|
||||||||||||||||
Click on Blue Links in the left column to jump to that section within this issue. Most blue links are hyperlinked to other sections or URLs. |
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
Fifty Years Later ... Back to Europe This year, the oldest existing Assyrian political party which in the early 1960's and again in the 1970s set the political agenda for the next few decades throughout Europe is celebrating its 50th anniversary. I was introduced to this powerful Assyrian organization by a fellow Assyrian computer engineer from Germnay who was temporarily living in California on a work-related project. Until then, for me the world of Assyrian politics was divided mainly into AUA and BNDP. Abdulmesih "Chris" BarAbraham slowly removed my ignorance of our powerful political forces in Europe and helped open my eyes to a new "European" perspective on our internal issues. Soon, the topics of 1915 Seyfo, the conditions of the Assyrians around the Khabour river in Syria and the Tur-Abdin region in Turkey, the struggle for autonomy in Iraq, and an entirely new perspective on relations with the Turkish and Kurdish groups were on the top of my agenda. Mr. BarAbraham has an uncanny ability to see through the muddy waters of the distractions all around us and quickly separate the big stones of "priorities" from the little rocks that divert our attention in so many directions. Assyrians in Europe are ever so blessed to have such "malfonos" living among them. It is no wonder that as you will witness in this week's reports from various meetings in Europe, the center of the Assyrian political movement has now shifted to Europe - where the Assyrian Democratic Organization has for seveal decades dominated our political agenda. To honor the 50th anniversary of the Assyrian Democratic Organization (Takasta) I present my friend, Mr. Abdulmesih BarAbraham's guest opinion for this week's Zinda Says. I also extend my personal congratulations to my brother in Assyrianism, Mr. Bashir Saadi in Damascus, who bravely guides the Assyrian Democratic Organization. I also embrace every member of this formidable and influencial Assyrian political organization in the Middle East and in the Diaspora for their selfless dedication to the Assyrian cause. We shall look forward to 50 more years of progress and success in the direction of Takasta's guidance. Seyfo Denial - From Within? Guest Opinion Abdulmesih BarAbraham Unlike the Armenians, Assyrians have been late in lobbying for recognition of the Genocide (Seyfo) perpetrated by the Ottoman Turks with the broad support of Kurdish Agas and their militia in 1915. Assyrians (because of confessional labeling in Genocide documents also often referred to as Chaldeans and Syriacs) lost more than half their population. Turkey’s continued denial and its refusal to acknowledge its involvement in crimes against humanity is the kernel of the ongoing heated debates in Genocide research as well as in the political arena some 90 years after the fact. Turkey’s current effort to gain admission into the European Community has returned this issue front and center. The recent Istanbul assassination of Hrant Dink, as the editor of the Armenian-Turkish weekly newspaper Agos and most prominent advocate of Turkey's remaining Armenian population, highlights the deep hostility of ultra-nationalist Turks towards Armenians (and consequently Assyrians) who address the slaughter during the World War I. Assyrians and their organizations worldwide have gained some visibility in their effort to make their voices heard about the Genocide as well. The peak achievement to date is mention of the Assyrian Genocide in the 2006 European Report on Turkey’s progress towards accession. A review regarding the achievements of the Assyrians on this matter worldwide is given in my introduction for the 2nd Edition of “Forgotten Holocaust” by Gabriele Yonan, re-published in Göttingen early 2006: “A Bleeding Wound – even after 90 years” (in German). In Europe it was in fact the publication of this same book in 1989 that ignited efforts towards the recognition. It took a couple of years from there to a major milestone, the recognition of the Assyrian Genocide by the Australian State Government of South Wales in 2002. As a major step forward the trial of Rev. Yusuf Akbulut in 2000-2001 in Diyarbakir/Turkey needs to be referenced as well. In Europe, the presentation of a Genocide Dossier to the International Court of Justice at Den Haag by the ADO in 2002 -- supported by the Society of Threatened People -- , and numerous debates in the parliaments of European countries, like Sweden and United Kingdom are equally noteworthy. Meanwhile numerous conferences are being held worldwide on the Genocide of the Assyrians, with some of them aimed at political audiences and parliament members – the most recent was held at the European Parliament site in Brussels (see Zinda Magazine ’s March 4th issue :“Seyfo: Genocide, Denial and The Right of Recognition”). Assyrian Genocide activities certainly did not remain unnoticed by the Turkish Government and its nationalist media. Ultimately everyone involved in these activities became or is becoming an obvious target of Turkish anti-Genocide assaults including attacks of its media. As victims of one of the biggest crime against humanity in recent centuries, for Assyrians it sounds almost unbelievable that some from within the community question the Seyfo or the involvement of Turkish authorities as the mastermind of this crime. Of course, there is always discussion around the questions who is most guilty, Turks or Kurds. The involvement of both has been never questioned, except in some tea-house level discussions! Hence it is astonishing that a leader of the community like a bishop should put a question mark behind the Turkish role in the Genocide. It naturally raises doubts about his loyalties The incident According to the Eastern News Agency (ESNA), on March 4th the orthodox Bishop Hazail Soumi of Brussels arranged a lecture about Seyfo and invited Sabri Atman to give his perspectives on the topic. Over the last few years Atman has earned much credibility for lecturing and lobbying for the recognition of Seyfo. After the lectures and according to an ESNA report (dated March 13, 2007), the bishop questioned Atman’s stand and belittled his lecture as “fairytale and falsification”, lacking any base in research. What is more striking is that the Bishop apparently defended the Turkish state as innocent of any kind of crime! He is quoted to have put forth the argument that, “if Seyfo was a Genocide, then nobody would have survived”, hence, “Turkey has not committed any Genocide”. Indeed this is not far from a wholesale denial of Seyfo and it is scandalous!. The bishop is either naïve or ignorant. He would be naive, if he has not realized that France is penalizing Genocide denial by law. He would be ignorant demonstrating lack of knowledge of the history of his people. No matter what may be his rationale, the bishop’s statements are regarded by the Assyrians, who are still suffering from the aftermath of the Genocide as scandal and they equal self-denial!. A German friend of the Assyrians and retired Pastor of the Evangelical Church said that he is “shocked about such blindness”. Furthermore, denying Seyfo equals insulting “all the victims of his own people, of his own family”, added the Pastor. Two weeks ago both Suroyo TV and Radio Qolo of Sweden interviewed the bishop. As expected, Suroyo TV did not confront him directly with his statements as reported by ESNA. In his talk, the bishop linked the Genocide to the martyrdom of Christianity since Jesus Christ – diverting attention from the key question and not addressing Turkey’s role as perpetrator of the Genocide against our people! Radio Qolo however stressed the critical aspects and caused the bishop to stumble, but still did not get any concrete answer to the key issues. For me personally the question remains: Why does a bishop, an educated one as he repeatedly asserts to be, questions such unimaginable act of horror against his own people? Self-denial as a concept has actually roots in Christianity and is based on self-sacrifice and self-renunciation which ultimately results in a denial of our nature as human beings. Such understanding was especially embraced in firm isolation from civilization in early phases of asceticism by many monks. The behavior was a consequence of religious devotion. Syriac-speaking Churches have a tradition in this discipline. In the case of bishop Hazail, we can probably rule out this option. He was raised in a modern city, apparently got some education in Western comfort, and he has not really lived in caves in isolation like many of holy fathers of the Church. He is far from being predestined receiving the Holy Spirit by a Gilyono (revelation)! By the same notion we can rule out that he has received any of his knowledge from the”Holy Spirit”, as ESNA quotes him. The second option that would support the self-denial thesis is a distressing one: Collaboration! ESNA makes hints to explain this accusation. The fact that the bishop has been invited to dinners by the Turkish embassy in Brussels to honor him might be too obvious. Indeed he has not disputed this. In the mentioned interview by Radio Qolo on March 16th the bishop confirms the so-called honor dinners, adding that he has also had similar dinners with the Syrian Arab embassy. Evidently, the bishop is hopelessly naïve, not knowing the consequences of his actions or he is impudent and believes that he can deceive the public. He has already embroiled himself in a web of contradictions. If the bishop, as he asserts, wants to keep his church out of politics, what purpose is served by these so-called dinners to honor him? The very question was asked of him in his interview with Radio Qolo, but the question remained unanswered. Personally I believe that Turkey is the only winner of such an internal dispute. Its aggressive nationalism in the past instilled amongst the oppressed Christians a sense of hopelessness, inferiority to the degree of self-denial. Occasional statements of church leaders that we are Arabs for instance have their basis in a similar symptom in the Arab countries. Apparently some of our church leaders even in the free and democratic Western countries still suffer from that syndrome. In fact, the Turkish government invests millions of dollars each year to support it’s a Genocide denial theory. Actually a recent statement of the Turkish author and Genocide denier Ali Riza Bayzan hints to the strategy we are witnessing as it is being implemented upon us. According to Bayzan, Turkey should do everything not to let the Assyrian community (in view of their name dispute) unite around the Genocide topic! In other words: “Do everything to split the community”! The bishop should apologize for his actions or step down. His statements harmed the church in general and therefore, the Patriarch is urged to make a statement on behalf of the Orthodox Church with regards to its position on Seyfo! |
|||
Assyrian Democratic Organization Jubilee Bashir Saadi Mr. Saadi's Speech on the Occasion of 50th Anniversary of the ADO Messrs. Representatives of Arab, Kurd and Assyrian parties and national forces, Good evening We are pleased and honored by your presence and participation in our celebration this evening, which is the first in a series of celebrations and activities that will be held by the Assyrian Democratic Organization on the occasion of the golden Jubilee of its foundation.
Fifty years ago, the will of a dedicated, select few of our people from different sects like : Ashour Yousef, Naaoum Faiek, Fredoun Athouraia, Mar Shamoun Beniamen, Agha Butros, Yousef Malek, Farid Elias Nezha, Sanharib Bali, Youel Warda, Yousef Darna, Youhanoun Dolbani, Youhanoun Kashisho,Hanna Abdalke, Shukri Charmoukli ,…and others, converged to lay the foundation of a national political party that will carry the task of the struggle for the rights of their people in freedom and existence, and this gave birth to Assyrian Democratic Organization (ADO) from here this city, Qamishly –Nuseibin, and the day was 15th of February 1957. The foundation came in response to the feeling of despair and frustration resulting from the appalling tragedies suffered by our people in the beginning of the 20th century, the first of which was the genocide perpetrated by the Turkish Ithad Waltakki government and its allies against our people on parts of its historic territories in Mesopotamia – southeastern present Turkey- during the first world war and claimed the lives of half a million of innocent civilians . The second was Simili massacre which claimed the lives of five thousand innocent civilians on the 7th of August 1933 on the hands of units from the Iraqi royal army under the command of the criminal colonel Baker Sudki. The birth also came as a response to a national and political necessity dictated by the democratic margin the fifties, the years following the independence, provided. The Organization (ADO), which derived its ideology and practice from the essence of our people's experience, its rich human and civilized legacy, its culture and values which are deeply rooted in its land, was the first national political party in the modern history of our people.The Organization since its inception has committed itself to the national democratic issue for the simple reason that is, our people can attain its rights only through a framework of a genuine democratic system and within the scope of a strong prosperous nation acting as an incubator for all its children. Therefore, the Organization has formulated its ideology and approach on the call for the establishment of a democratic and secular regime based on justice, equality and principles of citizenship and bill of human rights, as well as the constitutional recognition of our Assyrian people as an indigenous one and guaranteeing its national rights alongside the rights of all national minorities under the umbrella of a unifying national identify that would include and recognize the national, religious and political variety within the framework of the unity of nation and society. Furthermore, the Organization has firmly believed in peaceful struggle as a means to reaching goals, and also adopted moderation and realism in its political activity away from all forms of fanaticism and extremism.
At the national level and despite the long years of repression and totalitarianism that overshadowed Syria and the region, the Organization was able to promulgate its thoughts amongst broad sections of our people at home and abroad and further, to establish organizational frameworks in many places, particularly in Sweden and Europe where the Assyrian clubs do an important work in preserving our national identity from fusion and in raising the national awareness and keeping the national issue alive in the hearts of our people there. Moreover, it was able, via its branches and institutions, to unite the expatriates with the motherland through opening communication channels with different social, cultural and economic activities. It also contributed to highlight our people's cause in international forums as a human and just political case and focused on the forgotten genocide "alSeifo" issue and made the world public opinion aware of the reality of this crime and held the successive Turkish governments responsible for it and further demanded Turkey's recognition of this crime as well as its acceptance of the legal liabilities and consequences in accordance with the provisions of the international law. Besides, ADO has made great efforts to preserve the Syriac language, heritage and culture, to revive the folklore and the national feasts, like the Assyrian New Year on the 1st of April and Martyrs Day on the 7th of August. It has also relentlessly stood by its people ,defending their rights, protecting them against all sorts of encroachments everywhere in Syria, Iraq or Turkey. What is more, the Organization has also sought to build a broader and deeper relations with the various parties, forces and institutions of our people, and currently, is exerting active efforts to strengthen these relations in view of the greater challenges facing our people especially in Iraq. In the mid 1980 the Organization has initiated to create a National Front which did not come to fruition, but later on, it was brought to a successful result when in the beginning of the 1990 a Joint Action Paper was concluded with the Assyrian Democratic Movement. It also contributed effectively in establishing a National Alliance in the mid 1990 and in convening Baghdad Conference in 2003 and Henghlo conference in 2006, in addition to its continued participation in the overall activities held by our people's institutions at home and abroad. At present, it is working closely with other national forces in order to create a common national discourse that would reflect the will, demands and the rights of our people in the federal Iraqi constitution to be modified, and in the draft constitution of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, so that to ensure our people's national rights, unified appellation and the autonomous rule in the Nineveh Plain. Ladies and gentlemen, We can say that, the Organization was able through its struggle and involvement in the national political process and by means of its good relationships with the entire national political forces in Syria to acquaint them with the cause of our people and gain their recognition to it, as the cause of an indigenous people which constitute an essential component of this nation and not just as a factional, sectarian or religious issue as was intended to be. This has been repeatedly expressed during the recent years, in statements issued by national forces, signatories to Damascus Declaration, and by many other civil society institutions, national figures and Syrian human rights organizations. At the national level, the Organization has put forward the issue of concurrence of the national and patriotic struggle and that the solution of the people's national problems is linked to its struggle alongside the other patriotic forces that believe in democracy and human rights as means of reaching a national, democratic system that recognizes the rights of all the components of the society Arabs, Assyrians, Kurds and Armenians and further, emphasizing on the adoption of the national identity as a unifying framework to all these components. In spite of the long decades of underground work owing to the repression and the limitation of the political activities and in spite of the monopoly on truth that characterized most political movements that adopted totalitarian ideologies, the ADO repeatedly sought to extend bridges of dialogue with all the parties whenever possible. As a matter of fact, these barriers of secrecy broke down following the arrest of the Organization's leaders in 1986 and 1987, this marked the second stage of semi-public activity for the Organization in which it involved in direct political participation starting from the 1990 elections to the successive parliamentarian, local and union elections through political alliances with various national forces, achieving every time considerable political presence and gaining increasing public sympathy and support from different sections of our people as well as from national and patriotic force.
The Organization has strengthened its presence on the national scene in recent years that has witnessed a narrow margin of freedom and kept on building close relationships with various parties, national personalities as well as with different civil society institutions, legal unions concerned with human rights, including some parties in the Progressive National Front on the basis of mutual respect.It has further contributed in the political process through participating in political forums and the overall possible political activities. The Assyrian Democratic Organization has always been at the heart of the events . At the beginning of last year the Organization joined the framework of Damascus Declaration for National Democratic Change side by side with different Declaration's forces that constitute the entire spectrum of political national and patriotic forces in the country, in fact, it is participating effectively in all its committees from the top down to the governorates' level including its committees in the diaspora . The organization feels that Damascus Declaration reflects a national consensus and the will of the Syrian people to move to a democratic system by means of different ways of gradual, peaceful and democratic struggle, away from all forms of violence and extremism. Despite the positive and peaceful approach adopted by the Opposition and its constant call for dialogue and reform, unfortunately, the prospect of change is still closed and postponed, and what is more the policy of restriction, banning from travel, and exclusion is the only one recognized by the regime , and the pretext always is, the outside pressures and threats as well as the conflict with Zionist enemy. This, no doubt, increases the sense of frustration and worsens the volatile situation. Consequently , no one except the dark forces of fundamentalism would gain from a situation such as this, these lurking forces that may one day turn the table on both the regime and the national opposition. Hence, we believe that, the way to build a strong national society, a genuine national unity able to stand up to dangers and outside challenges and to liberate our occupied land, is not by restricting freedoms and closing the file of political reform, but just the opposite , by opening it wide without delay or postponement, and the first step in this direction, in our view, should be the abolition of State of Emergency as well as special courts and laws, the closure of the file of political detentions, the issuance of a modern democratic laws for political parties and the elections ensuring true representation of all components of the Syrian people and paving the way for drafting a new constitution based on the principles of democracy, secularism and the bill of rights. Ladies and gentlemen, We are doomed to hope, our optimism and hope for a better future for our people and country is unshakable, what is unifying us here in this place is a cause for optimism, a strong belief in the strength of our people and the Syrian society with all its lively national forces , these are genuine and true reflection of the reality of our homeland and we must build on this national situation. Let us join forces in our common march, for the sake of democratic Syria, a permanent home for all its children.
|
||||||||||||
Two Chaldean Catholic Nuns Stabbed to Death in Kirkuk Courtesy of the Associated Press (ZNDA: Baghdad) Two elderly sisters, both Chaldean Catholic nuns, were stabbed to death in their home in Kirkuk, last Tuesday. According to police the motive for the attack was not known. Kirkuk police 1st. Lt. Marewan Salih said Fawzeiyah Naoum, 85, and her 79-year-old sister Margaret, were stabbed multiple time by two intruders who raided their home Monday night near the Cathedral of the Virgin in Kirkuk. They lived alone and there was no sign of a robbery, Salih said. Iraqi Christians have been subjected to frequent attacks in recent months, with some militant Islamic groups expressing determination to drive the Christian minority from the country. Iraq Ranked Second Most Dangerous Place in World for Minorities Courtesy of the Chritian Post (ZNDA: Washington) A new report by a human rights group ranks Iraq as the second most dangerous place in the world for minorities with Somalia heading the list and Sudan following in third. The State of the World’s Minorities 2007 by Minority Rights Group International (MRG) released last week highlighted minority groups in Iraq, including Christians and women, as among the most vulnerable in the world.
Iraq is home to Christian groups such as the Chaldo-Assyrians, Syriac-speaking Orthodox Christians, Catholic and Oriental Orthodox Armenians, and Protestants. Chaldo-Assyrians make up most of Iraq’s Christian population – which composes only three percent of the 26 million people in the country. The minority report cited the September-October UNAMI (United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq) report that noted a spike in violence against all Christians in Iraq, including churches and convents being attacked by rocket and gunfire and a Syriac Orthodox priest being kidnapped and beheaded in October. Another key concern for Iraq’s Christian minority is the growing refugee crisis which has totaled more than 1.8 million people since the 2003 U.S.-led offensive. Nearly half of those seeking asylum in neighboring countries and elsewhere are Christians. “The report confirms what has been told to us by refugees and partner organizations working with these Iraqis in the Jordanian capital,” said Sharon Payt, advocacy director for World Vision Middle East/Eastern Europe Office (MEERO), in a released statement on Monday. World Vision is carrying out both relief work through partners among Iraqi refugees in Amman, Jordan, and an advocacy strategy through World Vision offices around the Partnership and in coalition with agencies like the UNHCR. Most of the refugees flee to neighboring Syria or Jordan.
Women are another discriminated minority in Iraq, facing a triple threat of discrimination from religion, ethnicity and gender. Many women in Iraq are non-Muslims, according to the report, and face death threats for failing to fully cover their heads and bodies to meet the strict Islamic standard. The Women’s Rights Association of Baghdad reported in March 2006 that the number of women attacked for not fully covering their heads and face has tripled since 2003. Women are also the victims of “honor killings” due to family conflict and vulnerability when they become widows. Iraq has few opportunities for a widow to earn money and they are not allowed to drive alone without a male relative present. Excerpt from the report:
Midyat Hosts First International Syriac Symposium Courtesy of Today's Zaman (ZNDA: Istanbul) A two-day international symposium opens today in Midyat, in southeastern Turkey, with the goal of improving "equality, tolerance and peace" in Turkey by preserving the historical heritage of the 5,000-year-old Syriac culture in Turkey. The international symposium is a first of its kind that will bring together academics who study Syriac culture, representatives of various non-governmental organizations and members of the Syriac community from both Turkey and Europe. The European Union lent its support to the symposium jointly organized by the Accessible Life Association (UYD) and the European Syriac Union (ESU). The Midyat Syriac Association, the Mesopotamia Culture and Solidarity Association and Suroyo TV, a Sweden-based television channel, also lent their support to the symposium. Hacer Foggo of the Accessible Life Association (UYD), in a brief telephone interview summarized the goals of the symposium: "Sharing international experiences concerning Syriac culture; determining joint problems of the Syriac community in the country as well as around the world; structuring a program for the resolution of problems of Syriacs which have prior importance; defining legal problematic fields of Syriacs and improving joint proposals; defining conditions of intercultural dialogue and tolerance and maintaining communication; and establishing a communication network among Syriac community." In addition to Foggo, Yngve Engstrom of the Delegation of the European Commission to Turkey; Süleyman Bölünmez, independent member of the Turkish Parliament; Nihat Eri, Mardin deputy of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party); Belgin Cengiz, head of the Accessible Life Association; and Tuma Çelik of ESU will deliver keynote speeches on the first day of the symposium. "The cultural heritage in the southeastern Anatolia region is under threat of being lost because of migration. As organizers of the symposium, we hope to contribute to efforts for protecting this cultural heritage and then transmitting it to the next generations by improving it," Foggo said. Following the end of the symposium on Saturday, Midyat will also host on Sunday the April 1 festival during which Syriacs will celebrate the Syriac New Year of Kha b'Nissan. Several Syriac bands who are known around the world, but who are unfortunately not familiar in Turkey, will join the festival, Foggo said. Folk ensemble Kardeş Türküler (Songs of Fraternity) -- who sing in Arabic, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Circassian, Georgian, Kurdish, Laz, Macedonian, Roma and Turkish as well as in Syriac -- will also be part of the festival. ADM on the Ankawa Conference
The Ankawa Conference, which was called for and prepared by the Stockholm Conference Committee, that became a popular conference, on March 11th and 12th of 2007, issued a final statement about the rights and unity of our people, and recommended the formation of a popular committee to follow up and execute its resolutions. We primarily agree with the general consensus on the fair assessment of the issues in the final statement which emphasizes; the unity of our nation, the patriotism of our people, and the importance of enjoying their full rights on their land, the call to for the promotion of the mother tongue (Syriac), the demand for a solution for the effects of demographic changes, to stop the trespassing on the villages of our people, and to have the lands be turned to their legal owners. However, we still have legitimate questions and comments which we believe will clarify what the conference has resolved thus far, and will help all who followed up with the results of the conference to better understand the complete picture of the aims which this conference can achieve, especially since the final statement did not contain more than principles and courses that were previously stated and agreed upon by the majority of our people, the ChaldoAssyrian Syriani people.
Today, our Assyrian Democratic Movement, through its positive evaluation of the final declaration, hopes that the issues raised will be translated into a working program which will support the issues that they have adopted at this stage, toward the goals and expectation of our people and their just rights. There are several issues regarding the results of this conference, that need to be clarified before it is evaluated, such as; the resolutions, recommendation and memorandums that resulted from the conference, in addition to the formation and intended course of the popular committee resolved to be formed, its programs and working mechanism - as what counts in the phases following a conference is in the implementation of its resolutions. For example it should be clarified beyond any ambiguity how the popular committee to be formed will follow up on the implementation of the resolutions and recommendations of the conference, and the nature of its work, and the mechanism of its formation, especially in regards to the role of the political parties. Before this can be done, the resolutions and recommendations must be publicized, made available to the public, to make it easy for everyone to give his or her opinion on the issues. This also applies to the two memorandums, which the final resolution mentioned, which call for the formation of special committees to amend the Iraqi and Iraqi Kurdistan Region Constitutions. Bear in mind that the final resolution has already declared that the two memorandums - containing the required constitutional amendments - have already been sent to the proper authorities. This act contradicts the intended work of the council that is to be formed to deal with the resolutions of the conference, and will make work more difficult for those who might join this council at a later time. We emphasize, again, that these comments and observations come in a framework of guiding all decisions, actions, and policies in the right direction, in order to reach positive results, to the benefit of our people' In regards to the conference that took place in Istanbul, Turkey, on March 12th and 13th of this year, and issued their final statement, we have the same observations and comments. We have learned that at end of March of 2007 there will be another conference held in Ceres, California, and we do not need to stress again that the most important outcome of any conference is the implementation of its resolutions and one of the logical principles to implement any resolution rests in the presence of the foundations of thought, real organization, masses and support, background and experience.
The Christian Iraqi Refugees in Lebanon; A Humiliating Wait for Immigration Visas Courtesy of al-Nahar (ZNDA: Beirut) Lebanon is a haven for the minorities, the persecuted of the East, and those fleeing the injustice of their leaders and their surroundings. Lebanon has ceased to be so since the beginning of its ordeal in 1975, after which the Lebanese groups needed someone to protect them against the injustice they inflicted on one another. Despite everything that happened on its land, some still hope to find in it a haven until the difficult days their country is experiencing are over. Among those are the Iraqi refugees, the second largest group of immigrants after the Palestinians. They chose Lebanon as a sanctuary until they can return to their country or emigrate to one of the parts of the world. The file of the Iraqi refugees is big and requires chapters. The file of the Christian Iraqi refugees, however, is the most tragic, for others - Sunnis and Shi'is - are leaving [their country] in quest for safety and in order to get away from the incidents of the war and its bloody course, but they will inevitably return to their native country. The Christians, however, are leaving without returning, and are being uprooted from their long historical roots, which date thousands of years ago. The suffering begins, but does not end, with threats of bullets and explosive charges or a mere letter with a clear threat to murder the "immoral infidel." In order to save his life, the Iraqi Christian flees with his family and whatever he could carry of his belongings either to the Christian areas in the northern Iraqi valley of Ninawa near Kurdistan, where safety and peace is provided for the Syriac, Chaldean, and Assyrian groups, or he leaves Iraq once and for all for Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon, pending the final departure from the East to the United States, Australia, and Europe away from the horrific dreams of the East and the nightmares of massacres, displacement, and murder. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR] estimates the number of Iraqi refugees in Syria and Jordan at around 700,000 and those in Lebanon at between 20,000 and 40,000, 17 per cent of whom said they are Christians. This means that, in the highest estimate, the number of the Iraqi Christians in Lebanon is around 6,000, who live in the Christian areas there, especially where the followers of the Syriac, Chaldean, and Assyrian denominations live in Zahlah, Al-Matn, and Al-Ashrafiyah. A Recurrent Asylum Tragedy The tragedy of Hanna, an Iraqi refugee living in Lebanon, is fit to be an example of the suffering of the Iraqi Christians. Hanna, who is from Mosul, moved to Baghdad in the seasons of the in-country immigration during the old days of the Iraqi economic prosperity. He worked there as an employee until it became clear to him that working in the tourism sector generates a greater income. He opened a restaurant, which generated for him a lot of money, and he was therefore able to lead a prosperous life, get married, and build a family. This continued until the breakout of the latest war on Iraq. His work gradually deteriorated until he became unemployed. Things began to gradually worsen until the fundamentalists started to accuse him, as they accused his Christian neighbours and acquaintances in Iraq, of being an agent to the Americans and colonialism. Hanna's restaurant was blown up, and he received repeated warnings and threats. He packed his luggage and fled to Lebanon, leaving behind - once and for all - all the profits he made and the memories. Hanna lives in Lebanon under semi-miraculous conditions. He spent all the money he saved to feed his kids. He is working to support his family and shoulder the burdens of an already high living cost in Lebanon. His condition, however, is much better than others. The followers of the Syriac denomination in Beirut found him a room with amenities where he lives with a family waiting for relief. The aid he received from the Christian associations in Lebanon and the world or from his fellow Iraqis was exclusively in-kind, such as sugar, rice, food cans, tea, and other stuff. He carries a UN refugee identity card waiting to get a visa to the United States so he and his family can leave without returning. He is trying to get news about the remaining members of his family in Iraq, who are in turn getting ready to leave unless they are provided with conditions for a decent living and, most importantly, protection. The UNHCR confirms that, because of their large number, the Iraqi refugees in Lebanon are not receiving any financial aid, but that the UNHCR extends aid in emergency cases to the weakest and neediest of refugees following a meticulous study of their needs. That is why the UNHCR is trying to build a network of non-governmental organizations and charities in order to cover some of their various needs, including education and medical treatment. Habib Afram, head of the Syriac Association, who is directly concerned with the fate of his denomination members, says that "the tragedy is very big and requires huge funding and continued aid." In his opinion, the biggest problem is that "the Christians have no social and political support, and no one is inquiring about them, neither the Vatican nor the other countries that rush to help the other societies, leaving the Christians of the East to face their black fate." Waiting to Leave Lebanon The Christian Iraqi refugees avoid talking directly about what they are doing in order to emigrate to the West. What is for sure, however, is that none of them is thinking of returning to Iraq or staying in Lebanon. It is clear that their sole concern is to be able to contact, as soon as possible, their families who emigrated to Australia and the United States. They, therefore, gather at places where international calling cards are sold, and discuss with their relatives and acquaintances who went before them into exile or to their new countries means of getting the necessary immigration documents. In this field, the UNHCR is helping them according to what is called "resettlement in a third country." It officially justifies that by saying that it evaluates the need of each resettlement case separately and submits the respective files to several countries. Ironically, the Iraqi Christians, who held fast and resisted the rule of the Seljuk, the Abbasids, the Memluk, the Ottomans, and finally the Iraqi Ba'thists, are today leaving their land, memories, and heritage under the US flag and US President Bush's policy, which claims to be seeking to spread democracy in the Middle East! Based on Afram's statistics and daily follow-up effort in detailing the conditions of the Christians in Iraq, the next 10 years might witness the end of the Christian presence there, something he said would cause a real disaster to the Christians of the East. He explained that the Christians had represented 20 per cent of the population of Iraq, and the best of statistics today indicate the presence of less than half a million of them in Iraq under very tragic conditions. He said: "All the Iraqi sects have their own security and militias, except the Iraqi Christians. The Kurds are supported by America; the Sunnis are supported by the entire Arab world; the Shi'is are supported by Iran; and the Turkmen are supported by Turkey. The Christians, on the other hand, are orphans, about whom no one cares. They are not even thinking of possessing weapons to defend themselves. The persecution and injustice the Christians of Iraq are facing is an example of a historic suffering. They are blamed whenever something happens in any part of the world. This is what happened following the publication of the Danish cartoons that slandered the prophet and also when Pope Benedict XVI delivered his lecture on Islam. The result was the bombing of churches, the abduction and murder of priests, and other such despicable acts. The Last Safe Haven According to Afram, the only safe haven for the Christians of Iraq is the Kurdistan Region and the Ninawa Governorate, "where the Kurds are cunningly trying to prove to the world public, especially the US, that they are people who are open to all cultures and peoples, especially the Christians. They appointed Christian ministers in the regional government and elected Christian deputies to the Legislative Council in Kurdistan. At the borders of Kurdistan, the remaining Iraqi Christians are gathering in the Ninawa valley, where a large number of Christians are holding fast in scores of villages and towns. Those are calling for a region of their own within the framework of the promised Iraqi federal system of government, which is stipulated in the Iraqi Constitution, or for joining the Kurdistan region. The problem of the Christians in Iraq, however, is the US policy, which does not recognize this file, "because the Americans do not want more problems." The Christian refugees in Lebanon repeat endless stories about crimes of murder, abduction, threat, and subjugation they faced. Every new refugee carries with him news about what happened and what others faced at the hands of the fundamentalists. What is painful in these stories is that the spiritual leaders of the Iraqi Christians - patriarchs, bishops, and priests - are living in a state of worry and complete failure to get anything to help their communities, something which further intimidates the members of their Christian denominations. In what is to some extent similar to what happened in Lebanon, the electoral system being adopted in Iraq has led to the demise of the Iraqi Christian political leadership before it was born. The electoral system turned the Christian representatives into followers of the Shi'i, Sunni, and Kurdish blocs. In their long history, the Christians of Iraq experienced waves of persecution and displacement, but what is happening at present is the most severe. Meanwhile, Hanna, Bahnam, and Rufa are spending their days as refugees in Lebanon in misery and under humiliating living conditions in the hope of obtaining an entry visa to the countries that respect humans and do not discriminate against their citizens.
Construction Begins for $15 Million Church in Qatar Courtesy of the Christian Post (ZNDA: Washington) Construction has begun for a multi-million dollar church in the desert of the small Arabia Gulf state of Qatar where native inhabitants are almost entirely Muslim. The new Catholic Church will serve as the house of worship for the country’s large population of Christian migrant workers, reported the Qatar-based television network Al Jazeera on Saturday. “We have to accept that we are expatriates in every sense of the word,” said the Bishop Paul Hinder, the Catholic Church’s Bishop of Arabia, to Al Jazeera, referring to congregants of Arab churches. “We are a pure pilgrimage church.” Hinder noted that despite the difficulties of being a Christian in the Arab world – such as not being able to freely worship and gather – the believers are often more active in their faith than when they are in their homeland; most of the two million expatriate Christians attending the services are Filipino, Lebanese and Indian. For example, he pointed out that church attendance on the Arabian peninsula regularly outnumbers congregations in Europe and even in the United States. “The challenge is especially that we are a multi-cultural, multi-lingual, multi-racial church composed of faithful [people] from more or less all over the world,” commented Hinder. There are about 70,000 Christians, consisting of about 7,000 Anglicans and 50,000 Catholics in Qatar, according to the World Christian Database. Christianity was brought to the Gulf States by missionaries in the second half of the 5th century but disappeared almost completely in the Gulf Arab states with the arrival of Islam in the 7th century. It was not until 2006 that Qatar witnessed its first church building in 14 centuries with the opening of the Church of the Epiphany ($7 million). The land for the Anglican Church center – which includes conference facilities, temporary living accommodations, a library, and a café - was donated by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani. The $15 million Roman Catholic Church – which is being funded by Catholics throughout the Arabian Peninsula – is scheduled to open at the end of this year.
|
||||||||||
LARUS Leaves AUA (ZNDA: Moscow) The League of the Assyrian in Russia or LARUS earlier this month announced its decision to withraw its membership from the Assyrian Univeral Alliance, an umbrella organization of several Assyrian federations and associations. LARUS was formed shortly after the Glasnost and invited to become a member of the AUA during the early tenure of its Secretary General, Fr. Senator John Nimrod. According to Mr. William Yosifov, vice president of LARUS, the decision was based on AUA's recent policies. Mr. Yosifov's letter announcing the decision to withdraw is published in this week's "SURFS UP" section. ADO Condemns Crime Against Ghazi Younan For Immediate Release Assyrian Democratic OrganizationSyria 26 March 2007 ADO Strongly Condemns the Heinous Crime Against Martyr Ghazi Issac Younan On the 11th of March as Mr. Ghazi Issac Younan was about to drive out of the petrol station near the town of Malkia in northeast Syria, two men and a woman inside a car were watching his moves outside the station prior to killing him. As soon as he came closer they fired a volley of shots at him until he was dead and then ran away. Eyewitnesses near the scene of the crime identified the killers to be members of "al-Sharabie" Arab clan. The apparent motive for Mr. Younan's killing was to avenge for the killing of their relative who died from a warning bullet 49 years ago allegedly shot accidentally by the Ghazi Younan's father . The story that took place half a century ago says that the villagers at " Khanik " village near the town of Derik in order to protect their plantations used to take turn to nightwatch their crops lest the Bedouins living nearby would let their sheep and cattle into these plantations to graze, ruining thereby their whole harvest. During one of these night-watching shifts the guards opened fire to warn and scare off the infiltrators and their sheep off the crops. one of these shots mistakenly hit a shepherd and caused his death. Mr. Issac Younan, Ghazi's father, was one of the guards during that shift. He bore the responsibility for the incident, though no one was certain which bullet caused the shepherd's death in the darkness of that night. Few years later a reconciliation was reached between Mr.Issac and the relatives of the dead man according to the norms and the tribal traditions followed in the area and under the sponsorship of Sheik Mayzar al-Madloul, chief of "alShamar" clan, during which a sum of money called "al-Dia" was duly paid to the relatives and the matter was settled and this according to the tribal tradition meant the end of the problem and the return to the normal life. Consequently any act of revenge, blackmail and pressure is considered a breach of this tribal tradition. These all took place half a century ago. There seems to be a huge gap between the mentality of these criminals and the adherence to the laws and traditions. Forty nine years later and after resolving the problem and achieving reconciliation these people have decided to have a revenge and kill an innocent man who was not even born at that time. The crime was committed cold-bloodedly at mid-day. It was carefully planned. The criminals have used a relative milk-woman to watch the Mr. Younan's everyday movements and then report to them. Moreover, in the middle of the current circumstances, one can not rule out the possibility of a premeditated scheme for creating unrest in the Syrian society. The late Mr.Ghazi whose blood spilt to irrigate the soil of the motherland has joined his proud forefathers to say to these killers : "We are here in spite of your hatred fanaticism and ignorance. We are here because this land is ours; we are going to stick to it and defend our existence and freedom no matter whatever the sacrifices" . This horrible crime has shocked and greatly saddened our people not only in the town of "al-Malkie" but everywhere in the motherland and the Diaspora. On the 12th of March Mr. Younan was buried in "al-Malkia " in an unprecedented burial ceremony attended by all the segments of the local community who expressed their heartfelt sympathy as well as strong condemnation of the cowardly killing, the like of which has not happened in the Syrian society, demanding at the same time the toughest punishment for the criminals. Three days after the funeral and during the mourning ceremony held under a big tent in "al-Malkie ", a large delegation from the Assyrian Democratic Organization offered condolences to the relatives of the deceased and Comrade Bashir Saadi, the chairman of the ADO Political Bureau, delivered a speech on behalf of the Organization. In the presence of hundreds of sympathizers Mr. Saadi expressed the Organization's and our people's deep sorrow over the loss of one of its sons who was a victim of the repulsive crime committed by criminals driven by blind hatred and fanaticism, adding that the crime was not directed toward the deceased and his family but to the people of Syria as a whole with all its national and religious diversity as well as to the stability and the peace in the country. He further remarked that the murder was a monstrous and cowardly act which was against the laws, customs, traditions, social and religious values that characterized our Syrian society throughout its long history. No one in the area had ever heard of an act of revenge committed half a century later and after achieving full reconciliation and paying the blood-price "al-Dia". Mr. Saadi noted: "This crime puts forth a big question mark and is not viewed by us as an ordinary crime directed towards an individual. We suspect it to be a deliberate plan for creating troubles and targeting the stability, security and the national peace in our society in this extremely volatile situation the area is passing through. Hence we demand the authorities and its various apparatuses to give special attention to this crime and deal with it seriously far from bureaucratic procedures and indifference shown towards previous similar cases. This is a crime that has targeted all of society and we hold the authorities full responsibility for it. It should act relentlessly until the murderers are arrested and brought to justice and get their rightful punishment in order to become a lesson for others to learn from". Mr. Saadi then said that it was the duty of all the political, social, and tribal forces, with all their religious and national diversit. to join hands and stay unified against the criminals, in particular the relatives and the tribe of the perpetrators were demanded to condemn this crime and side with the community against the criminals and not try to find any pretexts and justifications, whatever the circumstances for the murder. Mr. Saadi then concluded that "this crime should not be forgotten by us as soon as the mourning comes to an end and that we should not stand idly by as we usually do. Instead we should act together and demand the authorities in one voice to arrest the culprits and bring them to justice with utmost speed. Finally, he pointed out that the ADO would be in touch with the relatives of the deceased and follow up this issue till the end because it was not an individual incident, rather it concerned our whole community. This was the case of protecting our Syrian people against the evil forces of darkness and fanaticism.
Save Assyria Front - Concluding Statement
Save Assyrian Front In order to address the complicated circumstances in our region and the fabricated democracy in Iraq resulting in marginalization and exclusion of our Assyrian case, and taking into consideration the high national Interest of our Assyrian people, the Expanded Assyrian conference held in Sweden in December 15-17, 2006 proposed the establishment of an Assyrian front to include all the Assyrian efforts and potentials representing all political parties, organizations, institutions, and independent activists under the name “Save Assyria Front” based on the following principals:
Furthermore, to the expanded Assyrian conference held in Sweden, the “Save Assyrian Front” first conference was held in Tbilisi, Georgia in March 15-17, 2007 under the slogan “Our Salvation is in Our Unity” where, in those three days, the delegates discussed the timetable of the conference and submitted the bylaws and the internal political program for “Save Assyria Front” as a national political entity which believes in Assyrian identity and represents a coalition including political parties, organizations, institutions, and independent activists struggling for the national rights of Assyrian people and based on the following strategies:
In conclusion, “Save Assyria Front” extends its gratitude to the people and the government of the Republic of Georgia for facilitating this conference. Long live the United Free Iraq Current Members of “Save Assyrian Front”:
2. Assyrian Universal Independent Activists Forum
Statement of the First Conference of the Assyrian General Conference Press Release: No Bargain on Our National Rights In the recent political circumstances in Iraq and both the international and regional equations, the conference took place between March 10-12 where the delegates discussed numerous cases concerning the national and patriotic issues in Iraq. On the national level, Assyrians feel that they were marginalized and been purposely distinguished notwithstanding the fact that the Assyrians are the indigenous people of Iraq. The conference decided to work on preserving the Iraqi national unity based on Lawful State, separation of authorities, and dissemination of the brotherhood principals among all the religious and ethnic groups to clear paths to all the sects of Iraqi people to live their own national rights. Under the umbrella of this Lawful State, the Conference demands reinforcement of the national unity of the Assyrian people, reveal its national identity stated in the constitution. Also, to remove the unjust acts caused to them since the establishment of Iraq until today. Furthermore, to secure their rights and return to their historical land in order to practice their national rights, and the need to establish an Assyrian Federal region within a United Federalized Iraq as per the constitution. On the patriotic level, the conference discussed the Iraqi constitution which in its articles aborted the rights of the Assyrian people. The conference also discussed Kirkuk issue considering it as a patriotic one not to be included in narrow scales. The conference looks at Kirkuk as a smaller Iraq where all the sects of the Iraqi people meet. In addition, the conference discussed the normalization issue in Dohuk demanding activation of all the relevant articles included in the Iraqi constitution and the necessity of centralizing the law to distribute the resources to the central government. The conference is thankful to the neighboring countries for adopting a positive attitude in all their standings toward the Iraqi affair. As for the international level, the conference decided to approach the international community to protect the rights of Assyrians in Iraq, the unity of Iraq, and the principals of human rights.
Assyrian Delegation Attends European Parliament Conference on Kirkuk Crisis Report by the Assyrian Democratic Organization in Brussels, Belgium On 26 and 27 March 2007, the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) and the Iraqi Turkmen Human Rights Research Foundation (SOITM), in partnership with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) and the Nonviolent Radical Party (NRP), organized a conference entitled “Iraqi Turkmen: The Human Rights Situation and Crisis in Kirkuk”, held at the European Parliament in Brussels.
Two goals were focused for this conference, the history and concerns of the Iraqi Turkmen, for the first session titled “Sources of Conflict”, followed by “An Iraq for the future and the Crisis in Kirkuk”. The assembled press, parliamentarians, European leaders, and civil society activists took part at the round table conference. These includeded Mr. Marco Cappato MEP, Committee on Foreign Affairs and Subcommittee on Human Rights; Mr. Marco Pannella MEP, leader of the Nonviolent Radical Party; Mr. Jan Marinus Wiersma MEP, Vice-Chairman of the Socialist Group; Mr. Nicola Dell Arciprete, Parliamentary Assistant ALDE Group; Mr. Marino Busdachin, UNPO General Secretary; Mr. Ken Kostyo, Director of Global Democracy Resource; Mr. Martin Schulthes, Special Programs Manager of No Peace without Justice. Many prominent figures from the Turkmen community were in attendance, both from Iraq and the Diaspora. These included Mr. Muzaffer Arslan, Advisor on Turkmen Affairs to President Jalal Talabani; Ali Mehdi, Head of the Turkmen Group at the Kirkuk City Council; Sheth Jerjis, SOITM Chairman; Merry Fitzgerald, Secretary of the Representative of the Iraqi Turkmen Front in Belgium; Dr. Hassan Aydinli, Iraqi Turkmen Front Europe representative and many other Turkmen authors and editors. The Iraqi Arabs were represented by a member of the Kirkuk City Council. In addition, the courageous participation of Burhan Jaf, EU Representative of the Kurdish Regional Government, was appreciated by most participants at the conference. The Assyrian delegation comprised Ms. Mary Younan, Executive Secretary of the Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA), Mr. Ablahad Astepho, Mr. Rimon Youkanna and Mr. Naher Arslan from the Assyrian Institute of Europe (ASINE). Mary Younan in the first day session spoke about “The Assyrians of Northern Iraq " and clearly denounced the Arabisation and Kurdification campaigns, violation of human rights and expropriation of lands and villages of the Assyrian people in their ancestral homeland. She added that “above and beyond all ethnic and religious differences, they were all gathered as Iraqis and it is the duty of each one to ensure that basic human rights of all Iraqis are guaranteed”. Ablahad Astepho, Director of ASINE, in his presentation during the following session expressed the “deep concern and growing alarm over the Assyrian Chaldean Syriac Communities in the Diaspora at the rapidly deteriorating situation of the ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq, specifically our Assyrian people”. He noted that “this dramatic situation touches all national, ethnic and religious groups that constitute the Iraqi society. However, the escalation of violence, since Ramadan October 2006, towards Christians in Iraq spread terror and despair within this already ravaged, persecuted and dispersed community; his high-ranking clergy and political leaders consider it as a fore phase to a final coup de grâce not only for Christians of Iraq, but also for all the Christians of the Middle East”. Then he asked the audience to refer to “the excellent recent report of the Minority Rights Group International 2007 by Preti Taneja, entitled “Assimilation, Exodus and Eradication: Iraq’s minority communities since 2003”, which paints a very dark image of the human rights situation of these minorities”. Exposing briefly the conflicting aspects of the “brewing battle over Kirkuk”: oil riches, ethnic competition over its identity between the four main communities- Assyrian, Arab, Kurd and Turkmen, interpretation of articles 140 and 142 of the Iraqi Constitution, controversies over normalisation, census and referendum program, he concluded “that Kirkuk’s Assyrians don’t enjoy great political influence, mirroring their demographic numbers and political power nationally. But they should have a big and important role in acting as Etat de tampon, an intermediary that can play an important role in the process of facilitating a negotiated interim solution for Kirkuk’s question.
He continued “ we agree and support the International Crisis Group - Middle East Report N° 56 - 18 July 2006, and we consider that its recommendations to all sides are a solid basis for a road map consisting of compromised arrangements which may not completely meet the vital interests or agendas of all ethnic and religious groups in Kirkuk, but at the very least it would curb if not put an end to this rapidly deteriorating situation and eventually, and contain the potentially violent sectarian conflict and the spreading of civil war”. He asked all participants to look at Kirkuk as “a smaller Iraq where all the components of the Iraqi society meet and contribute progressively to the suppression and/or solution of possible conflicts, to adopt principles of democracy, citizenship, cohabitation and to build together, as partners, a modern political, economic and social system, on a solid foundation based on dialogue, comprehension and mutual respect”. Considering “the participation of all ethnic, national and linguistic communities’ in a common federal system will undoubtedly constitute a rich model and serve as a safety-valve for the future of the united federalised and lawful state of Iraq”. Ablahad Astepho in his closing statement alarmed the audience “Until Kirkuk’s December 2007 deadline, we can only observe and note the fact that it is over for yesterday’s Iraq. And now the question is: What does the future hold for Iraq, will it adopt and implement a federal system within a strong and united country or will it be fragmented into small and vulnerable separate entities”. At the end of the two-day meeting, prior to the press conference, a few participants attempted to open Kirkuk’s Pandora’s Box, thankfully the atmosphere of courtesy continued and this was appreciated and highlighted during the press conference. The organizers of this conference, UNPO and SOITM, recommended an EU-appointed commission to continue dialogue and discussions started at this conference, aiming to securing a sustainable solution and preventing further conflict and confrontation. Assyrian Benefactor Donates $4 Million to Chicago Hospital Courtesy of the Chicago Tribune
(ZNDA: Chicago) A family of Iranian emigres has given $4 million to Swedish Covenant Hospital, the North Side Chicago institution where one family member was an orthopedic surgeon for many years. As a result of the gift, the hospital, which was itself founded by immigrants 120 years ago, is naming its newly remodeled emergency department after the benefactors, the Yelda family of Chicago. Dr. Rami "Sam" Yelda, 65, now retired, had been a surgeon at Swedish and other Chicago hospitals since he and his family emigrated from Iran about 40 years ago. The gift was made in his name and in the names of his wife, Beth, his mother, Jeannette, and sister Flora. Beth Yelda graduated from North Park University, which, like Swedish, is part of the Chicago-based Evangelical Covenant Church.Dr. Yelda also is the author of "A Persian Odyssey: Iran Revisited," a 2005 book in which this Assyrian Christian recounts two trips he made to his homeland after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks here. Dr. Yelda was said to be traveling and couldn't be reached for comment. Swedish's CEO, Mark Newton, noted that the Yeldas also have established a trust to help the hospital meet future needs. |
|||||||
|
Farewell to AUA ! William Yosifov To the Executive of the Assyrian Universal Alliance, Ladies and Gentlemen, The League of Assyrians of Russia, or LARUS, hereby announces a decision to withdraw from the Assyrian Universal Alliance. After weighing with utmost responsibility all pros and contras of this move, we grudgingly judged it the wisest possible in the current circumstances.
Unfortunately, the latter-day policies of the AUA leadership have been either devoid of action or directly destructive. The AUA is headed by people who put their egoistic calculation and unfounded ambition way before the interests of the Assyrian communities and organizations for whom they are supposed to speak. Most of these people are without national pride. They also ignore the principal chartered pursuit of the AUA, that of bringing about global Assyrian unity -- regardless of political, tribal, confessional, geographic or other divides. The struggle is for unity, not schism of any kind. These days, we also urge the AUA to focus effort on helping our brothers and sisters in our historical homeland in Iraq. Diasporal solidarity for this purpose would help them survive, preserve the sacred graves of our Assyrian forefathers and keep at least part of our ancestral land for us. Unfortunately, the AUA is now directed by people who dance to the tune of the Kurds. These people, including Dr Kambar, Mr Fawzi Hariri and the entire Darmo clan, are going out of their way to mislead the Assyrian nation to the benefit of their oil-rich masters. The television channel of Mr Sargon Dadesho is an even more destructive influence. Any Assyrian with a semblance of reasoning will have already cracked Mr Dadesho as a national enemy driven by a megalomaniac ambition to be the father of all Assyrians. His Modesto home from which he seeks to father us is of course a glitzy paradise with comfortable, warm and shiny washrooms on hand. This is a universe away from the conditions of his ethnic kin in Iraq, where they suffer untold misery and lack access to even basic sanitation, leave alone clean water, nutritious food or a living income. The impression is that Mr Dadesho is mentally unwell and needs compassion and medical help. Why then a sudden decision by the AUA to merge with the organization under him? Naturally, this merger creates a situation in which LARUS can no longer cooperate with the AUA. All our hope is now pinned on the Nineveh Plains Administrative Area Project. A secure homeland in Iraq would enable the Iraqi Assyrians to improve their social and economic conditions, retain at least part of their ancestral land and save themselves from genocide. All Assyrians must unite in demanding change that ensures the survival of their people. And unless they speak up as one, the world will not hear them. The latest executive decision by the AUA runs counter to the founding charter of this group. In an understandable reaction to this, the League of Assyrians of Russia, or LARUS, is hereby informing the executive of the Assyrian Universal Alliance, or the AUA, of its decision to sever ties with the AUA. Greetings from Iraq! Velma Toma There is a group of us who have come to Atra from America to visit our roots and connect with our people. We have been here since Monday. We have had the chance to truly see the work of our Assyrian Democratic Movement and Assyrian Aid Society. As an American born Assyrian, visiting my roots, i am truly overwhelmed with everything the Assyrian Democratic Movement and Assyrian Aid Society have done for our people here in Atra. We have visited the Assyrian Democratic Movement and Assyrian Aid Society built schools from elementary to high school all being taught in Assyrian, daycares, youth centers, womens centers, the villages of Core Gavana (where our latest Sahda Warda Sleewo lived), Gonda Cosa (one of Assyrian Democratic Movement's qrotanahs village which also holds a special place in my heart because it is my father's village).
I have sent these pictures because i am so anxious and happy to see my Assyrian people and see what the Assyrian Democratic Movement and Assyrian Aid Society have done to keep our language and culture alive and what they have done to provide a better life for our people here in Atra. I truly cant wait to spread the message when i return back home to America, until then, can you please post some of these pictures in the next edition, and inform readers of our current visit here. I will be following up with more pictures and a full report upon my return.
Australian Assyrian Arts and Literature Foundation Jacob Haweil Founded in 2006 the Australian Assyrian Arts and Literature Foundation was created with the vision of the advancement of Assyrian arts and literature. Within this context the mission of the Foundation is to engage Assyrian and non-Assyrian historians, archaeologists, litterateurs, poets, teachers and artists in contributing to the purpose of the Foundation. The Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation which is located in Melbourne, Australia. Having only recently been established (after close to three years of planning) the Foundation has already endeavoured to hold and undertaken successfully a joint Conference between the Assyrian, Greek and Armenian communities of Melbourne where many pre-eminent scholars of the Assyrian Genocide were present to present papers on the topic (as reported in the last issue of Zinda Magazine). The Foundation is also engaged in maintaining Assyrian culture through such activities as taking part in and organising the Assyrian New Year and Assyrian Martyr’s Day annually. Currently the Foundation is working on an ambitious project involving textbooks for primary Assyrian language school students. Any contributions or assistance would be welcomed and the Foundation looks forward to hearing from members of the Assyrian Nation who seek to make any contribution. For further information please write to the Australian Assyrian Arts and Literature Foundation, P.O. Box 422, Niddrie, VIC 3042, Australia or e-mail jacob_kse@yahoo.com.au. Ashamed of What We Have Become Danny A. Youmara I am sure you have heard this many times but for some reason our culture can not come to the truth. The name of our people keeps getting hyphenated, semicolon, slashed, etc. Enough is enough people. Take a look at the land between the two rivers (Mesopotamia) and see what our enemies are doing to us. It is shocking to see that in 2007 and on the eve of our cultural New Year (Kha b'Neesan) that we can not come to the realization that we are Assyrians (ethnically) and religiously different denominations.
We look at the Arabs in the Middle East; regardless of their territorial location they still call themselves Arab. Are we no better than them to realize our true identity? Our culture has survived coming this April, 6757 years, years of endless contribution to mankind and surviving holocaust after holocaust of arabization and murder. How can we still sit here and argue? Open a book, read about who we are; that we are Assyrians! Our enemies do not care what religious affiliation we belong to nor do they care if you call yourself Chaldean, Jacobite or Syrianee. What they care about is an Arab Islamic State and if your not apart of their philosophy, then you are apart of the problem. Take a look at our churches in Iraq, regardless of religious affiliation; Church of the East, Chaldean, Syriac, etc. The same thing is happening all over the country. The murdering, rape and assimilation of our people and the destruction of our churches, literally fundamentalist drive a truck next to the church and blow it up, my fellow Assyrians who belong to the Chaldean Church can attest to this; many of their churches have suffered the fate of these acts as well as the rest of our denominations. Ladies and gentlemen, I am ashamed of what we have become, and surprised that you can still sit there and try to express your political views and ideology. This is why no one helps us, this is why we have not achieved state hood in the Middle East for centuries, this is why your children are being murdered. In the name of Jesus Christ, take a look at yourself in the mirror. Are you happy of what you see? How can you sleep at night and know that your enemy is trying to divide and conquer you, which they have since the time our empire collapsed. I am not here to preach to you, I am not here to tell you that I am right and you are wrong, I am here to be a voice of reason. Ladies and gentlemen, my friends, my brothers and sisters, please if not for your future but your children’s future, realize your cultural identity. Realize that you are Assyrians, who help create the world you see today. Realize that you are a unique culture indigenous to the land between the two rivers (Mesopotamia) and it is your God given right for freedom. Freedom from tyranny of our enemies, freedom from the yolk of violence and the freedom to live in peace and tranquility. We are Assyrians; composed of many clans/villages, (i.e. Gawar, Jilu, Alkoosh, Telkif, Tyaree, Nochi, Baz, Urmi, etc) yet we have the same culture, language and heritage. We are Assyrians; composed of beautiful religions (Church of the East, Chaldean (Catholic), Syriac, Jacobite, Presbyterian, etc). We are Assyrians and proud of that we should be. Because if we do realize this and we understand our cultural identity, and unite in the cause of freedom and democracy, we will have something that we haven’t had in a long time. A country of our own. These words are not a dream nor are they random banter. If the entire world knows that we are all Assyrians composed of different clans/village and of different religious affiliations, why cant we? Are we not educated? Are we not civilized? If Arabs who belong to different sects of Islam know that in the end they are Arabs, are we not smart enough to realize the same about ourselves? This is a new year approaching us, let us think for ourselves and realize who we are and where we have come from. That we deserve the right to live in freedom, free of tyranny and persecution and free from the political web that numerous people are trying to oppress against us. My fellow Assyrians, may God bless you and your families and may he keep them from harms way and may this New Year of 6757 approach with hope that in time you hear the call of your ancestors and who’s blood stain the very grounds of Mesopotamia, to remember. Remember who you are and where you came from. You are the oldest culture in the world, you are one of the greatest empires the world has ever seen, you are the Assyrians. Not A Matter of Master And Server Sam Shalalo It is very unfortunate and regrettable that one or more of our “Assyrian” writers keep on talking about how only the Assyrians represent our nation and no one else has got any right to say anything other than to forget all our other names that some if not more of us have been using for so many hundreds of years if not more. The issue at hand is not merely a matter of serving more than one master when someone mentions or uses or deploys a combined name for our “whole” nation at this very critical and dangerous point of time. When one mentions the name “Chaldean”, it does not mean that he or she is “serving” two masters. Or if someone uses the combination of the name “Assyrian Chaldean Syriac”, it does not in any way or form lead to serving three masters. Who is the master here and who is the servant? When our Lord Jesus Christ said that you cannot serve two masters, he meant that you cannot serve God and “mammon” or money. Assyrians, Chaldeans and Syriacs are not claiming that they are Gods or that they are mammon. Those of us believing that all three of those names are sacred and dear names of our own people, use them not to show that one is the master and the others are servers, as those self-styled writers would lead you readers to believe. The situation in the land of our forefathers, Bet-Nahrain, calls us all, Assyrians, Chaldeans and Syriacs to dedicate all our efforts and capabilities to unite together and work with each other, and forget for the time being how and when were we called by those different names. The most important thing now is to apply the motto “If we as Assyrians, Chaldean and Syriacs can work with others, then why can’t we work together for the benefit of our one nation?” To be so idealistic, to say the least, or to go so far as to deny all the other elements that make up our one nation, is not only wrong, but it also denies the basic human rights for some people that the whole world is nowadays adopting as a very common right for everyone in this world. If we as “Assyrians” do not subscribe to this universally accepted law, then we are not any better than those who have denied our own rights for so many centuries in the land of our forefathers. |
