contrary to the claims of the Arab American Institute. Assyrians and Maronites are the ethnically homogeneous, distinct and indigenous Christian people of Mesopotamia and Lebanon and have a history, spanning seven thousand years, that predates the Arab conquest of the region. Assyrian civilization at one time incorporated the entire Middle East, most notably the area of the Fertile Crescent. The heartland of Assyria lies in present day north Iraq, southeast Turkey, northeast Syria, and northwest Iran. Till today, significant indigenous populations of Assyrians reside in Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Iran and Lebanon. Assyrians embraced Christianity in the first century A.D., and remained Christian throughout the Arab Muslim conquests. Assyrians are Semitic people and speak Modern Assyrian, which some scholars refer to as neo-Syriac or neo-Aramaic. The parent language of modern Assyrian is Aramaic, the language of Christ, and was made the second official language (with Akkadian) of the Assyrian State in 752 B.C.; it remained the lingua franca of the Middle East until 900 A.D. Syriac is the liturgical language of the Syriac Orthodox Church, Chaldean Church of Babylon, Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East, and the Syriac Maronite Church of Antioch. Assyrians and Maronites are ethnically descendant from a common, non-Arab root. Maronites are ethnically of Syriac roots and their historical language is Syriac. Their ancestors included the Phoenicians who lived in Syria and Lebanon. Their church, the Syriac Maronite Church of Antioch, started in northern Syria and moved to Lebanon in the 5th century. Since the 7th century A.D., the Maronites formed a homeland in Mount Lebanon called the Marada State and resisted the Arab conquests and empires for 7 centuries and the Ottoman empire for four centuries. Maronites spoke Syriac and derivative dialects until the end of the 19th century. In 1920 they chose to establish a Lebanese Republic separate from the Syrian Arab Republic. The Maronite emigrants who came to the Americas are an ethnic extension of the Maronites in Lebanon, hence are not Arab. We ask the Arab American Institute to cease and desist from portraying Assyrians and Maronites of past and present as Arabs, and from speaking on behalf of Assyrians and Maronites. We ask the Arab American Institute to remove any and all references to Assyrians and Maronites as being Arabs from its literature and materials (audio, video, print and electronic). We ask the Arab American Institute to modify the reference to Assyrians in Helen Samhan's article, "Arab Americans", published in Grolier's Multimedia Encyclopedia, and any other articles, in which Assyrians or Maronites are identified as Arabs, and to submit this amendment to Grolier's Multimedia Encyclopedia, subject to prior approval with respect to the Assyrian content from the Assyrian Academic Society (www.aas.org), and the Maronite identity as it is defined by the Maronite World Congresses. We further inform the Arab American Institute that it is not authorized to speak on behalf of Assyrians or Maronites in any capacity, except to state:
We are happy to work with the Arab American Institute in showing our loyalty as Americans and informing our fellow Americans of our respective heritage, customs, language and religion. We thank the Arab American Institute for its cooperation and look forward to working together in the future. Correspondence and inquiries should be directed to caam@aina.org. Assyrian
American National Federation Assyrian
Universal Alliance Assyrian
Chaldean Syriac Alliance Assyrian
Chaldean Syriac Union American
Maronite Union World
Maronite Union World
Lebanese Organization Web resources: Assyrian International News Agency: www.aina.org
BETH
MARDUTHO RELEASES NEW SYRIAC FONTS FOR WINDOWS XP Bill Gates spoke about Windows XP at the launch event at 10:30 AM (EST). This is what Bill Gates did not cover in his talk:
Windows XP is the first operating system to have native Syriac support. Both Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Home Edition support Syriac. Users can simply click on the language control (located on the task toolbar), choose Syriac, and type away using numerous applications, including Office XP (for word processing, desktop publishing, databases, spreadsheets, presentations, web design), Internet Explorer (for web browsing), Outlook Express (for writing emails), as well as many of the Microsoft accessories (Notepad, Paint, etc.). Any application that uses Uniscribe's functionality for text input and output will automatically have Syriac support, paving the way for developers to write Syriac applications. Click on Syriac on the task toolbar and type Syriac in many applications. Native Syriac support means that the language is implemented at the operating system level. This allows the user, for instance, to name files and folders in Syriac (see image on right). The operating system also knows about Syriac dates and time. For example, when the user inserts an automatic date in Word XP, it will write the name of the day and the month in Syriac.
The On-Screen Keyboard helps you find Syriac keys.
Windows XP ships with one Syriac font, Estrangelo Edessa. The font was developed by Beth Mardutho and given to Microsoft to include it in Windows XP. Beth Mardutho developed 22 Syriac fonts in a package called Meltho, available free of charge from Beth Mardutho's web site at www.bethmardutho.org. Beth Mardutho worked with Microsoft for the past four years to make this happen. Central to the success of this story is Paul Nelson of Microsoft's Complex Scripts Group. Nelson was the communication link between Beth Mardutho and Microsoft and developed much of the Syriac features inside Windows. Back in 1998, Beth Mardutho took part in a meeting with the Unicode Consortium and the International Standard Organization (ISO) when a proposal to add Syriac to the coding standard Unicode was presented. Subsequently, due to the generous contributions of Beth Mardutho's benefactors and the hard work the Meltho team, the Meltho fonts became available to the public free of charge.
Send E-Mails in Syriac! Call For Support Beth Mardutho is an academic institute whose goal is to globalize the Syriac language. The Institute is currently working on creating the largest digital eLibrary of Syriac books and journals on the Internet, among other projects. To become a part of bringing the Syriac language into the Third Millennium join the Friends of Beth Mardutho at www.bethmardutho.org. Friends receive Mardu Newsletter, discounts on Beth Mardutho publications, and free access to the Syriac Digital Library. Zinda Magazine is a major sponsor of the Syriac Digital Library and Maltho Projects.
MECHRIC ACCUSES BIN LADIN OF MASSACRE IN PASKISTAN CHURCH Reprinted from Mideast Newswire (Oct 28) (ZNDA: Washington) On Sunday a source from the Middle East Christian Committee (MECHRIC), an umbrella coalition of more then 17 organizations representing various communities of Middle East Christian descent in America, accused Usama Ben Ladin of masterminding the massacre of Christians in Pakistan. The killing occurred in the Church Saint Dominique in Pakistan during a service last Sunday when armed men erupted inside the Church and machined gunned men, women and children as they prayed. "This is the true face of Islamic Fundamentalism at its best," said MECHRIC, which represents also Americans from Pakistani Christian decent. "Bursting into a Church, and opening fire against innocent Christian civilians is what Jihad has done before in that country (Pakistan) but also in Egypt, Sudan and Lebanon." The source added "MECHRIC has just warned last week, of the imminence of barbaric aggressions against exposed Christian minorities in many Muslim states. The killing of Christians in Northern Nigeria, the burning of Churches in Lebanon, and the threats issued against Christians under the veil of Crusaders were clear warnings. Usama Bin Ladin and his Jihad cohorts have ignited a backlash against millions of Christians and other non-Muslims around the world." A senior spokesperson from the Christian League of Pakistan, based in the US, said "a million of our brothers and sisters are now under clear danger of aggression by Bin Ladin supporters and Jihad militants. Unfortunately, the Pakistani Government cannot provide protection. We urge the international community to deploy UN forces in those enclaves, particularly those close to the Afghan border." The MECHRIC source said "people talk about backlash in the US and seem to ignore the real backlash around the world at the hands of the Islamist terrorists. The two only persons who were killed in America after the massacre of Manhattan, were a Copt and a Sikh, both non-Muslims. Yet, voices in this country were concerned about Muslim women hesitating to shop at Malls. We, in America focused out attention on perfecting our moral identity, while Christian Pakistani women and innocents were murdered inside a Church. The real backlash happens at the hands of those who had no moral resistance to the genocide they committed in New York and Washington." The source said its member organizations warn from similar attacks against Christians in Indonesia, Egypt, Lebanon, Nigeria and other countries as well.
KAZAKH
PRESIDENT ADDRESS RECOGNIZES ASSYRIAN LANGUAGE (ZNDA: Astana) In his address to the eighth session of the Kazakhstan People's Assembly, held in Astana on 24 October, the assembly chairman, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, called on all ethnic groups living in Kazakhstan, including the Assyrians, to preserve the "interethnic and interconfessional stability" achieved in the country over the 10 years of independence. He also said that the country should unite against the new threats to the country's independence -terrorism and extremism. The country's security is a priority, Nazarbayev said, and that is why spending on the army has been increased by at least 100 per cent. On the present situation in Afghanistan, Nazarbayev said that ordinary Afghans should be "distinguished from international terrorists" and that it was "important" to distinguish the religion of Islam from terrorism. The following are excerpts from his speech, broadcast by Kazakh Khabar TV on the same day: I want to point out particularly the main results of our interethnic policy, all the more so since Kazakhstan has become a country whose experience of civic peace and interethnic accord has been recognized as being of value to the international community. What are the main results of our policy of interethnic accord? On the threshold of independence, there was a high probability that interethnic problems would emerge. The legacy we had after the break-up of the USSR - the so-called Friendship of Peoples -was on the brink of collapse, and you saw all that. Ethnic problems manifested themselves in full in all the republics on post-Soviet territory as the pressure of the totalitarian regime weakened. Nevertheless, we avoided major conflicts in our country because we defined interethnic accord as a priority in our state policy. Today we can sum up the undeniable results of the work we have done together…We have managed to conduct a balanced language policy. Kazakhstan has been one of few countries in the post-Soviet area to tackle these [language] problems without acute conflicts and public shocks, and you know that there have been such [conflicts and shocks] in the post-Soviet area. The natural process whereby the country's citizens, especially the young people, master the state [Kazakh] language is taking place. This is happening not through coercion, but through the voluntary desire of people who feel the need to know the state language, and I am certain that this desire will grow with every year. On the other hand, we have created a network of ethnic and cultural education in the form of Sunday schools and language courses under the national and cultural associations, and this involves practically all the languages of Kazakhstan's ethnic groups, even a language as rare as Assyrian. Republican language festivals have become an annual tradition in all regions. We can state with pride today that Kazakhstan's linguistic wealth is enriching the common Kazakh culture and is an important factor in strengthening the unity of a multinational people.
DELAWARE'S SYRIA EXHIBITION EXTENDED THROUGH DECEMBER (ZNDA: Washington) The First USA Riverfront Arts Center in Wilmington, Delaware, wilt extend its current exhibition "Syria: Land of Civilizations," through December 9,2001. The exhibition, which opened July 14, has received rave reviews as a beautiful and educational display of artifacts that provide a wonderful history lesson on ancient civilization. Approximately 30,000 people have attended the exhibition to date. In recent weeks, it has received renewed interest from those seeking to learn more about Middle Eastern civilization and culture. With this exhibition, we are in a unique position to help people gain insights into the history of a very complex part of the world," said RDC executive Director Michael S. Purzycki. "We believe the interest is there to support the extension of the exhibit, and have already heard from school groups and others who plan to visit in November and early December. "Syria, Land of Civilizations" features precious artifacts dating as far back as one million years to the earliest evidence of civilization. Many of the 385 artifacts have never been seen outside of Syria. They include stone statues, ceramic vases, detailed mosaics, intricate jewelry, delicate cloth remnants and other treasures from 11 different museums across Syria. Visitors will see a 1,950-year-old silver helmet and mask used by an ancient Syrian man for parades amid battle, a mosaic of Hercules as an 8-month-old infant strangling two serpents, and a finely crafted brooch of gold and rubies. The oldest artifact is a 1 million-year-old flint hand axe that attests to the presence of a human ancestor, Horno erectus, on Syrian territory. Admission prices are $13.50 for adults, $12.50 for seniors, and $6.00 for youths (ages 5-17). Group rates are available. For tickets, call 1-888-862-ARTS or (302) 425~3929. For more information Contact Sharon Roat (302) 235-5591
OBITUARY: SHEMSHOON ISRAEL Shemshoon Israel (Feb. 21, 1916 - Oct. 25, 2001) of Turlock died last Thursday at Emanuel Medical Center in Turlock. Mr. Israel was a native of Iran. He lived in Turlock 11 years. He was a stone mason and a member of the Assyrian Evangelical Church. He is survived by his children, Sargon Israel of Germany and Rozmary Babakhan and Rosalyn Sporghan, both of Turlock; brother, Sarkis Israel of Iran; sister, Luba Marogul of Australia; and six grandchildren. A service will be held today at 11 a.m. at Assyrian Evangelical Church. Burial will be at Turlock Memorial Park. Allen Mortuary in charge of arrangements. |
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BOYCOTT FAWZI HARIRI ! [The following bulletin was released on Friday, October 26 to all registered subscribers of Zinda Magazine.] Dear Readers of Zinda Magazine in Europe and Sweden- in particular, Zinda Magazine urges you to refrain from attending the lecture by Mr. Fawzi Hariri entititled "The Situation for Assyrians and Chaldeans in Iraqi Kurdistan" scheduled for tomorrow -Saturday, October 27 between 2 and 5 in the afternoon in Sweden (see Zinda Magazine's NEWS UPDATES). Mr. Fawzi Hariri is a high-ranking Assyrian member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and is currently traveling Europe to raise awareness of the political and human rights situation of the Assyrians in northern Bet-Nahrain. Although the Kurdish Regional Government's Constitution provides for freedom of religion and granting of human rights to religious minorities in North Iraq; KDP has in the past severely limited the basic rights of the Assyrians' political participation and ownership of land. Whereas the KDP continues to permit seizure of Assyrian-owned land and villages, murder of Christian civilians, and political assassinations of Assyrian leaders in areas under the control of its forces, Zinda Magazine requests the immediate cancellation of the aforementioned seminar and the complete boycott of Mr. Hariri's appearances in Sweden and elsewhere. What is KDP? KDP, led by Mr. Massoud Barzani, is one of the two major political partners in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). The area in Iraq, north of 36 parallel, is controlled by KDP in the west and PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan), headed by Jalal Talabani, in the east. Assyrians in the North mainly inhabit the KDP-controlled areas. KDP's Record of Human Rights & Tolerance Since 1991 a series of political assassinations, brutal murders of civilians, and arbitrary arrests against the Assyrians living in the KDP-controlled areas have undermined the identity of the Christian population of North Iraq. The human rights violations committed by the KDP against the Assyrians of North Iraq can be summarized as follows: I. Confiscation of Land & Property: Using the unjustified excuse of denying access to food supplies for rival Kurdish factions, KDP forces have seized the land and properties in some twenty Assyrian villages since mid-1990's. The most noteworthy of these towns and villages are Fishkhabour, Deraboon, Sarsank, and Eenshkeh. Currently much of the land in Fishkhabour and Deraboon is comandeered by a known KDP-sympathizer, Mr. Fazil Meerani. II. Murders & Assassinations: 1. Since 1991 twenty political assassinations of the Assyrian political leaders and activists in the KDP-controlled areas have been conducted. While Zinda Magazine continues to criticize the investigation into these incidents, thus far there have been no arrests and conclusive reports on these investigations. Among the many victims noted by Zinda Magazine is Mr. Franso Hariri, the father of Mr. Fawzi Hariri. The assassins of Mr. Franso Hariri who was the highest ranking member of the KDP and the governor of Arbil District are yet to be arrested and brought to justice. 2. In 1998 Zinda Magazine reported a series of bombings of Assyrian homes and shops in Arbil and other KDP-controlled areas. On December 9, 1998, Nasreen Shaba and her 3-year-old daughter Larsa Toma were killed when a bomb exploded on the doorstep of their home in Arbil. Mr. Salman Toma Khoshaba's house and a convent in the same area were also target of such campaign of intimidation. 3. In June 1999, Zinda Magazine reported the discovery of the body of Helena Aloun Sawa, a 21-year-old Assyrian woman. Ms. Sawa was a housekeeper for Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Political Bureau member Izzeddin al-Barwari. 4. In 1993, Mr. Francis Yosip Shabo, a member of the Assyrian Democratic Movement and the Kurdish parliament was assassinated in . His killer - a Kurdish man from Mosul - who conducted a similar act of political slaying against a non-Assyrian individual is currently working alongside Mr. Nechirvan Barzani, the Prime Minister of the KDP faction in KRG. Several other ADM members have also been target of assassinations. 5. The most recent arrest is that of Youkhana Yalda Khaie who was later released after pressure from thousands of Assyrians from abroad. III. Municipal Elections In May 2001 Municipal Elections in the KDP-controlled areas of North Iraq were boycotted by the Assyrian Democratic Movement on the basis of the absence of fair representation of the Assyrian people at these elections. The elections were held without the ADM participation and the matter remains unresolved. ******* Finally, Zinda Magazine regrets that Mr. Fawzi Hariri is also a member of the Assyrian Universal Alliance' Board of Directors. It is our hope that Secretary General of the AUA, Mr. John Nimrod, will re-evaluate the appointment of Mr. Hariri as a high-ranking member of his organization until favorable responses to the demands of the Assyrian people in North Iraq are met by the KDP leadership. The boycott of Mr. Fawzi Hariri's scheduled seminar on October 27 and thereafter is an important demonstration of protest against the brutal and unjust practices of the Kurdistan Democratic Party in North Iraq against the Assyrian people - the indigenous inhabitants of Iraq. The staff of Zinda Magazine hope that in future, in a truly democratic environment, both Kurdish and Assyrian people of North Iraq will work closely to resolve these issues and everyone in northern Bet-Nahrain can live on equal basis with great emphasis given to individual, religious, and political rights of all inhabitants. Zinda
Magazine
The Australian Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies (2000) was built on the foundations laid by the Centre for Comparative Genocide Studies, Macquarie University (1993-2000). In order to achieve its future objectives, it was decided in 2000 that the Centre reform, rename, and reconstitute itself as an independent, educational, incorporated legal entity, named The Australian Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. Already servicing students from the University of Technology Sydney (Broadway Campus), University of Western Sydney and Macquarie University, it has now consolidated an inter-varsity presence in its affiliation with the Shalom Institute and housing within Shalom College at the University of New South Wales, Sydney. From this central geographic location it is anticipated that the Institute will become the Australian leader in teaching, research and education within the field of Holocaust and genocide studies. For more information on the AIHGS, visit www.aihgs.com
ONLINE GENOCIDE STUDIES COURSE The first online Genocide Studies course in 2002 will commence on 4 February, 2002. Please find following a breakdown of the components of the packages available to those interested in taking this unique study opportunity: Option 1. Live course (Sydney Metro institutional students only-physical attendance required). CONTENT: Option 2. Online course WITH tutes and essay marking. CONTENT: Option 3. Online course WITHOUT tutes or essay marking. CONTENT: Unfortunately we cannot offer any support for this option. Option 4. For those who originally chose Option 3 but wish to upgrade to Option 2 in order to participate in tutorials, have their assignments marked and receive certification. (N.B. Can only commence the course with a future commencing group. Should already have all materials). PLEASE NOTE: Although our online course has twice as many tutorials and films in comparison with the \'live\' course, at this stage only Option 1 is available for institutional credit. We are in negotiations with a number of institutions to have the online course credited for (Sydney external) students. The Genocide Studies course is distinct from the Postgraduate Diploma and the Pontos-Asia Minor-Armenia-Assyria Course although elements of both are of course encompassed within the Genocide Course. Unfortunately the development of both of these courses will not be completed before mid-2002, possibly late 2002. Considerable collaborative effort is being put into both of these courses by all parties at the Institute, the Greek Genocide Research Unit and the Armenian Genocide Research Unit. Once completed, they will be world class. Any queries should be emailed to aihgs@shalom.edu.au. We look forward to hearing from you. Professor
Colin Tatz
The Assyrian Aid Society of Santa Clara invites the public to attend a cultural program to be held at the St. Mary's Assyrian-Chaldean Catholic Church in Campbell. Sunday, Nov 11, 2001 Join us in listening to our special guest, Rabbie Hannibal Alkhas, as he reads selections from his collection of poems and children's songs and rhymes. A few of Rabbie Alkhas' paintings will be sold at this event to benefit the Assyrian Aid Society. Sayros
Yadgar
6TH ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS IN TROY, MICHIGAN Assyrian American Social Club of Michigan Proudly Presents 6th Annual Scholarship Awards Featuring for the first time in the U.S. (arriving from France), Ms.
SEMA ZAIA Saturday, November 10 St. George Cultural Center Advance Ticket: $20.00, Door Ticket: $25.00 {CASHBAR} For Advance Ticket Resevation Please Call The Following Numbers: (810) 977-8193 For Scholarship Applications & Inquiries: Janey
Golani at (313) 274-4545, jgolani@aol.com |
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ASSYRIANS IN THE NEWS [Last week Assyrians and even "Assyria" were referred to in two prominent news sources: The Wall Street Journal and Time Magazine. The first entry is an excerpt from the Wall Street Journal's article "Flight Risks: Nation's Airlines Adopt Aggressive Measures For Passenger Profiling" by David Armstrong and Joseph Pereira published on 23 October. For a complete coverage of the story see last week's Zinda Magazine (22 October)]: The Wall Street Journal "Earlier this month, three men of Middle Eastern descent sued United Airlines, claiming their civil rights were violated on Sept. 25 when they were kicked off United Flight 22 from Phoenix to Chicago. The lawsuit, in U.S. District Court in Chicago, was filed by Younadam Youkhana, an Illinois businessman, and his son, Ninos, both U.S. citizens; and Sami Shilimona, an Iraqi national who was traveling with them. All three are Christians who trace their roots to Assyria, in northern Iraq. According to the complaint, the passengers boarded the plane but were ordered to disembark by the flight crew because of an alleged mechanical problem. As soon as the plaintiffs got off, they say, they were escorted by three agents, two from the FBI and one from the FAA, to a room where they were patted down and questioned while an investigator boarded the plane to examine their luggage. Following a 20-minute interview, the three men were asked to walk through a metal detector and searched with an electronic wand. Law-enforcement officials cleared the three men to reboard, the plaintiffs say, only to have United bar them, allegedly because another passenger objected. The men eventually left Phoenix five hours later on another United flight. United declined to comment, citing the pending litigation." Time Magazine [In response to the protest against classification of Assyrians as Arabs in a recent Time Magazine article the following letter by Ms. Atorina Zomaya of Skokie, Illinois was inserted in the 29 October issue of Time Magazine under the LETTERS section]: "In the chart that accompanied your article on the scapegoating of Muslims and Arabs in the U.S. [Backlash, Oct 1], your referred to Assyrians as Arab Americans. Assyrians are Christians who were originally from the land of the Tigris and Euphrates, where Iraq is today. The Assyrian people are not Arabs. Readers can find out more about us at www.aina.org/aol/peter/brief.htm." [Zinda Magazine asserts that Time Magazine has not yet corrected its error. Unless an official correction is noted in a future issue, the "Protest" will continue.] |
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Rolands Collection of Films on Ancient Mesopotamia The
Sumerian Kingdom of Ur Babylon
- The Gate of the Gods Assurnasirpal
- The Assyrian King The
Mesopotamian Heritage of Islamic Architecture Hatra |
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ROBIN HAIDER & AZADOOTA
Known as one of Sydney's most spirited live acts, the band mixes evocative Assyrian lyrics with a concoction of Latin and Middle Eastern rhythms designed to get people dancing. And if you bring a drum, you can join in. "Making music brings people together like nothing else I know," band leader Robin Haider said. Azadoota performed at Kiama Masonic Hall last night. Azadoota's singer and percussionist Robin Haider was born in Baghdad, where his father was a popular guitarist and singer.
At age 15 Robin escaped from Iraq and migrated to Australia, where he started his musical career as a drummer. Strangely enough, it was while living in the remote Arnhem Land community of Nhulunbuy (Yothu Yindi's home town), that Robin first started playing congas - encouraged by a friend who reasoned "they look really good and are much easier to lug around than a drum kit". Over the years Robin has become one of Australia's top percussion players, touring Australia with international artists Don MacLean and Mark Murphy, and with local acts Floyd Vincent & the Childbrides and Latin Fire among others. Azadoota is Robin's first venture as a lead singer and songwriter, which is surprising because singing seems to come so naturally to him. Robin sings in a mixture of Assyrian, English and Arabic. Azadoota's debut CD "Lightning" captures the energy of the live performance surprisingly well, and also features three tracks of pure throbbing percussive rhythm. One of these tracks, "Struck by Lightning" is a percussion illustration of Robin's experience actually being struck by lightning while using a mobile phone in a thunderstorm. Catch Azadoota next Saturday at the The Tea Club in Nowra. Visit the bank at http://azadoota.ozymusic.com/ and listen to one of their many high-energy tracks at http://www.ozymusic.com/ram/dora.ram |
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(1800 B.C.) The discovery of 10,000 Assyrian tablets in central Turkey (now Kultepe) demonstrates the complexity of the influences of Assyrian trade with the neighboring people - in this case the Hittites. The economic importance of the metal in Asia Minor (Turkey) was the most important factor in the extensive trade between Bet-Nahrain and Asia Minor. Mesopotamia, Nagel (A.D. 630's) Mohammad, founder of the religion of Islam, adopts several Syriac terminologies used in the Assyrian churches in his book, Quran. "Rahman" (the Merciful) came from the title "Rahmanan" given to God the Father by the Christians of South Arabia. In Yemen, Assyrians called one another Mu'minin (believers). Christians also used "Selota" (prayer - 'salat' in Quran), Tasbih (invocation), Shebha (to praise), Tazzaka (to purify), Furqun or Purqana (salvation). The Islamic "Dikhr" or remembrance is also derived from the Syriac "dukhrana", a service conducted in remembrance of God. Early Mysticism in the Near and Middle East, Smith |
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November 1, 1981 Ishtar Magazine, under the direction of the late-Dr. Sargon Bet-Oshana and Rabbie Essa Benyamin (currently residing in Illinois) was published in Iran in two languages of Assyrian and Farsi. 132 years earlier on the same day, the first Assyrian periodical - Zahrire d'Bahra - was published inUrmia, Iran. |
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Share your local events with Zinda readers. Email us or send fax to: 408-918-9201
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HALLOWEEN PARTY Sponsored by the Assyrian TV Committee of San Diego,
California |
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 Sunday November 10 |
6TH ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS Sponsored by the Assyrian American Social Club of Michigan Featuring for the first time in the U.S. (arriving from
France), Ms. SEMA ZAIA 8:00 PM Advance Ticket: $20.00, Door Ticket: $25.00 {CASHBAR}
For Advance Ticket Resevation Please Call The Following Numbers: (810) 977-8193 For Scholarship Applications & Inquiries: |
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Sunday November 11 |
HANNIBAL ALKHAS IN SAN JOSE An Evening with Hannibal Alkhas - artist (painter), poet,
& teacher 6:00 PM Rabbie Hannibal Alkhas will be reading selections from his collection of poems and children's songs and rhymes. A few of Rabbie Alkhas' paintings will be sold at this event to benefit the Assyrian Aid Society. |
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Sat-Tue
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MIDDLE EAST STUDIES ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE Middle East Studies Association of North America Panel
Hyatt Regency Hotel, San Francisco Dr. Arian Ishaya - Urmia to Baquba: From the Cradle
of Water to Wilderness Zinda Article: CLICK HERE |
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Saturday November 24 |
FIRST UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO's CSSS SYMPOSIUM Business Meeting of the CSSS Members 9:00 – 10:00 Annual Meeting
Programme of the CSSS Symposium: Prof. G. Frame, Toronto, Chair 10:00-10:10 Opening of the Symposium
10:10-10:40 Prof. A. Harrak, Toronto
10:40-11:10 Prof. P.-H. Poirier, Quebec
City 11:10-11:30 Break 11:30-12:00 R. A. Kitchen, Regina,
Saskatchewan 12:00-12:30 Prof. S. Griffith, Washington
DC, 12:30-12:45 Break 12:45-1:00 In Praise
of Learning: A Syriac Poem by Saint Ephrem the Syrian 1:00-1:30 M.
Cassis, Toronto Refreshments will be served during the breaks and at the end of the Symposium. Registration Fee: For more information see Zinda Magazine: October 22 - SURFERS CORNER |
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 Saturday November 24 |
AFA ANNUAL DINNER & DANCE PARTY His Lordship Restaurant Entertainment: Edmond and His Band. (Ninef)
For reservations contact Flora Kingsbury at 925-672-4534.
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Sunday December 2 |
AMERICAN ANTHROPOLIGICAL ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING Daniel Wolk, Univeristy of Chicago For more info re AAA Meeting in Washington visit: http://www.aaanet.org/mtgs/mtgs.htm |
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Thursday December 6 |
BRITISH MUSEUM LECTURE SERIES "Medicine vs. Magic in Babylonia" Contact: Joan Porter MacIver, c/o British Academy
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Tuesday December 25 |
CHRISTMAS PARTY Sponsored by the Assyrian Aid Society of San Diego, California
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Monday December 31 |
NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY Sponsored by the Assyrian American Association of San
Diego, California |
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 Through March 17, 2002 |
AGATHA CHRISTI & THE ORIENT Revealing Agatha Christie the archaeologist and how her discoveries in the Near East influenced her detective writing. The hitherto unknown interests and talents of the great crime writer are told through archaeological finds from the sites on which she worked with her husband Max Mallowan at Ur, Nineveh and Nimrud. Important objects from these sites in the Museum's collections are combined with archives, photographs, and films made by Agatha Christie herself. Personal memorabilia and souvenirs of travel in a more leisurely age are only some of the exhibits which range from first editions of those novels inspired by her other life to a sleeping compartment from the Orient Express, from a lethal 1930s hypodermic syringe to a priceless first millennium ivory of a man being mauled to death Admissions £7, Concessions £3.50 West Wing Exhibition Gallery Room 28 |
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July 1-4, 2002 |
48TH RENCONTRE ASSYRIOLOGIQUE INTERNATIONALE http://www.let.leidenuniv.nl/rencontre/ "Ethnicity in Ancient Mesopotamia" Registration Form: http://www.let.leidenuniv.nl/rencontre/mailform.html
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Zindamagazine would like to thank: Dr. George Kiraz The Roland Collection of Films and Videos on Arts |
ZINDA Magazine is published weekly. Views expressed in ZINDA do not necessarily represent those of the ZINDA editors, or any of our associated staff. This publication reserves the right, at its sole discretion, not to publish comments or articles previously printed in or submitted to other journals. ZINDA reserves the right to publish and republish your submission in any form or medium. All letters and messages require the name(s) of sender and/or author. All messages published in the SURFS UP! section must be in 500 words or less and bear the name of the author(s). Distribution of material featured in ZINDA is not restricted, but permission from ZINDA is required. This service is meant for the exchange of information, analyses and news. To subscribe, send e-mail to: z_info@zindamagazine.com.
Zinda Magazine™ Copyright © Zinda Inc., 2001 - All Rights Reserved - http://www.zindamagazine.com
This
past weekend passionate percussionists in Kiamba, Australia (Queensland)
had the chance to jam with the professionals with the world music six-piece
band Azadoota. 
