March 17, 2003

GOOD MORNING=20 BET-NAHRAIN

URGENT APPEAL=20 FOR ASSYRIAN EMERGENCY RELIEF PROJECT

17 March 2003

All of the world=92s eyes have been focused on Iraq, awaiting = an expected=20 war.

Now the war is upon us and it is very possible Iraq is facing a = humanitarian disaster.

In 1991 our organization was established to plan and carry out = a relief=20 program immediately after the Gulf War when tens of thousands of = Iraqi=20 people were forced to leave their homes and villages in search of = safety=20 at the Turkish and Iranian borders.

This is expected to happen again in the coming days, and now = once again=20 we must implement a vast relief program for our people.

Our Relief Project proposal [see below] is for 4,000 familes, = or=20 roughly 20,000 people. The number of Assyrian refugees is expected = to be=20 far higher but we have chosen this number as a realistic goal that = we can=20 support without seeking the assistance of the United Nations or = other=20 non-governmental organizations.

We are depending on our individual supporters, donor = organizations,=20 societies, clubs, churches, and others to assist us in this = project. We=20 ask for any support or donations you can offer, to see our = people=92s=20 suffering and save them from the disaster we are facing.

Please visit http://www.assyrianaid.org/ to=20 learn how you can help today

Our thanks in advance,

Sincerely,

Rommel Moushi =
President=20
Assyrian Aid Society - Iraq

THE IRAQI OPPOSITION GROUPS MEETING IN = ANKARA

Courtesy of Reuters (18 March); based on = articl by=20 Ayla Jean Yackley

(ZNDA: Dohuk) Iraqi opposition groups met in Ankara, Turkey on = Tuesday=20 to put their forces under a U.S.-led command in the event of war. = At press=20 time another meeting is scheduled in which Mr. Yonadam Kanna, = Secretary=20 General of the Assyrian Democratic Movement, will be voicing the = concerns=20 of the Assyrian people in Ankara, Zinda Magazine sources = indicate.

After Tuesday=92s meeting U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said: = "The Iraqi=20 parties present...have committed themselves to fully cooperate = with the=20 coalition and to put whatever forces they have under the command = and=20 control of the coalition commanders."

Khalilzad struggled to hammer out a deal between the opposition = groups=20 and neighbouring Turkey on how to work peacefully in any U.S.-led = assault=20 on northern Iraq.

The main points of tension are the Iraqi cities of Mosul and = Kirkuk,=20 the heart of the country's northern oil industry.

Kurds feel the cities are historically theirs, and thousands of = Kurds=20 expelled from the region by the government of Iraqi President = Saddam=20 Hussein might return there during a war.

Turkey fears the Kurds may seize control of oil fields, a step = toward=20 turning the enclave into an independent state.

Khalilzad said Iraqi Kurdish groups at the meeting had agreed = to hold=20 back their people.

News = Digest

AZORES SUMMIT STATEMENT = INCLUDES=20 ASSYRIANS, CHALDEANS

Courtesy of the Associated Press (17 = March)=20

Text of the statement on Iraq that was released = yesterday at a=20 summit in the Azores islands

Iraq's talented people, rich culture, and tremendous potential = have=20 been hijacked by Saddam Hussein. His brutal regime has reduced a = country=20 with a long and proud history to an international pariah that = oppresses=20 its citizens, started two wars of aggression against its = neighbors, and=20 still poses a grave threat to the security of its region and the=20 world.

Saddam's defiance of United Nations Security Council = resolutions=20 demanding the disarmament of his nuclear, chemical, biological, = and=20 long-range missile capacity has led to sanctions on Iraq and has=20 undermined the authority of the U.N. For 12 years, the = international=20 community has tried to persuade him to disarm and thereby avoid = military=20 conflict, most recently through the unanimous adoption of UNSCR = 1441. The=20 responsibility is his. If Saddam refuses even now to cooperate = fully with=20 the United Nations, he brings on himself the serious consequences = foreseen=20 in UNSCR 1441 and previous resolutions.

In these circumstances, we would undertake a solemn obligation = to help=20 the Iraqi people build a new Iraq at peace with itself and its = neighbors.=20 The Iraqi people deserve to be lifted from insecurity and tyranny, = and=20 freed to determine for themselves the future of their country. We = envisage=20 a unified Iraq with its territorial integrity respected. All the = Iraqi=20 people -- its rich mix of Sunni and Shiite Arabs, Kurds, Turkomen, = Assyrians, Chaldeans, and all others -- should enjoy freedom, = prosperity,=20 and equality in a united country. We will support the Iraqi = people's=20 aspirations for a representative government that upholds human = rights and=20 the rule of law as cornerstones of democracy.

We will work to prevent and repair damage by Saddam Hussein's = regime to=20 the natural resources of Iraq and pledge to protect them as a = national=20 asset of and for the Iraqi people. All Iraqis should share the = wealth=20 generated by their national economy. We will seek a swift end to=20 international sanctions, and support an international = reconstruction=20 program to help Iraq achieve real prosperity and reintegrate into = the=20 global community.

We will fight terrorism in all its forms. Iraq must never again = be a=20 haven for terrorists of any kind.

In achieving this vision, we plan to work in close partnership = with=20 international institutions, including the United Nations; our = Allies and=20 partners; and bilateral donors. If conflict occurs, we plan to = seek the=20 adoption, on an urgent basis, of new United Nations Security = Council=20 resolutions that would affirm Iraq's territorial integrity, ensure = rapid=20 delivery of humanitarian relief, and endorse an appropriate = post-conflict=20 administration for Iraq. We will also propose that the Secretary = General=20 be given authority, on an interim basis, to ensure that the = humanitarian=20 needs of the Iraqi people continue to be met through the Oil for = Food=20 program.

Any military presence, should it be necessary, will be = temporary and=20 intended to promote security and elimination of weapons of mass=20 destruction; the delivery of humanitarian aid; and the conditions = for the=20 reconstruction of Iraq. Our commitment to support the people of = Iraq will=20 be for the long term.

We call upon the international community to join with us in = helping to=20 realize a better future for the Iraqi people.

ASSYRIANS MEET WITH WHITE HOUSE = OFFICIALS &=20 U.S. CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES THIS WEEK

(ZNDA: Washington) On 3 March Dr. Emanuel Kamber, an Assyrian = activist=20 and prominent member of the working groups formulating the = post-Saddam=20 policies and constitutional bylaws, delivered an important speech = at the=20 "Post-Saddam Iraq Conference Series" organized by the American = Enterprise=20 Institute in Washington D.C. This portion of the conference dealt = with the=20 "Constitutional Issues and Federalism: Ethnicity and Justice in=20 Post-Saddam Iraq." (see News Digest)

On 6 March, Dr. Emanuel Kamber joined two Assyrian-Chaldeans, = Dr.=20 Ramsey Jiddou of Detroit and Dr. Katrin Micheal from Washington = D.C., and=20 a few other Iraqi-Americans in full day meetings at the White = House and=20 the U.S. Defense Department. They met with Vice President Chaney; = Dr.=20 Condolezza Rice, National Security Adviser; Dr. Paul Wolfowitz, = Deputy=20 Secretary of Defense; Dr. Khalilzada, President' Envoy to Free = Iraqis; and=20 Steve Hadley, Deputy National Security Adviser. A press conference = was=20 held outside the White House after the meetings. The Assyrian=20 representatives introduced themselves as "Assyrian Chaldean Syriac = people-=20 one nation with different names."

At government expense, these representatives were brought to = Washington=20 to tell Mr. Cheney, Miss Rice and other ranking officials of the = pressing=20 need to remove Saddam from power.

"Finally, somebody is listening to us," Mr. Jiddou, 59, a = chemist who=20 immigrated from Baghdad in the late 1970s to escape Saddam = Hussein's=20 dictatorial oppression, said over the weekend.

The State Department would not comment on its effort to recruit = these=20 community members.

Dr. Jiddou and Dr. Kamber were among a delegation of 10 Iraqis = who=20 later met with Mr. Donald Ramsfeld, Secretary of Defense and Paul=20 Wolfowitz at the Pentagon.

Dr. Katrin Michael also met with several Congressional = Representatives=20 last week, including Mr. Mark Kirk (Illinois-10th District), = Co-Chairman=20 of the Iraq Working Group, and Mr. Darrel Issa (California).

Last Friday, President George W. Bush met with three Iraqi = civilian=20 victims of the 1988 chemical attack Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein = launched=20 against their city that they say killed thousands and caused = long-term=20 physical and psychological problems among survivors.

Dr. Katrin Michael and two other Iraqis spoke with President = Bush for=20 approximately 20 minutes about their experiences after Saddam = attacked the=20 Iraqi city of Halabja with chemical weapons. The brief meeting = came as=20 Bush is set to leave for Portugal's Azores to discuss how to win = U.N.=20 approval for a new resolution on Iraq.

Dr. Michael, of Alexandria, Va., said she was blind for three = days=20 after the attack. "We had long-term effects. I suffered a lot of = breathing=20 (problems) and hands shaking. I've sought treatment in different=20 countries. The psychological effects were most important," said = Michael,=20 who fled Iraq in 1988.

Dr. Michael, who urged governments not to use chemical weapons = during=20 war, is a researcher with the Iraq Foundation. She joined the=20 Kurdish-based Iraqi resistance movement in 1982 to fight = Saddam.

On Tuesday, 18 March, Dr. Michael will testify before Congress = and=20 describe her experience with chemical weapons. In her upcoming=20 autobiography, Dr. Katrin describes her family's experiences with = the=20 Iraqi Baath regime.

[Z-info:=20 See Also: Iraqi Assyrians Meet Top U.S. Administration = Officials
http://www.ain= a.org/releases/2003/bushmeeting.htm=20 ]

ASSYRIAN & IRAQI DELEGATION'S = LETTER TO DR.=20 CONDOLEZZA RICE

The following is the full text of the letter submitted to Vice=20 President Chaney and Dr. Rice after the 6 March meeting of the = Assyrian=20 & other Iraqi Representatives at the White House:

March 6, 2003

Dr. Condolezza Rice,
National Security=20 Advisor
The White House

Dear Dr. Rice:

We are = grateful=20 for allowing us the opportunity to meet with you and share our = views as=20 Iraqi Americans regarding the liberation and future of Iraq. We = are=20 heartened by our President's commitment for a free, democratic,=20 pluralistic and constitutional Iraq.

In the last 34 years = the=20 people of Iraq have suffered under the brutal, barbaric oppressive = regime=20 of Saddam Hussein and his organizations of terror. He committed = genocide,=20 ethnic and religious cleansing against millions. He used chemical, = biological and the environment as weapons of mass destruction. In = addition=20 to his continuous war against the people inside and outside Iraq, = his=20 appetite for war and aggression extended to neighboring=20 countries.

Those who are marching for peace and justice in = the name=20 of the Iraqi people are unwittingly supporting a totalitarian = dictator who=20 promotes terrorism. Instead they should be calling for the = implementation=20 of UN resolution 688. They have no clue what justice is and who = has=20 brought war, bloodshed and annihilation by weapons of mass = destruction and=20 wholesale devastation to Iraq and the region.

We, as Iraqi=20 Americans support our President in his leadership of the world to = liberate=20 the people of Iraq. We believe this is crucial for the safety and = security=20 of the people of the United States, and in the best interest of = the people=20 of Iraq, the people of the region and the world.

We stand = for:

1. Human rights and equality for every Iraqi irrespective of = gender,=20 ethnicity religion, political or personal beliefs.

2. Unity and territorial integrity of Iraq and no intervention = or=20 incursion from neighboring countries under any pretext.
3.=20 Establishment of a democratic and constitutional Iraq that is = based on the=20 rule of law and organized under a federal framework.

4. An Iraqi transitional authority after the liberation.

5. An Iraq that is free from chemical, biological and nuclear=20 weapons.

6. An Iraq that is at peace with its neighbors.

7. An Iraq that is a catalyst for democracy, peace and = prosperity in=20 the region.
We call on the US and the coalition forces to make = every=20 effort to minimize civilian casualties and damage to = infrastructure during=20 the liberation of Iraq. We stand ready to help our government and = the=20 people of Iraq in the reconstruction and development of the new = free=20 Iraq.

Thank you again for this opportunity. Please extend = our=20 support and gratitude to President Bush as he leads the world for = a moral=20 just cause.

Respectfully,

Muhammad=20 Al-Jebori
Pakeza Alexander, President Kurdish Humanitarian=20 Organization
Abdulali Alwishah, Attorney
Howra Al-Zudd,=20 Student
Emad Dhia, Msc., MBA, Founder, Iraqi Forum for=20 Democracy
Maha Hussain, M.D., President, Iraqi Forum for=20 Democracy
Ramsey Jiddou, Ph.D.
Emanuel Kamber, Ph.D.
Sam = Kareem
Imam Hassan Qazweni
Saman Shah, Ph.D., VP Kurdish = National=20 Congress of North America

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT MEMBERS STATEMENT = ON=20 ASSYRIANS/SYRIACS IN TURKEY AND IRAQ

It is of = utmost=20 importance that the European Union directs its attention to the = alarming=20 situation as regards violations of the political and religious = freedom of=20 Christian minorities in the Middle East. At stake are = fundamental
human=20 rights guaranteed by international law.

In particular, one of the ancient ethnic groups in Turkey and = Iraq, the=20 Assyrians/Syriacs, is near the point of extinction. Before the = Gulf War=20 1,5 million Assyrians/Syriacs populated Iraq. Today this number = has=20 decreased to 0,5 million inhabitants. There are currently = estimated=20 10-15,000 Assyrians/Syriacs left in Turkey.

The Assyrian/Syriac people have a precious cultural heritage of = great=20 importance for the entire civilized community. Nonetheless, = Assyrian=20 churches and monasteries are being systematically confiscated or = even=20 destroyed.

With every international crisis in the Middle East, the=20 Assyrians/Syriacs as well as other Christian minority groups have = been=20 targeted by both fighting sides, as they found themselves caught = in the=20 middle of different political and religious power-constellations. = At=20 present, there is strong concern about the situation of = Assyrians/Syriacs=20 in Northern Iraq.

On the other hand, Turkey has not improved its record as = regards the=20 religious freedom and property rights of Christian minorities, in = spite of=20 recent changes in national legislation. The Commission states in = its=20 Strategy Paper on the enlargement that Turkey has made noticeable = progress=20 towards meeting the Copenhagen political criteria. This is not = enough. It=20 is time that the EU made clear to the Turkish administration that = it=20 expects full and proper implementation of the Copenhagen criteria = as a=20 pre-requisite for EU membership.

The Assyrians/Syriacs represent an original Christian group in = the=20 Middle East. Along with other religious minorities, they need to = be=20 officially recognized and be allowed to effectively enjoy their = basic=20 human rights by governments and national authorities. It is = therefore of=20 great importance that the EU demonstrates stronger concern for the = plight=20 of the Assyrian/Syriac people, by bringing the issue of their = political=20 and religious rights and indeed of their very existence to the = main=20 political agenda.

The situation of the Assyrians/Syriacs was raised in an open = hearing in=20 the beginning of October 2002 in the European Parliament arranged = by the=20 Nordic Christian Democrats.

Yours sincerely,

Mr. Anders Wijkman, Member of the = European=20 Parliament
Mr. Lennart Sacr=E9deus, Member of the European=20 Parliament
Mr. Jonas Sj=F6stedt, Member of the European = Parliament
Ms.=20 Eija-Riitta Korhola, Member of the European Parliament

KURDISH RESOLUTION THREATENS = ASSYRIAN LANDS=20 IN IRAQ

Read http://aina.org/r= eleases/2003/landtransfer.htm

IRAQI-AMERICANS DISCUSS WAR, WORRY = FOR LOVED=20 ONES

Courtesy of ABC News (18 March); by Rob=20 Johnson

(ZNDA: Chicago) With American troops close to Iraq's doorstep, = there=20 are frazzled nerves both in the Persian Gulf region and in = Chicago.=20 Younathan Youkhana is an Assyrian Christian originally from = northern Iraq.=20 Though he's been in the U.S. 31 years, he hopes someday to return = to his=20 homeland. So Youkhana supports President Bush's insistence on war. =

"We hope we'll have a lot of democracy there and the freedom = there and=20 people to do business back home, that will do their business and = people=20 live there. They have been suffering for so many years. They will = relax=20 and have a place. They deserve to have a good life, too," said = Younathan=20 Youkhana, Assyrian National Council.

Dr. Qais Mekki believes the = U.S. has=20 absolutely no justification for attacking Iraq. Dr. Qais Mekki = holds a=20 very different view. He left Baghdad in 1981, and has been a U.S. = citizen=20 for a dozen years. He believes the U.S. has absolutely no = justification=20 for attacking Iraq.

"The president is setting a precedent which is essentially = quite=20 dangerous, especially that it lacks any credible linkage to any = credible=20 threat coming from Iraq," said Dr. Qais Mekki, Iraqi-born = American.

Both men still have family in Iraq, and are understandably = concerned=20 about their loved ones' questionable futures. "We hope our people = could be=20 safe and to be -- to control the country in a nice way and easy = way," said=20 Youkhana.

"I'm puzzled what did they do to deserve all of this since they = are=20 innocent bystanders. It looks like the bombshells are going to = fall on a=20 lot of innocent bystanders," said Mekki.

Youkhana hopes that Iraq will become an economically stable = Democratic=20 country after the war. Mekki fears that the obliteration of = Saddam's=20 regime will lead to radicalism.

WORLDS APART ON CHALDEAN CRISIS=20

Coutesy of the = Union-Tribune &=20 Copley News Services (12 March); By Marcus Stern, Photo by Nelvin=20 Cepeda

(ZNDA: North Iraq) Ibrahim = Yosuf Elias,=20 bishop of the northeastern Iraqi city of Sulaimaniyah, denies that = Chaldeans and other Iraqi Christians face religious persecution = under=20 Saddam Hussein's Baath regime.

Vegetable farmer Sabah = Hana, an=20 Iraqi Catholic, said he spent 10 years in Saddam Hussein's = infamous=20 Baghdad prison, Abu Ghraib. His brother, also a Chaldean Catholic, = was=20 executed in the same prison in 1987.

But politics =96 not religion =96 caused their problems, he = said.

"There were many Christians in prison with me," he said. "But = it wasn't=20 because they were Christians. It was because they opposed Saddam." =

While Chaldean advocates, human rights groups and immigration = lawyers=20 in the United States argue that Chaldean Catholics are targets of=20 religious persecution in Iraq, many Chaldeans in semi-autonomous = northern=20 Iraq paint a different picture.

"I haven't heard of any (religious) persecution," said Ibrahim = Yosuf=20 Elias, bishop of the northeastern Iraqi city of Sulaimaniyah. = "There have=20 been no problems for any of the Chaldeans of Iraq."

Elias was careful to note that many Chaldeans and other Iraqi=20 Christians have been jailed and killed for their political = opposition to=20 Hussein. But he emphatically rejected the notion that it was = because of=20 their religion.

"Saddam does not tolerate political opposition," he said in his = church=20 office, surrounded by pictures of himself with Pope John Paul II. =

On the other side of the globe, the notion that religious = persecution=20 does not exist in Iraq was hotly disputed.

Cheri Attix, a San Diego immigration attorney who has = represented about=20 a dozen Chaldean asylum seekers, said the bishop's comments "are = absurd. .=20 . . The human-rights reports speak for themselves."

Bill Frelick, director of Amnesty International's refugee = program, said=20 the situation is not as black and white as the long-distance = debate=20 suggests.

"In that part of the world religion isn't regarded as articles = of=20 faith, as it is in the U.S," he said in an interview from = Washington.=20 "Religion in many cases is an identity that attaches to you. = Religion and=20 ethnicity and nationality and politics all get mooshed together. = So to me=20 it's a matter of splitting hairs. It all boils down to the same = thing: You=20 are going to be persecuted."

Iraq has experienced an exodus since the 1991 Gulf War, Elias = said.=20

The war and the sanctions that followed have left the Iraqi = economy in=20 ruins. Most of those fleeing are professionals, including = engineers, who=20 are seeking better economic conditions and jobs in Europe or the = United=20 States, he said.

He had a sharp retort to those who tell the United States and = other=20 governments that, as Christians, they risk being killed or jailed = if they=20 are returned to Iraq, at least in the semi-autonomous north.

"They are lying," Frelick said. "They are just trying to get=20 (immigration) benefits from your government. . . . We have all the = freedoms and rights of others here."

While reliable numbers are hard to come by, it is frequently = estimated=20 that 150,000 Chaldeans =96 Iraqi Catholics =96 have settled in the = United=20 States. Detroit and San Diego are the number one and number two=20 destinations, respectively.

There also are an estimated 100,000 Iraqi Christians known as = Assyrians=20 living in the United States. They are Iraqi Christians affiliated = with the=20 Eastern Orthodox Church rather than the Catholic Church.

San Diego-area Chaldeans reacted skeptically to Bishop Elias' = remarks.=20

The Rev. Michael Bazzi of St. Peter's Chaldean Catholic Church = in El=20 Cajon speculated that Elias "is afraid; that's why he said that. = He is=20 scared and afraid because if he speaks one word against Saddam he = will be=20 killed."

Bazzi said the bishop could be killed even though he is in the = area=20 controlled by Kurds. "Even if he is there, Saddam's agents will = kill him.=20 It is miserable for all Christians in Iraq. They are second-class = citizens=20 and they cannot talk."

Said one Chaldean refugee living in El Cajon since 1994: "If = this=20 bishop gets out of Iraq, I am sure he would say something quite=20 different."

Elias, after conducting Mass on Sunday at the old Chaldean = church in=20 Sulaimaniyah, replied to their skepticism.

"I don't say it out of fear of Saddam," he said. "We really = don't have=20 a problem with religious persecution. Our only problem is that we = can't=20 get a bell for our new church."

The new church is under construction.

The old church, its plaster walls cracked, carries the heavy = odor of=20 kerosene, which is used to fire lanterns that heat the church = during=20 Masses and other rites.

During a recent ceremony marking the Stations of the Cross, the = electricity failed and Elias was forced to use candlelight to read = passages from the Bible.

The Chaldean village of Harmota is a two-hour drive from = Sulaimaniyah.=20 It is a remote farming hamlet within a rural portion of northern = Iraq that=20 was declared a Kurdish-controlled zone after the Persian Gulf War. =

A fourth-century monastery sits on a hillside overlooking = Harmota. It=20 has been built and destroyed many times.

Most recently, Hussein's soldiers used dynamite to blow it up = in 1988.=20

The monastery's destruction was part of a broad scorched-earth = campaign=20 targeting Kurdish resistance to Hussein's Baath Party rule and his = efforts=20 to "Arabize" Iraq.

Most of the dwellings in this heavily Kurdish area were = destroyed. The=20 same year in which Hussein's forces destroyed the monastery, Kurds = say,=20 they also attacked villages in the region with deadly chemicals. =

U.S. and British warplanes for a decade have kept Hussein from = imposing=20 direct control over the region. This has created an opening for a = Kurdish=20 government organized under two separate parties, the Kurdish = Democratic=20 Party, or KDP, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, or PUK. The = PUK,=20 which controls this area, is providing much of the money to build = the new=20 Chaldean church in Sulaimaniyah.

Harmota awakens each morning like a 19th-century agrarian = hamlet.

Chickens, roosters, goats and cows run along its unpaved = streets. Women=20 line up to fill containers with water from a pipe of constantly = flowing=20 water. Children head off to school on foot. Men let out the = livestock and=20 march out to plow their fields.

Hana, the vegetable farmer, hitches two donkeys to his plow. = The rich,=20 dark soil of this swath of the world's "Fertile Crescent" will = produce=20 wheat and a range of vegetables that are the lifeblood of the = community.=20

Muslims and Christians say they co-exist peacefully here. Jacob = Ibrahim=20 Meekha, a Chaldean English teacher at Harmota's intermediate = school, said=20 Chaldeans have Easter egg hunts and decorate their houses = traditionally=20 for Christmas. Muslims frequently share in the social festivity of = Christian holidays, and Christians reciprocate on Muslim holidays, = he=20 said.

There are tensions and differences. For instance, interfaith = marriages=20 are rare and heavily discouraged. Muslims for a long time were = reluctant=20 to eat with Christians.

But that has largely disappeared over time, especially in the = urban=20 areas.

Signs of harmony dominate: Christian and Muslim children sit = side by=20 side in Harmota's schools. Christian and Muslim women wait with = each other=20 to use the same spring and shoulder their containers home with = each other.=20 Men sip tea and work the fields together, regardless of whether = they are=20 Muslim or Christian.

"Everybody gets along," Meekha said. "We have complete freedom, = not=20 only religious, but for all our traditions. Of course, hatred (and = fear)=20 of Saddam reaches us all."

NO TO CHURCHES IN SAUDI ARABIA:=20 MINISTER

Courtesy of the Times of India (12=20 March)

(ZNDA: Riyadh) Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, will not = allow=20 churches to be built on its land regardless of the outcry from=20 ``fanatics,'' according to Defence Minister Prince Sultan.

=93This country was the launch pad for the prophecy and the = message, and=20 nothing can contradict this, even if we lose our necks,=94 Sultan = told=20 reporters on Saturday. His comments were published by Saudi = newspapers and=20 confirmed by several journalists who attended the press = conference.

=93Those who talked (about churches in Saudi Arabia) are church = people=20 and they are, unfortunately, fanatics,=94 Sultan said, according = to Monday's=20 Okaz daily newspaper. =93We are not against religions at all ... = but there=20 are no churches - not in the past, the present or future, and I am = saying=20 this and I am responsible for what I say.'' Officials at the = Defence=20 Ministry in Riyadh would not comment on the remarks.

Last Thursday, the US Commission on International Religious = Freedom, an=20 independent federal agency, complained that a new State Department = list of=20 countries that severely limit religious freedom omits several that = deserve=20 censure, including US ally Saudi Arabia. The commission's annual = reports=20 say that religious freedom ``does not exist'' in the Gulf = Kingdom.

Islam is the only accepted religion in Saudi Arabia, home to = the=20 faith's holiest shrines in Mecca and Medina. ``The whole world = knows the=20 kingdom and its friendship and loyalty and sincerity in its = religion,'' he=20 said.

Sultan said that foreigners have been allowed to worship freely = in=20 their homes since they began arriving in Saudi Arabia in 1951. But = permitting a church in the country ``would affect Islam and all = Muslims,''=20 he reportedly said.

KASPER "KAY" AARON SAFFER DIES AT=20 94

(ZNDA: Worcester) Kasper =93Kay=94 Aaron Saffer, 94, of 392 = Mill Street,=20 died Monday, 10 March at home after an illness. He leaves his wife = of 62=20 years, Phyllis (Arslen) Saffer; 2 daughters, Pamela C. Saffer of = Worcester=20 and Leslie G. Saffer of New Haven, CT; a sister, Elsie Donoian of=20 Worcester; several nephews and nieces. A brother, Charles A. = Saffer and 2=20 sisters, Natalie Belezarian and Mary Baptist predeceased him.

He was born in Watertown the son of Aaron and Sophie (Atlas) = Saffer and=20 has lived here for many years. He attended Worcester and West = Boylston=20 Schools. He was a Navy veteran of WWII. Mr. Saffer was the owner = and=20 operator of Kay=92s Barber Shop on Park Avenue from 1950 until his = retirement in 1978. He was a member of the former St. Mary=92s = Assyrian=20 Apostolic Church, an active member of the United Assyrian = Association of=20 Massachusetts, a lifetime member of the Disabled American = Veteran=92s=20 Association and a member of the National Association of Watch and = Watch=20 and Clock Collectors, Inc. He was a respected resource of Ancient = Middle=20 Eastern History, a professional drummer and percussionist playing = American=20 and Middle Eastern music, a speed ice skater. He bought and sold = antiques=20 as a hobby, was an avid reader who loved gardening and animals. In = the=20 1930=92s he traveled by rail to New Mexico to dig for gold.

The funeral service will be held Saturday, March 15th at 10:00 = AM, in=20 O=92Connor Brothers Funeral Home, 592 Park Avenue. Burial will be = in Hope=20 Cemetery. Calling hours will be Friday, March 14th from 5:00 until = 8:00=20 PM. Flowers may be sent or memorial contributions may be made to = UMass=20 Memorial Home Health and Hospice, 650 Lincoln Street, Worcester,=20 Massachusetts, 01605.

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

WE MUST SAVE OUR=20 HISTORY

We cannot be silent and must try to = save our=20 history and artifacts that can be destroyed in this war. We = the=20 Assyrians people of the world must stop this from happening. = Our=20 organizations must let the United States Government know how = important=20 this is for our survival. People say Assyrians no longer exist = if we=20 lose our historical artifacts we will no longer have proof. = Please=20 Help.

Pierre = Noghli
California

ASSYRIAN MEDIA MUST COME=20 TOGETHER

I enjoy reading your magazine online. = It is=20 very informative and cuts to the chase. I recently saw the = article on=20 how Assyrians in the U.S. are encouraged to hold peaceful=20 demonstrations with regards to the inevitable war to make the = public=20 more aware of who we are and how we can get more involved. I = think it=20 is a great idea and more people should do so. However, I think = it=20 would be even more beneficial if such demonstrations or = deomonstration=20 could be held in Washington D.C. where all the whole country = and the=20 world is watching. My suggestion would be to organize a = campaigne to=20 have Assyrians bussed into Washington D.C. from all around the = country=20 and even from Canada. Frankly, I think it can make a major = impact in=20 terms of media coverage if that could be arranged and = executed. I=20 myself live in the D.C. metro area and know of several = Assyrians in=20 the area that would be more than hap happy to participate. = Please let=20 me know what your thoughts are on this idea..

AINA recently sent an email that asked us to =93Tell Bill = O=92Reilly=20 that Assyrians exist.=94 The email also contained a story = =91Kurdish=20 Resolution Threatens Assyrian Lands in Iraq.=92 I had already = written to=20 O=92Reilly soon after Zinda made us aware of the matter, = having also=20 carbon copied the email to three separate Fox News sections. = With=20 regards to the Kurdish resolution, I have listened to and = participated=20 in discussions on PalTalk about these matters, as have many = other=20 Assyrians. Yet the juxtaposition of these two issues in the = AINA email=20 highlighted to me once again that the Assyrian people lack a=20 leadership structure which can deal effectively with these = matters,=20 and I replied to AINA with the following (carbon copying =96 = cc =96 to=20 Zinda, Furkono, Atour.com and Nineveh.com):

We all do what we can as individuals and separate = organisations to=20 strengthen our Assyrian case. Yet these individual efforts = will always=20 be undermined by the fact that there does not exist a = coalition of=20 political parties that is a voice-piece for all our = people.

There is no appropriate high level coordination of = activities, our=20 parties work along different agendas and the end result is = minor=20 murmurings from a minor Assyrian group in that region. I have=20 mentioned a number of times in your forum, as have other = Assyrians,=20 that unity is essential. Zowaa is not and cannot be effective = in=20 addressing the Kurdish issues on it's own. I believe that it's = position is compromised by it's participation in the Kurdish=20 parliament and relegated to that of a small and insignificant = voice in=20 important decisions - decisions that affect our Assyrian = rights.

Media agencies such as yourselves: AINA, Zinda, Furkono and = other=20 news-based websites (Atour.com, Nineveh.com, etc) can lead in = the=20 effort to criticise the lack of coalition leadership and push = hard for=20 Assyrians to demand it from our parties.

I'm tired of Assyrians being bullied around by the muslims = Kurds,=20 Arabs and others who see in us not a force they have to answer = to, but=20 a weakling to be pushed around at their discretion. I'm = particularly=20 annoyed by the poor performance of our leaders in representing = our=20 Assyrian rights on behalf of Assyrians in and outside of Iraq. = I'm=20 annoyed because it does not have to be this way - Assyrians = outside of=20 Iraq do not have to cower when it comes to political action in = demanding our rights as a nation.

There is plenty of material around to publicise our cause = when our=20 politicians shake hands with non-Assyrian politicians. For = example,=20 Frederick P. Isaac has written clearly about our situation in = his book=20 Indigenous Peoples Under the Rule of Islam, yet this book has = been=20 reviewed by non-Assyrians, and mostly promoted by = non-Assyrians. I=20 don't know why it has to be this way and why we Assyrians do = not see=20 the value of these materials and act on these opportunities = more=20 effectively to communicate to the international communities = our=20 demands.

Since our political parties lack the vision to work in = concert for=20 our nation, I recommend that media agencies such as yourselves = form an=20 association and act to promote a clear vision for our people = under the=20 guidance of a coalition leadership representative of all our = parties -=20 and that this coalition be acknowledged as the official = voice-piece of=20 our people. Put aside any reservations you have about biased=20 reporting, and understand that what you have to offer at this=20 particular time for our people should be rightly used in bias = of their=20 needs.

Don't just tell us the news, make the news.

The point is, we Assyrian individuals and organisations = have to=20 insist from our parties to form a representative umbrella = political=20 organisation that would act as the voice-piece for our nation. = Our=20 letters should be directed at our Assyrian political parties = instead=20 of Bill O=92Reilly, for surely if they don=92t get their act = together,=20 they are going to deny the existence of our true rights by = their=20 uncoordinated efforts.

Ashur Isaac
Sydney

WHY BLAME THE = KURDS?

I was very impressed by the first = paper in this=20 Zinda issue. Why do you blame Barzani for accepting (or = promoting) the=20 new Chaldean party? If the Chaldeans do not want to be = politically=20 assimilated to the existing Assyrian parties, they were simply = given=20 the right to found their own group. I understand that Barzani = is happy=20 to divide the Christians so that they will be less and less = powerful=20 compared to the Kurds (for which the lack of power is due to = their=20 divisions). Would you expect Barzani to be a patron or a = benefactor of=20 the Christians? Every policy man, anywhere in the world, would = try to=20 promote, as much as possible, small groups around him that = could be=20 more easily corrupted. Do you think that your President Bush, = or our=20 Prime Minister Berlusconi, are better and more honest than=20 Barzani?

I am not entitled to judge your people, why the Chaldeans = do not=20 want to be assimilated to the Assyrians. I presume it is = simply for=20 economic interests and political support that they obtain from = one=20 side or the other. I cannot believe that it is for ethnic = difference -=20 the Italians do not feel different from the Russians, the = Finns or the=20 Irish, where the ethnic splitting occurred centuries earlier = than with=20 your people (If I am not wrong, your people started to divide, = i.e. to=20 breed only with people of the same religious belonging) after = the=20 sixteenth century. I cannot believe either that it is for = religious=20 beliefs, in a century where religion is getting less and less = popular.=20 I live in Rome, I am Italian, and I love the Middle East. I = have quite=20 a few Iraqis friends, both Kurdish from the Barzani and = Talabani=20 parties, as well as Chaldeans and Assyrians. They all have = something=20 in common: they all want to get rid of Saddam. Saddam is the = worst of=20 the worse things according to them.

What I cannot understand, but I confess my total = unawareness in the=20 matters of international policy, is why , considered that an = official=20 Iraqi opposition has been created and has convened in = conferences both=20 in London and in North Iraq, why the United nation council = keeps on=20 meeting and voting on the matters of the war without inviting = the=20 Iraqi opposition group. They should be the only ones entitled = say what=20 they want.

Bianca Moioli
Italy

OSTRICH FESTIVAL IN = CHANDLER,=20 ARIZONA

A&S Realty Specialists of = Chandler, Arizona=20 was one of the participant of this year's Ostrich festival = parade. The=20 agents and their families holding miniature houses and = American and=20 Assyrian flags on top of a hummer were one of over 100 = parading groups=20 in the festival.

A & S Realty (which stands for Ashur and Shamiram) is = the first=20 independent Assyrian Real Estate Company in Arizona, = established a=20 little over a year ago.

A & S Realty Specialists is owned by Mary and Sanharib = Benjamin=20 and is named after their son and daughter, Ashur and = Shamiram.

In the last year, two Assyrian Real Estate agents, = Jacqueline=20 Kenoun and I, have joined A & S, in addition to other = non-Assyrian=20 agents. We specialize in residential, commercial Real Estate, = and=20 businesses.

Ninos Lazar
Arizona

Surfer's=20 Corner

TEARS OF BLOOD:=20 ASSYRIAN/ARAMIAC/SYRIAC ART & CALLIGRAPHY

In Celebration of Assyrian New Year 6753 the Assyrian American=20 Association of Southern California & Royal Assyrians = (Sharruyeh)=20 cordially Invite you to attend the Opening Ceremony & Press = Conference=20 Titled: =93Tears of Blood=94: An Exhibit of Assyrian Art & = Aramaic/Syriac=20 Calligraphy

Featuring artworks of Assyrian-American artists

Hanna Hajjar, Vladimir Beit David, Fredrick Ayoubkhan, Robert=20 DeKelaita, Raman Michael, Rabel Shamuel, Odet Tomik, Alexy = Gevargis, Jenik=20 Cook, George Shamoun

Save Assyrian Artifacts, & the Aramaic Language of = Jesus!

If stones could cry,
Assyrian sculptures
would shed tears = of=20 blood!

Opening Ceremony

Sunday March 30th, 2003, at 5:00 p.m.
Followed by a Press = Conference=20 at 7:00 p.m.

At the Assyrian American Association Hall
5901 Cahuenga=20 Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601
Tel: (818) 506-7577

Theme of the Tears of Blood Art Exhibit

=B7 Stop the looting of Assyrian artifacts
=B7 Stop the = construction of=20 the Makhoul dam

The following are the topics that will be addressed and = discussed=20 during the Press Conference, on Sunday March 30th, 2003 at 7:00 = p.m. at=20 the hall of the Assyrian American Association of Southern = California in=20 North Hollywood:

=B7 The looting of Assyrian artifacts from archeological sites = in=20 northern Iraq, and the responsibilities of the United Nations, the = Allied=20 Forces and Middle Eastern countries, namely: Turkey, Syria, = Jordan,=20 Kuwait, Iran and Iraq.

=B7 The construction of the Makhoul Dam on the Tigris River, = which will=20 wipeout Assyrian civilization by inundating the capital City of = Ashur (the=20 birthplace of the Assyrian nation), plus 100 other Assyrian = archeological=20 sites, and the responsibilities of the United Nations and = Turkey.

=B7 How Arabs and Kurds don=92t care about Assyrian = archeological sites,=20 language and culture, because these don=92t relate to their ethnic = and=20 national heritage, and their hidden agenda of destroying Assyrian = heritage=20 and rewriting history.

=B7 The exploitation of Assyrian oil, which so far has been = benefiting=20 everyone except Assyrians, and the legitimate rights of Assyrians = to a=20 percentage of that oil revenue to preserve their culture and = national=20 heritage.

=B7 The causes that led Assyrians to become a minority in their = homeland,=20 who was (and still is) responsible for that, and what should be = done to=20 rectify that.

=B7 How Syria, Turkey, Iraq and the Kurds handle Assyrian = ethnic=20 identity, and treat Assyrians in their respective countries or the = territories under their control.

=B7 Ethnic and religious discrimination against Christian = Assyrians in=20 the Middle East, and the ban of the language of Jesus that they = still use=20 to this date.

=B7 The environmental disasters caused by Saddam, namely the = burning of=20 oil fields in Kuwait, drying of marshes in south Iraq, and = demolishing=20 Assyrian villages, destroying their farmlands and ethnic cleansing = them=20 from north Iraq.

=B7 Iraq after Saddam; a challenge for the survival of = Assyrians and=20 Turkmen through an alliance in an independent and sovereign = federal=20 democratic state called Ashurkumen (Ashur + Turkmen), and what = this new=20 state would offer the civilized world.

=B7 Suggested solution that would put an end to the looting and = destruction of Assyrian artifacts, and the challenge facing the = United=20 Nations to have one set of rules that govern all world artifacts = and=20 historical sites, irrespective of their ethnic origin.

=B7 The responsibilities of the U.N. to protect Assyrian = artifacts, or=20 leaving it up to the Assyrians to self-defend their culture = through any=20 means at their disposal.

http://www.royalassyrians.com/

2ND WORLD ASSYRIAN CONFERENCE IN=20 MOSCOW

We are applying once again to all those who wish to take part = in the=20 2nd World Assyrian Conference. The things is, that it-s necessary = to begin=20 arranging visas urgently and reserving rooms in the hotel, that-s = why we=20 need to know the number of people who are going to arrive and = their=20 passport data which is necessary for making an application for = visas.

We decided to hold Conference during 2 days only v 26th and = 27th of=20 April 2003, as far as the number of lecturers is not so many as we = expected. The additional cultural program will be on April 28.

Please, bear in mind, that visa legalization may require about = 1 month,=20 therefore your passport data must be sent before March 20, 2003. = It-s=20 desirable to make an advance of 150 USD for hotel reservation by = bank=20 transfer. Bank account is mentioned in our web site: www.geoc= ities.com/moscowconference2002/index.htm

For visa reception, please, inform us of the following = details:

- Full name
- Birth date
- Citizenship
- Gender
- = Passport=20 Number and Date of Expiration
- Fax Number to which you can = receive an=20 invitation

Conference Organizing = Committee
Moscow,=20 Russia

ST. NERSESS SEMINARY TO CO-SPONSOR = SYMPOSIUM ON=20 ORIENTAL AND EASTERN ORTHODOX IN JERUSALEM

After a hiatus of two years, St. Nersess Armenian Seminary (New = Rochelle, NY) and St. Vladimir=92s Orthodox Seminary (Crestwood, = NY) will=20 resume their co-sponsored annual symposium on the relations = between the=20 Oriental and Eastern Orthodox Churches. This year=92s symposium = will take=20 place on Tuesday, April 1, 2003 at St. Vladimir=92s Seminary on = the theme,=20 =93Jerusalem: Does it Divide or Unite?=94

Since the time of Christ, Jerusalem has been a point of = gravitation for=20 Christians seeking a more authentic experience of the Gospel. The = Oriental=20 and Eastern Orthodox churches have an ancient presence in the Holy = Land,=20 and though long divided, have lived side-by-side in that unique = religious=20 environment for centuries. Today, the political turmoil and = bloodshed in=20 the Holy Land combined, however, with the growing tide of = reconciliation=20 between these ancient church families raises significant = questions: What=20 is the role of Jerusalem in the restoration of communion among the = Eastern=20 and Oriental Orthodox Churches? What should be the role of the = churches in=20 restoring and supporting peace, welfare and renewed Christian = witness in=20 Jerusalem?

Featured speakers will include Serge Schmemann, Pulitzer Prize = winning=20 Senior Correspondent for the New York Times; Former U.S. = Ambassador to=20 Qatar, Patrick Theros; Dr. Tarek Mitri of the World Council of = Churches;=20 Fr. Leonid Kishkovsky, former General Secretary of the National = Council of=20 Churches; Fr. Alexander Rentel, Lecturer in Church History, St. = Vladimir=92s=20 Seminary; Dr. George Kiraz, Director of Beth-Mardutho: The Syriac=20 Institute; and Archbishop Cyril Mor Aphrem Karim, of the Syrian = Orthodox=20 Patriarchate of Antioch, and others.

Representing St. Nersess Seminary will be Dr. Roberta Ervine, = Associate=20 Professor of Armenian Studies; and Dr. Abraham Terian, Professor = of=20 Armenian Patristics and Academic Dean. Both Drs. Ervine and Terian = have=20 lived and taught in the Old City of Jerusalem for decades and have = first-hand experience of the complex relations between the = Orthodox=20 Christians of the Holy Land.

The all-day Symposium will begin at 10:00am in the Metropolitan = Philip=20 Auditorium of St. Vladimir=92s, and will conclude with Evening = Prayer in the=20 Seminary chapel at 5:00pm. The symposium is open to the public.=20 Registration is $20 and includes lunch. For more information, see = www.svots.edu/Events/Symposia/2003-0401-eastern-oriental/index= .html,=20 info@stnersess.edu, or phone (914) 961-8313 x342.

Fr Daniel Findikyan
Dean
St = Nersess=20 Armenian Seminary
http://www.stnersess.edu/

KHA B=92NEESAN CELEBRATIONS IN SAN = JOSE,=20 CALIFORNIA

On behalf of the Executive Board and the entire membership of = AAA of=20 San Jose, I am honored to announce that as part of our continued = efforts=20 to support the brave Assyrian people in Bet Nahrain, we will be = donating=20 the net proceeds of the Kha 'b Nisan Celebration to assisting and=20 maintaining our people in north of Iraq. On the brink of a = possible war,=20 and when our people will face the most difficult living conditions = and=20 dangerous times, I am confident that once again the entire = community in=20 San Jose and the Greater Bay Area will pull together to insure = that we can=20 raise and send the much needed funds.

Kha 'b Nisan & the Assyrian New Year 6753=20 Celebration
Saturday, March 22, 2003
with Famous Assyrian = Singer,=20 Ogin
and a last minute surprise, the legendary Ashur=20 Betsargis
Starlite Banquet Hall
680 Minnesota Avenue, San=20 Jose
8:00 p.m.

Tickets are $25 per person ($30 at the door) and can be = purchased=20 from:
Etminan and Setareh Markets

Jacklin = Bejan
California

SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM FOR ASSYRIAN = STUDENTS=20 IN WASHINGTON, DC

Assyrian students - apply now to meet deadline for an exciting=20 opportunity to work this summer in Washington DC. See last = week=92s issue of=20 Zinda Magazine for description of program or contact Lynnette = Farhadian at=20 (lfarhadian@hotmail.com)

LECTURE: THE EPIC OF = GILGAMESH

Department of Near Eastern Studies invites you to a = lecture:

Professor Tsvi Abusch, Brandeis University "The Epic of = Gilgamesh: It's=20 Development and Meaning"

12:30 pm, Thursday, 20 March
Room 254 Barrows = Hall
University of=20 California, Berkeley

Professor Abusch has published extensively on magic, religion, = and=20 literature in ancient Mesopotamia.

NEW WEB SITE FOR BETH MARDUTHO: = THE SYRIAC=20 INSTITUTE

(ZNDA: New Jersey) Beth Mardutho: The = Syriac=20 Institute has released its new web site at www.bethmardutho.org. = The=20 specific goals of the redesign of the web site are threefold: to = provide=20 unified look and feel for the entire site, to provide intelligent=20 organization of content, and to implement a more user friendly = site. Users=20 can now download the Meltho Syriac fonts and other computing = resources=20 more easily. Additionally, the site now has its own list servers = for=20 discussion groups, and a database back-end that will potentially = enhance=20 the presentation of content.

Resources on the site = include:
-- A=20 brief overview of Syriac (click "About Syriac")
-- The Syriac = Digital=20 Library project (click eBethArke Digital Library)
-- Meltho = OpenType=20 fonts for Windows XP
-- and many others...

The site was=20 redesigned with web and usability standards in mind, conforming to = XHTML=20 1.1 and CSS 2 standards.

To join the Friends of Beth = Mardutho and=20 receive the Mardu Newsletter, sign up at www.bethmardutho.org = (click=20 "Become a Member")

The new site was designed by Mr. Emil=20 Soleyman-Zomalan, California, who volunteered for this task. A = graduate of=20 UC Berkeley (2002) with a degree in Neurobiology, Emil is = currently=20 providing programming and database experience to Beth Mardutho: = The Syriac=20 Institute. He plans to continue his education by attending law = school in=20 the near future.

NEW BOOKS FROM GORGIAS = PRESS

The following books were published this month (March 2003) by = Gorgias=20 Press. For more details, pricing, and to place on-line order, = please visit=20 www.gorgiaspress.com.

A. Hore, Eighteen Centuries of the = Orthodox=20 Greek Church

A general history of the Greek Church, including the = "separatist"=20 Churches. The work is unique in that it demonstrates that the = Eastern=20 Churches (even the pre-Chalcedonian ones) are of Orthodox Faith. =

William Wright, The Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius in = Syriac, With=20 a Collation of the Ancient Armenian Version

Eusebius's=20 Ecclesiastical history according to the ancient Syriac and = Armenian=20 versions. The standard edition.

Robert Browning, Justinian and Theodora

The story of = the=20 peasant's son who became an emperor and the dissolute actress who = resided=20 beside him on the throne is one of the greatest and most = controversial=20 romances of history. United, they presided over a key epoch in the = formation of Europe.

Budge, The History of Rabban Hormizd the Persian and Rabban = Bar-'Idta=20

Describes the lives of two founders of great monasteries = which=20 became centers for the teaching of doctrine and asceticism at a = critical=20 period in the history of the Church of the East. (In two volumes.) =

William Wright, The Chronicle of Joshua the Stylite, Composed = in Syriac=20

The standard edition of the Chronicle with English = translation.=20

Richard Gottheil, A Treatise on Syriac Grammar by Elia of Soba=20

One of the main sources from which the famous Bar Hebraeus = might=20 have drawn his knowledge of Syriac grammar to write his semhe. = This book=20 is not only important for the history of Syriac grammars, but can = be used=20 to learn grammar itself.

MacLean, Grammar of the Dialects of Vernacular Syriac with = Notes of the=20 Vernacular of the Jews of Azerbaijan and of Zakhu Near Mosul =

The=20 standard grammar of the Eastern Neo-Aramaic dialect of Kurdistan, = spoken=20 by the East Syrians and Jews.

Henry Layard, Early Adventures in Persia, Susiana, and = Babylonia,=20 Including a Residence Among the Bakhtiyari and Other Wild Tribes = Before=20 the Discovery of Nineveh

Layard, the first archaeologist = to=20 discover the Assyrian city of Nineveh, recounts his adventures in = the=20 Middle East. With illustrations and maps. (Two Volumes)

A very hard book to find in the original. When found, the = original=20 edition retails for over $1,000!

K. P. Paul , The Eucharist Service of the Syrian Jacobite = Church of=20 Malabar

An illustrated commentary on the Syrian Orthodox=20 Eucharistic Liturgy, by a leading bishop of the Malabar Church in = India.=20

C. Plummer (ed.), Historiam Ecclesiasticam Gentis Anglorum = (Bede's=20 Ecclesiastical History of England)

Charles Plummer's = monumental=20 edition of Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England with notes (in = two=20 volumes).

MacLean, Dictionary of the Dialects of Vernacular Syriac, as = Spoken by=20 the Eastern Syrians, of Kurdistan, North-West Persia and the Plain = of=20 Mosul, with Notices of the Vernacular of the Jews of Azerbaijan = and of=20 Zakhu Near Mosul

A dictionary of the Neo-Aramaic dialects = of the=20 modern Assyrians and Chaldeans of Kurdistan, North-West Persia and = Iraq,=20 with notices of the Neo-Aramaic vernacular of the Jews of = Azerbaijan and=20 of Zakhu.

Budge, The History of Alexander the Great, Being the Syriac = Version of=20 Pseudo Callisthenes

A Syriac edition, with English = translation, of=20 a the folk-lore and legends connected to Alexander the Great. This = ancient=20 text represents a Greek text that is much older than any text that = has=20 been known before.

Budge, E.A.W. The Book of Governors: The Historia Monastica of = Thomas=20 of Marga A.D. 840

The Syriac edition, with an English = translation=20 of the 9th century work of Thomas Bishop of Marga. A very rare = book in the=20 original.

Segal, The Diacritical Point in Syriac

Segal examines = the=20 history and usage of the diacritical point from before the seventh = century=20 up to the thirteenth century, taking into account both the East = and West=20 Syriac traditions. Segal basis his studies both on analysis of = manuscripts=20 at the British Museum, as well as the grammatical works of Syriac = authors.=20

Online orders: http://www.gorgiaspress.com/Fax=20 orders: +1 732 699 0342
Phone Orders: +1 732 699 = 0343
Address:=20 Gorgias Press, 46 Orris Ave, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA. Email: orders@gorgiaspress.com.

Literatus

TEXT OF DR. EMANUEL KAMBER'S = SPEECH AT THE=20 AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE

The=20 following is the full text of Dr. Emanuel Kamber's speech = delivered at the=20 American Enterprise Institute on 3 March 2003. Dr. Kamber was one = of the=20 two independent Assyrian representatives at the 16 December 2002 = London=20 Conference:

March 3, 2003

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I will actually talk on a = totally=20 different subject. I would like to emphasize mainly the problem of = Assyrians. So first of all, I would like to thank the Institute = for=20 allowing me this opportunity to present the vision of our Assyrian = people=20 in a democratic post-Saddam Iraq.

The Assyrians are also known as Chaldeans and Syriacs. = Assyrians are=20 the original inhabitants of today's Iraq. Most of you are familiar = with=20 the numerous contributions made by the Assyrian nation to modern=20 civilization. Some of you may not realize that there still exist = today=20 remnants of Assyrians living in their homeland. Since the fall of = our last=20 empire some 2,500 years ago, we have lived in the land of our = forefathers=20 with Arabs, Kurds, Persians, Turkomans, and others. Our people = were among=20 the first to accept Christianity, and over the centuries we have=20 maintained our national identity, language, culture, and religion = through=20 great suffering and sacrifice.

The Assyrian peoples are the indigenous Christian people of=20 Mesopotamia. There are approximately 1.5 to 2 million Assyrians = living in=20 Iraq, and probably constitute the third-largest demographic = population in=20 the country. However, the Iraqi government does not officially = recognize=20 the Assyrians as a people or as a nation. The present constitution = only=20 recognizes Arabs and Kurds, referring to Assyrians as a Christian = minority=20 or Assyrian sect. Sometimes they also refer to the Assyrian people = as=20 Syriac-speaking people. On other occasions, they call us = Christian,=20 Arab-Christian, and Kurdish-Christian.

The Assyrian people have long suffered because of their = religious and=20 cultural identity. They have been deprived of their home and have = been=20 victim to several massacres and other kinds of oppression over = centuries.=20 The Assyrians have been subjected to systematic attempts by the = fascist=20 regime to Arabize them. Recently, the Iraqi government has also = forced the=20 Assyrians, the Kurds, and the Turkomans to sign national = correction forms=20 that require them to renounce their national identities and = declare=20 themselves to be Arabs.

Assyrians, who have suffered national and political persecution = and=20 other brutal aspects of the dictatorial regime were forced to = leave their=20 homeland and seek refuge in other countries. Today, a majority of = American=20 citizens of Iraqi descent are actually Assyrians. There are about = 300,000=20 Assyrians living in America. What I mean by "Assyrian"--usually = they call=20 themselves by different names, like Chaldean and Syrian and so on. = Assyrians have been in the United States for some time, but = maintain their=20 national aspiration and link of affection with their homeland.

Assyrians in Iraq deserve specific attention because they are = the=20 oppressed among Iraqis, have been denied their human rights and = equality,=20 and suffering discrimination living as second-class citizens. We = share the=20 suffering of all Iraqis under Saddam's dictator rules. Along with = our=20 Kurdish, Shiite, and Turkoman brothers, however, we are further = oppressed=20 because we are Christian.

The Assyrian people in Iraq who have made great sacrifice in = opposing=20 the regime of Saddam Hussein will continue their struggle for a = unified=20 democratic and secular government that constitutes principles of = democracy=20 and human rights. Assyrian representatives of political = organizations and=20 Assyrian rights activists attended different Iraqi opposition = meetings, or=20 more recently, London meetings in December of last year. Assyrians = participated--although they were under-represented--actively with = all=20 Iraqi patriotic and democratic forces toward the end result of = creating a=20 unified Iraqi national leadership to topple the regime of Saddam = Hussein=20 and establish a democratic regime that would allow our Assyrian = people the=20 opportunity to participate in the administration and political=20 organization in Iraq.

Nowadays there is much talk about changing the regime in Iraq, = and=20 especially the talk of Washington's determination to end Saddam's = regime.=20 Talk of such action becomes more serious, and attack is probably=20 inevitable after the president's speech on Wednesday, February 26, = at this=20 institute. Actually, the objective of the crisis is no longer = regime=20 change, but the liberation of the Iraqi people.

How will the political and human rights concerns of the = Assyrians=20 factor into any future Iraqi political equation? In other words, = would we=20 be dealt with as Iraqis or would we be regarded as second-class=20 citizens?

Although the future of the political system in Iraq after the = passing=20 of the current dictatorship is the sole responsibility of the = Iraqi=20 people, we believe that an Iraq constituted on principles of = democracy,=20 respect for human rights, and recognition of legitimate national = rights of=20 all elements of its entire people, including our Assyrian people, = will be=20 a peaceful Iraq dedicated to stability and prosperity in the = region and=20 the world.

Recently, the Kurdistan Democratic Party, KDP, drafted a new=20 constitution for Iraq, calling for Iraq to become a united federal = state=20 called the United Republic of Iraq. According to this plan, Iraq = would be=20 comprised of two territories, or federated states--Rend mentioned, = actually, about it--one in which the majority are Arabs, and the = other the=20 majority are Kurds. The proposed draft states that Iraq consists = of mainly=20 Arabs and Kurds and other minorities. The draft fails to mention = Assyrians=20 and Turkomans, and tries to put them under the word "minority," or = squeeze=20 them under the word of "minority."

The proposal should stress that Iraq comprises many national or = religious groups, including Arab, Kurds, Assyrians, Turkomans, = Yizidis,=20 Mendais [sp], Armenians, and so on. In addition, the draft = actually fails=20 to address the basic national rights of the Assyrian people.

Federalism should not be for only one part of Iraq, but for the = whole=20 country. And it should not be only for the Kurds, but also for = Shiites,=20 Turkomans, and the Assyrians. Our objection to these and other = issues=20 within the draft does not mean that we reject the aspiration of = the=20 Kurdish people and their right to express the formula they = envision to=20 create Iraqi national unity.

I should stress here that the Assyrians are represented in the = local=20 government and parliament of the Kurdish Autonomous Region of = northern=20 Iraq through the Assyrian Democratic Movement as a member of the = Kurdistan=20 Patriotic Front.

Furthermore, the communiqu=E9 of the Iraqi opposition groups = presented by=20 Mr. Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, representative of the Council for the = Islamic=20 Revolution in Iraq, and approved by all the Iraqi opposition=20 groups--that's what we call G-6--attending the Washington meeting = with=20 Vice President Cheney--in it Mr. al-Hakim says, "Our people are = eager for=20 a fair and elected government with participation of all Iraqi = opposition=20 segments from Arabs, Kurds, and Turkoman, from Sunni and Shia, and = the=20 rest of minorities." Again, the Assyrians and the Christians of = Iraq were=20 ignored. It is thus to his credit that President Bush in his = October 7th=20 speech to the United Nations General Assembly formally addressed = Iraqi=20 oppression over the Assyrians.

The existence of different identities and cultures may create = practical=20 problems and challenges in the near future unless a lot of = attention is=20 paid to ethnicity and the equation of diversity. To avoid minority = conflict in the future, any government must have different = autonomous=20 regions within the context of an integrated and sovereign Iraqi = state.=20 This will guarantee the legitimate national and administrative = rights for=20 all Iraqi ethnic communities. This will be absolutely necessary to = the=20 security and survival of the Assyrians in Iraq--or Assyrians of = Iraq. The=20 establishment of such an Assyrian area would allow greater local = Assyrian=20 controls within an integrated sovereign Iraqi state. Such an = Assyrian area=20 would allow for political education or linguistic, religious, and = cultural=20 expression.

In a questionnaire that was set up by the State Department for = members=20 of the Democratic Principles Working Group, which Rend mention = about it,=20 there were points concerning the advantages and disadvantages of a = federal=20 democratic republic. Most of the participants answered that = federalism=20 would abolish dictatorship, minimize central government, and = consolidate=20 Iraqi unity. As for the disadvantages of federalism, the answers = centered=20 on fears of minority conflict, possibility of separation, and = possibility=20 of intervention by neighboring countries. And today, the = population of the=20 Kurdish Autonomous Region of northern Iraq fear what they have = achieved=20 may be endangered not only by Saddam's army, but also by = neighboring=20 states' armed forces. I think it's very important to protect them, = in=20 particular against the incursion from--interference from Iran and=20 Turkey.

As to the number of units that should be established in a = federal=20 state, it was suggested from two up to 18 units, as Rend = remembered, be=20 created.

Finally, the other important question was whether federal units = should=20 be defined ethnically, geographically, or by using a hybrid = system. In our=20 case--I mean the Assyrians--the federal units should be absolutely = based=20 on ethnicity--I don't agree with you on that--because of the = abnormal=20 demographic situation of Assyrians in Iraq due to their = displacement,=20 which was enforced upon them by the Iraqi government. We don't = have really=20 an area where the Assyrians are concentrated so we could have a = geographic=20 advantage of it.

If federalism is not based on ethnicity, however, then = Assyrians would=20 support the establishment of a unified democratic, secular, = pluralistic,=20 and parliamentarian government. That would guarantee human rights = and=20 equality for all citizens irrespective of their ethnic background = or=20 religion--an Iraq that's multi-ethnic and based on the rule of = law, an=20 Iraq that enjoys full sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In addition, we demand that the future government of Iraq = recognize the=20 Assyrian nation constitutionally as one of the principal nations, = or=20 ethnic groups, within the political framework of the Republic of = Iraq.

Now, the League of Nations mandate countries agreed on Iraq = admission=20 in 1932, with reservations dealing mainly with the rights of = minorities.=20 The Iraqi government presented this report regarding minorities to = the=20 League, in which they guaranteed the right of all Iraqi citizens=20 regardless of their race, religion, language, or nationality. None = of this=20 happened in reality. On the contrary, one year later, the new = Iraqi=20 government launched an anti-Assyrian campaign in which scores of = Assyrian=20 civilians were massacred--this was in 1933, August 1933--with = their=20 villages set on fire.

The main problem of the indigenous Assyrian people is that they = have=20 not been accorded self-determination, a right that is expressed in = the=20 United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous people.

So who is going to serve guard and protect the Assyrian in = post-Saddam=20 Iraq? I think official constitutional recognition for the Assyrian = people=20 would be an important catalyst for democracy and human rights in = Iraq. And=20 without such an improvement, there will be no democracy at all. = Assyrians=20 wish to live in peace and prosperity and enjoy full equality with = our=20 Arab, Kurdish, and Turkoman brothers. In an atmosphere of mutual = respect,=20 Assyrians wish to contribute to development of greater tolerance = and=20 diversity in a sovereign, democratic, and secular Iraq.

In conclusion, let me emphasize that the vision of Assyrian = Chaldean=20 Syriac people in a post-Saddam democratic government among other = things=20 includes equality, human rights, constitutional recognition;=20 representation in a democratic, secular, multi-ethnic government; = the=20 right to return to their homes and their lands; being allowed to = practice=20 and preserve their language, culture, and customs; to be free of=20 political, religious persecution; and to be granted the same = national=20 rights of autonomy and self-determination afforded any other group = within=20 Iraq.

Thank you.

Dr. Emanuel Kamber
Michigan

AN ASSYRIAN VOICE AGAINST ANY = MILITARY=20 INTERVENTION IN IRAQ

I am writing in dismay at the Assyrian community of their = majority view=20 on an impending war on Iraq. A very wise Mahatma Gandhi has said:=20 =93Exploitation and Domination of one nation over another can have = no place=20 in a world striving to put an end to all war.=94

Those who support any war are supporting with anger and = ignorance, not=20 with compassion and open-mindedness.
United States planes will = pound=20 Baghdad with over three thousand bombs in two days , sure to cut = water,=20 power, gas and communication supplies for every civillian in the = city. If=20 the reader of this letter is human, then they wish no obliteration = upon=20 fellow humans.

The purveyors of desruction, commonly known as =93hawks=94, = claim a myriad=20 of reasons to clamp down on Iraq from weapons of mass destruction = to=20 regime change, even to an unfounded speculation that the leader of = Iraq,=20 Saddam Hussein, has links with extremist Islamic groups such as = Al-Qaida.=20 For the United States to worry about human rights abuses can be = seen as=20 trivial in any global observers view, as the United States even = today=20 sanctions human rights abuses with its refusal to ratify an = International=20 Criminal Court and by still holding executions of its prisoners, a = regressive and barbaric means of punishment.

Hussein=92s =93links=94 with Al-Qaida are not true, Iraq does = not pose an=20 external threat to the west without severe provocation and a US = view of=20 regime change and =93pre-emption=94 goes against the foundations = of=20 International law.

From a political perspective, Saddam Hussein models himself on = Josef=20 Stalin. Stalin=92s view on foreign policy was by not having direct = conflict=20 with the enemy (The United States). It is logical if one presumes = that=20 Saddam Hussein is not aggressive if he is not attacked directly, = and only=20 will unleash his wrath if found with nothing to lose. Regime = change can=20 only be achieved by the will of the Iraqi people.

Hussein has never experienced a rapport with Islamist groups = due to the=20 polarisation of their ideologies. Hussein, a secular arab = socialist and=20 machiavellian by philosophy, uses religion as a tool to maintain = power and=20 is not an Islamist himself. Al-Qaida on the other hand, are an=20 organisation hell-bent on purveying islamic fundamentalism and see = secular=20 socialism as evil as the United States and Israel.

What surprises me about Assyrian opinion is how = =93right-wing=94 it=20 generally is and how supportive it is of western powers ever since = the=20 events in Eastern Turkey and Iraq of the late nineteenth and = twentieth=20 centuries.

Have not the Assyrian community learnt that a complete century = of=20 support for both British and American empires have produced no = fruit? The=20 western powers quite simply use our unqualified (and unjustified) = support=20 as an easy espousal base in Iraq. Those who believe a special = relationship=20 with the west due to religious similarities are seriously deluding = themselves. The religion of western powers are voter pursuit and = economic=20 strength, with ideology and religion a tool to muster the support = of=20 interest groups, exactly like Saddam Hussein.

The real reason for an invasion of Iraq is quite simply to = secure=20 geo-political and economic domination of the region. To be quite = honest,=20 if Saddam Hussein was not interested in the nationalisation of the = Iraqi=20 oil industry, would the United States and Britain be so interested = in its=20 occupation?

The Assyrian community globally needs a dissenting voice, to = herald a=20 change in the Assyran perspective, to bring prosperity and = well-being; not=20 just recognition for the global community. One stepping stone for = this is=20 to call against any war in Iraq =96 the ancient Assyrian homeland = =96 to show=20 the world our real strength =96 the strength of peace.

Alternative Assyrian opinion, alternative Assyrian = organisations and a=20 much more open-minded community also have to be promoted to ensure = the=20 health of a disenfranchised community. It (the Assyrian = community), is=20 faultering under a right-wing and extremely conservative voice, = which=20 intimidates the notion of a democracy, as disgustingly shown with = the=20 arrest of a man in Albany, New York for wearing a =93give peace a = chance=94=20 T-Shirt in a Shopping Centre . Even though the latter example has = no=20 relation with the Assyrian community, further travel along the = route taken=20 now by our leaders will surely accommodate such =93liberty=94. For = an American=20 Senator to be writing a letter to =93President=94 George W. Bush = approving an=20 invasion of Iraq on behalf of Assyrians is sheer inanity. Not in = my=20 name!

Numerous criticisms of the Assyrian establishment by our youth = include=20 our leaders being =93out of touch=94 with the youth of Assyrian = society in=20 general. Assyrian youth around the world are dissenting and = embracing=20 modernity and clinging onto western culture as it is not = traditionalist=20 and dropping off their Assyrian heritage as if it were a heavy = backpack on=20 themselves.

This has to stop. If things continue and mentalities persist = the way=20 they are, there will be no Assyrian community in thirty years = time, only=20 two or three million people with Assyrian =93heritage=94.

Finally, on the 16th of February 2003, a massive peace rally = was held=20 in Sydney, Australia. I proudly marched for peace on the streets = of=20 Sydney, along with around two hundred and fifty thousand fellow = human=20 beings. What most depressed me was that it seemed I was the only = Assyrian=20 marching. What a beautiful sight it would have been if fellow = Assyrians=20 would have marched with me.

Ninus Kanna
Australia

Quotation = obtained=20 from Mahatma (D.G. Tendulkar) Vol. 7; 2nd Edition (1960) = Publications=20 Division.
2 Obtained from webpage:=20 http://www.iht.com/articles/85350.html
3 State Department = response can=20 be viewed at http://www.state.gov/p/9949.htm
4 From =93The = National=20 Security Strategy of the United States of America=94 Section = V.
5 Article=20 can be seen at=20 = http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=3DtopNews&storyID=3D232= 9464

BABYLONIAN BOOTY

Coutesy of the Newsweek Magazine (March = 24 Issue);=20 article by Melinda Liu and Anne Underwood

Daring the allies to bomb the = birthplace of=20 the patriarch Abraham, Iraqis had parked their jets near Ur=92s=20 4,000-year-old ziggurat, but the planes were shot up all the same. = American soldiers toured the ancient tower, then got out their = entrenching=20 tools and began digging for souvenirs. A forlorn Iraqi gatekeeper = ran=20 among them, wailing protests in Arabic, until U.S. officers put a = stop to=20 the looting. Last week, when NEWSWEEK visited the site, it was = virtually=20 deserted, except for a lone guide, the son of the old gatekeeper, = keeping=20 a wary eye on the American and British warplanes streaking = overhead.=20 =93Ninety-nine percent of Americans don=92t know the country = they=92ll be=20 bombing is Mesopotamia,=94 says Dr. Huda Ammash, a high-ranking = Baath Party=20 official. =93Our country has served humanity for so long, now = it=92s up to the=20 international community to help protect Iraq.=94

To the oilfields, the ecology of the Gulf and the lives of = countless=20 civilians and soldiers, add another potential casualty of the = impending=20 war: the cultural patrimony of Western civilization. In January = scholars=20 gave Defense Department officials the names of archeological sites = they=20 hoped to spare. =94[The military] had a list of 150,=94 says = McGuire Gibson,=20 professor of Mesopotamian archeology at the University of = Chicago=92s=20 Oriental Institute. =93We gave them over 4,000 more=97but that = only covers the=20 10 to 15 percent of the country we=92ve studied.=94 Gibson is = cautiously=20 encouraged by the record of the earlier war, in which allied = bombing=20 spared most important monuments, even those adjoining military = targets=20 that were destroyed. But he=92s also aware that in the featureless = plains of=20 southern Iraq, the only high ground consists of the ruins of = ancient=20 cities. If the Iraqis make a stand, these mounds, which can be as = much as=20 four miles around and 80 feet high, are the natural places to do=20 it.

EBAY=92S THREAT TO IRAQ

The larger danger, scholars believe, is from looting. This has = been a=20 feature of war in this part of the world since long before the = seventh=20 century B.C., when a frieze in one of the palaces at Nineveh = depicted an=20 event described thusly in Michael Roaf=92s =93Cultural Atlas of = Mesopotamia=94:=20 =93An Assyrian soldier brings in a severed head to be counted with = the rest=20 of the booty after a battle in Babylonia.=94 In 1991, with = Baghdad=92s iron=20 control over the country shattered, =93nine of 13 regional museums = were=20 completely looted,=94 says Richard Zettler, associate curator at = the=20 University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. = Iraqi=20 civilians began tearing into unexcavated sites with front-end = loaders,=20 carrying away anything of value. The plunder has been turning up = ever=20 since in dealers=92 catalogs and at auctions around the world. = Last week on=20 eBay, sellers were offering 4,000-year-old cuneiform-tablet = fragments (=93Be=20 sure to bid on this fantastic piece of history!=94) and a Sumerian = silver=20 necklace from 2500 B.C. =93There are Iraqi antiquities everywhere = you look,=94=20 says John Malcolm Russell, an authority on the region at = Massachusetts=20 College of Art. =93And they didn=92t all come from someone=92s = basement. There=20 are very few legitimate objects on the antiquities = market.=94

This=20 time the Iraqis seem better prepared for postwar chaos. The Iraq = Museum in=20 Baghdad was heavily sandbagged last week and closed to the public = while=20 workers frantically packed its immense treasure into metal trunks. = Rare=20 documents and books, including gold-leaf copies of the Qur=92an = printed on=20 silk paper, were being packed away at Baghdad=92s Abdul Qader = Al-Kailini=20 mosque. =93Four thousand museum pieces were stolen in 1991,=94 = says Jaber=20 al-Tikriti, the Iraq Museum=92s director of antiquities. =93This = time we have=20 a plan.=94

But, except out of professional solidarity, = Western=20 scholars care less about museum thefts than about the plundering = of=20 unexcavated sites. Objects in museums have already been = photographed and=20 studied, and if they were properly excavated, their archeological = context=20 is known. =93Archeologists don=92t want the objects themselves,=94 = explains=20 Russell, =93but the stories they represent. When you yank a clay = tablet or a=20 cylinder seal out of the ground, you lose everything but the = pretty object=20 itself.=94

It=92s a minor irony that Saddam=92s brutal = police state has=20 been exceptionally conscientious about protecting Iraq=92s = cultural=20 heritage, partly for his own megalomaniacal reasons. A = reconstruction of a=20 Babylonian palace in the 1980s was accomplished with bricks = inscribed with=20 a tribute to Saddam Hussein, =93protector of civilization, [who] = rebuilt=20 this palace which belonged to Nebuchadnezzar II.=94 In that, of = course,=20 Saddam is no different than a hundred others who have ruled this = ancient=20 land and left their marks on it. Now, perhaps, more than ever, the = world=20 ought to be studying their fates.

Bravo

ASSYRIANS DEMONSTRATE FOR EQUAL RIGHTS IN SAN = JOSE,=20 CALIFORNIA

On Sunday afternoon, over 600 Assyrians gathered in a peaceful=20 demonstration at the Plaza de Cesar Chavez in downtown San Jose,=20 California to publicize the mistreatment of Assyrian Christians in = Iraq=20 and to demand their representation in any future government of = that=20 country, calling for true Democracy, freedom, and equal rights. = Their=20 Press Release read as follows:

Today=92s Assyrians are the direct descendants of the ancient=20 Assyrian-Babylonian inhabitants of Mesopotamia, a land covering = much of=20 modern Iraq, Kuwait, southern Turkey, and Syria. They are = predominantly=20 Christian and are said to be the first people to accept the = teaching of=20 Jesus Christ in the First Century A.D. Assyrians are sometimes = known in=20 different Middle Eastern countries by their religious affiliation = as=20 Nestorians, Chaldeans, Jacobites, and Syrian Orthodox (Syriacs). = The=20 language of the Assyrian people is Aramaic or Neo-Aramaic (Syriac) = to be=20 more precise.

Between 1915 and 1918, over 500,000 Assyrians were = systematically=20 massacred in the hands of the Turkish, Arab, Kurdish, and Persian = forces=20 in Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey. In 1933, only a few months after = Iraq's=20 admission to the League of Nations, another massacre was committed = by the=20 Iraqi army against three thousands unarmed Assyrian villagers in = North=20 Iraq.

In 1988, the Assyrians were targeted by the Iraqi = regime,=20 starting with the infamous Anfal operations. Many villages, = historic=20 churches and monasteries were destroyed and thousands of Assyrians = either=20 lost their lives or were forced to emigrate to other countries. = More=20 recently, the oppression of the Assyrian Christians has taken on = many new=20 facets throughout Iraq.

As the only indigenous population = of Iraq,=20 Assyrians are committed to rebuilding a free and democratic Iraq = with the=20 support of the United States and her allies. Assyrians of Iraq = demand=20 equal rights under a new Iraqi constitution and protection under a = secular=20 government in Iraq in which the Christians are fairly represented. =

The demonstrators walked a few miles along the major city and = federal=20 buildings and invited people of other nationalities to join them = in the=20 demonstration. Many American and Asian friends were seen waving = the=20 Assyrian flags and chanting: =93Equal Rights, Human Rights=94.

The president of the Assyrian American Association, Mrs. = Jacklin Bejan,=20 led the chanters and was aided by Mr. Alphonse Odisho, president = of the=20 Assyrian United Organizations of California. The following = statement was=20 read by Mr. Firas Jatou at the conclusion of the demonstration = which was=20 later covered by local television stations and major = newspapers:

Fellow Assyrian-Americans, Good afternoon.
In is an = honor to be=20 here with you to today.

Thank you all for coming out despite the poor weather to make = our=20 voices be heard on this important issue that is very dear to our = hearts.=20

First and foremost, we pray that God give our president, George = W.=20 Bush, and our troops, the strength and wisdom to persevere in = their=20 liberation of Iraq.

At this critical juncture, our nation is about to embark on war = on the=20 Assyrian holy land. The land of Beth-Nahrain, the land of Abraham = of the=20 bible, the land presently called Iraq. The over two million strong = Iraqi=20 Assyrian Christians have longed, FOR DECADES, for a free = democratic Iraq.=20 For decades, and especially in the past 30 years, Assyrians have = witnessed=20 hundreds of their villages annihilated, their monasteries = desecrated,=20 their men, women, and children murdered and raped, their lands=20 expropriated by the regime and the Kurdish war lords.

Democracy, is therefore the last hope for any future Assyrian = Christian=20 survival in Iraq.

YET, the enemies of democracy have once again surfaced among = the Iraqi=20 opposition, to dictate a new policy that purposely and = strategically=20 rejects the involvement of Assyrians in a new Iraq. In the = beginning of=20 March Assyrians have once again been shoved aside from the = leadership of a=20 new Iraq.

The Assyrian American community is out today to let these = opposition=20 groups that are calling for freedom and democracy, that without = Assyrians,=20 there is no democracy. As Michael Youash, a political Analyst = stated=20 recently, "the presence of Assyrians in a new leadership, is a = litmus test=20 for democracy in Iraq".

The Assyrian American community calls on our president George = W. Bush=20 to deliver a clear message to these groups that Assyrian Christian = involvement in a new Iraq is a an absolute condition for US = support.

Assyrian constitutional recognition and rightful integration in = a new=20 leadership is a must! Because, in a new Iraqi leadership, if there = are no=20 Assyrians, then there is no Democracy. No Assyrians, No = democracy!

God bless you
God bless the Assyrians
God bless Bet=20 Nahrain
God Bless America.

For photos and televison coverage of this demonstration = visit:

http://www.aina.org/SJ_dem= onstration/
http://www.sharokeen= .com/Demonstration.html
http://aina.org/sj_nbc.ram

Calendar of=20 Events

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

Thank=20 You!

Zindamagazine would like to = thank:

Helbard AlkhassAdeh
(California)

Michael E Bradley
(California)

Ramin Daniels
(California)

Pavel Varda

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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

IN PRAISE OF WILLIAM=20 DANIEL

AZORES SUMMIT STATEMENT = INCLUDES=20 ASSYRIANS, CHALDEANS

WE MUST SAVE OUR=20 HISTORY

TEARS OF BLOOD:=20 ASSYRIAN/ARAMIAC/SYRIAC ART & CALLIGRAPHY

TEXT OF DR. EMANUEL KAMBER'S = SPEECH AT THE=20 AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE