ASSYRIAN POPULATION AROUND THE WORLD

(as presented for publication in the Reference book of the Underrepresented
 Nations and Peoples Organization, affiliated with the United Nations)
 
                    Armenia          15,000
                    Australia        30,000
                    Canada           20,000
                    France           10,000
                    Georgia          14,000
                    Germany          20,000
                    Greece            5,000
                    Holland          15,000
                    Iran             50,000
                    Iraq          2,000,000
                    Lebanon          40,000
                    New Zealand       3,000
                    Russia           35,000
                    Sweden           35,000
                    Syria           350,000
                    Turkey           60,000
                    United Kingdom    8,000
                    United States   290,000
                    Other countries 150,000
 

                    TOTAL         3,150,000
 

[see Assyrian Star, Vol. 47  No. 1 (Oct-Dec 1994), p. 10.]
 

                                S U R F S  U P !
============================================================
"Zenda is wonderful.  It's such a joyous experience for me as I check my email
to come across yet another issue.  It's insatiable.
 
                                    Natali Aziz, Stanford University-California
 

"Congratulation for your good effort.  I enjoyed reading Zenda."

                                    Tony Khoshaba, Northwestern Univ.-Chicago
 

"As a fellow Assyrian I commend you on your gallant efforts in making Zenda a
reality!  You've made our life much easier by sifting through tons of news and
bringing us the heart of the matter.  You've done a wonderful job!

                                        Yolanda Benyamin, San Jose-California
 

I've been waiting for something like ZENDA for a long time, thank you for
making it happen.  It has a more of a unique written style compared to the
other Assyrian magazines.  It is very informative and really interesting to
read.  Bravo! Keep up the good work.

                                          Nahrin Hinaro, Modesto JC-California
 

                       W E L C O M E   T O   Z E N D A
============================================================
Zenda welcomes our new on-line subscribers from:
 

                        [UNIVERSITY ACCOUNTS]
 

Modesto Junior College, California-U.S.
University of Cambridge, United Kingdom

                        [CORPORATE ACCOUNTS]

National Semiconductors

                        [INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTS]

Burlington, Vermont
Chicago, Illinois
 

                             N e W s    D i G e S t
============================================================
                  -AANF WILL POST REPORTS THROUGH e.BABYLON-
 
Hollister (EB)     After a meeting with Albert Gabrial of e.BABYLON Bulletin
Board Service, Mr. Yatroum Zia, president of the Assyrian American National
Federation,  agreed to allow all the reports of the AANF be posted through this
newly-founded electronic service.  Mr Zia "expressed his delight for this
accomplishment and promised full cooperation."  To reach e.BABYLON send an email
message to Albert-GAbrial@HollOnline.com or write to P.O. Box 2551  Hollister,
California  95024  U.S.

               -SYRIAC COMPUTING SYMPOSIUM IN ONTARIO, CANADA-

Toronto (EB)     On March 28, 1995, the United Assyrian Youth of Canada will be
sponsoring the Syriac Computing Symposium held in North Yourk, Ontario-Canada.
Individuals working in the fields of Syriac computing and publishing will meet
and exchange ideas.  The topics of discussions include:  Assyrian word
processing, desktop publishing, dictionaries, news groups, graphics and
communication.  For more information contact Firas Jatou   (416) 747-9107 or
jatou@waves.toronto.edu     Observers are welcome to attend the symposium.
 

                    -BOMB BLAST IN NORTHERN IRAQ KILLS 80-

Cyprus (AP)     [2/27/95]  A car bomb explosion in a busy market in the Zakho,
Northern Iraq killed as many as 80 people.  As many as 141 others were wounded.
The bomb contained an estimated 220 to 330 pounds of TNT, said Hoshyar Zebari,
London-based spokesman for the Kurdistan Democratic Party.  He told the AP that
he suspected the rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan was responsible.  The two
Kurdish parties agreed to share power when they obtained equal votes in
parliamentary elections in 1992.  However, they started fighting last May and
several thousand people have been reported killed.  In the same elections
Assyrians were able to obtain five parliamentary seats.  No information
pertaining to the identity of the dead was obtained.  Residents of Zakho are
mainly Assyrian, Kurdish and Turkoman.
 

       -ZHIRINOVSKY CALLS ARABS TO JOIN M-E CHRISTIANS AGAINST THE WEST-

Baghdad (RU)     Russian ultra-nationalist leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky said on
February 26 that he wants Saddam Hussein to join in forging a coalition against
the West.  After meeting with the Iraqi leader in Baghdad, Zhirinovsky appealed
to Moslems and Arabs to join with the Orthodox Christians in a coalition against
the West.  He accused Turkey for everyday bombardment of ethnic Kurds in
southeastern Turkey.  Zhirinovsky's Liberal Democratic Party took a quarter of
the votes in the last Russian parliamentary election.
 

                     -  SEEKING SYRIAC PROOF-READERS -
 

Toronto (ZN)     George Kiraz of the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom) is
asking for the voluntary cooperation of individuals able to proof-read Syriac
text.  "Comparative Edition of the Syriac Gospels", due for publication this
year, aims at producing an aligned edition of the Syriac Gospels according to
the Old Syriac (Sinaticus and Curetonianus), Pshitta, and Harklean versions.
Each participant will be asked to proof-read the text of one Gospel in one
version (average of 20 chapters) against its standard printed edition.  Only a
knowledge of Syriac reading is required.  For more information contact George
Kiraz  +44 1223 334615 or george.kiraz@cl.cam.ac.uk
 
                     - MIDDLE EAST INSIGHT GOES ON-LINE -

Chicago (ZN)     Middle East Insight magazine, a bi-monthly Middle East studies
publication in America, announces its new internet e-mail service, Electronic
Middle East Insight.  For each issue of Middle East Insight, a selection of
featured articles will be sent directly to you via internet e-mail.  This
service is completely free and without any obligation.  To subscribe to EMEI,
send a message to mideast@dgs.dgsys.com with a subject line of "SUBSCRIBE EMEI",
with your email address on the first line of the message.

                       -GILGAMESH COMES TO NEW YORK-

A new play entitled "Gilgamesh" is scheduled to open at the Ohio Theatre, 66
Wooster St., New York, later this month. The show will run from Mar. 24 through
April 1995, and is described as "The epic tale of gilgamesh, King of Uruk, as
adapted from the ancient Sumerian myth. Across a magical landscape populated
with fantastic creatures, Gilgamesh pursues Man's eternal dream of escaping
Death. With original music, dance and puppetry. Admission is $15. For ticket
information call 388-8100.

                D I R E C T O R Y  OF THE  N E W S  S O U R C E S
============================================================
AP (Associate Press)
EB (e.Babylon BBS):  Hollister, California
RU (Reuters)
ZN (Zenda Reporters):  Toronto, Chicago, San Jose
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For a comprehensive list of available Assyrian books contact:
Nabu Quarterly & Nabu Books
P.O. Box 59422  Chicago, Illinois  60659
Contact Robert DeKelaita (708) 298-3037
Subscription to Nabu Quarterly:  US ($20.00), Overseas & Canada ($30.00)

                             C A L E N D A R  OF  E V E N T S
============================================================
Mar 24-April        "Gilgamesh"
                    New York City
                    For tickets call 388-8100

Mar 28              Syriac Computing Symposium
                    Strata Hotel, Toronto
                    Ontario, Canada

May 25-29, 1995     California State Convention
                    Pasadena, California  U.S.
 

June 8-10, 1995     The Syriac Conference
                    Catholic University
                    Washington D.C.  U.S.
 

June 29, 1995       Legal Aspects of Care of the Elderly in the Ancient Near
                    East:  A Colloquium
                    [Society for the Study of Ancient Near Eastern Law]
                    On Mesopotamia:  Drs.  C. Wilcke, M. Stol, and K.R. Veenhof
 

                    Papyrologisch Institut
                    Witte Singel 27
                    NL 2311 Eig Leiden
                    The Netherlands
 

Aug 31-Sept 4,1995  Assyrian National Convention
                    Sheridan Hotel
                    Chicago, Illinois   U.S.
 

June 9-11, 1996     The ARAM Conference
                    Harvard University
                    Cambridge, Massachusetts  U.S.
 

ENTERTAINMENT
 

March 11, 1995  Fundraising Party for the Assyrian Aid Society, US
                Modesto, CA
                Entertainers:  Jermain Tamraz and "Emanuel" Bet Younan
 

March 11, 1995  Church of the East Cocktail Party
                Church of the East Hall (Awana), San Jose, California
                Donation:  $15
                Entertainers:  Linda George & Alex
                For tickets:  1-800-669-7055  x109
 

March 25, 1995  Kha b'Neesan Dinner Party:  AAA of Yonkers
                Association Hall, Yonkers, New York
                Entertainer:  Linda George
                Donation:  $25.00
 

 April 1, 1995  Kha b'Neesan Dinner Party:  AAA of San Jose
                San Jose, CA
                Donation:  $40.00
 

                   W H Y   N O T   A S K   Z E N D A?
============================================================
In our last issue we asked:  "What do our subscribers think of a meeting of the
"Assyrians on the Internet" at the next Assyrian National Convention in August
1995?"   Only 3 surfers responded.  Unless we receive many more requests, before
the publication of the next issue, Zenda will not present the proposal to the
AANF Convention Committee. Wax your boogie boards and start surfing!

                       P U M P  U P  T H E  V O L U M E
============================================================
English         Assyrian        Pronunciation
 

Color             Gona            G as in "great"
Restaurant      Qepla           Q as in q in "Qoodmeh" (tomorrow)
Rendezvous    Moo-ada
 

                        B A C K  TO THE  F U T U R E
============================================================
BC (4750):     The first building of the temple of Ashur in the city of Ashur.
Modern Assyrian calendar is based upon this date which was determined through
"astronomical" calculations of the ancient Assyrian writers.

                1995 AD + 4750 = 6745 A.Y.  (Assyrian Year)
 

AD (July 30, 1286):     Jamal al-Din abu l'Faraj Gregorios, surnamed Bar Avraya
(Bar Hebraeus) dies at Maragah, Iran, the seat of Mongol power.  The Patriarch
of the Church of the East decrees a day of mourning and abstention from work for
all the Christians under him.  Bar Avraya, after completion of his medical
studies was consecrated a bishop of the Church of the East.  He authored several
books on history, theology, philosophy, medicine, grammar, biblical commentary,
mathematics, astronomy, and law.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What's the word in Assyrian for ... ??
Who were the ... ?  What did really happen in ...?  Well, why not ask Zenda?
 

Comments?  Suggestions?  Write to Zenda at walkhas@qntm.com and let us know
about your community's activities.  The materials published in Zenda are not
edited and your stories and articles will be published as received, unless
directed otherwise.
 

Would your friends like to receive their own copy of Zenda via email?  Send us
their address.
 

If you or someone you know may wish to receive "hard" copies of Zenda contact:
          Zenda @    P.O. Box 20278    San Jose, California   U.S.
 

                       A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S
============================================================
Zenda wishes to thank the following individuals for making this issue of Zenda
possible:
 

Firas Jatou:        Toronto, Canada
Pauline Jasim:    Chicago, Illinois
Albert Gabrial:    Hollister, California

The next issue of ZENDA will be sent to you on March 20, 1995.