ZENDA - May 16, 2000

From: Subject: ZENDA - May 16, 2000 Date: Thu, 8 May 2003 11:18:35 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0056_01C31553.90FB6810"; type="text/html" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1106 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0056_01C31553.90FB6810 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.zindamagazine.com/html/archives/2000/zn051600.htm ZENDA - May 16, 2000

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Z I N D=20 A M A G A Z I N=20 E

Yaar 16,=20 = 6750 &nb= sp; =20 Volume=20 = VI = ; =20 Issue=20 = 11 = ; =20 May 16, 2000

To receive our weekly = notification message=20 or this issue in text format write to = z_info@zindamagazine.com.=20

T H I S W E E K I N Z I N = D=20 A

The=20 Lighthouse	A Brief History of Iranian Jews & Their = Assyrian=20 Origins
Good=20 Morning Bet-Nahrain	International Conference on Religious Life in=20 Turkey
News=20 Digest	Assyrian Woman Injured in Dutch Factory = Explosion=20 Ashur Bet-Sargis Concerts in = Germany
Surfs=20 Up	"Syriacs do not have any problems with=20 Turkey"
Surfers=20 Corner	The Fate of Karkuk 34th Annual Assyrian = State=20 Convention Assyrian Voice = Chat=20 Debuts
Assyrian=20 Surfing Posts	Assyro-Babylonian Mythology
Literatus	Others Have Been Hanged
Bravo	Ayad A. Yacoub
Pump=20 Up the Volume	Round & Circle
Back=20 to the Future	The Madness of Nabonidus & the Mongol = Aramaic=20 Script
This=20 Week in History	First Assyrian Traveler to = America
Calendar=20 of Events	Social & Cultural=20 Events

All blue=20 links throughout this issue are hyperlinks to other sections on this = page or=20 featured websites.=20

THE = LIGHTHOUSE

This week the last of the ten Jews held in Iran = on=20 accusations of spying for Israel appeared in court in the southern city = of=20 Shiraz. Of the other nine Jews, seven are reported to have = confessed to=20 passing material to Israel; only one has denied the charges. The = three=20 remaining Jewish defendants who are out on bail have yet to appear in=20 court. Iran has rejected international criticism that the trial, = which is=20 being held behind closed doors, is politically-motivated: Tehran says = eight=20 Muslims are also accused of spying for Israel. Last Friday, = Amnesty=20 International called for the trials to be held in public. The = human rights=20 organization holds that the proceedings in Shiraz fall short of = international=20 standards as the accused Iranian Jews were arrested without warrant = early last=20 year and denied access to lawyers and relatives for several = months. The=20 case has provoked condemnation from Israel, the U.S. and several human = rights=20 organizations.=20

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The Jews have a history in Iran which goes back = more than=20 2,500 years. Interestingly, the origin of Jewish presence in Iran = is=20 attributed to the mass deportation policy of the Assyrian kings (see = this week's=20 THE LIGHTHOUSE). Indeed the history of Assyrian communities in = Iran, from=20 their persecutions under the Achamenids until the rise of anti-Islamic = fervor in=20 the latter part of the Nineteenth Century closely resembles the plight = of the=20 Jewish groups in central and northeastern Iran. As with the = Assyrian=20 population in Iran, since the Islamic Revolution, the population of the = Jewish=20 groups has dwindled from an estimated 80,000 souls, to perhaps only = around=20 30,000. From an estimated 250,000 Assyrians living in Iran before = the 1979=20 Revolution, there remain less than 16,000. Although the Assyrians = and the=20 Jews are a tolerated minority and are respected as People of the Book, = such=20 politically-motivated actions as the Shiraz-13 Trials are viewed as the=20 hard-liners' reaction to the Reformist government of President Khatami's = appeal=20 for renewal of ties between Iran and the West.=20

Haroun Yashaya'i, head of the Jewish Society = notes that:=20 "[Shiraz-13] has been one of the worst things that's happened to the = Jewish=20 community here since the Islamic Revolution. The accusation of = organized=20 espionage has hurt us a lot, and it's caused feelings of insecurity = within the=20 community." Similarly, some Assyrian political observers insist = that the=20 religious minorities are being used as pawns in the ongoing struggle = within the=20 Islamic regime between the Reformists and the hard-liners who wish = to =20 undermine Khatami's proposal for "dialogue among civilizations".=20

This week,=20 Zinda Magazine outlines the history of Iranian Jews with particular = attention to=20 its "Assyrian" origins and their analogous struggle for justice and fair = treatment in a post-Islamic Revolution society of Iran. Clearly, = the=20 future of Iran's religious minorities is subject to the strengthening = the power=20 of the Reformists and the proliferation of the liberal publications - = many of=20 which have been recently banned.=20

The following article is excerpted from an = article=20 entitled "A Brief History of Iranian Jews" which appeared this week's = Payvand=20 Newspaper of Iran.=20

For more information: click=20 here=20

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A BRIEF HISTORY OF IRANIAN=20 JEWS
& = THEIR ASSYRIAN=20 ORIGINS

Iranian Jews are amongst the = oldest=20 inhabitants of the country. The origin of Jewish Diaspora in Persia is = closely=20 connected with various events in Israel's ancient history. At the time = of the=20 Assyrian king, Tiglath-pileser III (727 BC) thousands of Jews were = deported from=20 Israel and forced to settle in Media. According to the annals of another = Assyrian king, Sargon II, in 721 BC, Jewish inhabitants of Ashdod and = Samaria in=20 present day Israel were resettled in Media after their failed attempt = against=20 Assyrian dominance. The records indicate that 27,290 Jews were forced to = settle=20 in Ecbatana (Hamadan) and Susa in South West Persia. These settlers are = referred=20 to as one of the 'Ten Lost Tribes of Israel' in biblical = records.=20

The next wave of the Jewish = settlers=20 arrived to escape persecution from the Assyrian king Nabuchadnezzar = II. =20 Many were settled in Isfahan around 680 B.C. The conquest of Babylon by = Cyrus=20 the Great the founder of Achamenids Empire also brought many Jews into = the=20 country. In 539 BC, Cyrus entered Babylon with little resistance. The = temple of=20 Marduk their major deity was restored and Cyrus crowned himself in the = name of=20 Marduk. The Jewish exiles in Babylon were permitted to go home and = reconstruct=20 the temple of Jerusalem and some chose to emigrate to Persia. The = restoration=20 was confirmed by Darius the Great and commenced at the time of = Artaxerxes I.=20 Under Darius around 30,000 Jews left Babylon to start work on the=20 temple.=20

Persians occupied the highest = positions in=20 the state apparatus. At the same time they extensively utilized = cultural, legal=20 and administrative traditions of the conquered nations. In the Murashu = family=20 documents (present-day Iraq, ancient Babylon) of the 23 high royal = officers,=20 only eight have Iranian names. Various ethnic and religious minorities = followed=20 their own legal code in personal matters such as marriage and family=20 law.=20

The conquered people were also = given land=20 allotments in exchange for taxes and military service. Among these = settlers were=20 all groups such as Babylonians, Aramaeans, Jews, Indians and Sakai, etc. = In Susa=20 itself, besides the local population and the Persians, there were large = number=20 of Babylonians, Egyptians, Jews and Greeks. There were no restrictions = with=20 respect to religious freedom and practices. Hundreds of objects regarded = sacred=20 by various ethnic and religious groups are discovered both in Susa and=20 Persepolis. In the Fortification texts discovered at Persepolis many = foreign=20 deities are mentioned. These cults and their priests received rations = and wages=20 for maintenance.=20

A priest serving the Elamite = god Humban=20 receives 4 marrish of beer, of which two were for the Akkadian god Adad. = In 500=20 BC, the priest Ururu, having received 80 bar of grain from the = storehouse,=20 exchanged it for eight yearling sheep, of which two were used for = sacrifices to=20 the god Adad. The Persian religion was against offering of livestock for = sacrifices and Zoroaster banned the practice, however others were not = prevented=20 from practicing such rituals.=20

Nations conquered would be = treated as such,=20 not because of their ethnic make up or religion. Even captive Jews = brought into=20 Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar II, retained their faith in Yahweh and = practiced their=20 rituals and prospered economically. Zoroastrianism was also geared to = tolerance,=20 for it made a place for foreign gods as helpers of Ahura Mazda. One = Aramaic=20 inscription of the time speaks of a marriage between the Babylonian god = Bel and=20 the Iranian goddess Dayna-Mazdayasnish. In this document Bel appeals to = his=20 spouse with the words: " You are my sister; your are very wise and more=20 beautiful than the other goddesses". At times Jews and other groups = under=20 Persians were mistreated and rebellions were put down. There is no = evidence that=20 such actions were based on race or religion. Persian kings were ruthless = and=20 firm with all rebellions including the ones by the Persian Satraps and = members=20 of the Royal household.=20

After the collapse of the = Achamenids=20 Empire, the later dynasties, i.e. Selucids and Parthians followed the = same=20 policies. Persian, Aramaeans, Babylonian, Greek, Christian and Jewish = temples=20 were present in all the Major cities. The Jewish chronicles mention the = Parthian=20 period as one of the best in their history. Centers of Jewish life in = the=20 Parthian Empire were situated in Mesopotamia in Nisibis and Nehardea. = Jewish=20 chronicles state that they enjoyed a long period of peace and maintained = close=20 and positive contacts with the reigning dynasty. This is proved among = other=20 things, by the participation of the Jews in the rebellions against = Trajan (the=20 Roman Emperor) in Mesopotamia (116 AD). In addition, the Jews took an = active=20 part in organizing the silk trade, an advantage they owed to the evident = support=20 of the kings.=20

The reign of the Sassanid = dynasty from 205=20 AD to the conquest of Muslims in 651 AD, is full of contradictory and = extreme=20 policies with respect to the treatment of religious minorities. For the = first=20 time there is systematic oppression of different religious groups. In = his=20 inscriptions, the 'priest' Kidir (the chief Mobad) states that thanks to = his=20 efforts under King Bahram II (276-293), Zoroastrianism was promoted in = the=20 empire and other religious communities were persecuted. In one part of = the=20 inscription he declares:=20

"The false doctrines of Ahriman = and of the=20 idols suffered great blows and lost credibility. The Jews (Yahud), = Buddhists=20 (Shaman), Hindus (Brahman), Nazarenes (Nasara), Christians (Kristiyan), = Baptists=20 (Makdag) and Manichaeans (Zandik) were smashed in the empire, their = idols=20 destroyed, and the habitations of the idols annihilated and turned into = abodes=20 and seats of the gods".=20

Historical records are not very = clear with=20 respect to the Jewish persecution at this time. Though we know a lot = about the=20 Christian, Manichean and Mazdaean persecutions, we hear nothing about = the=20 persecution in the Jewish records until the fifth century. The Jewish = centers in=20 Mesopotamia [Bet-Nahrain] at this time were not as significant to the = political=20 processes as the Christians, Manichaeans or Mazdakites.=20

There is a phase of uncertainty = and=20 repression under Ardeshir (the first Sassanid king). Jews having had = excellent=20 relations with the Parthians were suspected to be collaborators with the = deposed=20 dynasty and their movement was restricted. Under Shapur I, the rabbis = and the=20 Jewish representative at the court (exilarch) came to an understanding, = by which=20 the Jews were granted more freedom of movement and the Sassanid could = count on=20 their compliance with taxing and general legal prescriptions. Shapur's=20 antagonism against the ruler of Palmyra (in Syria), who had destroyed = the Jewish=20 center of Nehardea when he invaded Babylon, helped the situation and = eased the=20 tension between Shapur and his Jewish subjects.=20

In the wars between Rome and = Shapur II, the=20 Jews unlike Christians were decidedly loyal to the Persian king, with = the=20 exception of a few messianic groups. The later massive repression of the = Jews=20 under Yazdgird II, Peroz and Kavad was a result of political actions by = such=20 messianic groups, who anticipated the imminent arrival of a new Messiah = on the=20 400th anniversary of the destruction of the temple in = Jerusalem.=20

Iranian sources mention attacks = by the Jews=20 of Isfahan on the city's Magi. Later persecutions were also politically=20 motivated. Khosrow's general Mahbad killed the Jewish followers of the = pretender=20 to the throne, Bahram Chobin. A further messianic revolt in Babylon was=20 ruthlessly put down in 640. At the beginning of the seventh century, the = Jews=20 watched the Sassanid offensive against Byzantium with great expectancy = and=20 joyfully welcomed the conquest of Jerusalem. At the same time Christians = were=20 massacred in great numbers.=20

Little is known about the = number of the=20 Jewish inhabitants in the Sassanid Empire, but it must have been quite=20 considerable, especially in Babylon. By far the majority of Jews made = their=20 living by farming, although handicraft and trade also played a part. = They lived=20 predominantly in villages, but also with many ethnic, linguistic and = religious=20 groups in larger towns and cities. There is no indication they were = forced to=20 live in closed Jewish quarters (Ghettos), as was the case in Islamic=20 times.=20

They are mentioned as = physicians, scholars=20 and philosophers. They taught at famous Iranian universities amongst = other=20 Christian, Indian, Roman, Greek and Persian scholars. Jewish Physicians = along=20 with Christians ran the famous Medical school Jundishapur for decades. = Several=20 members of the famous Christian families of Bukhtyishu and Masuya were = involved=20 in this school and had many Jewish assistants. Hunain b. Ishaq is the = most=20 famous Jewish physician of the early Islamic period. His family served = at=20 Jundishapur and he is credited with the best translations of Hippocratic = and=20 Galenic corpus into Arabic at the time of caliph = al-Mutazid.=20

Allah a term used by local = Christian=20 tribes, meaning god, became the only sovereign god, the almighty. Islam = was the=20 last and the most superior of all religions and Muslim males were made = superior=20 to all others including Muslim females. Christianity and Judaism were = accepted=20 as the only other true religions and their holy scripts were accepted as = such.=20 However despite a large number of Christian and Jewish tribes in Arabia, = their=20 freedom was substantially restricted and their legal status=20 lowered.=20

They were given the right to = practice their=20 religion if they paid a discriminatory religious poll tax called = 'jizya'. In=20 Quran, these people are called dhimmis (ahle zimmeh); later Zoroastrians = of Iran=20 were included as well. Quran prohibits Muslims from becoming friends = with=20 Christians and Jews and calls the later liars, dishonest and violent. = With=20 Christians they are forbidden from any participation in building = Mosques. Mixed=20 marriages were banned for Muslim women. While Muslims could not become = slaves,=20 all others were subjected to slavery as purchased slaves or war booty. = Later on=20 Christians and Jew were banned from riding horses while carrying arms = and could=20 not increase their numbers through conversion of others. They were = segregated=20 and their houses should have not exceeded those of the Muslims in height = (the=20 Jewish quarter in Kirman is the best example).=20

Courts of 'Shariat' became the = only legal=20 vessel and Quran gave Muslim males superior legal status. For instance = if a Jew=20 or a Christian kills a Muslim, there is both 'Ghesas' (Physical = punishment) and=20 'Dyeh' (Monetary compensation). If a Muslim kills a Jew or a Christian, = there is=20 no ghesas and they only pay dyeh, which is half of what the Jew or the = Christian=20 has to pay. There is no punishment for killing kofar (non-believers) or = mortad=20 (converters from Islam into other faiths).=20

In short all except the Muslim = males became=20 second class citizens (dhimmis). 'Covenant of Ummar' when Jerusalem was=20 conquered made religious discrimination an institution. Ummar believed = Arabia=20 should be purely Muslim and Arab. The large Christian and Jewish = communities of=20 Arabia mainly in Najran, Khaybar, Hijaz and Medina were expelled to the=20 conquered territories and their properties confiscated. His bias, = brutality and=20 discriminatory actions contributed to his assassination by a Persian=20 slave.=20

The situation is worsening by = the time of=20 Harun Al Rashid in Eight-century AD. The overwhelming population of the = area at=20 the time was Christian, Zoroastrian and Jewish. Their houses of worship = were=20 destroyed, they could not build any new ones and jizya was increased=20 substantially. Payment of the jizya was furthermore to be accompanied by = signs=20 of humility and recognition of personal inferiority.=20

Since non-Muslims were forced = out of the=20 government institutions, they went into trade and banking. A wealthy = class of=20 Jewish merchants emerged with cash but little political influence. Later = on the=20 money was used by some wealthy Jews throughout the Empire to finance the = Caliphs' courts and wars, especially against the Crusaders. Exilarch = still=20 remained the vehicle through which Jewish affairs were regulated. The = Muslim=20 authorities appointed this figure.=20

Muslim treatment of the = religious=20 minorities varied in accordance with the policies of the caliphs and = attitudes=20 of different governors. While the Umayyad governor of Iran Hajjaj was = ruthless=20 and extremely biased others were more lenient and did not follow all the = discriminatory rules. There were many Christian, Zoroastrian and Jewish=20 Philosophers, physicians, scientists, engineers, musicians and court=20 administrators in the first century of the Muslim Empire. Later on they = all=20 gradually convert or were forced out of government services. The coming = of=20 Abbasid improved the position of dhimmi for a while especially during = the reign=20 of Al Mansur. He was a devoted follower of the sciences and supported = the great=20 translation movement of the 8th century AD.=20

Initiated by the Syriac, Greek, = Jews and=20 Persians to preserve the ancient knowledge, the movement started in = Syria and=20 flourished in Baghdad. Scientists and intellectuals from all over got = together=20 and thousands of books were translated into Arabic from Greek, Hebrew, = Persian=20 and other languages. Iranian Jews were writing dari (new Persian) in = Hebrew=20 characters, the same way Christians used Syriac script to write=20 Persian.=20

The Jews were largely occupied = in trade and=20 commerce. The Jewish traveler Benjamin of Tuleda reports large Jewish = and=20 Christian communities in many of the larger cities. He visited the area = after=20 the death of Sultan Sanjar (1157) and mentions Jewish communities in = Hamadan,=20 Isfahan, Nihavand, Shiraz, Nishapur and Baghdad. On the whole there = appears to=20 have been little discrimination against the dhimmis other than the usual = restrictions. In one incident a prominent Jew, Abu Sad Samha = successfully made a=20 claim against Abu Shuja the Minster responsible for dhimmis. He claimed = Abu=20 Shuja had failed to protect the Jews and managed to get the Minster = sacked.=20 Samha worked for Malik Shah and was a friend of Nizam al-Mulk. At the = same time=20 Malik Shah in a new decree made it obligatory for the dhimmis to wear=20 distinguishing marks on their cloths. Such orders were issued from time = to time=20 which indicates that these restrictions were not permanently enforced. = However=20 the Jewish clans who supported the Ismaili movement were gravely = punished and=20 massacres took place in the Zagros and Luristan regions.=20

The Mongol dynasties were a lot = more=20 tolerant to the religious minorities. Under the Mongol leader, Hulagu = (1258 AD),=20 the concept of the dhimmi and the division between "believers" and "non=20 believers" were abolished. Once again non-Muslims were employed in the=20 government institutions.=20

The next major change comes = with the=20 Safavids in 16th century. Shiism is introduced as the state religion. A=20 religious hierarchy is established with unlimited power and influence in = every=20 sphere of life. The concept of "ritual pollution" (najes) of the = non-Muslims is=20 introduced. Suffering and persecution of all religious groups = particularly the=20 Sunnis becomes a norm (this period is one of the worst with respect to = human=20 rights in Iran).=20

Jewish chronicles are full of = accounts of=20 massacre, forced conversion into Islam and mistreatment. New = institutions are=20 created; nasi became the head of the Jewish community assisted by the = rabbi,=20 mullah (Jewish one), or dayyan. The nasi was responsible for the prompt = payment=20 of jizya to local authorities. All relations between Iranian Jews and = others=20 outside the country were completely severed. Christians and Zoroastrians = were=20 subjected to the same harsh treatments and Sunnis suffered most. = Segregation=20 became a reality again for all minorities and Jewish Ghettos were = reinforced.=20 The reports by European travelers and missionaries describe the tragic = situation=20 of the Jews and other religious minorities. Jews were forced to wear = both a=20 yellow badge and a headgear, and their oath were not accepted in courts = of=20 justice. A Jew who converted to Islam could claim to be the sole = inheritor of=20 the family property, to the exclusion of all Jewish relatives. If one = Jew=20 committed a crime or an illegal act, the whole community would be = punished=20 (other religious minorities were subjected to the same harsh=20 treatments).=20

The end of the 19th century is = the=20 beginning of fundamental changes in Iran and the start of the = Constitutional=20 Revolution. Jewish partisans along with other minorities participated in = the=20 movement. They were instrumental in forming the first multiethnic Secret = Society=20 of 1905, which began the debate on political change. Jews, Christians, = Bahai and=20 Zoroastrians fought hard with the Constitutionalists to form a National=20 Consultative Majlis instead of an Islamic Majlis as demanded by the = religious=20 hierarchy. Along with other religious minorities they succeeded in their = efforts=20 to ratify laws that gave equality to Muslim and non-Muslim (male) = citizens in=20 1907 and defined a new concept of Nationality not based on religious = origins=20 (with the exception of Bahai who were not recognized).=20

According to the new = constitution Jews,=20 Christians and Zoroastrians had the right to elect one delegate each to = the=20 Majlis, but they could not participate in elections of other delegates. = The=20 constitution also prohibited non-Shiite Muslims from becoming a member = of the=20 Government. This was ignored by the Phahlavi regime and there were = non-Muslim=20 high government officials even Bahai by the 1970's.=20

Reza Shah was the first Iranian = Monarch=20 after 1400 years that paid respect to the Jews by praying to the Torah = and=20 bowing in front of it, when visiting the Jewish community of Isfahan. An = act=20 that boasted the self-esteem of the Iranian Jews and made Reza Shah the = second=20 most respected Iranian leader after Cyrus the Great. Still when in the = 1970's,=20 they showed up to support the Iranian Football team against Israel in = the Asian=20 games in Tehran, they were beaten up by the mob and the Iranian flags = they were=20 carrying were taken away.=20

In 1948, there was a high = concentration of=20 Jewish communities in Kurdistan. There were around 12,000 Jews scattered = in=20 approximately 15 Jewish settlements in Iranian Kurdistan. After the = formation of=20 the State of Israel many Jews in the area left for Tehran, in transit to = Israel.=20 The move angered the Muslim authorities. In March 1950, 12 Jews were = murdered in=20 Kurdistan. As a result more Jews moved to Tehran and demanded = protection. The=20 Iranian government guaranteed their safe passage. By March 1951, 8000, = Iranian=20 Jews had moved to Israel, the first major emigration in 20th century. = The family=20 of Mr. Barak, Israel's current Prime Minister may have been amongst this = group.=20 After the formation of Israel in 1949, all the Muslim countries in the = region=20 expelled their local Jewish population except Iran. By 1966, the = number of=20 Jews immigrated to Israel had reached 22,000.=20

The Islamic Revolution of 1979, = made=20 Shariat the legal code and therefore gender and religious = discriminations are an=20 integral part of the system. Bahai once again are not recognized at all, = Jews,=20 Christians and Zoroastrians each have one representative in the = Parliament and=20 are not legally forbidden from employment in the government sector. But = since=20 the authorities only employ Muslims and a 'Shariat test' is required, in = reality=20 these people are once again barred from working for the government. Like = Bahaies=20 it was very difficult for them to leave Iran for a decade after the = revolution=20 and restrictions still apply. They are accepted into Universities, but = are not=20 given access to post graduate studies, though no law prohibits them. = Their=20 monetary transactions are monitored closely to make sure no money is = sent out.=20 There were 85000 Iranian Jews before 1979, almost half have emigrated = mainly to=20 USA. The largest exodus since Darius' time when 30,000 left joyfully to = rebuild=20 their temple. Their departure this time has not been a happy = one!=20

Massoume =
Payvand Newspaper =
May 15, 2000
=20

GOOD MORNING BET-NAHRAIN=20

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON = RELIGIOUS LIFE=20 IN TURKEY

(ZNZT: Istanbul) = Twenty-five=20 Europeans from the fields religion and academics and hundred-fifty = people from=20 Turkey participated in a five day conference in Istanbul, May 3-7, 2000. = The=20 theme of the conference was "Religious Life in Turkey within the = European Union=20 Process."=20

At the European Summit last = December Turkey=20 was accepted as a candidate member state of the European Union. Turkish=20 authorities want to complete the process towards full membership as soon = as=20 possible. They expect a lot of economic advantages from the = move.=20

There are other questions than = the=20 political or economic harmonization and integration. There is the = question of=20 human rights and particularly the question of religion. In less than = twenty=20 years from now Turkey will likely be the country with the largest = population in=20 the European union, but also the only "Muslim" country.=20

According to Turkish officials = there are no=20 religious problems inside Turkey. Since the foundation of the Republic = by Kemal=20 Atat=FCrk in 1923, Turkey has been a "secular" country. Religion has = nothing to do=20 with politics. To guarantee this separation, a "Directorate for = Religious=20 Affairs," the so-called "Diyanet," has been established.=20

Religious problems come from = abroad,=20 especially from Germany, stated Diyanet President Mehmet Nuri Yilmaz in = an=20 interview with the Belgian newspaper "De Standaard". There Turkish = Muslims get=20 the opportunity to create their own communities, not governed by the = Diyanet.=20 They often spread defiant views and even terrorism, with the support of = European=20 governments who claim unconditional respect for human rights, according = to the=20 Diyanet president.=20

During the Opening Session = Prime Minister=20 B=FClent Ecevit blamed racism in Europe and its tendency to see itself = as a=20 "Christian Club". That claim was refuted later on by Msgr. Noel Treanor, = Secretary General of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the = European=20 Community (COMECE), representing the Holy See. Msgr. Treanor, who was = assisted=20 for the Conference by Vatican expert Hans V=F6cking of the Pontifical = Institute=20 for Arabic Studies in Rome (PISA), stressed that the European Union is a = political project and not a religious one. Member countries deal with = religious=20 freedom within the framework of their own constitutions and = laws.=20

"The European Union is = definitely not a=20 Christian Club", Msgr. Treanor emphasised. "The EU rests on respect for = the=20 rights of men. All religions exist in Europe, and we are all=20 brothers".=20

During the discussion sessions = in the four=20 working groups, it became clear that there are also considerable = differences of=20 opinion within the Diyanet itself. Most participants want the Diyanet to = keep=20 appropriate control on Islam practise within Turkish communities abroad. = Therefore visa obstacles for the religious officials have to be removed = and=20 training of imams and theologians has to be promoted.=20

According to other = participants, "Islam has=20 to take into account the evolution within the civil society and must = urgently=20 modernize". Contact with other religions, the highly praised = "interreligious=20 dialogue", should be the first condition to bring Islam up to date and = to foster=20 the full membership of Turkey to the European Union.=20

=20

NEWS DIGEST

ASSYRIAN WOMAN INJURED AT = DUTCH FACTORY=20 EXPLOSION

(ZNDA: Holland) On Saturday, a massive explosion = in a=20 firework factory brought death and destruction to the Dutch town of = Enschede=20 where nearly 8,000 Assyrian-Suryoyo live. According to Zinda's = reliable=20 sources, at press time an Assyrian woman was reported to have been = slightly=20 injured and minor structural damage to one of the two Assyrian churches, = the=20 Syrian-Orthodox Church of Mor Yaqoub d'Srug, was also = reported. =20 According to Dutch officials, at least 20 people were killed and about = 500=20 injured. Eyewitnesses spoke of limbs flying through the air and = dead=20 bodies lying in the smoldering rubble. As many as 200 others are = still=20 missing.

ASHUR BET-SARGIS CONCERTS IN=20 GERMANY

(ZNDA: Berlin) The = legendary=20 Assyrian singer, Ashur Bet-Sargis, concluded his successful concert tour = in=20 Germany where he performed for crowds of enthusiasts in Essen and=20 Berlin. Bet-Sargis' concert in Berlin was organized by the = Assyrian=20 Aid Society in Germany and well-attended by the different religious and=20 political factions within the Assyrian community of Berlin. Mor = Khuri=20 Hanna Teber and Qasha Ilas Tozman of the Syrian Orthodox Church were=20 instrumental in publicizing the tour and its objective in raising = awareness=20 about the Assyrians in northern Iraq. The Assyrische Union Berlin, = represented by Mr. Jonie Eilo and other members also offered their=20 support. Malfono Murat spoke at the concerts about the projects = underway=20 in northern Iraq. Ms. Adrin Takhsh talked specifically about = the AAS=20 projects in Northern Iraq. Many German friends of the Assyrian = communities=20 attended these concerts. A special dance performance by an = Assyrian-Suyoyo=20 troupe was among the highlights of these concerts. The proceeds = from these=20 concerts will be used for the educational needs of the Assyrian students = in=20 northern Iraq.=20

SURF'S UP! =

=93I just want to say that your magazine is = truly the=20 best in Assyrian publishings. God bless you all and please never stop = this great=20 magazine.=94=20

Assyrian Voice=20 Chat
Canada

=93In the=20 last week of April, some circles who are claimed to be Assyrian-Syriac = staged=20 demonstrations and hunger strikes in order to protest the genocide of = 1915=20 (Sayfo) in various European countries with the support of some Kurdish=20 organizations and this has caused some suspicions about these circles. = To make a=20 protest speech in solidarity with the PKK, PSK and the other chauvinist = Kurdish=20 organizations by ignoring the role of the Kurds in the genocide means = nothing=20 but disrespect for the Assyrian-Syriac peoples and thousands of their=20 martyrs.=20

Those who committed the genocide should definitely be = protested=20 and the murderers should be brought to book. But who are the real = murderers?=20 First, it should be found out. Unfortunately, these circles who claim = that they=20 are "Assyrian-Syriac" seem to be very friendly with the Kurds who are = their real=20 murderers. Isn't this a contradiction? Is it possible to forget the = historical=20 realities?=20

It is an undeniable fact that in the period between = 1820 and=20 1920 the Assyrians and Syriacs were subject to the genocide mostly by = the Kurds,=20 that hundreds of thousands of Christians lost their lives in this = genocide, and=20 that hundreds of churches were plundered, destroyed and burnt down. The = fact=20 that in 1840's Bedir Khan, the Kurdish Emir of Cizre massacred more than = 10.000=20 Assyrians/Nestorians and Syriac Christians was proven with the documents = and=20 this is only one example (See Yakup Hidirsah "Massacre of Christians = -Syriac,=20 Nestorian, Chaldean, Armenian- in Mesopotamia and Kurds", Hannover=20 1997).=20

In fact, even the Armenian writer Garo Sasuni = confessed that=20 all the genocides in Armenian provinces were carried out by the Kurds = and during=20 the genocides 300.000 Armenians were killed (See Garo Sasuni, Kurdish = National=20 Movements and Armenian-Kurdish Relations since the 15th Century, = Stockholm 1986,=20 p.124). In his book called "the 1914-1915 Massacre of the Syriacs from = Farman=20 Tur-Abdin" which was published in Athens, the capital of Greece in 1993, = the=20 priest of Syriac Church in Kuburelbith town of Syria, Hori S=FCleyman = Hinno of the=20 Harabale village of Midyat district of Mardin province describes in = detail how=20 the Kurds massacred the Syriacs living in almost 100 settlement places = within=20 the province of Mardin.=20

It is known that the Syriacs who fled from the = brutalities and=20 pressures of the Kurds during the years of World War I (1914-1918) took = refuge=20 in Iran/ Urumiye this time became the target of the Kurds in Iran and = were=20 massacred (See William Eagleton, Mehabad Kurdish Republic 1946, = translated by=20 M.Emin Bozarslan, Istanbul 1976, p.37-39; B.Nikitine, "Nestorians" = Islamic=20 Encyclopedia , Volume:8, p.210).=20

That is why the Kurds, the real murderers of Syriacs, = should be=20 those to be brought to book instead of doing this, attempting to look = for others=20 to put the responsibility means concealing the realities. It is = significant that=20 the Syriac Patriarch Ignatios Ilyas III was among the people who = welcomed=20 Atat=FCrk in Ankara on December 27, 1919 and that he participated in the = opening=20 ceremony of Turkish Grand National Assembly on April 23, = 1920.=20

The remarks made by the two Syriac clerics concerning = Atat=FCrk=20 are significant in that they show their point of view towards the = Republic of=20 Turkey: In his book called "The History of the Turkish Syriacs" = (Diyarbakir=20 1970) the priest of generations-old Diyarbak=FDr Syriac Community-Mother = Mary=20 Church, Aziz G=FCnel states that "Enjoying the equal rights granted by = the=20 Constitution of the Republic of Turkey in the new epoch marked by = Atat=FCrk,=20 members of the generations-old Syriac Community having a population of = about=20 35-40 thousand can teach their own language in their own churches with = pleasure,=20 welfare and peace. Oh Atat=FCrk, rest in peace.."(p.57-58).=20

In his book called "the 1914-1915 Massacre of the = Syriacs from=20 Farman Tur-Abdin" which he described the brutalities and oppressions = conducted=20 against the Syriacs by the Kurds, Hori S=FCleyman Hinno, the priest of = Syriac=20 Church in Syria / Kuburelbith states that " to tell the truth, in the = era of=20 Mustafa Kemal Pascha, who was called Atat=FCrk-the ancestor of Turks-, = everybody=20 started to lead a comfortable life." (p.172)=20

As is seen, Syriacs do not have any problems with the = Republic=20 of Turkey. Some plots devised by some political interest groups in = Europe who=20 use the name of Syriacs will not do any good to Syriac people. = Preserving their=20 religion, language and culture in the environment of peace and tolerance = in=20 Turkey, Syriacs live in peace.=20

The Syriac Representative also participated in the = symposium=20 held in honour of Prophet Abraham of Syriac origin on April 13, 2000 in=20 Urfa/Harran, one of the ancient cities of Syriacs. The symposium was = organized=20 with the contributions of the official institutions of the Republic of = Turkey=20 and with the participation of the representatives of the three religions = with=20 one God from 15 countries.=20

The Tourism Ministry of the Republic of Turkey, = taking into=20 consideration the importance of the Syriac culture and churches, opened = this=20 year's Tourism Week in Mardin, the sacred city of Syriacs on April 15, = 2000. As=20 well as some 150 scholars and clerics, Yusuf Sag, Turkey's Deputy = Patriarch of=20 Syriac Catholics was also invited to the International European Union = Board=20 Meeting organized in Istanbul on May 03, 2000 by the Turkish = Directorship of the=20 Religious Affairs.=20

All these recent developments were received with = pleasure by=20 the Syriac community.=20

Therefore, we, the Syriac patriots reject some = political foci=20 in Europe holding the Republic of Turkey responsible for the genocide of = 1915.=20 We believe that these attitudes damage the interests of the Syriacs in = Turkey=20 and we protest against them with all our might.=94=20

Mezopotamya Demokratik=20 Forumu =

For More information: Click = Here=20
=20

SURFERS CORNER=20

THE FATE OF = KARKUK

Recent reports have uncovered a = proposal by=20 the Iraqi government to resettle up to a half-million Palestinian = refugees from=20 various Middle Eastern countries into the Karkuk area of northern Iraq = (AINA=20 04-01-2000). The probability of placing an already destitute, persecuted = and=20 disenfranchised refugee population in the midst of the smoldering = cauldron of=20 ethnic strife in northern Iraq has not escaped the Palestinian = leadership. On=20 February 24, 2000 Mr. Hassan Abdel Rahman of the Palestinian National = Authority=20 (PNA) in Washington declared the PNA's opposition to the plan. Clearly = concerned=20 about the prospects of wedging his refugee civilian population between = the=20 Arabizing policies of the central government and the ethnocidal policies = of=20 Sorani-Behdanani-Kurmanji tribesmen, Mr. Rahman stated that the = "Palestinian=20 Authority was opposed to any form of ethnic cleansing as a basis for the = settlement of refugees."=20

The response from Sorani and = Behdanani=20 tribal leaders has been quite ironic. Sensing a threat to their = ill-gotten=20 Assyrian lands and the extensive oil resources contained therein, the = Sorani and=20 Behdanani leadership have now become self-described victims of "ethnic = cleansing=20 and Arabization" by the central government of Iraq. The Sorani-Behdanani = leadership's inconsistency conveniently neglects to address ethnic = cleansing of=20 Assyrians by the central government as well as by these same Sorani and=20 Behdanani tribes.=20

Well known to Sorani and = Behdanani=20 political elites is the fact that in the 1970's over 200 Assyrian = villages were=20 destroyed by the central government and then subsequently resettled by = Sorani=20 and Behdanani tribesmen often related to the tribal hierarchy of the = Kurdistan=20 Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). More=20 recently, over 50 Assyrian villages have been expropriated by various = Sorani and=20 Behdanani tribes since the Gulf War. Attacks aimed at expelling = Assyrians from=20 their ancestral villages have continued in the Nahla region (AINA = 10-16-1999)=20 despite KDP denials. Facing an erosion of international sympathy for the = Sorani-Behdanani tribes as ethnically persecuted minorities, some = militants have=20 even compelled vulnerable, unarmed Assyrian villagers to deny attacks = against=20 their villages (AINA 01-21-2000) despite confirmation by international=20 organizations.=20

In a November 8, 1999 press = release=20 published by the Kurdish Observer, the Mayor of Aqra, Mr. Rasheed = Hussein Ahmad=20 also attempted to deny the ongoing attacks against the nearby Assyrian = villages=20 in Nahla. The denial, however, was accompanied by an historic admission=20 regarding attacks against Assyrian villages. Referring to the = destruction of=20 Assyrian villages during the previous conflict between the central = government=20 and Sorani and Behdanani tribes, Mr. Ahmad acknowledged that "Indeed, = the=20 Assyrian villages were evacuated, and in an attempt to instigate = division=20 between the Kurds and Assyrians, the Iraqi regime repopulated these = villages=20 with Kurdish factions allied with the regime." Conspicuously absent from = the=20 Mayor's statement was an explanation of any concrete steps taken by the = KDP and=20 its subordinate regional government to repatriate Assyrians to their = ancestral=20 homes or pay just compensation especially in the past ten years when the = KDP=20 administered that territory. Nor was there an explanation for the = continued=20 expropriation of over 50 additional Assyrian villages following the Gulf = War and=20 the subsequent institution of the "Safe Haven."=20

Sorani, Behdanani and Arab = claims on=20 historic Assyrian cities and villages have continued. Claims on Karkuk = are=20 especially infuriating to Assyrians. Having historically suffered and = survived=20 wave after wave of slaughter and persecution, Karkuk Assyrians continue = to=20 inhabit the city. The most infamous massacre of Assyrians was recorded = in 448=20 A.D. when the Persian King Yasdegard II executed 10 Assyrian bishops and = 153,000=20 clergy and laity in "several consecutive days of slaughter on the mound = of Karka=20 d'Bait Sluk (Karkuk). Local tradition still asserts that the red gravel = of the=20 hillock was stained that color by the martyrs' blood, and the martyrium = built=20 over the bodies remains to this day. (Introduction to the History of the = Assyrian Church page 138)"=20

Founded as an Assyrian city = millennia ago=20 and having sacrificed hundreds of thousands of martyrs, Karka d'Bait = Sluk=20 (Karkuk) remains forever etched in the collective consciousness of the = Assyrian=20 people. Whether illegally settled by Soranis, Behdananis, or = Palestinians,=20 Karkuk remains essential to the Assyrian national awareness and=20 identity.=20

Assyrian International News=20 Agency
May 16,=20 2000

34TH ANNUAL ASSYRIAN = STATE=20 CONVENTION
MODESTO & = TURLOCK,=20 CALIFORNIA
May 26 - 29, = 2000

Hosting Affiliates:
    Assyrian Club of Urhai
    Assyrian American Civic Club of = Turlock=20
    Assyrian American Association of=20 Modesto
    Assyrian United=20 Organizations of California=20

PROGRAM

Friday, May=20 26=20

8:00 PM - 2:00=20 AM           Dance=20 Party
AACC of Turlock
$8.00
Entertainment: =
    Amanouel Bet-Younan
    Albert Mansour
    Robert Khanishan=20

Saturday, May=20 27=20

9:00=20 AM = ; =20 Athletic Games Open Ceremony
Turlock High=20 School=20

11:00=20 AM = ; =20 Assyrian American National Federation
National=20 Executive Committee Meeting
Modesto Center=20 Plaza=20

11:00=20 AM = ; =20 Student Conference
Modesto Center = Plaza=20

2:00=20 PM = ; =20 Assyrian Women Conference
Guest Speaker: Mrs. = Jandak=20 Hanna
Assyrian Women Union North Of = Iraq=20
Modesto Center Plaza=20

4:00=20 PM = ; =20 Internet Seminar
Modesto Center = Plaza=20

8:00 PM -=20 2:00 &nb= sp; AM=20 Dance Party
Assyrian American Civic Club=20 Donation
$ 15.00
Entertainers:
Fatin Shabou =
Ramis Bet-shmouel
Albert = Mansour=20

Sunday, May=20 28=20

9:00=20 AM = ; =20 Athletic Games
Turlock High = School=20

11:00=20 AM = ; = =20 Assyrian Women Conferece
Guest Speaker Mrs = Jandark=20 Hanna Part2
Modesto Center Plaza=20

2:00=20 PM = ; = =20 Assyria Aid Society Rally
Guest Speaker Mr. = Narsai=20 David
Modesto Center Plaza=20

3:00=20 PM = ; = =20 Political Rally
Modesto Center = Plaza=20

8:00 PM - 2:00=20 AM            = ; Dance=20 Party
Double Tree Hotel, Modesto =
$ 18.00
Entertainers =
    Fatin Shabou
    David Simon
    Ramis Bet-Simon
=20

8:00 PM - 2:00=20 AM            = ;        =20 Banquet Dance Party
Assyrian American Civic = Club Of=20 Turlock
$40
Entertainers
    = Lida=20 Lawando
    Fatian = Shabou=20
    Robert Khanishan=20

Moday, MAY 29=20

10:00=20 AM = ; = =20 Convention Picnic
Tuolumne River Regional = Park,=20 Modesto
$ 5:00
Parking Free,=20 Live Entertainers
Food And Beverages Will Be=20 Sold=20

Information Hotel Reservation =
Double Tree Hotel
1150 9th = Street=20
Modesto Center Plaza
K = Street,=20 Adjacent to the Double Tree Hotel
1-800-222-8733=20
Ask For Assyrian State Convention Rates=20

Modesto Turlock High School =
1600 East Canal Drive
Turlock=20

Assyrian American Civic Club =
2618 N. Golden Stse Blvd
Turlock=20

Toulumne River Regional Park =
1200 Tioga Drive
Modesto=20

Ticket Will Be Sold At The Assyrian = American Civic=20 Club Of Turlock
For More Information Call = (209)=20 668-4668 (209) 667-8444

ASSYRIAN VOICE CHAT = DEBUTS=20

We are glad to announce the opening of the new = Assyrian Voice=20 Chat, the first place where Assyrians can truly feel some sense of = untiy. =20 Visit this website at http://www.assyrianvoice.cjb.n= et/=20 and talk live to Assyrians all around the world in all the different = dialects of=20 our beautiful Assyrian language. In addition to meeting thousands = of=20 Assyrians online daily, we host Assyrian singers frequently, as well as = writers,=20 poets, politicians and many more important figures in the Assyrian=20 society. Invite your friends and come chat with us. All you need = is to=20 download the client HEARME software which takes about ten seconds, then = you can=20 start chatting. If you have any problems please contact us at:=20 assyrianauthors@hotmail.com=20

Thanks a lot and hope to see you there=20

Ashoor
Assyrian Voice = Chat
=20

ASSYRIAN SURFING = POSTS=20
Links to Other Assyrian=20 Websites

Assyro= -Babylonian=20 Mythology
Gods & Heroes of the Sumerian, Babylonian, = and=20 Assyrian Mythologies =20

LITERATUS

OTHERS HAVE BEEN=20 HANGED

Sad news. The Kurds driven back = from Khoi=20 massacred 800 Syrian and Armenian men with cruel torture. This in the = plain of=20 Salmas. In Urmia the largest and wealthiest Syrian village, Gulpashan, = which had=20 been spared by payments of large sums of money, was given over to = plunder by the=20 returning Kurds. The men of the village were all taken out to the = cemetery and=20 killed; the women and girls treated barbarously. Sixty men were taken = out of the=20 French Mission, where they had taken refuge, and shot. Others have been = hanged.=20 The Swiss teacher of the missionaries' children has died of typhoid. I = have been=20 asked to go to Urmia, but every way is blocked. Please let Mr. Speer = know=20 facts. =

Rev. Rebert M. = Labaree=20
12 March 1915 =
The Board of Foreign = Missions=20
Presbyterian Church in the=20 U.S.
=20

BRAVO

AYAD A. = YACOUB=20

Last week, The=20 Detroit News honored some of Michigan's top graduating high school = students as=20 "Michigan's Top 20 High School Seniors". Among the honored = students=20 was Lincoln High School Senior, Ayad A. Yacoub, an Assyrian-Chaldean = resident of=20 Detroit, Michigan. Students were selected on the basis of grades, = test=20 scores, honors, community involvement and a demonstrated ability in one = of the=20 academic areas. In a special category called "Against All Odds," = students=20 were recognized for succeeding despite a physical challenge or special, = personal=20 or family problems.
Category:=20 Against All Odds
GPA: =20 4.0
Achievements:=20 Co-valedictorian; National Honor Society; member of the track team, = soccer team=20 and Chess Club (tournament champion); assistant coach, youth soccer; = Lawrence=20 Tech scholarship; MEAP test scholarship; volunteer in Chaldean = community=20
Parents: Athir and = Nadia=20 Battah
College: = Lawrence=20 Tech University
Major:=20 Computer engineering
Career=20 plans: Computer engineering
=20

PUMP UP THE = VOLUME=20

ENGLISH	MODERN=20 ASSYRIAN	GENDER
Round	gloo/la (rounded =3D = glee/la) "g" as in "girl"	= Masculine
Circle	khood/ra	Masculine

BACK TO THE=20 FUTURE

BC (May 556)=20

2256 years ago on this month, King Nabonidus is = recognized as=20 king in the city of Nippur, in southern Bet-Nahrain (Mesopotamia). = He was=20 the son of the governor of Harran and the priestess of the moon god = Sin. A=20 servant of king Nebuchadnezzar, he was in his sixties when he came to = the=20 throne. Nabonidus was also a very religious man and a loyal = worshipper of=20 Sin. This infuriated the priests of the other temples in = Bet-Nahrain and=20 they began objecting to Nabonidus' kingship. At this time a famine = struck=20 southern Bet-Nahrain and Nabonidus, believing that gods were displeased = by his=20 holy men's treason, imposed a ten-year self-exile. He spent these = years in=20 Taima in northwest Arabia. In the Bible, Nabonidus is called=20 Nebuchadnezzar and is said to have eaten grass and gone mad. = Modern=20 scholars continue to disagree on the causes of this fascinating = Mesopotamian=20 ruler's self-imposed exile. During the 10 years, the New Year = festival=20 (Akitu) could not be celebrated as it required the presence of the = king.=20

The Reign of Nabonidus, Beaulieu =

AD (1644-1910)=20

During the Ching Dynasty Chinese ceremonial writing = often made=20 use of the Mongol Aramaic script, written up and down, rather than right = to left=20 - a testament to the success of the Church of the East's spreading of=20 Christianity in the East.=20

Assyrian Christian Architecture of Iran,=20 Naby
=20

THIS WEEK IN=20 HISTORY

May 16, 1874 : Mar Yohanna, the Bishop of Urmie, Iran, = dies in=20 Urmie. Mar Yohanna was the first Assyrian to travel to=20 America.=20

CALENDAR OF = EVENTS

May = 22-26	COPENHAGEN=20 2ND INTERN. CONGRESS = ON THE=20 ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST "Near Eastern Archaeology = at the=20 Beginning of the 3d Millen. AD" Hosted by Carsten Niebuhr = Institute and the=20 University of Copenhagen. =20 Contact: Secretary = of the=20 2ICAANE Carsten=20 Niebuhr Institute Snorresgade 17 - 19 DK-2300 Copenhagen. Tel. +45 35 32 89 00; Fax. +45 35 = 32 89=20 26 e-mail: = 2icaane@coco.ihi.ku.dk.
May = 27	MODESTO=20 FIRST ASSYRIAN MIDI = COMPOSERS=20 CONFERENCE Double Tree = Hotel=20 2:00 PM-10:00 PM = PST=20 Organized by: Nineveh On = Line Click Here for more=20 information What is=20 MIDI? Click=20 Here
Jun = 9-11	AUSTRIA=20 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF MESOPOTAMIEN-VEREIN=20 WIEN Dance Party and Soccer Tournament = Entertainment by Juliana Jendo & Habib Mousa=20
Jun = 10-11	FRANCE=20 FOOTBALL (SOCCER) = TOURNAMENT=20 & PARTY Sponsored by the = Association of the=20 Assyro-Chaldeans of France Champions & players will be honored at the party = following the=20 games=20 Participation Fee: = 300 Franks=20 per Team For farther=20 information: Association des Assyro-Chald=E9ens de France = :=20 T=E9l : + 33 1 39 90 87=20 11 Fax : + = 33 1 34 19=20 84 72 E-mail :=20 acc_f@club-internet.fr=20 Centre Socioculturel des=20 Assyro-Chald=E9ens de France T=E9l & Fax : + 33 1 34 04 26 47=20 Nuri = Yaramis T=E9l : + 33 1 39 33 48 = 74=20 Fax : + 33 1 39 33 41=20 40 Mobil : = + 33 6 89=20 88 85 83=20 Suphi = Oguz =20 Mobil : + 33 6 81 90 92=20 47
Jun = 26-30	SYDNEY=20 EIGHT INTERNATIONAL = SYMPOSIUM=20 SYRIACUM For the first time in 32 = years this=20 international conference is taking place outside of Europe & = in=20 Sydney=20 More than 100 eminent = Syriac scholars=20 from different parts of the world will be = attending=20 For more = information:=20 Louren=20 = David &n= bsp; =20 Majidi Ann Warda (02)=20 9822 1778 OR 0404 = 124=20 930 0413 854 = 936 Department of=20 Semitic Studies University of Sydney=20 For more information on = speakers and=20 papers click=20 here
Jul = 2	SYDNEY=20 ASSYRIANS AFTER=20 ASSYRIA Persecutions & Massacres of the Syriac Speaking=20 Christians An international = conference on the=20 subject of the fate of the Assyrian people after the collapse of = the=20 Assyrian Empire (612 B.C. - 2000 A.D.).=20 Dr Gabriele Yonan -=20 Germany Dr = Fuat Deniz=20 - Sweden Professor=20 Abdul Massih-Saadi - USA Dr Racho Donef - Australia Panayiotis Diamadis - = Australia=20 Nicholas Al-Jeloo -=20 TAAAS=20 Sponsors: = The Assyrian Australian Academic=20 Society The Centre for=20 Comparative Genocide Studies at Macquarie University & the = Department=20 of Semitic Studies at the University of Sydney=20 Merewether=20 Building, City=20 Road University of=20 Sydney=20 For more information = &=20 Registration Fee Detail click=20 here REGISTRATION: Closing 7th June=20 For more information: Click=20 Here
Jul = 10-13	PARIS=20 46th RENCONTRE = ASSYRIOLOGIQUE=20 INTERNATIONALE "Nomadism and Sedentarism = in the=20 Ancient Near East"=20 College de = France=20 52 rue Cardinal=20 Lemoine 75005=20 Contact: = chrinico@club-internet.fr or=20 fax 33-1-48-87-82-58=20 XLVIe RAI = Christophe NICOLLE = Chaire = d'Assyriologie College de France = 52 rue Cardinal = Lemoine=20 75005, Paris -=20 France
Jul = 26-30	PORTLAND,=20 OREGAN 38TH=20 ANNUAL SYRIAN ORTH ARCHDIOCESES = CONVENTION The Syrian Orthodox Archdioceses in Canada and = United=20 States Led by His Holliness Patriarch = Ignatius=20 Zakka I Hosted by St. Ignatius Church,=20 Portland Marriot in Portland=20 Agenda: Review of the past 50 years of = history of=20 the church in North America to identify and cement the strengths = and work=20 on improving weaknesses. =20 In addition to a spiritual and cultural = festival, a=20 cruise on the Columbia River, a bus trip to Cascade Range, etc. = are=20 planned. Click=20 Here
Jul = 28-31	BEIRUT=20 SYRIAC UNIVERSAL = ALLIANCE=20 MEETING Speakers include representatives from the = Office of=20 the President of Lebanon Mass = celebrated by=20 His Holliness Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I Performances by a Maronite University musical = group=20 Art Exhibition: Art works from artists = of our=20 community throughout the world Dance party=20 for the youth attending the conference Book=20 Exhibition Suryoyo singers and = folkloric=20 dances A visit to Zahle = Banquet in honor of the Patriarch A special concert performance by George Badro, = Suryoyo=20 musician from Canada.=20 For more = information:=20 Daghelian Bldg. - Bloc A = - 2nd Floor=20 - Jdeideh Blv. P.O.=20 Box: 55414 - Tel: 961-1-884810 / 961-1-884811 = Fax: 961-1-884812 - E-mail:=20 sua@lebmail.com
Aug 30 = - =20 Sep = 4	CHICAGO=20 ASSYRIAN AMERICAN = NATIONAL=20 = CONVENTION

SHARE YOUR INFORMATION WITH = READERS IN 50=20 COUNTRIES BY INCLUDING ZINDA MAGAZINE IN YOUR COMMUNITY OR = ORGANIZATION'S=20 MAILING LIST.
SEE OUR=20 MAILING ADDRESS BELOW.

ZINDA Magazine is published = every=20 Tuesday. Views expressed in ZINDA do not necessarily represent = those of=20 the ZINDA editors, or any of our associated staff. This = publication=20 reserves the right, at its sole discretion, not to publish comments or = articles=20 previously printed in or submitted to other journals. ZINDA reserves the = right=20 to publish and republish your submission in any form or medium. All = letters and=20 messages require the name(s) of sender and/or author. All messages = published in the SURFS UP! section must be in 500 words or less and bear = the=20 name of the author(s). Distribution of material featured in ZINDA is not = restricted, but permission from ZINDA is required. This service is = meant=20 for the exchange of information, analyses and news. To subscribe, send = e-mail=20 to: zenda@ix.netcom.com.=20

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   = Fax:      (408)=20 918-9201

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