February 24, 2003

GOOD MORNING=20 BET-NAHRAIN

IRAQI=20 OPPOSITION LEADERS CONVENE IN NORTHERN IRAQ

(ZNDA: Dohuk) At press time the Follow-up and Coordination = Committee=20 with at least 50 delegates out of the elected 65 were to meet = within 24=20 hours in North Iraq. The meeting already has been postponed twice = since=20 January. Among the elected representatives are two Assyrian = delegates: Mr.=20 Albert Yelda and Secretary General of the Assyrian Democratic = Movement,=20 Mr. Yonadam Kanna. Delegates from the U.S., United Kingdom, = Turkey, and=20 Iran are also expected.

The most sensitive issue discussed during the "exploratory = meeting"=20 Saturday afternoon in Salahuddin was the U.S. plans for an Iraq = after the=20 potential ouster of Saddam Hussein. The American proposal to = replace the=20 Baghdad government with a U.S.-led military government has been = severely=20 criticized by the influential members of the Iraqi National = Congress, the=20 Kurdish groups, and the Shiites.

At a news conference Saturday, a high-ranking Assyrian = representative=20 expressed similar concern. Mr. Romeo Hakari, head of the = Bet-Nahrain=20 Democratic Party in Iraq (BNDP-I) said: "We would not support any = military=20 regime in Iraq, whether by Americans or anyone else. We would not = like to=20 replace the current regime with another general."

Iraqi opposition figures insist the meeting will not wind up = declaring=20 a provisional post-war government with ministerial titles.

On Sunday night Mr. John Nimrod, Secretary General of the = Assyrian=20 Universal Alliance, announced at a public rally in San Jose, = California=20 that he has called for the Assyrian delegation=92s dismissal of = this meeting=20 in a show of support for the U.S. policy in Iraq.

TURKEY=92S MOUNTAIN VILLAGE=20 CHRISTIANS

Courtesy of CWN (20 February); article by = Chuck=20 Todaro, photos by Karen Legerquist & Chris Hellier & Chuck = Todaro

=93We lived in terror=94 is = how a Syriac=20 Christian villager in the Tur Abdin region of southeast Turkey = described=20 life there for the last 16 years =96 years spent caught in the = middle of a=20 dogged guerrilla civil war between Turkish military forces and the = secessionist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

This conflict threatens to = empty the Syriac=20 Christian heartland and is one more case of the pressure on = Christians to=20 leave Turkey. Memories of the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians in = Turkey=20 in the early 20th century and the violence unleashed against = Greeks in=20 Istanbul in September 1955 are fresh enough to inspire Tur = Abdin=92s=20 Christians to flee.

Tur Abdin=92s once vital Syriac Christian population of about = 80,000 has=20 fallen to about 2,500. Yet, to those Syriac Christians who remain = in Tur=20 Abdin (Syriac for =93Mountain of the Servants of God=94), the arid = mountainous=20 land between the Tigris River and the Syrian border is their holy = land.=20 Christianity there dates to the early first century and to this = day Syriac=20 Christians celebrate liturgies in Turoyo =96 a dialect of Aramaic, = the=20 language used by Jesus Christ and the apostles.

A cease-fire between the Turkish govern-ment and the Kurds = means=20 conditions in the region are slowly improving. Fighting dropped = off=20 sharply since the 1999 capture of PKK commander Abdullah Ocalan, = who=20 ordered his followers to withdraw from Turkey into northern = Iraq.

The PKK has changed its strategy and says it wants to campaign=20 peacefully for the rights of Kurds and has dropped the demand to = establish=20 an independent Kurdistan. In 2002, it changed its name to the = Congress for=20 Freedom and Democracy in Kurdistan (KADEK). However, the move has = been=20 dismissed as a sham by the Turkish authorities; the European Union = has=20 placed it on its list of terrorist groups.

With the help of an economic = recovery=20 program, dirt roads have been paved and the number of bus routes = into area=20 villages has increased.

Virtually all military checkpoints have been removed and = freedom to=20 travel has returned. The spin-off to these improvements is that = the=20 tourist industry has been revived and new hotels, restaurants and = even=20 Internet cafes have opened.

Turkey has applied for European Union membership, but the EU = says=20 Turkey still needs to improve its political and human rights = record and to=20 reform its oppressive minority laws before the country can be=20 admitted.

In the decades following World War I, many of the region=92s = churches=20 fell into disrepair, becoming unusable. Muslim extremists and = local=20 Turkish government officials hindered restoration efforts often by = denying=20 construction permits.

Further restrictions were imposed on the Syriac Christians = after the=20 Lausanne Treaty of 1923, when the community was not listed as a = distinct=20 minority whereas official status was given to Turkey=92s Armenian, = Greek and=20 Jewish citizens. For this reason, the government prohibited Syriac = Christians from operating its own schools and interfered with = church=20 administration.

Now suddenly, after decades of being denied basic rights, the = Syriac=20 Church, Catholic and Orthodox, is permitted to teach freely its = own=20 language =96 a century-old ban that has threatened the survival of = the=20 ancient language.

=93We have big hopes for the future because the political = climate has=20 changed,=94 said Father Gabriel Akyuz of the Syriac village of = Hah. =93If we=20 are accepted into the EU our future will be even more = secure.=94

In Tur Abdin=92s two main cities, Mardin and Midyat, dusty = marketplaces=20 are busy with shoppers. Boys weave through the crowds = energetically=20 chasing down scuffed footwear with offers of a quick shoe shine. = Inside=20 the shops, people are bargaining, buying and selling =96 a sure = sign of the=20 improving economy. The language shifts from Arabic, Kurdish and = Turkish =96=20 only the Christians understand Aramaic, which is used for the = liturgies of=20 the church.

Mixed in the crowded streets are Kurdish women with facial = tattoos as=20 well as devout Muslim women in their all-covering black peces or = burkas.=20 Yet each community shares respect and understanding for the other. = They=20 speak the same mix of languages, shop at the same stores, attend = school=20 and play together. The differences are fewer than the = similarities. One=20 12-year-old Kurdish girl playing outside a church gate said: = =93The only=20 difference is that we go to mosque and they go to church.=94

=93We have no problems with Muslims. They are our neighbors, = friends,=20 colleagues and students,=94 a schoolteacher from Mardin said. She = added that=20 her Christianity has never caused a problem.

But these are not the views of all Christians from Tur Abdin. = Opinions=20 differ, sometimes drastically, depending on the city or village, = or who=20 may be listening.

=93We are not free,=94 said one church official who spoke = on the=20 condition of anonymity. Then he added, =93I am not comfortable = talking about=20 these things,=94 citing a Tur Abdin priest who, after speaking to = a=20 journalist about the 1915 Christian genocide in Turkey, faced = criminal=20 charges.

The hillside city of Midyat looks down over the valley as a = great=20 amphitheater.

Its decorative houses, crafted by traditional Christian stone = carvers,=20 ascend the hillside step-like =96 one a little higher than the = next.=20 Dome-shaped bell towers and slim minarets pierce its skyline. But = the=20 city=92s famed Christian stone carvers have all left. The = Christian=20 population, once a majority, now numbers some 100 families.

Midyat is also famous for its tradition of Christian artisans=20 specializing in the fine art of filigree =96 fashioning silver = wire into=20 jewelry, vases and bowls. With fewer and fewer Christians to pass = on the=20 tradition, it is being taught to Muslim apprentices. Muslims now = own most=20 of the shops surrounding the city=92s central square.

One of the few remaining Christian shop owners is Gebro Tokgoz. = When he=20 was a child, he learned the silversmith trade from his = grandfather. He can=20 only guess how far back the tradition goes. Mr. Tokgoz hopes to = continue=20 it for at least one more generation with his eldest son.

Conversation inside the shop shifts between Turkish, Arabic and = Kurdish.

Mr. Tokgoz gets along well with his Muslim clients = and=20 neighbors, including the police who stop in for tea and a chat. = But Mr.=20 Tokgoz is uncomfortable with discussing the future of Turkey=92s = Syriac=20 Christians. In fact, the moment the police enter the shop, any=20 conversation about Christianity comes to an abrupt halt.

Once the police leave, the conversation picks up again. When he = is=20 asked again about the future, Mr. Tokgoz stares back with sharp = hazel eyes=20 and just shrugs. For him and most people in the area there is = little time=20 to think about politics. Their days are consumed with making a = living =96 he=20 spends 12 hours a day, six days a week tending to customers and = crafting=20 jewelry =96 until Sunday when all the Midyat jewelry shops close. = A wall of=20 metal security doors then hides the silver and gold sparkle of = shop=20 windows.

The main roads leading out from the center of Midyat curve = through the=20 hilly countryside into a vast network of little villages =96 some=20 exclusively Christian, others mixed.

Sixteen miles outside Midyat is a hairpin turn where the road = rises=20 into the hills. What follows is a roller coaster of hugging curves = and=20 hair-raising drops. It is hard to believe this was a dirt road = until=20 2001.

Along this road the splendid bell tower and church of the = village of=20 Hah appear. Fifteen Christian and two Kurdish families live here, = but in=20 spite of its small size, it has a rich history dating to the = beginnings of=20 Christianity. Once known as =93the place of 40 churches,=94 a = casual stroll=20 through narrow streets reveals ancient carved stone blocks layered = between=20 rock walls.

=93We can only imagine what is buried underneath here,=94 the = village=20 mukhtar, or mayor, Habip Dogan, said while standing before a row = of=20 ancient columns recently dug up during church renovations.

In the center of the village stands a castle. It is the home of = four=20 Christian families. Each family occupies a corner. To the = villagers of Hah=20 the castle represents a part of their history and, more important, = it is a=20 symbol of their suffering and great will to survive.

In 1915 the villagers barricaded themselves behind the = castle=92s walls=20 as militant Turkish nationalists brutally murdered the region=92s=20 Christians. For two months they held fast and when it was over = everyone=20 from Hah survived.

Through the castle=92s main gate a staircase leads to the = corner home of=20 the mayor, his wife and six children. It is a traditional home = consisting=20 of two large rooms and a kitchen.

The family room is the largest room of the house with aqua = walls and a=20 high domed ceiling. Opposite a colorful replica of da Vinci=92s = =93Last=20 Supper=94 looms a larger than life portrait of modern Turkey=92s = founding=20 father, Kemal Ataturk, who glares over the sitting area. Mr. Dogan = admires=20 him but admits the portrait is there mostly for the benefit of = visiting=20 government officials.

This one room is where most of the family=92s activities happen = =96 where=20 they eat, receive guests and sleep, except during the summer when = the=20 sleeping area shifts outside to the courtyard, beneath the = stars.

Summer is a busy time of year for the villagers. From the break = of day=20 to evening the entire village empties into the fields =96 the = mayor=20 included. He too has to look after his plot of land. In his spare = time, he=20 can be found at the church teaching Aramaic to children or acting = as a=20 tour guide. Last summer, the village had nearly 4,000 guests =96 = and for=20 these hospitable people that does not just mean pointing out = landmarks and=20 answering questions. Hospitality often means offering lunch or = even a=20 place to sleep.

The village=92s schoolhouse is in a small rectangular building = next to=20 the church. Its one room is where Hah=92s 17 children, from grades = one=20 through five, are taught.

=93This is not as difficult as you might think,=94 said the = school=92s=20 teacher. Yet he does complain of the few materials the Turkish = government=20 gives students, forcing children to share books.

After graduating from primary school, village boys board at a = monastery=20 and attend middle and high school in either Midyat or Mardin. But = for the=20 majority of girls, education ends with fifth grade.

Shaking his head Mr. Dogan admits that, after this year, his = daughter,=20 Victoria, will be staying home with her mother.

=93I am afraid for her,=94 he sighed. When asked what could = happen he=20 shoots back: =93Who knows. I just hope it will be better in the = future for=20 the younger ones.=94

The fear he and most Christian villagers feel for their = children stems=20 from a history of marriageable girls being kidnapped.

Though Mr. Dogan will not utter the word, the village priest, = Father=20 Gabriel Akyuz, does. =93Kidnapping,=94 he blurted out, but only = after checking=20 to see that no one was listening. =93It has happened before. Yes, = 20 years=20 ago, 15, 13 years ago. We are now very aware.=94

Archdeacon Melfono Gulten from Mar Gabriel Monastery = acknowledges that=20 kidnappings took place but said: =93It is a fear that belongs in = the past. I=20 think the teachers are better trained now and this new generation = is a=20 more understanding one. But it needs time.=94

And other village children seem to agree =96 including = Christians Hazni=20 and Nahir, both 17, who attend Midyat high school. They say that = they have=20 never had a problem in school caused by their religion. They even = seemed a=20 bit surprised by the question.

From the outsider=92s point of view this is an exciting period = for the=20 Syriac Christians of Tur Abdin. But those living there feel = frightened;=20 they find themselves at a crossroads. They are not really sure = which road=20 to take, not knowing where it will lead.

=93I wish to be optimistic about the future, but that is not = reasonable,=94=20 said one church official. =93All the decision-making is = essentially out of=20 our hands and we find ourselves living a wait-and-see = reality.=94

=93There is nothing certain about our future,=94 added Mr. = Dogan.

=93It is an open book.=94

Chuck Todaro reports from the Middle East and Eastern = Europe.

Syriac Christians in Turkey

Turkey=92s Syriac Orthodox Church is the nation=92s largest = Christian=20 denomination. According to a 2001 report by the U.S. Department of = State,=20 there are an estimated 15,000 Syriac Orthodox Christians in the=20 country.

The Syriac Orthodox Church is led by Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I = Iwas,=20 who resides at the Mar Ephrem Monastery in Ma`arat Sayyidnaya, = near=20 Damascus, Syria.

Some 2,000 Syriac Catholics, whose ancestors embraced full = communion=20 with the Church of Rome, remain scattered in small communities in = Turkey=92s=20 southeast.

Both of these churches use Aramaic in their liturgies, which = are=20 dominated by the twin themes of sinful unworthiness and majestic=20 redemption.

Syriac Christians trace their origins to the early Christian = community=20 at Antioch, mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles.

News = Digest

VENETIANS ADOPT ASSYRIAN = WINGED LION=20 AS THEIR CITY=92S LOGO

Courtesy of the New York Times (20 = February);=20 article by Christopher Hawthorne

(ZNDA: Venice) Last week, the = city of=20 Venice, Italy unveiled a new logo, a rather severe-looking winged = lion=20 superimposed over the letter =93V=94. Winged lions, dating to = Assyrian times,=20 have been a symbol of Venice for hundreds of years.

The design is to appear on some souvenirs and consumer products = sold in=20 Venice, the mayor, Paolo Costa, said. Mayor Costa added that he = hoped that=20 more revenue would pour in from manufacturers of products with = Venetian=20 themes who used the logo and voluntarily paid licensing fees. He = cited the=20 Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas as the sort of business = he had=20 in mind.

The logo is credited, officially, to a French graphic designer, = Thibaut=20 Mathieu. But the fingerprints of another, better-known French = designer,=20 Philippe Starck, are all over it.

In a series of events that began in July, Mayor Costa announced = an open=20 international competition and organized a jury of design = heavyweights that=20 included Mr. Starck, Piero Lissoni, Ron Arad and Tom Dixon. He = promised a=20 winner by December. To emphasize the analogy to Mr. Glaser's = design, he=20 scheduled a New York news conference to announce the choice.

When December arrived, city officials were not satisfied with = the=20 entries and canceled the conference. They turned the job of = producing a=20 logo over to Mr. Starck, the peripatetic designer of chairs, baby = bottles=20 and hotel lobbies, who owns three houses on the Venetian island of = Burano=20 and had volunteered to help.

Mr. Starck comments: =93I know that the best symbol of Venice = is the lion=20 with the wings and a V =97 for Venice and for victory. But I want = the lion=20 facing us directly and not from the side. And I don't want two = wings,=20 because that could lead to something Fascist-looking, and I don't = want any=20 symmetry. I want one wing only.' "

They submitted their designs accordingly. It was apparently a=20 coincidence that he picked the logo of a fellow Frenchman, Mr. = Mathieu of=20 Cake Design in Paris.

In addition to being "really, really, really sexy," the logo is = "modern=20 and classic at the same time," Mr. Starck said. "The lion has its = feet in=20 the mud of Venice, in the past, and its wings in the future. This = means=20 that Venice will not die under tourism. She will survive and = prevail."

Surfs Up!
Letters From = Zinda=20 Magazine = Readers

NOT SO FAST MR=20 O=92REILLY

I am an Assyrian Christian, a = descendant of the=20 indigenous people of what is now referred to as Iraq. Our = Aramaic=20 language, the language of Jesus Christ, was once the lingua = franca of=20 the Middle East, until it was displaced by the Arab = conquerors.

The discrimination practised against us in Iraq is every = bit as=20 oppressive as that of apartheid. Together with the Kurdish = people, we=20 are victims of Arab imperialism, yet our plight is ignored by = the=20 so-called peace protesters who just want Saddam Hussein to = remain in=20 power.

We also say no to war - the war that Saddam has mercilessly = waged=20 against us. How dare outsiders deny us the right to be = liberated from=20 his rule? When the American soldiers arrive, we will greet = them with=20 flowers.

Murat Metin
South = Africa

Please explain this claim. I am an = Assyrian=20 American and there are close to three million = Assyrian/Chaldeans=20 living in the world. We are alive, vivacious and strong with = annual=20 national and international conferences (just check the = internet).

Close to three hundred thousand Assyrians and Chaldeans = live in the=20 US with active political and social organizations.

I am a proud Assyrian American and expect a public = apology.

Sharokin = Betgevargiz
Connecticut

Assyrians do exist, and I am one of = over 3=20 million that still survive today. There are more than 400,000=20 Assyrians in the United States alone.

Assyrians are a Christian community that has endured = extensive=20 persecution in the Middle East over the last century. My = family fled=20 Iraq in the 1960's along with many other Assyrians. Most of my = relatives now reside in Canada, Australia, and the US.

I have many stories I can share with you, but in the mean = time I=20 would like to ask that you take some time to learn about our=20 people.

I would also like to ask that you publicly acknowledge the=20 existence of Assyrians on your next show. I would even welcome = you to=20 invite members of our community to share our culture with = you.

I look forward to your response.

Marc Mar-Yohana
Arizona

O'Reilly, in addition to being full = of hot air,=20 you are not independent in any sense of the word. Furthermore, = you are=20 not a historian. You know nothing of the Assyrians. Uneducated = people=20 like yourself only perpetuate ignorance.

Read "Assyrians After Assyria" by Simo Parpola, you = windbag. Also,=20 try reading a book sometime.

Jeff Atto
Michigan

Well, I don't believe that you are an = informed=20 newscaster either. Because if you were, you wouldn't have made = such an=20 unwarranted and idiotic statement. How can you justify this = claim?=20 Because the Assyrians have been forced to register by Saddam's = un-sanctioned oil-for-food program as Kurdish Christians? = Because the=20 Assyrians have quietly gone to their graves as Christians, not = taking=20 up arms and striking for their own defense because it is not = the way=20 of our lord? Because the British government, in their = genocidal quest=20 for conquest of the middle east in the early part of this = century,=20 turned on 'their smallest ally" and sent the Assyrians to = their graves=20 courtesy of the Arabs in Iraq in exchange for oil? The very = oil that=20 Assyrians had protected for the allies in WWII?

Your own president has recognized the plight of the = Assyrians. You=20 are oblivious to what is going on around you. Let me guess, in = your=20 world, there are only Christians, Jews, Moslems, Iraqis and = Kurds? Is=20 that it? Let me give you a quick history lesson. The Assyrians = are the=20 indigenous people of Iraq, they are a Christian people, they = were also=20 missionaries that were spreading the word of the Lord = peacefully=20 across much of Asia, Europe and the orient. (Are you following = me so=20 far?) They have been massacred for their beliefs; they are = peaceful=20 and have suffered ethnic cleansing at the hands of their = Moslem=20 neighbours, particularly your darling Kurds. They have also = suffered=20 genocide courtesy of the British government and their typical=20 cold-blooded betrayal of their allies after WWII. Why? Because = the=20 Assyrians are too smart and too strong. Unlike the donkeys in = the=20 middle east that allowed the British to ride them for a few = pounds=20 sterling.

"I don't believe there are any Assyrians existing today". = Well, I=20 do. And I am. And incidentally, that sounds like the same = rhetoric the=20 British have been using on your Irish and Scottish brethren = and, had=20 it been followed through, there would be no Irish and no = Scottish,=20 only British. But then again, you just might be one of "those" = Irish=20 who gladly sold out his Northern cousins for a few pound = sterling=20 too.

Get your facts straight, clown, or get off the box.

Nick Dinkha
Australia

I thought I would just drop you a = line and tell=20 you that you don't have to look under stones to find = Assyrians.=20 There's a whole bunch of us right here in America! Love your = show.

Irene Aurahan Kliszus
New = Jersey

The comment that "I don't believe = there are any=20 Assyrians existing today" which you made on your Wednesday = show is=20 incorrect. We the Assyrians do still exist. It is true that we = do not=20 have a country now. The reason being that following the = collapse of=20 the Ottoman Empire after World War I, in establishing of what = became=20 the modern Middle East, the victors left the Assyrians without = a=20 country, and we were dispersed among Iran, Syria, Turkey and = Iraq. We=20 have been the indigenous people of today's Iraq and have lived = there=20 long before the Arabs, Kurds, and Turks came to that region. = The=20 recent archaeological findings and our thousand year old = churches give=20 testimony to this fact. It seems you did not know that on = October 8th,=20 2002, the President of the United States mentioned the = Assyrian people=20 along with other Iraqi minorities as victims of Saddam = Hussein's rule=20 in Baghdad and on December 9, 2002, he designated the Assyrian = Democratic Movement ( an Assyrian organization in the northern = Iraq)=20 as one of the "Democratic Opposition Organizations" under the = Iraq=20 Liberation Act of 1998. Please check your facts before making = such=20 false and baseless comments. You owe the Assyrian nation a = public=20 apology.

Maryam = Pirayou
California

What a surprise to learn that you = have not yet=20 met an Assyrian. Assyrians have been scattered to the far = corners of=20 the earth following 1400 years of being a barely tolerated = Christian=20 minority in their homeland after it came under control of = successive=20 Islamic states. All those centuries of regular persecution = culminated=20 in the Genocide, widely known for its Armenian victims, but = most=20 harmful to the existence of Assyrians since proportionally, = more=20 Assyrians were lost than either Armenians or Greeks.

Assyrians are, today, the last major living speakers of any = of the=20 many Aramaic dialects that thrived in the Assyrian Empire, and = then=20 became the most prominent language in the Eastern Roman Empire = (hence=20 the reason Jesus spoke it), as well as the most important = alphabet=20 system on the Silk Road. Just because under Islam Assyrians = came to be=20 recognized only on the basis of their religion and Christian=20 denominations doesn't mean a man with a good Irish name should = ignore=20 their existence and ethnicity. After all, how would you like = your=20 family to be referred to as English speaking Catholics or = Protestants=20 without any recognition of their ethnic heritage?

Dr. Eden = NABY
Massachusetts

The phrase =93Ignorance breeds = contempt=94 has=20 never more aptly espoused an imbecile radio personality as = until now=20 in the embodiment of Bill O'Reilly of the FOX News program. = Even=20 members of the esteemed U.S Congress, notably the honourable=20 Congressman Hyde recognized the Assyrian Diaspora as evidenced = in his=20 letter to the Honourable William Burns which is quoted below: = =93April=20 25, 2002 The Honorable William Burns Assistant Secretary of = state for=20 Near Eastern Affairs U.S. Department of State 2201 C. Street, = N.W.=20 Washington, D.C. 20520 Dear Mr. Secretary I understand that a = majority=20 of American Citizens of Iraqi descent are of Assyrian = extraction.=20 Assyrian- Americans have by and large been in this country for = some=20 time but retain, as do many Americans, links concern, family, = and=20 affections with their ancestral homelands. I share their = concerns. I=20 write to inquire about the treatment of the Assyrian community = under=20 the current Iraq regime as it relates to the reported = suppression of=20 their cultural and religious traditions. For example, does the = fact=20 that the Assyrians of Iraq are Christians detrimentally affect = their=20 well-being? Is it true, for example, that they are required to = use=20 Islamic names and forbidden to use traditional cultural or = religious=20 names? What protections are the Assyrian people enjoying under = Operation Northern Watch? What aid has been afforded to them = by the=20 United States? How will the political and human rights = concerns of the=20 Assyrians factor into any future Iraqi political equation, = especially=20 in Northern Iraq? As you know, I remain a steadfast supporter = of=20 President Bush's policy of promoting regime change in Iraq. I = hope=20 that as the Administration proceeds to implement this policy, = it will=20 be mindful of the unique concerns of the Assyrian community, = as well=20 as the concerns of other ethnic groups in Iraq. I appreciate = your=20 consideration of these questions and look forward to receiving = your=20 response. Sincerely, Henry J. Hyde Chairman, Committee on=20 International Relations http://www= .aina.org/releases/2002/henryhydeletter.htm=20 (1 of 2) [6/3/2002 8:30:05 AM]

William Dinkha
U.S.

LIVING ON THE EDGE

Few weeks back you lacked moral when = you=20 published an almost nude Assyrian woman as your front cover. = You are=20 lacking integrity when you had Tariq Aziz as your front cover. = How=20 dare you put a picture of the enemy of the Assyrians in your = magazine?=20 Tariq Aziz had his signature on the order by Saddam to wipe = out 25=20 Assyrian villages in north of Iraq. Just recently Tariq Aziz = had his=20 signature on "Operation Nationality Correction" which deported = many=20 Assyrians from Kirkuk. You need to review the definition of a = traitor=20 and see if it applies to you. If you are doing it because you = need=20 attention and criticism then you have an unhealthy mind. Your = magazine=20 facing our nation is like garbage outside a beautiful home if = the=20 garbage was not picked up today it will be picked up in a very = short=20 time. Let us see if you can publish an opinion, which most = Assyrians=20 will agree with.

Albert Oshana
New = York

BRAVO ZINDA

Your article =93NOT A TABLOID=94 is = on the right=20 track. It is about time for this belated action. Good on = you.

Youaw Toma = Kanna
Australia

LEADING ASSYRIAN ELECTRONIC=20 MAGAZINE

Happy Birthday and best wishes to all = the=20 dedicated members of your staff. Zinda magazine has = accomplished a=20 great deal in the education of the public at large and = Assyrians in=20 particular about our history, church, current issues, arts, = etc. I am=20 confident that it will remain as the leading Assyrian = electronic=20 magazine. God bless you all and we pray that Assyrians all = over the=20 world will participate in reading it and contributing to it in = a=20 positive manner.

Youel A = Baaba
California

Surfer's=20 Corner

A NEW NAME FOR AN OLD=20 SCHOOL

Over a quarter of a century ago, the Assyrian Australian = Association=20 (AAA), the owners and managers of Rabi Nemrod Simono Schoolarship, = established in Sydney the Assyrian Language School. In 2003 and = for the=20 first time the school is running under the new name of Assyrian = Australian=20 Association DIQLAT Assyrian School (Madrashta Atoraita d'Diqlat). = Diqlat=20 School is sponsored and run by the AAA assisted by the Australian=20 Government and by the parents.

The school has steadily progressed from year to year, starting = with 2=20 classes under the Principalship of Rabi Philimon Darmo, and now it = has=20 over 400 enrolled students aged from 4 to 80. The school has = proved its=20 usefulness in that it has produced a number of Assyrian language = teachers,=20 many deacons, interpreters and radio and TV announcers. For this = year we=20 have 14 teachers, 2 for Kindergarten, 2 for parents and 9 classes = for the=20 in-between. We also run a class for keyboard music and one for = Lishana=20 Ateqa. The school runs once a week, on Saturdays and for this = year, as=20 last year, the Principal is Carmen Lazar, an ex-student of this = school and=20 the Vice Principal is Emmanuel Kanna. All our teachers have good = grasp of=20 the language and are holders of the Communicative Language = Teaching=20 Certificate that is offered by the Australian Universities.

The school invites all interested persons and workers of other = similar=20 Assyrian schools in the world to contact the school for exchange = of ideas=20 and resources. Our address is Diqlat School, PO Box 101, FAIRFIELD = NSW=20 2165, Australia.

Emmanuel Kanna
V-Principal
Diqlat = Assyrian=20 School

OPEN HEART SOCIETY

Open Heart Society (OHS) is a non-profit, non-political = organization.=20 In 2001 OHS was founded with a goal to help the needy people of = the=20 countries Republics of the Former Soviet Union: Russia, Georgia, = Armenia,=20 Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Tatarstan, and Christians in Middle East: = Iraq:=20 Syria, Lebanon, Iran. OHS is organization that accepts and then=20 distributes donations to the needy. The organization is going to = provide=20 practical humanitarian assistance to the peoples of these regions = in order=20 to improve educational, economic, social and medical = conditions.

OHS is able to help people in need around the world because of = the=20 generous, ongoing support from individuals, corporations, = foundations and=20 local community and religious groups. It is these partners who = make our=20 work possible and we are indebted to their philanthropic = spirit.

With one of the smallest overheads in the non-profit industry, = our=20 donors understand that donating to OHS means efficiency, = expediency and=20 effectiveness.

Supporters

More than 1000 individuals support OHS on an annual basis. They = range=20 from organizations who collect nickels and dimes to high net worth = individuals who give large contributions to further OHS missions = around=20 the world. Individuals can support OHS through outright = contributions,=20 stock donations, bequests and planned giving.

Programs and Projects

Dramatic events and political changes in the Former Soviet = Union of=20 beginning of 1990's introduced countries of the Caucasus to many=20 political, economical and social challenges.
In 2001 we spent 3 = weeks=20 observing some regions in Georgia, Armenia and Russia. We visited = many=20 families and talked to them. Some of them smiled, some cried = trying to=20 explain us their terrible situation. They suffer from the cold, = poverty=20 for more than 15 years. We made a list of 4,000 families who need = an=20 urgent help and draw up a draft of projects:

Emergency Medical Assistance Project aimed to provide free = medication=20 to needy people Educational development. Carrying out education = programs=20 for students Economic seminars and meeting with Governmental and=20 Non-Government Organization Fundraising cooperation with foreign=20 countries: Russia, Sweden, Australia.

"Save Aramaic language" project.

Saving the most rare language which is dying now. There are = very few=20 small communities in the Former Soviet Union in Georgia and = Armenia where=20 this language is still survive but in very danger of = disappearance.

Vasili V. = Shoumanov
Chairman

Sergey Yakupov
Secretary

Members
-Diana Solomon
-Albert=20 Warda
-Alexander Sidorov

LOBBY FOR ASSYRIAN AUTONOMY IN NORTH=20 IRAQ

This group has been established for the purpose of lobbying = western=20 governments such as the USA and European states to ensure the = rights of=20 all Assyrians (including Chaldeans and Syriacs) in the Middle East = and=20 specifically Iraq. The Assyrians are indigenous to Mesopotamia and = speak=20 Aramaic, well-known to be the language of Christ. We fear that if = the=20 current Iraqi regime is toppled, the Assyrians will be placed = under the=20 control of the Kurds, in many respects even more fearful than the = Baath=20 dictatorship. We are against any type of new Kurdish Government or = any=20 Kurdish factions to rule over the Assyrians.

Kurds have in the past participated as the main murderers of = Assyrians-=20 most notoriously in the period between 1914 and 1918, where the = Assyrians=20 lost more than two-thirds of their number. Kurds still continue to = murder,=20 threaten and intimidate Assyrians, wherever they live. They will = continue=20 to do so if the west does nothing. We seek peace and harmony for = all of=20 Iraq, not just for Assyrians but for all Iraq's ethnic and = religious=20 groups.

The Kurds are the second- largest nation to inhabit Iraq. They = have=20 made it clear through their "democratic experience" in North Iraq = that=20 they intend to control that region as a state called "Kurdistan" - = without=20 a joint partnership with the Assyrians or other ethnic groups. We = clearly=20 oppose for this to happen as there are over a million Assyrians = (including=20 Chaldeans and Syriacs) living in Iraq and such a state would = impede on=20 their religious and economic affairs.

It has been reported by Assyrians themselves in various = villages=20 scattered throughout North Iraq that they have been illegally = forced out=20 of their own homes and off their land. They are constantly being = pressured=20 to convert to Islam so that in return they can receive some safety = privileges from the Kurds. We plead for the USA, Europe and the = United=20 Nations to acknowledge this by investigating and implementing a = policy to=20 allow =93Assyrians to autonomously govern the Iraq after Saddam's = regime is=20 toppled, many Assyrian refugees who remain in limbo in various = countries=20 will have the desire to return to their homeland. This will = greatly help=20 and reduce overall costs to immigrant intakes per year to = countries such=20 as the USA, Canada, Australia and Europe.

Assyrian Lobby Group
http://www.geocitie= s.com/assyrianlobbygroup/

US Congress Members
http://www.firstgo= v.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

United Nations (email)
http://www.un.org/comments.html<= /A>

SYRIAC CHANTS FROM = INDIA

I am glad to inform you that PAN Records in Netherlands has = recently=20 released a CD, "Qambel Maran: Syriac Chants from South India". The = CD=20 contains 29 melodies in Syriac from the Chaldean liturgy of the = St. Thomas=20 Christians in South India. The accompanying booklet (16 pages) = provides=20 extensive information on the Syriac music traditions, along with 7 = photographs, map, and bibliography. Transliteration and = translation of the=20 text are also available. If you are interested, please reply to = this mail=20 or contact: http://www.indussociety.org= /cmsindia

Anna Thomas
New Jersey

Literatus

AN OPEN LETTER TO MAR = SARHAD=20 JAMMO

Your Grace, you recently, in a letter to the President of the = United=20 States, declared that Chaldeans are a separate and distinct = nation. In=20 quest for such separate =91nation=92 recognition, the appellation = of which you=20 dated back to the 16th century, you appealed to the President of = the=20 United States of America to accord the Chaldeans the recognition = as a=20 nation. This came immediately after the recognition of the = Assyrian=20 Democratic Movement [ADM] as a legitimate party in the Iraqi = opposition.=20 In my view as an Assyrian, this latter decision on the part of the = President was not only a victory for ADM, which has sincerely = spearheaded=20 the unity of Assyrians, Chaldeans, Suryanis and Maronites; it was = rather a=20 magnanimous victory for all the Christians of Iraq, all the=20 Aramaic-speaking indigenous people of Beth Nahrain including = Chaldeans,=20 Suryanis and Assyrians.

Considering your position, = education, and=20 previous pronouncements, this action shocks and saddens the = majority of=20 our much-maligned Christian people and Aramaic-speaking nation of = Beth=20 Nahrain. Our nation is going through one of its most critical = periods in=20 its history. We are on the verge of extinction if we do not unite = our=20 scattered brothers and sisters and stand firm and demand our = rights in our=20 homeland of Beth Nahrain. In the midst of this struggle, your = declaration=20 creates more confusion and divisiveness. All the five Patriarchs = of our=20 divided Church and nation have acknowledged, on different = occasions, their=20 Assyrian roots and are receptive to the idea of final = reconciliation.=20 Consequently, your untimely demand for distinct separation and = isolation=20 comes counter to wishes of the majority of our people. In my view, = as a=20 loyal Christian and a sincere Assyrian, this move amounts to a = very=20 dangerous schism in our national effort for securing a deep-seated = unity=20 of Christian faith, of Aramaic language and of Beth Nahrain = civilization.=20 This move is counter to our past history of one nation because it = will=20 legitimize the call for the recognition of four nations=96 the = nation of=20 Assyrians, the nation of Chaldeans, the nation of Suryanis and the = nation=20 of Maronite. It is this division that has brought us to the = politically=20 miserable situation in which we are.

I do not know exactly what are your motives and what is the = rationale=20 that is driving you to this isolationist position. As an Assyrian = and=20 supporter of Zowaa, I am hopeful that all of our brothers and = sisters who=20 are children of one nation, speak the same language, and profess = the same=20 Christian faith will rise and raise their voices against disunity. =

Personally, I am encouraged when I see our intellectuals like = Dr.=20 Edward Odisho to take time to research and write quality material = to=20 educate our people. I sent you via e-mail a copy of his article in = the=20 hope that you will consider his recommendations as an ideal basis = on which=20 communications and negotiations can be continued between our two=20 communities to reach a favorable understanding. We are all in need = of a=20 campaign of Christian awareness, national awareness and = civilizational=20 awareness of who we were and who do we want to be.

Irrespective of your present position, I am confident that you = will=20 acknowledge the following historical facts:

1. The Church of the East had its second division in the 15th = century=20 when a segment of its followers split away and had their = candidate=20 ordained by Rome as a new Patriarch.

2. The liturgy of both churches at that time was in the = Aramaic=20 language and the spoken language of both groups was Suraya or = Surith.=20 Presently, the Church of the East still maintains its services = in=20 Aramaic, while the Chaldean Church still suffers from the = dominance of=20 the Arabic language.

3. Rome applied the name Chaldean to the Uniat denomination = in the=20 middle of the 19th century to distinguish it from the = =91Nestorian=92=20 denomination; however, this was not meant to create a Chaldean = nation=20 versus an Assyrian or =91Nestorian=92 nation.

4. The national identity of a people is the outcome of a long = process=20 of historical evolution; it is not an instantaneous creation = resulting=20 from putting pen on paper. We have had a religious and national = unity=20 and we should do our utmost to regain it and reinforce it.=20

We are informed that your purpose in this undertaking is to = stop the=20 Arabization process of our Chaldean brothers. This undertaking is = truly=20 commendable, but the process cannot be stopped by the selection of = a new=20 identity; conversely, the Arabization process is only countered = through a=20 long-term campaign of linguistic, historical and cultural = awareness. We=20 all=96 as Chaldeans, Assyrians, Suryanis and Maronites=96 need to = be once=20 again =91baptized=92 through this process of awareness which will = undoubtedly=20 make us better patriotic brothers and more faithful Christians. = Without=20 this campaign of awareness more and more of us=96 the speakers of = Aramaic=96=20 will be drowned in the whirlpools of Arabic, Turkish, Kurdish and = English=20 languages and cultures. Alas, it will then be too late for the = language of=20 Jesus to survive and too late for our Beth Nahrain culture and = heritage to=20 be maintained.

I, therefore, sincerely appeal to our brothers and sisters on = both=20 sides of this debate to refrain from personal attacks, character=20 assassination, and negative ideas. We should accord Mar Sarhad and = all=20 other clergy the respect they deserve. Let us debate the concept = of unity=20 and not make personal attacks. As Dr. Edward Odisho stated it so=20 eloquently that we are all believers in the Christian faith, = Aramaic is=20 our language, and are children of our beloved homeland, Bet = Nahrain. Using=20 these unifying factors as the basis, let us attempt to establish = better=20 communication, deeper understanding and constructive approach to = reach a=20 final resolution that is an integral part of our future survival = as=20 Christians, as the speakers of Jesus=92 language and as the = indigenous=20 creators of Beth Nahrain civilization.

There is so much historical material to prove that Chaldeans = and=20 Assyrians are only appellations for the same people. Chaldeans and = Assyrians will remain one entity irrespective of how many = individuals=20 attempt to divide us into two.
Thus, I will not attempt to = repeat=20 these facts. It will suffice to quote one single source to prove = that you=20 are of the same historical descent like me regardless of whether = you=20 identify yourself as Chaldean or Assyrian. The source of the = quotation is=20 none other than the book written by your father, the late Yousif = Hermiz=20 Jammo. From his book, The Remains of Nineveh or the History of = Telkaif=20 written in Arabic and first published in Baghdad in 1937, I will = quote=20 certain statements that leave no doubt as to your national = identity as=20 documented by your father.

1. From his Introduction, =93Telkaif, the city or small town = in North=20 Iraq is inhabited now by about 10,000 persons. And it is the = only=20 remaining town from the remains of the mighty Nineveh in that=20 location=85and their majority have preserved their language = (Surith) which=20 is the modern Aramaic.=94

2. From the Chapter entitled The Name of the City

=93The city (Telkaif) is one of the many suburbs of = Nineveh=85and its=20 name is taken from the hill that the city (Nineveh) installed = around=20 itself=85the fortress is ancient from the days of the Assyrian = Kingdom=20 just like other fortresses that were erected for the defense of = Nineveh.=20 It was an artificial fortress surrounded by large stones (keepe) = and=20 thus the hill of stones.=94

3. From the chapter entitled Telkaif City, =93Telkaif is the = only=20 remaining inheritance of the mighty city of Nineveh. And those = who lived=20 in it from ancient times are the children of those who = established=20 Nineveh. So those in Telkaif or around her are from the same = generations=20 of the people of Nineveh and there is no argument about=20 it.=94

Your Grace, your father=96 may God bless his soul=96 was a = learned man and=20 a proud descendant of Nineveh. In his book, he did not say Telkaif = was a=20 town in Babylon or that the inhabitants of Telkaif came from this = district=20 in southern Iraq, or that their language is Chaldean.

In conclusion, I sincerely appeal to your grace to lead the = challenge=20 of educating our people to recognize that we are of one nation, = one native=20 Church and one Homeland=96 the beloved Beth Nahrain.

Youel A = Baaba
California

CHECKMATE: =91THE KING IS = DEAD!=92

We use =93maut=94 to mean =93death=94 but don=92t use the = Arabic adjective from=20 it =93maat=94 meaning =93dead=94, except when we use it as a term = in the game of=20 chess. We vaguely connect the English word =93checkmate=94 to an = Arabic origin=20 but still don=92t get to its real meaning

In the game of chess when you say checkmate you are putting the = top=20 pawn on challenge. What are you actually saying? You are warning = that the=20 king will soon be killed. The literal warning communicated here = is: the=20 king is dead!

The dictionaries are confused about the real origin of this = word. They=20 all say that the expression has come from Persian and that somehow = check=20 is actually shah (king), the top pawn in chess. The =93mate=94 = part of the=20 word they relate to an Indo-European root meaning to put down.

There are some dictionaries that say that mate comes from mat = but don=92t=20 give its real meaning. Most dictionaries say that the word came = into=20 English from French but will not say how it came to French.

There is some clue in the Russian word for chess: shakhmati. It = is very=20 close to the expression used in Persian when the king pawn is = challenged:=20 shah maat. But the Persian word chess itself is different: = shatranj.

Persian got its name from Sanskrit and the game from India = because=20 chatur-ang means four parts which is the spread (bisat) on which = chess is=20 played. It has four parts. Chatur means four and is seen in Latin = quattuor=20 (four). Russian is closer in chitir (four). Persian has chahar. In = Urdu it=20 is char.

If Russians got the name for chess from shah-maat, the French = got it=20 from Spanish jaque y mate. The French then took the word in = another=20 direction. They connected with another word echec (failure) which = has a=20 Latin root. The English got their chess from echec.

Thus was shah totally lost in the etymology. What happened to = maat is=20 even stranger. Maat is simply an Arabic word meaning dead. In Urdu = we have=20 the word maut (death) but strangely not its derivative maat = (dead). It=20 could be present in our word for mourning (maatam).

Mot or maut is a Syriac word which has come to Arabic as well = as Hebrew=20 (mavet) and means the opposite of life. In the Holy Quran, it is = used to=20 mean static or devoid of movement. It is used for such expressions = as the=20 breeze stopped (maatat).

Maat is used for dead in Arabic but in Urdu and Persian maat is = also=20 used for defeat, but its real meaning is going down or confounded. = In=20 English mat was taken from French to mean dull and colourless, = from where=20 the English word mat (dull).

The Spanish coined the word matador with the help of Arabic: he = who=20 kills the bull. It literally means killer. Spanish verb matar (to = kill)=20 comes directly from Arabic. Troubador is he who sings. The French = also=20 took it as mat (dead).

Khaled Ahmed
Pakistan

Bravo

PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION = OF NESTORIAN=20 TOMBSTONES IN CHINA

A photographic exhibition entitled =93Christian Angels on the = South China=20 Coast=94 will be open to the public in the ground floor exhibition = area at=20 Macquarie University Library, North Ryde, Australia, from March = 3rd-April=20 12th 2003. The exhibition deals with the Nestorian Christian = tombstones of=20 the Mongol period from Quanzhou in South China. The curator is Dr = Ken=20 Parry and the exhibition is being held as part of an ARC and CCK = funded=20 research project based in the Ancient History Department at = Macquarie=20 under the direction of Prof Sam Lieu. As well as Prof Lieu and Dr = Parry=20 the research team consists of Prof Majella Franzmann (UNE), Dr = Lain=20 Gardner (Sydney and Dr Lance Eccles (Macquarie).

Quanzhou was known to Western travellers as Zayton and it was = the port=20 from which Marco Polo left China in 1292. Since 1997 it has gained = fame as=20 the City of Light from the title given to the manuscript of a = Jewish=20 merchant, Jacob d=92Ancona, who allegedly spent six months in the = city in=20 1271-72.

The book launch is for Worlds of the Silk Roads Ancient and = Modern:=20 Walls and Frontiers in Inner Asian History, edited by Prof Sam = Lieu and=20 Craig Benjamin, and forms Volume VI in the Silk Road Studies = Series=20 published by Brepols. The volume consists of papers given at the = 4th=20 Biennial Conference of the Australian Society for Inner Asian = Studies held=20 at Macquarie University in November 2000.

The official opening of the Exhibition and Book Launch will be = held at=20 Macquarie University Library on Wednesday 26th February 3003 (by=20 invitation only). The exhibition will be opened by the = Vice-Chancellor,=20 Emeritus Professor Di Yerbury, who will also launch Volume VI in = the Silk=20 Road Studies series edited at Macquarie and Published by Brepols. = Dr Parry=20 has invited Mr Li Jinsheng of the Consulate of the Peoples = Republic of=20 China and His Grace Mar Meelis Zaia of the Assyrian Church of the = East to=20 speak on this occasion.

Macquarie University
Sydney,=20 Australia

Calendar of=20 Events

Visit the Zinda Magazine Calendar at http://www.zindamagazine.c= om/calendar

Thank=20 You!

Zindamagazine would like to = thank:

Jacklin=20 Bejan
(California)

Dr. George Kiraz
(New=20 Jersey)

Konstantin = Sabo
(Sweden)

Mar Meelis=20 = Zaia
(Australia)

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ZINDA Magazine is published = weekly. =20 Views expressed in ZINDA do not necessarily represent those of the = ZINDA=20 editors, or any of our associated staff. This publication reserves the = right, at=20 its sole discretion, not to publish comments or articles previously = printed in=20 or submitted to other journals. ZINDA reserves the right to = publish and=20 republish your submission in any form or medium. All letters and=20 messages require the name(s) of sender and/or author. All = messages=20 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=20 ZINDA is not restricted, but permission from ZINDA is required. This = service is=20 meant for the exchange of information, analyses and news. To = subscribe,=20 send e-mail to: z_info@zindamagazine.com.=20

STORY BEHIND THE=20 STORY

WAR COULD MAKE LIFE = DIFFICULT FOR=20 IRAQI CHRISTIANS

VENETIANS ADOPT ASSYRIAN = WINGED LION=20 AS THEIR CITY=92S LOGO

NOT SO FAST MR=20 O=92REILLY

A NEW NAME FOR AN OLD=20 SCHOOL

AN OPEN LETTER TO MAR = SARHAD=20 JAMMO

PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION = OF NESTORIAN=20 TOMBSTONES IN CHINA