Volume II Issue 4 February 26, 1996
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A Weekly Online Newsletter Serving the Assyrian
Communities Around the World
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THE L I G H
T H O U S E
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ASSYRIAN PRIDE IN THE AGE OF THE INTERNET
As I was surfing the net I was amazed
with the amount
of information made available through
the commitment
and dedication of our Assyrian,
Babylonian, Chaldean,
(and whatever else we call ourselves
these days)
brothers & sisters on the net.
It is clear, that we
truly love our nation, culture
and people. It could
only be summed up in two words
"Assyrian Pride" (In
this article I will use Assyria
and Assyrian as the
collective representative of our
nation). This pride
has transcended itself beyond the
boundaries of
countries and continents with the
magic of the
internet and the medium that internet
encompasses.
From Zenda's E-mail based newspaper
to our Assyrian
servers in Sweden, to BBS services
in Turlock, to a
site in Turkey, etc.
But what is most important is the
audience of our
newly formed "virtual community/nation".
No pond
is intended in the word virtual;
it is a living,
breathing medium, with true-blooded
Assyrians sitting
behind their terminals, who at
the end of the day go
home and eat Dolma and Kipte!!
Humor aside, lets see
what it can mean to have a virtual
community/nation.
For the first time in thousands
of years we can
communicate with our fellow Assyrians
at a global
level. For an individual, this
is a dream come true;
it does not matter, at this junction
in time, if I
have a homeland. I can be united
with my countrymen/
women on a global scale until a
day we are reunited
in a physical dimension (i.e. homeland).
The fact that we are spread throughout
the world is
immaterial, because, WE ARE LINKED.
We are not only
linked, but the cream of the crop
of our people is
linked. The educated, young, visionaries,
thinkers,
and all who care!! A networked
BRAIN POWER of trained
individuals is what our nation
needs today. The
benevolence that is exemplified
on the Net is the
testimony of our elite's readiness
to be proactive with
a strong sense of nationalism.
We have fellow Assyrians
in any field imaginable: physicians,
lawyers, engineers,
programmers, bankers, factory owners,
scholars,
professors, students, nurses, writers,
artists, ...
this pool of talent is unique to
a living nation. It
must to be acknowledged, commended
and united.
Certainly I am not the only one
with such a vision.
Our active fellow countrymen(women)
on the Internet
have already started this process.
The seed is planted
on our behalf. We have to
acknowledge it and use it.
Not having a cohesive infrastructure
has historically
been our biggest weakness and the
reason for it has been
disbursement of the population,
political suppression,
and of course lack of communication.
Internet solves
it all!! Any society that
thrives, depends on its
people to communicate common visions,
line up behind
those visions and execute them
to perfection.
To establish an infrastructure this
Brain Powers must
be identified. A database of all
the residents of our
"virtual community" should be created.
This
population of our global society
must in turn become
the voice of our nation. Let me
share with you an
example of a small but vital project
that could be
accomplished with the information
obtained with this
database. If each member donates
one book related to
the Assyrians we can establish
the first and perhaps
the largest collection of such
books and documents ever
assembled in one place. A group
of us could act as the
"virtual librarians" in this project
and help deliver
these books and periodicals from
one user to another.
This and many similar projects
would be a part of our
"national awareness" campaign to
inform this elite
membership of our nation's history,
culture, language, etc.
As a small but first step we need
to know each other.
This will help us communicate with
each other better,
and share our views easier. And
if enough people believe
in these views they will get executed.
The fundamentals
of a democratic Assyrian society,
with its brain power as
its guiding light into 21 century,
are being put in place.
We have been around for almost
7000 years, and we can and
will be around for another 7000!!!
Jeanclaude Toma
A small but proud Assyrian voice
Milpitas, California
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G O O D M O R N I N G B E T - N A H R A I N
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ASSYRIAN CHILDREN FROM B-N TO BE
TREATED IN U.S. HOSPITALS
(ZN: San Francisco) With the assistance
of the Texas
Children's Hospital, Baylor College
of Medicine, the
Taylor Family Foundation of Lafayette,
California,
and the Community Presbyterian
Church in Danville,
California, the Assyrian Aid Society
of America is
preparing to bring Bernadit Jalal
(7) and Yokhana Nano
(6) from northern Bet-Nahrain.
Both Assyrian children
are in need of corrective heart
and chest surgery,
respectively. Tax deductible
contributions can be
submitted to:
The AAS of America
44 Sutter St., Ste 1534
San Francisco, CA 94104
A HEBREW-ASSYRIAN DICTIONARY
PUBLISHED IN ISRAEL
(SC: Chicago) A 2-Volume Hebrew-Assyrian
Dictionary
is published in Israel, under the
title: Avri-Arami-
Ashuri b'Lahag Yehudey-Zakhu.
The author Vardah
Shiloh's dictionary for the Assyrian-Jewish
speakers
from the Zakho district of northern
Bet-Nahrain is
written for the benefit of the
250,000 Assyrian-Jews
currently living in Israel. In
Israel, they are
referred to as the Kurdish-Jews.
The 963-page
dictionary costs 228 Sheqels ($80)
and begins with
a preface by Professor Gideon Goldenberg
of the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem,
Israel, a prominent
scholar of the Neo-Assyrian (Neo-Aramaic)
dialects.
Among the prominent members of
this small community
of the Assyrian speakers in Israel
is the Likkud-
backed General Yitzhak Mordekhai
who may be
appointed as the next Israeli Defense
Minister.
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S U R F S U P !
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"Dear brothers: You wrote: feb
24, 1918: Rev. Yousip
DeKalaita, an Assyrian scholar
and a school principle
dies at age 82. Rev. DeKalaita
died 1952. Please
check the date again. thanks"
-William Dinkha
[We stand corrected. Rev. De Kalaita
passed away on
February 25, 1952. Also,
at ZENDA it's always "Dear
brothers AND sisters."
--------------------------
"I enjoyed reading your electronic
newsletter very
much..."
-Samson Badal
Bristol, CT
--------------------------
"Thank you for mailing me the Zenda
each week, for
an Assyrian as me it`s really interesting
reading.
I have just one request and that
is if you would like
to add my URL ... to your list.
That would make me
really happy. Thank`s again."
-Abjar Massi
Sweden
[Your URL is listed under ASSYRIAN
SURFING POSTS
(New Sites). Please inform
our readers about your
"local union's" activities
and planned meetings.
That would make us all really happy.]
--------------------------
"I think Sandra [Vol II, #3] is
right because I
think that everything in life,
(weddings, engagements,
graduations, promotions, etc.)
beside the politics
is part of our culture."
-Samir Younan
Toronto, Younan
[We couldn't agree more.]
--------------------------
"...your wonderful work on the ZENDA
magazine and
I'm proud of it...I'm now System
Operator for e.BABYLON
BBS in Turlock. I would
like to have your Permission
to Post some News from Zenda to
our e.BABYLON BBS in
Turlock. This well help to
have more readers Zenda
magazine. By the way, please
correct ( in the meeting
field for Assyrian Educational
& Cultural Club at Modesto
Junior College) the meeting is
on ( Fridays at 1:00
pm in Founders Hall 108).
Thank you for everything and
God bless you ( Ka daha shoula
shapera)."
-George Mikael
SYSOP e.BABYLON
Turlock, California
[Our goal is to become the official
Assyrian News Agency
serving every Assyrian community
around the world.
Hence, your posting of our News
section will be greatly
appreciated. Any section
of ZENDA may be read or written
with proper references."
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N E W S D I G E S T
=====================================================
SADDAM KILLS SONS-IN-LAW & FAMILY
(AP: Morocco) Iraqi
President Saddam Hussein
personally interrogated and killed
his two sons-in-law,
according to a report published
in Sharq al-Awsat after
forcing them to divorce from his
two daughters. The two
men, Hussein Kamel al-Majid and
his brother Saddam Kamel
al-Majid returned to Iraq with
their families Tuesday
from Amman, Jordan, where they
had fled last August.
Gen. Hussein Kamel al-Majid, the
former head of Iraq's
secret arms programs, said at the
time he intended to
overthrow Hussein, but his efforts
to become leader of
an exiled Iraqi opposition failed.
The report in the
Arabic-language newspaper said
the assassination was
later covered up as a family feud
to hide the fact that
Hussein had committed the murders
himself. The two were
among nine people shot dead when
clan members stormed
their home Friday, according to
Iraqi media.
ASSYRIAN CREDIT CARD, DON'T
LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT
(SC: Chicago) Card Babylon
is the new credit card
issued through MasterCard with
an introductory
interest rate of 7.9 percent.
30 percent of the
net proceeds will be used in assisting
the Assyrian
needy, churches, and student scholarships.
For more
information contact David Youkhana
at 312-338-9100.
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D I R E C T O R Y
OF THE N E W S S O U R C E S
=====================================================
AA (AAA of San Jose Newsletter)
AP (Associate Press)
AS (Assyrian Server in Sweden)
BN (Bet-Nahrain Journal)
EB (e.Babylon BBS): 1-209-668-1827
Hollister, California
JS (Journal of the Assyrian Academic
Society)
P.O. Box 4102
Des Plaines, Illinois 60016-4102
NQ (Nebu Quarterly)
P.O. Box 59422, Chicago Illinois 60659
NM (Nineveh Magazine)
NN (Nineveh Newspaper)
RU (Reuters)
SC (soc.culture.assyrian)
TN (Turkish News Agency)
WS (The Wall Street Journal)
ZN (Zenda Reporters):
zenda@ix.netcom.com
=====================================================
C A L E N D A R OF E V E N T
S
=====================================================
March 1
The AAA of San Jose
General Meeting
BETA; 20000 Almaden Rd
7:30 pm
March 3
Writing the Modern Assyrian Language:
Americans and Assyrians Work Together
(1835-1914)
Helen Vandenberg, Ph.D.
7:00 P.M., Holiday Inn (Skokie)
Devonshire Room
5300 W. Touhy, Skokie, Illinois
March 13
"How a Babylonian Schoolboy learned
his ABC's"
Public Lecture Series
University of Toronto
(416) 978-4531
March 24
Sawa Khamis Qardakha of Arbela:
His Poetry on Religion, Romance, Wine,
Wisdom and Other Topics
Oraham Yalda Oraham
5:00 P.M., Edens Banquets
6313 N. Pulaski, Chicago, Illinois
May 24-27
Assyrian State Convention of California
San Jose, CA
Fairmont Hotel
May 24-25
Memorial Weekend Games
Chicago, Illinois
May 25-26
2nd Assyrian Community Networking Conference
San Jose, CA
Fairmont Hotel
June 1
Nineveh Choral Concert
Conducted by Maestro Nebu Issabey
San Jose, California
Santa Teresa High School Auditorium
8:00 pm
June 9-11
The ARAM Conference
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts U.S.
Aug 29-Sept 2 AANF National
Convention
Modesto, CA
Red Lion Inn Hotel
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ENTERTAINMENT
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March 2
Dinner/Dance Party
Assyrian American Association of Chicago
1618 W. Devon Ave
Entertainers: Ramsin Shino & Oleen Rehana
Donation $15.00 (includes Dinner)
Contact Yousif Gabriel:
312-338-3922/ 312-465-9109
March 16
A Fundraising Party for Rep. Anna Eshoo
AWANA
Church of the East
San Jose, CA
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MEETINGS
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Fridays
Assyrian Educational & Cultural Club at
Modesto Junior College
1:00 pm
Founders Hall 108
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CLASSES
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Mondays
Assyrian Language Classes
BETA: AAA of San Jose
7:00-8:30 pm
Assyrian Discussion Group
BETA: AAA of San Jose
8:00-9:30 pm
Thursdays
Nineveh Choir: Maestro Nebu Issabey
BETA: AAA of San Jose
7:30-9:00 pm
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SPORTS
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Tuesdays
Boys Soccer Practice
South Valley Christian School
Corner of Blossom and Shawnee
San Jose, California
5-6:30 pm
Sundays
Boys/Girls Volleyball
Campbell Community Center
Camden & Union
Campbell, California
6-9 pm
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A S S Y R I A N
S U R F I N G P O S T S
=====================================================
NEW WEB SITE(S)
Assyrian Local Union in Norrkoping,
Sweden
http://www.netg.se/Oppen/Org/a/ass/index.php
Middle Eastern Cuisine (includes
Assyrian dishes)
http://value.net/~stoma/#clicking
Assyrian Fonts
ftp://scholar.cc.emory.edu/pub/fonts/mac
ftp://scholar.cc.emory.edu/pub/fonts/windows
.......................................................
Ancient Mesopotamia
http://sipparorinst.uchicago.edu/OI/DEPT/RA/ABZ
U/ABZU_REGINDX_MESO.HTML
Akkadian Language
http://ruurq2.sron.ruu.nl/akkadian/
Assyria On-Line
http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~jatou/./
Assyrian Collection of the Metropolitan
Museum
http://www.metmuseum.org/htmlfile/gallery/second/
near.html
Assyrian Flag
http://www.cesi.it/flags/assyria.html
Assyrian Server (in Sweden)
http://www.cs.umu.se/~dprhi/assyr/assyr.html
Assyrian Songs
http://users.aol.com/assyrianme/songs/
assyrian.html
Assyrian Woman Home Page
http://www.nineveh.com/~agabrial/woman.htm
Assyrian Youth Association of Sweden
http://www.cs.umu.se/~dprhi/assyr/assyr.html
Church of the East Page
http://www.allover.com/org/assyrian.ch.east/ace.html
Corpus Neo Assyrian Project:
Helsinki, Finland
http://www.helsinki.fi/science/saa/cna.html
e.BABYLON
http://www.garlic.com/~agabrial/babylon.htm
Journal of the Assyrian Academic
Society
http://www.garlic.com/~agabrial/jaas.htm
List of Books on Babylon
http://www.vuw.ac.nz/who/Jamie.Norrish/nephilim/
Bibliographies/babylon.html
Mesopotamia
http://www.singnet.com.sg/~edmonds/sumerian_
main.html
"Newsgroup"
soc.culture.assyrian
Nineveh Kids Homepage
http://www.garlic.com/~agabrial/kidsweb.htm
Syriac Comp Inst
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/users/gk105/syrcom/
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P U M P U P T H E V O L U M E
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ENGLISH
ASSYRIAN
Crook
Pleema [M] Plimta
[F]
Heathen
Khanpa [M]
Accused
Mzaadtma [M] td as in tdlaa for "three"
_____________________________________________________
F = Feminine
M = Masculine P = Plural
=====================================================
B A C K T O T H E F U T U R E
=====================================================
B.C.(654) After the destruction
of Elam, Urartian
(ancient Armenians) embassadors
appear at the palace
of Ashurbanipal to congratulate
the scholarly monarch
on his victory. On a relief
from the palace at
Nineveh, they are depicted viewing
the execution of
the Elamite captives.
<< The Kingdom of Armenia,
M. Chahin >>
A.D.(Autumn 1862) According to a
report prepared for
the Russian Holy Synod the regions
of Urmie, Salamas,
and Sulduz in northwestern Iran
included 4050 families
belonging to the Assyrian Church
of the East.
<< Journal of the Assyrian
Academic Society, Vol VI,
No 2, Fall 1992 >>
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L I T E R A T U S
======================================================
An English Translation of
****** MY DARLING (Mokhebti) ******
by
WILLIAM DANIEL
(1903-1988)
I long for the marble of your arms
shapely nude;
For the honey with which your lips
are imbued.
For the Charming perfume that your
breast emanages,
I think so longingly of those lovely
dates.
Which we spend in meadows under
blue of the skies,
We drank love from the spring of
each other's eyes.
Oh let us go again, take a walk
in the park,
Just before the sunset, just before
it is dark.
Where our hungry hearts fed on each
other's love;
Our church was the earth and witness
sky above.
Where vows of loyalty never to be
broken,
Were sealed in the soul with kisses
as token.
Where commonest shrub looked so
rich and so lush,
Painted like a rainbow by love's
master brush.
I beg you my sweetheart, let us
go where it seems,
Slumber with love potions does
charm our dreams...
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T H I S W E E K I N H I
S T O R Y
======================================================
Feb 26, 1917: A group of
Assyrian nationalists gather
in Rev. Joel Warda's home in New
York and propose the
establishment of an Assyrian National
Fund.
Feb 28, 1918: In Urmie, Shakespeare's
The Merchant of
Venice is performed in Assyrian.
March 1, 1898: The body of
the Assyrian missionary,
Yakub Yalku Qarajalu, is burried
in Manchuria. Rev.
Yakub preached the Gospel throughout
Russian territories,
Siberia, and Central Asia.
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B R A V O
======================================================
The author of this week's feature
article, Jeanclaude
Toma, is in the process of completing
the ZENDA Homepage.
On a personal note, Jeanclaude
and Odet recently
returned from their honeymoon trip
to Tahiti.
Congratulations!
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W E L C O M E T O Z E N D A
=====================================================
Zenda welcomes our new on-line
subscribers from:
[CORPORATE ACCOUNTS]
Membrane Technology
[INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTS]
Chicago
Anonymous
=====================================================
A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S
=====================================================
Zenda wishes to thank the following
individuals &
organizations whose contributions
appear in this issue:
Albert Gabrial
Hollister, California
Abjar Massi
Norrkoping, Sweden
Davis Youkhana
Dan Shapira
____________________________________________________
ZENDA will continue to print your
comments and
suggestions free of editing, as
they appear in our
mailbox. All letters will
be printed in our SURFS UP!
section unless directed otherwise.
We urge you to submit your community
events, personal
accomplishments, and meeting/school
times to Zenda
no later than Sunday at 12:00 PM,
Pacific Standard Time.
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Our Next Issue will appear on Monday,
March 4, 1996.
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