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From Half-Full to Half-Empty As the Assyrian American National Federation’s annual convention went into its 73rd session in Chicago last weekend, there went into effect one of the most unfair elections by an Assyrian organization against a highly respected team of candidates and a few of its own charter affiliates. The asinine tactics employed by the current administration led by Mr. Aladin Khamis to swindle the votes were reminiscent of the ploys used by Mideast dictatorships. For some, including myself, this was not a surprise; I had already railed bitterly against the election of Mr. Khamis and the forthcoming tragedy in an editorial two years earlier (click here). Today, AANF is in serious trouble and may even within months (if not weeks) witness its first break-up, as a number of its deeply perturbed affiliates plan to withdraw their membership and form a new federation in the United States. Although the formation of a more operative umbrella organization in North America is welcome, the AANF must be salvaged from the hands of a group of corrupt hooligans who have hijacked this organization in the name of the Assyrians in the homeland. Too often at the AANF conventions, the music blasting from the ballrooms in the evening and the messily organized educational seminars during the day tend to obscure the more basic story of what truly goes on in the meetings of the AANF executive committees and the delegates to the convention. Actually nothing of significance related to the wider patterns of the most pressing issues facing the Assyrians goes on in these meetings. Due to the ineffective leadership of its current executive committee, the Assyrian American National Federation, once the official voice of the Assyrian people in America, is now written-off as simply the organizer of a large annual Assyrian shindig. How did we get here? The AANF troubles began a few years back when the supporters of the Assyrian Democratic Movement in the U.S. determined that the largest Assyrian organization in North America ought to be dominated by the Zowaa sympathizers and a substantial portion of its funds be transferred to Iraq for the humanitarian projects underway in the North. AANF is one of the Assyrian federations around the world with membership in the Assyrian Universal Alliance. Hence, attempts were made in the past few years to readdress this issue and withdraw AANF’s AUA-membership to fully reshape this organization as an ADM construct. In the past every such attempt has failed miserably. In 2004 the supporters of the ADM helped elect Mr. Aladin Khamis to the presidency of the AANF. While he took no significant steps to represent the Assyrians in the U.S. as the historic events were unfolding in Iraq, Khamis’ administration focused on building a greater ADM constituency in America, by becoming involved in strengthening the Assyrian National Council of Illinois and the pro-Mar Bawai faction in California and Chicago. For the latter, the steps taken were as noticeable as allocating $25,000 for the production of a television program whose producers endorse the movement propped up by the fans of Mar Bawai Soro in California. Moreover, the Khamis administration transferred the editorial duties of the Assyrian Star magazine last weekend from the skilled hands of Mr. Andrew Bet-Shlimon to Mr. Sam Darmo, who produces yet another pro-Mar Bawai television program in the U.S. called "Assyrians For Justice". At the banquet dinner last Sunday evening, Mr. Sheba Mando of the Assyrian National Council of Illinois was, not surprisingly, selected as the Assyrian Man of the Year. This year, the supporters of Mr. Khamis found themselves facing a formidable challenger – Mrs. Janey Golani, whose husband, Mr. Atour Golani, was the president of the AANF prior to Mr. Khamis. Mrs Golani's father, the late Aprim Rayis, was also the Secretary General of the Assyrian Universal Alliance in the early 1980s. As is eloquently noted in Mrs. Jenny Golani’s article in this week’s THE LIGHTHOUSE section, deceitful tactics were once again utilized by the AANF cronies to force Goalni to withdraw her nomination last Sunday. An investigation by Zinda Magazine, led by a law firm in California, now reveals that several affiliates represented at the convention lack a legal structure in their own States, namely Nevada, California, and Illinois. Four Assyrian organizations in California have no record of being listed with the California Secretary of State. These are:
Further research indicated that the corporate status of the Assyrian American Society of Las Vegas has been revoked. In Illinois, the Mar Zaia Assyrian Organization and the Ishtar Assyrian Ladies Organization are not registered as valid corporate entities within the State of Illinois. The Khamis administration has allowed these non-existing organizations to enter the executive meetings of the AANF and vote. When asked to reveal the credentials of the voting affiliates, Mr. Khamis refused to honor Mrs. Golani's request. A constitutional right of any one affiliate was clearly taken away. It is time that the law abiding affiliates of the Assyrian American National Federation take a firm stand to expose the fraud that has been perpetuated on the Assyrian community in America by the hooligans led by Mr. Aladin Khamis and his close associates. AANF is a 501c3 non-for-profit organization and can be legally held accountable for its questionable practices supporting the religious and political groups in the U.S. and abroad. Its books must be opened to public scrutiny, independent auditors, and its officials held accountable for every penny that has changed hands from one committee to another. The sad commentary on the affairs of the AANF is that a group of dishonest Assyrians with shady intentions have hijacked the oldest Assyrian federation in the world by means of fraud and trickery under the guise of support for Assyrians in Iraq, the ADM in particular. Ironically, both the Assyrian Democratic Movement in Iraq and Mar Bawai Soro who sought changes in the practice and structure of the Assyrian Church of the East have and will continue to suffer a backlash from the involvement of such incompetent sponsors. The radicals behind Khamis operating from within the AANF foolishly encourage and champion the unnecessary split in the Assyrian Church of the East, and naively hinder support and assistance for the workers, teachers, students, administrators, and security guards managed by the ADM authority in Iraq. They must be legally stopped. The AANF cannot continue without an effective leader. Mr. Aladin Khamis has for the last two year proven to be unproductive and must be removed. Since the Federation is under the auspices of the Assyrian Universal Alliance, the affiliates of the AANF should at once demand that the leadership of the AUA negate or reverse the election results from the 73rd session and hold an emergency meeting to conduct new elections, monitored by the AANF’s legal council and independent third-party auditors. Finally, a topic dear to my own heart is the fate of the Assyrian Star magazine. Under the direction of Mr. Andrew Bet-Shlimon and the editorial and technical assistance of his staff this magazine was resurrected as one of the most informative and well-written Assyrian publications in recent history. Zinda Magazine urges the affiliates of the AANF to overturn the decision of the executive committee and return this prized institution to the capable hands of the respectful affiliate in Massachusetts. The Assyrian American National Federation was formed in 1933 in response to the massacre of the Assyrians in Iraq. Seventy-three years later this institution which once welcomed the Middle Eastern dignitaries and even the Shah of Iran to the U.S., is once again reshaping itself before the events developing in Iraq. With the support of the Bush administration in Washington, the Kurds' drive for independence may soon materialize in the formation of Kurdistan where a network of long-term American military bases will be created. Last week, while Assyrians gathered at their national convention in Chicago, Masoud Barzani banned the Iraqi flag to be flown atop any of the official buildings in the Kurdish-controlled areas. Where is the definitive voice of the Assyrian people in the U.S. that can effectively present the Assyrian case before the Bush Administration and Congress, and initiate a series of talks directly with the Kurdish lobby in Washington? Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. The role of the affiliates of the Federation to uphold this institution’s historic position to represent the Assyrians in America and to aide Assyrians in Iraq and elsewhere must be brought into renewed prominence. Mr. Aladin Khamis is ineffective as a leader and his supporters are a caustic destructive force whose dark motives must be stopped - legally and promptly. The law-abiding affiliates of the AANF who practice tolerance and partake in openness are urged to act quickly in the next few weeks and put in motion the legal measures necessary to clean house in Chicago and transfer power to a team of intellectuals in our midst who can successfully represent Assyrians in the United States and before this country's policy makers.
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Last Sunday's Unfair and Unjust Election Process Janey Golani Up until Sunday September 3rd, I was a presidential candidate to the Assyrian American National Federation, Inc. On the day of elections, I withdrew my nomination. The following are the reasons for my decision. Permit me to return to earlier times to provide important details to my story. I have been attending the Federation meetings and conventions since 1973 when I was 13 years old. I attended first with my parents and then with my husband, Atour. During that period, I was unable to attend only one convention because on August 25, 1986 I was giving birth to my first born son, Ninous. My four children have known from the time they could speak that Labor Day weekend is the convention weekend. Now as young adults and teens, they look forward to meeting their friends that they have been estranged from for a year’s time. My husband, Atour, served a two term Presidency for the Federation from 2000 to 2004. I was the person who worked closest with him during that time and knew what others did not. Without hesitation, I can honestly say that it’s a lonely place at the top, and he often felt that from those around him. For the first two years of his presidency, he was cleaning the fiscal and structural mess left by previous administrations. During his terms, he vowed to elevate the Assyrian Star to a worthy magazine returning it to the east coast with Andrew Bet Shlimon as Editor-in-Chief. He reduced the Federation budget by 40% to increase cash flow into the accounts. He vowed to begin the registration process at the annual conventions so that there would be no more cash flow in hands but more accountability with registered guests. Every year this was improved until we have in place today a system that is basically foolproof. He established a merchant’s account where the monies go directly into the bank account of the Federation. The youth initiative program under the leadership of Zeena Tawfik and the senior citizen movement under the leadership of Sarah Benjamin were initiated just to name a few. The monies sent to our people back home were project based programs such as the generators for the Nahla Region and the school transportation buses for the north of Iraq. Being right next to him, I saw first hand the work involved. Mr. Aladin Khamis, the current president of the Federation, served as Vice President for the four years and in the second term, ran against Atour and lost. When a Vice President challenges the President of the same organization, it immediately sends a negative message to the members. In this case, severing their relationship. It was evident who the driving political party at that election was. The campaign was hard and heavy by that group, and I must say that in both elections Atour never approached one individual to ask for a vote. He had no need as he had proved his worthiness by concentrating on Federation business only. At that election, even though Mr. Khamis lost, Atour asked Youel Isho to withdraw his nomination for Vice President so that Aladin would remain seated. But the next two years proved harsh as the support system from Mr. Khamis as VP to the president broke down. In the San Jose/Santa Clara Convention elections of the Federation two years ago when Mark Thomas ran against Aladin Khamis, Mark wanted to view the membership list of the affiliates. He challenged the members of certain organizations from Chicago that were seated since they had never been in any meetings of the Federation except to vote on that given day. The credential chairman was Youel Isho who never swayed from the constitutional rulings of the Federation. He was straight and narrow. Mr. Isho provided Mr. Khamis and Mr. Thomas a full set of the credentials so that as candidates they could view the voters who would participate in the elections. The question of the affiliate registration within their state of origin was not even a question at that time. As a matter of fact had it been brought up, most of the Chicago affiliates including Aladin Khamis’ Assyrian National Foundation would have been unseated because his affiliate was dissolved in 1996. Most of those organizations were only reinstated this year on August 23, 2006 after the deadline wherein both dues and credentials had to have been submitted. On the day that he won, I personally sat with him and told him that he could be a good President, depending on the people that he surrounds himself with. There are many qualified individuals who work in the Federation with no personal agendas, and he needed to identify them and use them, but he did not. He won the election, and he kicked every qualified person to the curb. My Detroit organization, which is one of the most honest, productive and hard working affiliates within the Federation, became a thorn in his side as he put it. He replaced Youel Isho with William Youmaran as credential chairman. When asked why by Youel Isho, he stated “I replaced you for a vote”. Now, let it be known that in 2005, Mr. Youmaran, who never did anything for the Midwest affiliates, was appointed by Mr. Khamis as the Midwest Regional Director. He never attended the NEC meetings nor did he ever submit a report. The other chairmen that he appointed were in fact persons who had no direct affiliation with the Federation. Usually, the chairman and positions that are appointed by the president are based on individual qualifications and continuous membership in good standing of the affiliates. This angered many of the affiliates and caused tension within the Federation. I never had a thought about running for presidency of the Federation because after spending four years standing alongside my husband it was time to take a step back. Then one weekend spent in Chicago visiting relatives, we happened to be listening to a radio broadcast that was spewing out venom, hatred and destruction to church leaders of our Assyrian community. These two individuals, both representing the AANF and slandering the oldest church in the Assyrian nation, were none other than William Youmaran and Adad Ashurseen. I thought that they were quite dramatic as they spoke in dialogue as if it were all ad libbed. I had heard several rumors about what was happening in the churches, but I only thought it sad and prayed for them everyday. Shortly afterward, in a Detroit NEC meeting in which I could not attend, there was a motion passed to make a donation to two individuals of $25,000 for a satellite program. These were the same individuals, William Youmaran and Adad Ashurseen, that I had heard weeks before. How did we end up involved in the churches? When did we start taking sides with priests and bishops? That is the weekend I fully committed myself to run in this campaign and make a change in our Federation. I felt that it was time for a new direction for the Federation. Time to steer clear of religion and issues that were non-added value to the cause of the Federation goals. Thus, I began my campaign. I spoke with and met with several individuals in the community. I wanted to run as a slate with others who were qualified to do the job and who had the same vision as myself. This would be the first time ever a slate would be created to run together in the Federation elections. After conversing with and watching them in action, my slate was ready--Firas Jatou as Vice President; Sheren Jasim as Executive Secretary; Youel Isho as Assistant to the President; and Nancy Osipo-Peera as Treasurer. I chose them based on their education, accomplishments on behalf of our people, and qualifications to do the job. They all agreed to run this campaign with me. In Chicago at the NEC meeting on July 29, 2006, I asked the AANF president if I could have a copy of the credentials. Mr. Khamis jumped out of his chair and informed me that “I would never see the credentials!” I advised him that as a candidate in the elections, I should be able to view them and have a copied set of the originals, but he said no. Now, since the AANF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, all the books are open to any member in good standing within the Federation. But now we were becoming selective because it is an election year. I let it go at that time. The credentials had to be postmarked to William Youmaran by midnight on the 15th of August so we still had some time. The membership list and dues were all to be submitted by the 31st of July to the treasurer. Which brings me to the dues? While we were in the NEC meeting in Chicago that day, many of the affiliates that have not been around for 2 years were suddenly brought in and their dues paid for them. Now how can Mr. Youmaran say to two young ladies of such an organization that “they don’t need to worry, we will take care of your dues and register your affiliate.” Also when the Las Vegas affiliate did not send enough money for their dues, William Youmaran paid the difference out of his pocket and handed the envelope to the treasurer. And what about the money orders for the affiliates dues that were all in consecutive numerical order from the same place? Was the $25,000 donation suddenly seeping its way back into the Federation to pay for member dues to swing the election? The dues for the Assyrian Business Association (ABA) of Chicago were paid for by an individual of that organization, but the check bounced, so they were not to be seated at the convention. William Youmaran is also listed on the membership list of ABA, but when I asked him in Chicago, he stated that he is now a member of the Assyrian National Foundation. His name was on the membership list of the Assyrian Business Association of Chicago. When I went into the registration room to register as a delegate to the Federation at the Chicago convention, the credential listing was not prepared. The names were entered into the computer manually as they were given to Mr. Youmaran on site. As credential chairman, he should have done his job well in advance by entering all the names that were submitted by the 15th of August from each organization. This is so that when any officer, delegate or director received their badge upon arrival to the convention it would state what their position was as listed on the credential form. But because changes were made on site in the credential room and the original certificates were disregarded, the legal election process was tampered with. This brings me to the commencement of the Federation meetings. Upon commencement of the meetings, the President stated that these meetings and this convention would be governed by the constitution and by laws of the AANF, and we would only follow the rules. Rules were blatantly ignored and motions that were made and seconded were ignored because it did not benefit them. On Friday, when William Youmaran was giving his report, he stated that certain organizations would not be seated because they were not registered within their state. Since when has this happened? The AAA ladies have been members of the Federation since 1935. Were they going to kick this reputable organization out of the Federation because they were supporting the opponent? Absolutely. And that is what they did. The organizations that supported Mr. Khamis were updated and given directives on what to do regarding registration. But those organizations that were not in support of him were never told of the new credential procedures of having to personally see Mr. Youmaran who would conveniently disappear from the registration room upon their arrival. As a matter of fact they were ignored by the credential chairman throughout the registration process. I clearly stood up and spoke on behalf of the oldest ladies organization in the Federation and how hard they worked. I questioned the integrity of all of our members and the process by which they operated and made decisions. (I left the room that day followed by many of the organizations that had been unseated and insulted by the administration. I could not help but remember long ago, in a Connecticut convention Presidential Banquet when my father Aprim Rayis, who was then AUA Secretary General, came to the podium to speak, the entire organization of the Assyrian National Foundation including the current President Mr. Khamis arose from their seats and marched out of the banquet hall.) The next morning I informed the President of the AANF that I needed to view the credentials, and he said that I would be able to see them by the end of that day. The meeting had basically ended that day so I made a point of order stating that I would be leaving the hotel that night to visit my brother and needed to have them before I left. He told me in front of William Youmaran and the entire delegation that I would have them by 9:00 PM. At 9:00 PM I took Mr. Pierre Toulakhany downstairs with me since he was the parliamentarian, and we waited for almost 20 minutes until someone did get a hold of William Youmaran. When William finally showed up, he was empty handed. I asked him for the credentials. He informed me that “They are not ready”. I told him that I only needed 15 minutes of his time to view the original certificates and make a copy of those originals. He kept saying they were not ready, and he did not have time for this. Now, why weren’t the credentials ready and what did he need to do to them to make them ready? They were original credentials sent to him from each affiliate. No need to do anything but show them to me. I told him that the President told him that he was to give them to me at 9:00 PM. He then stated “he does not have to listen to the President”. Mr. Youmaran walked away totally disregarding the rulings. I then turned to Mr. Toulakhany and advised him that this is grounds for legal action and his President and all those with him will be held accountable. As I was going up the escalator, I saw Mr. Toulakhany conversing with William Youmaran. Suddenly William Youmaran came running to me and said to meet him here in one hour, and he will have them ready. At 10:15 PM I along with Firas Jatou, Sheren Jasim, James Rayis and others were waiting downstairs for Mr. Youmaran. There were several other bystanders as well who witnessed what would happen next. Mr. Youamaran arrived at 10:42 with a manila folder and said to me “This is what the President told me to give you. Hurry up and look because I have work to do”. Now as I glanced at the folder that he was still holding, there were black and white copies of the credentials all written in the same handwriting. I told him this is not what I was to view, that I was to view originals and make copies of such. He insisted that the President told him to give these copies to me. I asked to see the President, and he said that the president left the building for the night. Then I heard a comment from someone who was not participating in the meetings but was observing the events say “this is bull****”. Just then William Youmaran grabbed the folder out of my hands and screamed “you will never see these documents”. Firas Jatou confronted him and stated ‘William we are not kids, let us see the originals”. William Youmaran stood up to him and shouted “Make me. Come on make me show them to you.” as if he wanted to fight. This is what happened on Saturday evening September 2nd, 2006. Sunday morning was the day of the elections, and I was still not able to view the membership lists or vote. That morning when Mr. Youmaran gave his credential report, his numbers had changed by 11 votes from the previous day after registration was closed. When he was challenged, his answer was that everyone makes mistakes; we are only human! He then went on to state that certain people had not registered with him; therefore, they were not qualified to vote. Many questions were asked and we attempted to challenge this, but we were ignored over and over. It took a young 30-years-old man by the name of Michael Younan from the Academic Society to stand up and state that his badge did say delegate, but he was never told to see William personally. Since his badge already stated that he was a delegate, wouldn’t that mean he was already registered? This is a young man who served for 6 years in the United States Air Force and in the future will run for a political office in the state of Illinois. What a shame that we actually kicked him out of our meetings. Mr. Jatou then asked to see the credentials since they were not given to us before then. Mr. Khamis stated that we would be able to see them during the lunch recess. So when lunch recess came, we searched for Mr. Youmaran, but he was nowhere to be found. Finally, 10 minutes prior to the meeting reconvening, he showed up with the credentials in a folder. He said they were all originals. So I obtained a copy of the member list from the Treasurer Ms. Sana Isho and as soon as he saw the affiliate membership list, he pulled his credentials away one last time. I then stated to the board of advisors present Mr. Wilson Baba and Mr. Adad Ashurseen, and the parliamentarian Mr. Pierre Toulakhany that I needed the member list to make sure that every person listed on the credentials was also listed on the member list with the corresponding affiliate in accordance with the constitution and by laws. Mr. Toulakhany acted confused and did not know the procedure of how that worked. Mr. Youmaran once again refrained from allowing us to view the proper documents of registered voters and walked away from us. I have to add here that throughout this entire time both Firas and I were told lies after lies about each other so that each would turn on the other, but we did not. After the election, I was told that because of Firas I would not have won, and Firas was told that because of me he would not have won. Fabricated stories and lies were spread about the two of us. I withdrew my name, not because my affiliate or others were not allowed to vote, but because my slate and I could not and would not partake in an election process that was unjust, unfair and illegal. Voters were brought in that have never been part of the Federation to suddenly become affiliate members for the day of voting. The credentials were fraudulently created because this administration was afraid they were going to lose, so they had to cheat in order to win. It was the only way they could. My slate and I ran our campaign based on professionalism, respect and graciousness to all our members and opponents, but the obstacles and insults that we were faced with proved that our people are not ready for change or progress in the Federation and it's members and I am sorry for all those who do. It is sad and my heart aches. Not because of the election outcome but because we have thrown aside everything that our fathers, grandfathers and martyrs have worked so hard for. We have created personal agendas that supersede all nationalism. But I promise that our commitment not to waiver from guidelines that govern our organizations and our nationalism will never falter. We will stand firm for who we are and what we believe in. We are not quitters; we are fighters. We are Assyrian soldiers who fight at the front of the lines for what we believe in so that our children and our children's children will have a place in this world not only as an American but also as an ASSYRIAN.
My Surrealistic Weekend in Chicago Nuri Kino It’s close to 1 p.m. Chicago time on Tuesday, September 5th. I’m at Chicago's O'Hare Airport, having regained my strength and fighting spirit. In the taxi on my way here I realized that the situation our nation finds itself in cannot be diagnosed as nothing but Post Traumatic Syndrome. We suffer from the genocides and oppression we have endured and the leaders of our organizations occupy themselves with intrigues and internal battles, instead of doing something constructive. I hear someone from outside say the word “dispersing” while I’m paying the driver. The word reminds me of yet another reason for our internal battles.
I sat squatted down in my hotel room on Sunday, shivering. I don’t know if it really happened or if it was a dream. I do know that tears ran down my cheeks. My heart bled for a people that suffers in the quiet. I cried. Everything felt abstract. And I had lost foothold. All over the world Assyrians dream of visiting Chicago, the city supposed to be the capitol for our people in the west. There are more than one hundred thousand Assyrians here, including some of our organizations' headquarters. I arrived on Thursday, with only five days to meet as many people as possible. those who have written to me, to stand by and be the example they consider me to be.
I wrote down names, booked times and locations. In addition to meeting the persons I had promised to meet I had to find time to go to a museum, view a monument that was erected for the Assyrian martyrs and see Chicago's city center. I did not get to see any museum or see Chicago. Instead I was stuck in a hotel where most of the arrangements were unorganized and everything took twice as much time to carry out. I wrote the following on Saturday night: It’s at the turn of the month August-September and the 73 annual meeting of the Assyrian American National Federation, the AANF. Thousands of Assyrians have gathered from all around the world to spend time with each other, play sport games, party and have fun. Some have come here to save what is left of the remnants of the ethnic group that calls itself Assyrian, Syriac or Chaldean. All churches are represented. It’s supposed to be one convention, but is actually four conventions in one. Totally segregated from each other although being in the same place, hotel Renaissance in Schaumburg, Illinois. "The youth aren’t interested in lectures or films. They are here to compete in sports and party," a lady replies when I ask her why the semi-finals in soccer are allowed to coincide with the most important debates. As few as twenty people showed up for the lecture on our continued existence in the Nineveh Plains in Iraq. At the same time in Iraq, the strongest Assyrians are on their way to give up and flee. In Turkey, Assyrians returning from Europe trying to take back occupied lands are threatened to death. In Syria, the new Kurdish nationalism and Islamism are making their presence known through veiled threats. In Lebanon, the churches are full with Assyrian families who are in need of immediate help. All over the world you can find Assyrian refugees that have given everything they own to human smugglers so they can leave Iraq and come to their brothers and sisters in the west. Many of them want to come to the U.S. because they have heard that there are Assyrians, in Chicago for example, who are fighting for their rights. This reality seems to be non-existent for most of the participants on the annual meeting. They are preoccupied with the battle over their seats. A group which belongs to the elder generation refuses to lose the elections and to leave their seats for a young and dynamic group, ready to take over and develop new methods for approaching the White House and make the American government act for the protection of the Assyrians in Iraq. The elders are fully convinced that they too serve the interest of the people. They believe We who watch politicians, no matter where, know that the struggle for power is never honest. At least not entirely honest. Everything felt abstract to me. Hours after hours of muddle. There was cheating, showing off and screaming at the same time as they tried to make it look like they were following the regulations of their organizations and the western world's model of a congress. I called to a friend in Iraq during one of the days of the annual meeting; it was during a break. I wanted to know whether he, who a year ago was encouraging all Assyrians in Iraq not to leave the country, also plans to flee like his brother:
I go back in after the phone call and continue to watch the annual meeting. Things get even more abstract as I listen to “the war” between the two groups at the same time as I have the voice of my Iraqi colleague still in my head. It is a pseudo-world. My ears listen to the political game and the power struggle, while I see pictures from the homeland in my head. From Beth-Nahrin. I feel sick. No one is following the timetable. If the schedule says 10 a’clock it could mean they start off one in the afternoon. I tried hard to keep my own schedule with the interviews I would give and make, speeches I would hold, but I failed. Many of those who came to listen to my speech became tired of new information as to when I was to hold my speech. They gave up and never got to listen to the one they had emailed me for in the past several months, messages which brought me to Chicago. I was to hold my lecture today. At 11.00 it said in the program. The time was later changed to 2 p.m. as a new program was written. At 2 the organizers forgot the time and started instead showing another documentary even though many had gathered to listen to me. Ten people or so, including myself, left the premises. When I was asked to start my lecture a long time after 3 pm I refused. Someone had to stop the intellectual humiliation that has permeated the Assyrian American National Conventions. Back to the airport where my plane to Sweden is to take off in an hour. Behind me sits an Assyrian family. Father, mother and two teenage kids. Their son, about 18-years-old, is upset:
The mother tried to argue and show her children how important it is that they don’t forget their language and culture.
The mother whispers in the fathers ear:
The father speaks to his children again and manages finally to make them promise to come next year as well, on the condition that he will write a letter to the organizers and complain about how unorganized it was this year. The family leaves the café and I turn on my computer so I can continue to write. But first I go through all the emails I had received and answered the weeks prior to the convention. The emails are from young Assyrians who want to make films, become journalists and ambassadors for their people. Now, as I read the emails, I feel happy for not letting them down and that I finally agreed to hold my lecture and show the film on Sunday evening. It was the only lecture that was packed, although most did not know of it taking place. To say that the youth are not interested is to mock them. I want to thank all those who came. I also want to thank the jury who ordained a new prize. The winner was announced with something like this: “This year's honor, the first of its kind, goes to Nuri Kino for all that he has done for our people in the homeland as well as in the west”. I don’t know; I wasn’t there. The organizers forgot to invite us to the banquet dinner; all five of us who had come from five countries to hold speeches. Juliana, an Assyrian restaurant and nightclub, saved the evening. Some of the Chicago Assyrians took us out to dine and dance - a group which included the young folks who had earlier lost the battle for the AANF executive seats. All the workers in Juliana are Assyrians. The food is Middle Eastern, the music is Assyrian and almost all guests were Assyrians. It was an awkward and at the same time wonderful feeling, even for a person from the real Assyrian capital in the west – Södertälje. But now it’s time to stop crying. Despite everything, these gatherings are very important. We are all pieces of a jigsaw puzzle of an incredibly dynamic people with great potential. We are like the matroshkas, the Russian dolls that always stand up, no matter how you drop them. All Assyrians - no matter what they call themselves, which church they belong to or which organization they support - must look into the mirror and ask: “In what way is this Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome part of my personality?
What can I do to cure it?" The day our brains are totally consumed by our internal fights is the day we lose the battle. We aren’t there yet, but will be soon. Stop! When we reach that point there will be no room for constructive thinking and it will be the end for our people. We are far from there yet. I would not only be making a professional malpractice, but even commit a crime if I, in my role as a journalist, don’t tell the truth about my people's situation. I have had the privilege to meet fantastic driving forces all over the world. Assyrians who wants to make changes. Assyrians who make changes. No one mentioned. No one forgotten. We must now gather and save what can be saved. We must have a province in Iraq. We must help our refugees. We must save our lost souls in the diaspora. Put your old personal schisms to the side so that you can look at yourselv3w in the mirror in the future and say: “I tried at least”, or even better “We succeeded!”.
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Interpreter Dies in Iraq bombing Courtesy of the Oakland Press (ZNDA: Detroit) A 23-year-old Southfield man (Michigan) who served as an interpreter with U.S. military forces in Iraq was killed in a suicide car bombing at a checkpoint near Ramadi, his family said Tuesday.
Saher, who was buried last Wednesday at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Southfield after a 11 a.m. Mass at Sts. Peter and Paul Syriac Orthodox Church in Southfield, served a stint in Iraq as an interpreter in 2004, she noted.
"He wanted to do something and decided to be an interpreter," said Delly, who added Saher spoke Arabic fluently and had left Iraq 11 years ago to come to the United States with his family. "He was at a checkpoint in Ramadi and a suicide car bomber drove through" and the vehicle exploded, killing him and two Marines who were with him, she said. "He (Saher) always liked to bring joy and happiness to people ... always liked to make people laugh," Delly said. Georges, who graduated from Southfield-Lathrup High School, was survived by his father, Salman Georges; his mother, Khalida Georges; sister-in-law, Dena, who is married to his brother Salman Jr.; and a nephew, Salwan Georges, 16. The family was notified of Saher's death Aug. 30 when two women came from the L-3 Communications Titan to the family home to deliver the news. "There's not enough words I can tell you about him," Delly said. "He brought joy to everyone. He loved to make people smile. We got an e-mail from a guy in his unit. He said they never considered him as an interpreter ... he was always considered a Marine." A rosary was held Tuesday at the Southfield Funeral Home for Saher, who was Chaldean, or a Catholic from Iraq. "The priest and bishop have visited the family every day," Delly said. "The support from family and friends has been unreal in helping the family get through this tragic time." As of Tuesday, at least 2,656 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The figure includes seven military civilians. At least 2,113 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.
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Assyrians Represented in “Forced Migration” Exhibit By Tuma Abraham, MD; reporting from Germany
The long awaited opening of the exhibition “Forced Migration – Flight and Expulsion in 20th Century Europe” took place on 10 August in Berlin. The exhibition documents expulsion and forcible relocation of different people in Europe during the 20th century and explores the differences and similarities in causes and consequences in a number of cases.
The exhibition begins in chronological order, starting with the Genocide of the Christians in the former Ottoman Empire, then documenting the exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey according to the Lausanne Treaty. It then continues with the expulsion of the Jews from Germany as a substructure for the Holocaust. The exhibition continues with the deportation of Polish, Baltic and Ukrainians and the expulsion of Germans at the end of World War II. It further documents the Cyprus conflict and the break-up of former Yugoslavia.
The exhibition was organized by the Chairwoman of the Center Against Expulsion, Ms. Erika Steinbach, MP, an invited speaker of this year’s commemoration of the anniversary of the Genocide of the Christians in Turkey on 20 May 2006 in Munich1 (click here). During her speech in Munich she promised her support to Ms. Janet Abraham, vice-chairwoman of the Society for Threatened People for the Recognition of the Genocide and facilitated the presence of the Assyrians in the current exhibition. This is the first time Assyrians and their fate are mentioned in such a context in Europe. The exhibition features about 300 exhibits from around Europe. The Assyrian community is represented by two pieces. The first is a hand-written book in classic Syriac language with poems and religious texts, dating from about 1782. The book was one of the only few belongings an ancestor of the BethAbraham family could take with him while fleeing from Midyat to Ain-Wardo in Spring of 1915. The second piece is a wedding gown of an Assyrian woman who was married during a cease fire in autumn 1915. The exhibition was the subject of an intense and controversial debate in the European media. Poland and Czech organizations expressed apprehensions against it since the expulsion of the Germans at the end of World War II still remains an issue between these countries and Germany. The organizers of the exhibition found themselves obliged to avoid any belittlement of the war crimes committed by the German Nazis and had to find a balance in the depiction of the individual nations.
Therefore the opening of the exhibition was highly attended by media observers. Among the invited guests at the opening ceremony were high ranking political representatives and public figures. Ms. Steinbach, who addressed the opening ceremony, explained the purpose of the exhibition and emphasized that all cases of expulsion are equal and there is no singularity of occurrences. The President of the German Parliament, Dr. Norbert Lammert, stated that all people who suffered persecution and expulsion are entitled to receive support. He further pointed out that the current government regards the political debate of forced migration as an obligatory assignment. The exhibition is viewed as precursor for a Center Against Expulsion, which will consist of a Memorial and a permanent exhibition to document the fate of all affected people in Europe in the 20th Century. The exhibition is located in the Kronprinzenpalais, Unter den Linden 3, 10117 Berlin and will be running until October 29, 2006. It is opened daily from 10.00 a.m to 7.00 p.m.
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The Sad Affairs of AANF Elections Leonard Jacob On Sunday, September 3rd 2006 I witnessed the most undemocratic and illegal elections not only in the history of AANF, but probably in the whole world. These elections were controlled by a few uneducated and unqualified people, who did everything against the rules, or should I say selectively implied the rules against some affiliates. When I say undemocratic and illegal, I mean it was pathetic; I have never witnessed such drama, not even in old Iraq.
What is even sadder is the end results that are tragic for our nation as most of the new AANF leadership were put there based on irregularities of the election. Last year, the credential chairman was changed from a qualified person Mr. Youel Isho to Mr. William Youmaran. When we asked Mr. Khamis about the reason behind his decision, his answer was simply for the vote of that new credential chairperson. But looking back and thinking about it now at this point, we can easily understand that there was more reasons behind it, and that was to illegally control the voting process. This was clear for every one that participated in the Sunday meeting, when the credential chairperson gave his final report and it did not match his own report a day before, and when we asked for a clarification, none was given, in fact the credential chairperson stated “I am a human being, I made a mistake”. But my question would be why are mistakes always made against one side only? The credential person accepted certain organization that did not comply with the rules, they were not in good standing with their state registration and up until this writing their organization is in an either revoked or dissolved status, but other organization like the AAA(ladies) were not allowed to participate because they did not support the current administration. The ladies organization has always been accepted before and has actively participated in every AANF convention before this one. Fraud in this election started along time before the convention, when the dues of some affiliates were paid for by money orders all made at the same time from the same 7-11 store in Chicago, in other words somebody paid for these affiliates to qualify them to participate and guarantee their votes and that process is called buying votes. It is a shame to know that we have such affiliates with us in the AANF. What was really more painful, was giving the Assyrian Star Editor position to Mr. Sam Darmo because they opposed an article in the last issue which did not support their current belief system. Mr. Shlimon’s efforts in the past 6 years have been tremendous and have really made The Assyrian Star a magazine that we are all proud of. I said painful because I see my people voting for something that they know is not wise, and not one of them could stand up and say “we will not vote until we are all sure that this has been a fair and just election process. There is much more to say, but I am not a writer, I am just trying to tell every one some details that they don’t know. Now my question would be what are we going to do? We have witnessed the slow decline of the AANF so are we going to sit still or should we do something to serve our nation and get the AANF back to the cultural and educational path that it was founded on? Chicago Welcomes Dr. Khosroeva Michael B. Younan
On Tuesday September 5, 2006 I had the privilege of representing the Assyrian Academic Society at the Welcoming Reception of Dr. Anahit Khosroeva. Members of the Assyrian, Armenian, and Jewish community were present at the reception along with some NPU staff. Dr. Khosroeva was welcomed as a Scholar in Residence at The Center for Middle Eastern Studies at North Park University Chicago, Illinois. The significance of Dr. Khosroeva's teaching Genocide at NPU, in my perception, is much more that one can fathom. It has been almost a century since the Genocidal acts were committed by the Turkish Government against the Assyrians. Yet the International Community has yet to recognize that they occurred. By allowing Dr. Khosroeva educate students on 20th Century Genocide at NPU, it will inevitably lead to the recognition of the Genocide. There is no doubt in my mind that this can be accomplished. We at the Assyrian Academic Society strive to make this happen at local level in the community, at the State level in Illinois, and at the National Level in the United States.
We are making some progress on recognition, in 2001, Governor George Pataki of New York, proclaimed that "killings of civilians and food and water deprivation during forced marches across harsh, arid terrain proved successful for the perpetrators of genocide, who harbored a prejudice against . . . Assyrian Christians."[1] Dr. Khosroeva's course is titled "Genocides of the 20th century". During the 16 week course she will be teaching about all of the genocides that occurred during the 20th Century. In particular she will teach Genocide of the Assyrian and Armenian people in Ottoman Turkey. Tammuz Festival 6756 His Honorable Yonatan Bet-Kolia Respectfully I attach two short reports about the Tammuz Festival 6756 organized by the Assyrian of Iran in the city of Urmia and the August 7th seminar (to commemorate the Assyrian Martyrs) to inform the readers of your informative web site. I am also enclosing several pictures which I hope you will be able to use... Tammuz Festival 6754 Every year the cultural and athletic festival of Tammuz is held in Urmia, Iran. In the last 6 years this festival has been organized as an olympic sports event, and this year's gathering was even more outstanding that the previous years. Among the guests of honor in this year's Festival were Mr. Ali Abaadi, Vice President of Iran and head of the Athletic Education in Iran; Mr. Taqvi, head of the Minorities Affairs section of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Irshad; members of the Islamic Majlis (parliament); Governor of Western Azerbaijan province, head of the Urmia City Council, and the heads of the local organizations from Western Azerbaijan province. This year's events were held on Sunday, July 30, 2006 at Urmia's 6000-person Stadium. At this year's Tammuz Festival more than 450 energetic Assyrian athletes, both men and women, from Iraq, Syria, Armenia, Georgia, and many Iranian cities, including Tehran, Karaj, Tabriz, Ahvaz, Urmia, participated in Football (soccer), volleyball, basketball, table tennis, tennis, and chess competitions. The Assyrian society of Urmia and the surrounding region, under the direction of Mr. Levy Sayad Sangar as the host of this year’s festival, patiently handled many difficulties. They took all measures to make this year’s festival a complete success. Mr. Yonatan Bet-Kolia took an active role in the festival and as the advisor to the Organizing Committee of Tammuz Festival worked diligently alongside the organizers and sponsors. The cooperation of the following groups should be mentioned and warmly acknowledged here: Athletic education Commission , the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Irshad, Foreign Office, Information Office, the State Department, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s mass media, Security Forces and the Provincial Athletic Education Commission of the Western Azerbaijan who contributed to the outstanding organization of this year’s festival. Also the tireless participation of the members of the Executive Committee of the Assyrian Society of Urmia and the organizing committee of the Cultural and Athletic Festival of Tammuz which includes Mr. Edmond Maryounani, Alfred Bet-Yosif, Ms. Audrey Younan, Mr. Ruben Sayad Sangar, Mr. Atour Khmouyan, Anoeil Bet-Yavary, Orahim Maryounani, Mr. Atour Morad, Mr. Joseph Shimun, Mr. Robert Sargizadeh and Mrs. Juliette Yadgarian who devoted time from their livelihood and families for the success of this event. August 7 Seminar Assyrians have suffered much in the past as millions of martyrs were sacrificed for the sake of humanity. The world owes much to this civilized nation, a nation that gave civilization to human kind, a nation that took steps in the progress of humans and founded the first laws, today it must travel from one city to another and from one country to another country, leaderless, so it can satisfy its vision alas it finds nothing ahead but a mirage whereas it has lost its original mission. The Bet-Nahrain that was created in the hands of the Assyrians is slowly withering away and is easily falling to the hands of the foreigners. This is only because of lack of unity among the Assyrians. When there is no unity nothing awaits us but death. August is a sorrowful month for the Assyrians because between August 4th and 16th 1933 the blood of thousands of Assyrian martyrs flowed like the rivers from 65 villages of the 90 villages around Semel, Iraq. Thousands of men and women, children and youth, Assyrian elderly fell under the sword and their heaviest crime was their Assyrian Christian identity. The bellies of the pregnant women was torn open and piles were erected using their innocent corpses in the squares of the villages. The 7th day of August was marked by the Assyrian Universal Alliance as the annual commemoration of the Assyrian martyrs. A one-day seminar is organized by the AUA office in Iran under the direction of Mr. Yonatan (Edwin) Bebla Khanshan at the Social Hall of Mehmansara of Urmia. At this seminar the representatives from Iraq, Syria, Armenia, Georgia, Australia, and the Iranian cities of Tehran: Tabriz, Ahvaz and Urmia and many religious leaders from the Assyrian Church of the East, and the Assyrian Evangelical churches in Urmia took part. This seminar focused on the issues of the difficulties faced by Assyrians and ended its program at 6:00 pm at the end of the seminar with the suggestion of Mr. Yonatam Bet-Kolia, Secretary of the AUA in Asia, it was decided that every year on August 7, Assyrians of Iran will hold such a seminar and will invite other Assyrians to participate. This motion was agreed upon by the majority vote.
Spread the Word of Love & Forgiveness Youel Eshay I came across a post on an Assyrian forum and found myself obliged to comment. But because the brother of that person is a close and sincere friend of mine and has done me a favor for which I am grateful for the rest of my life I will refrain from naming that person. Nevertheless opinions and views should not be influenced or persuaded by friendship or relationship, but with facts and no matter how much the truth hurts, it should and must be said and revealed so that others will benefit from its outcome.
I can understand where that person is coming from being a member of the church committee and with that I have no issue, but outside the sphere that he is in, there is a difference of opinion and view that should be respected. As Assyrians we are taught to be prudent and parsimonious, to make good of bad and forgive and to tolerate and spread LOVE, the word of God. Brothers, no matter how much Love we share, we can always draw on more. As with love, so is with Wisdom. There is no end to how clever you can be or how lovable you are. We are encouraged to live within our means and not to expect a limitless support of what ever we treasure. It can cause us to forget that some things are truly endless. There is nothing wrong with an argument; we can learn more when we disagree, then when we live in a state of acceptance, there is nothing wrong with a problem. We can profit more from rising to the challenge rather than take an easy route. The issue is not “what have you got going on” but “how are you handling it”. Do we accept our present situation with grave and good faith or resent and reject it? You are not stupid if people hold this opinion of you, it is because they are stupid for not understanding you. Instead of recognizing them in our own psychological make-up, we see them reflected to us and their behavior just as to find out things about our friends and companions that support us. We can make discoveries about ourselves. We are moving into a new phase of our unknown future. Don’t base our expectations entirely on what the past has taught us but what future holds. The current antagonistic alignment will influence us all for years to come and that appropriate culminates for the first time and you will notice the effect. The world is full of things you cannot do, but there is one thing you can do, and is perfectly possible and that is to spread the word of LOVE and FORGIVENESS and understand that the person next to you is your Brother and Sister. Hate him and you are both destroyed. Love him and you are both saved. I am an ordinary person with no wealth or fame, but with this advice, I hope our National and Religious leaders will spare the agony of my offspring.
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Luna Yakubova's New Film: Gates of the East
Fragrant cedars symbolize Lebanon . ‘’Gates of the East’’ is a new historical documentary of Ikar Production released in Armenia , August, 2006.
Lebanon, this small Mediterranean country, encompasses a great number of archeological sites and presents an extraordinary cultural synthesis of the East and the West. ‘’Kaleb Nara’’- the rock of the visiting cards with a wide range of inscriptions dating from the times of Ramses to when the last French soldier left Lebanon . Some Assyrian stelae still display their vague cuneiform characters, but in the great struggle of time, these exceptional pieces of history are slowly surrendering to the wind and the salty climate of the region. In the whirlwind of history, the powerful Lebanese mountains have constantly sheltered members of religious minorities and exiles who had come to preserve their traditions and establish Churches in impregnable highlands. Fleeing persecution, a Syrian Monk Maron Anachorite, a great example of monastic deeds of the Christians from the East, sought refuge in Lebanon . St. Maron is believed to be the founder of the Maronite Church . Michael Rodionov, a doctor professor of the St. Petersburg Ethnography Institute, shares his researches on Maronite's and Eastern traditions of the Maronite Church . Lebanon is home of different Christian communities. Assyrians, having survived the genocide of the XXth century in the Ottoman Empire, found their shelters in Lebanon . Communities began to form. A piece of Assyrians settled in Zahle. David Alexandros, a resident of the Ksara village shared his memories telling us the story of his clan and the thorny past of his nation, the way how his family fled from the Ottoman Empire . The community of the Syriac Orthodox Church live in the Christian part of Beirut.George Saliba, metropolitan of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Lebanon tells us the story of his flock. The Assyrian Community in Beirut lives in the Assyrian quarter of Baabda, a suburb of the Lebanese capital. The church of Mar-Gewargez with its school and the residence of the metropolitan Mar Narsay, is in the Assyrian quarter. This is what ‘’Gates of the East’ is about. Will the Sun Rise Again? WILL THE SUN RISE AGAIN?
Montaha Kochou reveals every tender side to the woman in our community, breaking the novel into three categories – Emotional, Psychological and Spiritual, and their responses within a community. The community, first being the family, in this story the author speaks of the ever transparent, complicated human nature, whose reflection of what is fed during childhood is concealed throughout adulthood. Simply put, Montaha is brave and daring. She prolifically addresses the multi-dimensional human character, while many of us choose selective exposure to information.
The author opens the door to modern psychology, something that remains unpopular in our closely-knit community, associated with shame, instead, oftentimes calling to spirituality for aid. And while spirituality remains universally popular, it deepens as you travel further into the Eastern cultures. This is why the character of Joseline is portrayed as confused; as she is unable to base her decision on her own rationale, caught between her lustful emotions and her spiritual beliefs. And when things for her turn the other way, she is quick to punish herself and calls to God to condemn her. “Will The Sun Rise Again?” the sequel to her first novel “Burning Desire, ” released in 2003, mirrors Kochou’s own confidence and honesty about every woman’s emotions. Montaha dares to go to places most of us would put on the back burner. Guaranteed, every woman will find herself in the pages of this novel. This book will grip the reader, isolating intimate emotions (desires) that are only felt in our darkest hidden secrets. An honest work that speaks from the heart of a woman whom herself is a wife and a mother. Montaha Kochou is profound in her message and stays true to her feelings. Thank you for saying it for all of us. Chebo! For ordering information, please visit the author’s official website, www.montahakochou.com.
Chicago's Bahra Radio Bahra Radio
You are invited to listen to Assyrian Bahra Christian Radio Station 1590 AM. Wednesdays at 8:00 PM Chicago Time Call us live at 1-847-475-1555 Listen on this web: www.1590wonx.com E-mail address: Info@bahraonline.com AANF's Woman of the Year For Immediate Release Pearlida Publishing
LOS ANGELES, CA – September 2006 – For her contributions and the totality of her work in the Assyrian Community, including the publication of her epic and historical novel The Crimson Field and her testimony before a Congressional Committee of the 109th Congress of the United States on religious freedom regarding the genocide, massacres and persecution of Assyrians in Iraq, on Sunday, September 3, 2006, at the 73rd Annual Assyrian American National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, Mr. Pierre Toulakany announced that the Board of Advisors of the Assyrian American National Federation, Inc. (AANF) has selected Ms. Rosie Malek-Yonan as Woman of the Year. Mr. Robert de Kaleta presented Ms. Malek-Yonan with the award. MEDIA CONTACT: Monica Malek-Yonan 818-249-2242 Monica@thecimsonfield.com.
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| Interview with ADO's Bachir Sa'adi
What are ADO's political demands?
Since inception ADO has put forward its concept of the political system it strives to achieve . It is democratic, secular system based on the principles of justice, equality, human rights and citizenship. A system that constitutionally guarantees the rights of ethnic minorities within the framework of the unity of the state and society, under the umbrella of one Syrian national identity that contains and recognizes national, cultural, religious and political diversity. We also demand that the Assyrians (Syriacs) be recognized as indigenous people in Syria, consequently, to acknowledge the Syriac language and culture as a national culture and language. Further, our Organization believes that the peaceful democratic struggle is the only way for achieving political ends, rejecting all forms of violence, extremism, fanaticism and terrorism, as well as all kinds of justifications for such acts. Is there any difference between Assyrians and Syriacs, and is there any other Syriac organization with political goals different from yours? The designation of Syriac is rather a linguistic expression derived from the Assyrian name. Starting from the Fourth century B.C. all the territories of Fertile Crescent(al-Hilal al-khasib) under the rule of the Assyrian Empire were called "Syria ", this passed on to us from the Greek language, and because the Greek language has no (sh) sound, all Mesopotamia until the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, was called by Greeks as Assyria and its people Assyrian. And through the Aramaic language which was the language of the entire Assyrian empire this new name has become "Souroyo" or "Souraya", from which came the name of "Syrian" in Arabic. Consequently, the name "Suriani" or Syriac is derived from the Assyrian name. It refers to one people, and thus from the Fourth century B.C., all Assyrian, Syriac and Aramaic inhabitants of Syria and Mesopotamia (al-Rafidein) were called "Seryan" Syriac and their language "Seryani" which consists of many dialects. Regrettably, many, even now, are not aware of this reality . In Syria there is no party bearing the Syriac name. It was the national elite of the Syriacs who established the first political organization and called it "Athoury" which exactly means "Assyrian" according to the Syriac pronunciation . Do the Assyrians in Syria suffer from ethnic or religious repression on the hand of Moslems of Arab and Kurdish origin, we mean by the public not the state? Assyrians do not suffer from direct ethnic and religious repression by their Moslem neighbors in Syria. Nevertheless, part of the grievances of the Assyrians in Syria is due to the fact that they are not being constitutionally acknowledged as a national minority and as indigenous people, and because of the existence of some constitutional and legal articles that openly discriminate between Muslims and Christians on the other. These articles hurts the feelings of the Christians and makes them feel that they are second rate citizens in a country where Christianity preceded Islam by seven centuries and until the 1950's Christians formed 30% of the population. For example, Article Two of the constitution bans the Christians from becoming president of the state, further, the Muslim has the right to marry a Christian whereas a Christian is prohibited to marry a Muslim girl . Why do we always hear about disagreement and difference in opinion between the Assyrian and Kurdish demands regarding the historical priorities and political claims?
As a matter of fact there are differences in assessment and interpretation of al-Jazira region's history among most of the Kurdish parties on one hand, and ADO and the Assyrian's general opinion on the other. Some Kurds consider Al-Jazira region a Kurdish territory and a part of Kurdistan, based on the allegation that Mittans, Khaches and Medians, who were Arian people and ruled al-Jazira region in the ancient past, were the ancestors of the present Kurds, so come to conclusion that the Kurdish presence is as old as history in the area and they go to the extent that their presence is even older than that of the Assyrians, Aramaean, and Babylonians. We view this differently. The Al-Jazira region throughout the history has been an essential part of Mabein Al-Nahrein (Mesopotamia) on whose territory the great empires of the Babylonians and Assyrians were founded. Moreover, all the excavated hills and the historical monuments and ruins (their number are in hundreds) come to confirm its Assyrian and Babylonian origin. Undoubtedly many other people have settled in this region during successive historic periods like Arabs, Kurds, Armenians and others; therefore the region belongs to these people, but more importantly it is a part of Syrian territories consequently, home for all the Syrians. As for the national rights of the Assyrians and the Kurds in the al-Jazire region it has nothing to do with the historic claims. Needless to say that Kurds have the right to have cultural, political and administrative rights in the places where they live in Syria as much the other minorities have, and these rights must be acknowledged and guaranteed constitutionally and through democratic solutions and as we have said earlier under the umbrella of one unified national Syrian identity that would contain all religious and national diversities .There are some Kurdish parties who consider themselves a component of the Syrian society and raise their issues as a part of national problems in general . They believe that their national rights would be resolved as a part of general democratic solution in the country. But there are other parties that adopt nationalistic extremist slogans and allege that al-Jazira region is a Kurdish territory that has been annexed to the Syrian map since The Sykes-Picot Agreement (1920), they further put forward the idea of right of self determination on their historical land namely the Syrian al-Jazira region. Do you think that the autonomy or federalism as some Kurds strive to achieve is the best solution to the problems of peaceful coexistence in the north of Syria? To what extend this contradicts and affects the presence of religious and ethnic minorities in the area? The Syrian al-Jazira is a multi-ethnic region, where Arabs, Kurds, Assyrians (Syriacs) and Armenians live. They are mixed and interwoven in towns, villages and governorates. That is why there is no ideal region for autonomy in al-Jazira for the Kurds or others. Demands like this may cause endless problems with coexistence. No minorities can be given rights over the others or on account of the others, and the best solution to me is the constitutional acknowledgement of the political, cultural and administrative rights of the minorities, and thus Kurds or others when they constitute a majority in any area, have the right to become major partners in the administration of their areas. Of course through ballot boxes, I mean that, democracy would solve the problem of the administrative representation for any ethnic minority, and when this condition is fulfilled there will be certainly a sort of autonomy in this or that region as a direct outcome of ballot boxes. Nevertheless we have always confirmed the unity of the Syrian identity and its unifying factor that would assimilate all the ethnic multiplicities, as well as the unity of the Syrian socie |
Nuri Kino, one of the most awarded journalists in Europe, recently received the Blatte de Luxe as the premier role model among all journalists in Sweden for the last decade. Kino's new investigation into the insurance companies corruption in the highest levels of government in in Sweden will be aired on Sweden's Public Television in a few days. Kino has also recently published an article in Neo, a well-read political monthly magazine about how Swedish political parties have deceived the Assyrians in the past.
