Z    E    N    D    A

A Weekly Assyrian Online Magazine

Vol III, Issue 35

II Tishreen 3, 6747                   November 3, 1997

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

The Lighthouse......................................... Lebanese-Christians & Assyro-Chaldeans Are on One Boat...
Good Morning Bet-Nahrain....................Turkish Troops will Stay in Northern Iraq
                                                                      Syria and Iraq Ask Turkey to Join the Water Talks
Surfs Up....................................................."the only reason (our) leaders do not want to unite is financial gain"
Surfers Corner............................................Erneute Massaker an die Suryoyo im Tur'Abdin
                                                                      Assyrian American AMVET Memorial Fund
                                                                      45th Int'l Congress of Assyriology & NE Archaeology               
News Digest...............................................Diplomatic Showdown Between U.S. & Iraq
Calendar of Events....................................No New Entries
Khudra.........................................................November 1997-January 1998
Entracte.......................................................No New Entries                                    
Intelligentsia................................................Meetings & Classes
Abzu.............................................................Assyrian Radio & TV Programs
Assyrian Surfing Posts..............................The Descent of Ishtar:  Soundtrack in original Babylonian
Pump up the Volume.................................Honor & Integrity
Back to the Future......................................The First Dynasty of Babylon & Yazdgird III                    
Literatus.......................................................An Ancient Assyrian Marriage Contract                      
This Week in History............................... Assassination of the Assyrian Patriarch
Bravo...........................................................Two New Classes in San Jose
The Directory.............................................ZENDA News Sources
Bshena.........................................................Chicago, London, Melbourne, Montreal, & Yahoo
Salute............................................................Albert, Esha, Firas,  Gabrial, Lena, Raman, & Shamiran
 

 
the  L I G H T H O U S E
 
"LEBANESE CHRISTIANS AND ASSYRO-CHALDEANS ARE ON ONE BOAT.."
 
At the invitation of the Assyrian American National Foundation and the Assyrian Academic Society, Professor Walid Phares presented two lectures on September 3 and 4. Phares, who teaches Middle East Studies at south Florida's universities, addressed the issue of "Assyrian-Lebanese Christian resistance to Arabization throughout History." Afer an introduction of the ethnic and cultural background of both groups, the speaker detailed the survival of the Assyrians in northern Mesopotamia, and of the Lebanese Christians -mainly Maronites- in Mount Lebanon. "While the entire region fell to the conqueror, Assyrians and Lebanese Christians chose to resist in the highlands. They preferred the harsh life of the mountains to the submissive life under the Califate or the Sultanate. In northern Mesopotamia, or Beit Nahrain, the Assyro-Chaldeans maintained their identity, practiced their traditions, and spoke their language for centuries. In Western Syria, the Aramaic Christians, particularly the Maronites, established a similar independence. Mount Lebanon was the greatest gift from nature to the Christians. There, they founded a sovereign state, the Marada state for seven centuries. It was only after the Mameluke campaign of 1305, that the Maronites were finally invaded."

Phares indicated that the beginning of the twentieth century was critical and dramatic for both people, who culturally belongs to the same Syriac speaking culture. "While the Assyrians were persecuted in Mesopotamia and oppressed in Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran, the Lebanese Christians were given a state on a plate of gold, in 1920. In five decades, the Lebanese Christian leadership, particularly since the independence, lost everything. From accepting to integrate the Arab League, to the Arab-Israeli conflict, to abandoning their historic identity, the Maronite elites gravely undermined the survival of their nation. Since 1975, the Lebanese Christians had the opportunity to correct past historical mistakes and redress their national situation. The Lebanese Christian resistance paid a very high price to maintain a free enclave in face of a powerful conglomerate of Syrian, Palestinian, and local fundamentalist forces.

In fifteen years of war, the Christian leadership lost even more opportunities: In 1977 they endorsed the Syrian intervention, then had to fight it in 1978. In 1982 they missed the opportunity of the strategic change created by the Israelis, wasted the presence of the multinational forces, and ended signing the first agreements of political defeat in Lausanne and Geneva in 1984. In 1985, more concessions to the Syrians and the Arab identity of Lebanon were made in the Bickfaya agreements. In the same year, the tri-partite agreement almost ended the resistance. Four years later, the Taif agreement executed the
remnant of the resistance. Most of Lebanon's Christian leadership signed or endorsed the Syrian-take over. By October 1990, the central enclave was gone, the legal institutions were taken over, and the Christians started their march of agony towards disintegration."

Today, said Phares, the Christians of Lebanon are politically agonizing, hopeless and lost. They've learned the hard way the meaning of lost opportunities and lacking strategic vision. Our Assyrian and other Syriac-speaking brethren have experienced parallel tragedies in the beginning of the century. Now all the Christians of the Levant are in the same boat, a boat which is sinking. We would need extraordinary efforts and a good deal of chance to be able to rescue part of what we lost in this
decade, or probably in the early 21st century. As we can see it, the Assyrians have initiated their renaissance in exile and are struggling to keep their cause alive. The Lebanese Christians are still under the influence of their political past and traditional leadership. What is needed is a tidal wave among the community's vital forces to reverse the process of decline. A renaissance is what is needed.  But such intellectual revolution cannot develop within the context of obsolete thinking and backward
political behavior. This is today's challenge among the Lebanese Christians both within the country and in the diaspora. "

Phares called on the Assyro-Chaldeans and Syriacs to join the Lebanese Christians in their quest for freedom and self determination. "For, in this historical period, only a free Lebanon can express the freedom to the greater family of Syro-Mesopotamian Christians. In the diaspora, and particularly in the United States, there are enough freedom for Mideast Christians to reassert themselves and reclaim their own history, identity, and fundamental rights. While we see so many ethnic, religious and other type of communities working hard to defend their traditions, culture, and rights, our communities,
Maronites, Melkites, Orthodox, Assyro-Chaldeans and Syriacs, are fragmented, dispersed, lost, and above all, used by lobbies to promote the interests of Arab regimes, most of which ironically, are oppressing the Mideast Christians."

Phares concluded by calling on the Assyro-Chaldean leadership to stage a campaign aiming at recapturing the representation of the community, and building strong bridges with the Lebanese Christians, other Mideast Christians, and all communities seeking freedom, democracy and justice in the Middle East."

Mideast Newswire
Detroit, Michigan
September 4, 1997

G O O D  M O R N I N G  BET-NAHRAIN
 
              TURKISH TROOPS WILL STAY IN NORTHERN IRAQ, KURDISH RIVALRY INTENSIFIES

(ZNAF: Ankara)  Approximately 30,000 Turkish troops are preparing to spend the winter in northern Iraq on the Iraqi side of a border "security zone" which the Ankara government announced informally last week to prevent Kurdish separatist rebels from staging attacks in Turkey.  The number of troops currently in the area remains unknown, and there was no official confirmation of the plans to retain an important military presence in northern Iraq.  Iraqi authorities lost control of this mountainous region to Iraqi Kurds after the 1991 Gulf War.  In this year's incursions, the Turkish troops are allied with a leading Iraqi Kurdish group, the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Massud Barzani.  Two rival Iraqi Kurdish groups resumed clashes in northern Iraq late Saturday as heavy rains which prevented them from fighting for two days eased.  "Last night there was fighting in the Harir valley," some 60 kilometres (40 miles) south of the Turkish border,  noted a spokesman in London for the Iraqi National Congress (INC) .  Massud Barzani's KDP and Jalal Talabani's PUK resumed heavy fighting in northern Iraq in mid-October following the collapse of a fragile one-year ceasefire. The PUK has accused Turkish warplanes of pounding its positions in support of the KDP since the resumption of hostilities on October 13.  Talabani's group charged Turkey with using napalm and cluster bombs in the last several days of air raids, but the Turkish foreign ministry Friday denied the claim.  Barzani and Talabani's groups have controlled northern Iraq in defiance of Baghdad since the 1991 Gulf war, but their partnership collapsed in 1994 due to rifts on power-sharing and revenue. More than 3,000 people have died in intermittent clashes since then. The Assyrian community has so far maintained a neutral position and at times offered its representatives (Assyrian Democratic Movement "Zowaa") as mediators during the Ankara Talks between the western negotiators and the Kurdish groups.

                                        IRAQ & SYRIA ASK TURKEY TO JOIN THE WATER TALKS

(ZNUP:  Damascus)  The joint Syrian-Iraqi water committee concluded one week of meetings in Damascus with a
new call on Turkey to join talks for a final accord on sharing disputed waters of the Euphrates River.  The conferees have
recommended to "send a new invitation'' to Turkey to take part in meetings of the technical committee.  The Tripartite Water Committee, which includes Iraq, Syria and Turkey, has failed to meet since 1992 because of Ankara's boycott.  Syria has protested a Turkish project, which started in 1994, to build 22 dams on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers for irrigation and to generate electricity.  Syria and Iraq want Turkey to sign an accord that provides for a new sharing of water instead of the 1987 accord that gives both of them 500 cubic meters per second.  Syria accused Turkey of polluting the Euphrates waters since 1995, stating that there has been a high level of salinity, industrial and chemical residues as well as wastewater. Irrigating agricultural land with such waters could destroy it in one season. The water crisis in Syria has affected the Assyrian communities of the Khabour River Region in Syria where lack of water for consumption and farming forced a group of Assyrians to form to Khabour River Project.  Through their efforts new water wells became an alternative source of water for several villages.  Bashir Saadi and two other who directed the project were later arrested and remain as prisoners of the government  in Damascus.
 

S U R F's  U P!
 "In response to Dr. Simon regarding his thoughts about Mr. Ed Williams comments: the reality is that our churches are greatly responsible for the division in our nation.  This is true now and was especialy true a few years ago. In Dr. Simon's statement he mentions that they kept always united.   Well, if they did that why are we trying to unify now? Did he forget what happened in Australia 15 years ago and how Assyrians were shown on TV hitting each other?  Furthermore you mention that they have kept our language and culture. Well, I think Dr. Simon is wrong again.  The percentage of Assyrians that write Assyrian is minute and if the trend continues our nation will melt and disappear in the next 50 years.

I agree totally with Mr. Ed William's remarks that " national unity is imperative standing over the church and tribal affiliations" and I would like to add that the only reason the so called leaders do not want to unite is financial gain. All Assyrians should realize that and stop going to church and stop supporting those bums."

Dr. Alksander Odisho
Toronto, Canada



"This week I received the new issue of JAAS. As a member of Assyrian Academic Society, I have always supported the JAAS staff and their continuous effort to provide us with a high quality journal. However I was stunned by the contents of the Assyrian section of the new issue of this Journal. The editorial board has published six letters/articles that question the current dialog between the Assyrian Church of the East (new calendar) and the Catholic Church. Although we should welcome expression of opinions and concerns with regard to this very important issue, we should be careful not to insult the religious believes of each other. The letter written by Odishoo Malko and published in JAAS is a total insult to our Assyrian brethren in Catholic church. Publication of such one-sided and non-academic materials is definitely a deterioration of JAAS mission (i. e. to publish well-researched and academic articles) and should be stopped in future volumes.

The editorial board of JAAS should explain to Assyrian community how did JAAS  evolve from an academic journal to a journal of personal attacks."
 
Tony Khoshaba
Chicago, Illinois

"Thank you for the opportunity to say a word about the letter of criticism recently directed at the Journal of the Assyrian Academic Society by Mr. Tony Khoshaba. Curiously, the Journal  has yet to receive any letter or other message directly from Mr. Khoshaba.
 
As a long-time active member of the Assyrian Academic Society, Mr. Tony Khoshaba is understandably concerned that views expressed in the Journal should not necessarily be seen as those of the Society. We wanted to assure Mr. Khoshaba that this was not our intention. We have never spoken for the Society, nor have Journal writers ever spoken for our publication.  Mr. Khoshaba goes on to note that the Assyrian section of the Journal recently published six letters which question the current dialog between the Assyrian Church of the East and the Catholic Church.  Mr. Khoshaba is particularly critical of a letter by Odisho Malko, which he views as "a total insult to our Assyrian brethren in the Catholic Church." We would characterize it otherwise. Clearly Mr. Malko has sharp disagreement with the nomenclature "Chaldean". He also takes great exception to the principle that "Mary is the mother of God". In this and other respects, Mr. Malko is simply restating Church of East doctrine which has been affirmed at least up to the present time.

Mr. Khoshaba concludes as follows: "Publication of such one-sided and non-academic materials is definitely a deterioration of JAAS mission (i. e. to publish well-researched and academic articles) and should be stopped in future volumes. "The editorial board of JAAS should explain to Assyrian community how did JAAS  evolve from an academic journal to a journal of personal attacks."  It would seem first of all that Mr. Khoshaba has overlooked the introduction to the Assyrian section (pages 1-2), where we stated the following (in Assyrian):  "The Editors of the Journal of the Assyrian Academic Society feel  that the Journal is a vehicle for our people in general, and its intellectuals in particular, to express their views on any subject that is related to their national and religious identity."

Prompted by this belief, and to offer our readers a variety of viewpoints on the subject, we invited two bishops, four priests, and a number of lay persons to share their thoughts with us. To date, not a single cleric replied, although we continue to hope for some answers. Pending the arrival of other comments, we decided to publish the replies which had been received by press time.
 
The current ecclesiastical dialogue has been the subject of several previous articles in our Journal, none of which ever engendered any negative feedback. We have tried as best we can to provide the reader some of the historical background along with some of the contemporary viewpoints. Whether it is seen as an exercise in "reconciliation" or aimed at "unification", the current discussions constitute a red-button issue to many. The letters published in the last issue were intended to generate
responses, and we hope they will. Disputes are the lifeblood of democracy.  We hope that Mr. Khoshaba, who obviously takes sharp issue with previous writers, will take advantage of the opportunity to submit his own letter for our next issue. To date, we have not received his comments, nor can we ascertain from his letter to Zenda exactly what his views may be.

In conclusion, we must stress one factor in particular. This Journal does not have a specific position which supports or opposes any of our Churches. It was our intention to invite commentary on this issue from all comers.  The fact that the first set of letters generally represented only one point of view has unfortunately given the impression that this is editorial policy. Nothing could be more wrong. Those who make up our Journal come from differing confessional attitudes, and our publication as such has no
position pro or con in relation to the current ecumenical dialogue.  Anyone is welcome to express his or her reasoned views to us regarding this issue. Please address us at the following address:       JAAS, P.O. Box 4102, Des Plaines, IL 60016-4102.

The Editors of JAAS

[The letters written in the Assyrian section of the Journal of the Assyrian Academic Society can be found in Vol XI, No 1, 1997 issue.]

S U R F E R S   C O R N E R
ERNEUTE  MASSAKER  AN  DIE  SURYOYO  IM  TUR'ABDIN

Eine weitere syrisch-orthodoxe Familie wurde am 24.9.1997 in Mzizah umgebracht. Das Ehepaar Iskender (75) und Rihane (70) Araz wurde am Abend in ihren Wohnung nach Angaben von Familienangehoerigen wahrscheinlich von kurdischen „Dorfschuetzern" oder Hisbollah brutal mit mehreren Kopfschuessen getoetet. Nach den hinterlassenen Spuren in der Wohnung zu urteilen, duerften sich die Moerder vor dem Verbrechen von ihren Opfern verpflegt haben lassen. Die Bewirtung legt den Schluss nahe, dass die Taeter von der beiden Ehepartnern bekannt waren. Weder eine Gerichtsmedizinische Untersuchung noch eine Spurensicherung wurden, wie auch bei allen anderen Mordfaellen im Tur‘Abdin, von Seiten der tuerkischen Regierung durchgefuehrt. Nur kurz protokollierten die Behoerden von Midyat die Geschehnisse. Die Leichen des Ehepaares wurden noch am gleichen Tag in Abwesenheit von Familienangehoerigen beigesetzt. Die Kinder und Verwandten der Opfer fluechteten vor Jahren nach Deutschland und konnten nicht an dem Begraebnis ihrer Eltern teilnehmen.

In der gleichen Art und Weise wie diese brutalen Morde sind weitere syrische Familien, im Tur‘Abdin umgebracht worden: im Mai 1990 zwei Personen der Familie Bulut in Anhil und einen Monat spaeter das Ehepaar Aykal in ‘Urnus/Arnas. Diese Mordfaelle werden den sogenannten „Dorfschuetzern" zur Last gelegt. Die „Dorfschuetzer" sind paramilitaerischen Einheiten, die von der tuerkischen Regierung mit Waffen und Geldmitteln unterstuetzt werden. Ihr Einsatz dient angeblich dem Schutz der Bevoelkerung im Suedosten der Tuerkei vor Ueberfaellen der kurdischen Befreiungsorganisation PKK. Doch treten die Dorfschuetzer nach Angaben der Betroffenen mehr und mehr als Mordinstrumente fuer die Untergrundorganisation des „Islamischen Heiligen Krieges" gegen die Christen in der Tuerkei in Erscheinung. Diese Organisation, die von den islamisch-fundamentalistischen Staaten zur Errichtung eines „Gottesstaat" in der Tuerkei unterstuetzt wird, fordert die Christen im Tur’Abdin ultimativ auf, das islamisch gepraegte Land zu verlassen.

In dem 7 km oestlich von Midyat gelegenen Dorf Mzizah leben heute nur noch fuenf syrischen Familien. Der Rest der Bewohner mit ihrem Pfarrer ist wie die anderen Suryoye aus dem Tur‘Abdin im Laufe der letzten  Jahrzehnte in den Westen meistens nach Deutschland ausgewandert. Die Zahl der aramaeischen Urbewohner vom Tur‘Abdin ist vor drei Jahren stark reduziert worden. Heute leben dort weniger als 2374 Menschen in 22
Doerfern und in der Tuerkei nur 14539 insgesamt (stand: September 1995). Die Gruende ihrer Auswanderung sind die physische und psychische Verfolgung wie diese Massaker und verhaengten Massnahmen sowohl von der tuerkischen Regierung als auch von den Kurden. Vor einer Woche hat die  tuerkische Regierung die uebriggebliebenen Kloester geschlossen, ihre Renovierung untersagt und der Unterricht der syrischen Sprache verboten.

Wir Suryoye appellieren an die tuerkischen Regierung diese verhaengten
undemokratischen Massnahmen aufzuheben, und alle Minderheiten in der Tuerkei mit demokratischen Rechten zu behandeln. Dieser Appell ist auch an die deutsche Regierung und an die EU gerichtet, die Menschenrechtsverletzungen an die Minderheiten in der Tuerkei ernst zu  nehmen und die Regierung in Ankara auffordern, die Demokratie im Lande besser zu schuetzen.
 

ASSYRIAN AMERICAN AMVET MEMORIAL FUND

Dear Memorial Fund Contributor;                                                                                                                    October 1997

The Assyrian American AMVETS (American Veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam) Post 5 of Chicago, Illinois Memorial Committee has started the final phase of installing the Memorial Monument  honoring Assyrian Americans who gave
their lives in the service of our country and the Assyrian men and women who served in all  the Wars of the United States of America.

The Memorial, a center tablet and two wings, weighing over 15 thousand pounds, may be seen on or about November 15, 1997 in Section 45 of Elmwood Park Cemetery located in the Chicago suburb of River Grove, Illinois.

You can participate in this Memorial by making a tax deductible contribution to the Memorial Fund.  Your generous contribution is needed to complete the $70,000.00 Memorial.

All contributors will be honored by having their names included in the time capsule to be entombed at the dedication.

You may wish to acquire a Memorial Brick on the walkway in front of the Monument. A contribution of at least $500.00 is required to place the name of a loved one(s) on the Memorial Brick.  The number of Bricks are limited and will be assigned
on a first come basis.

The dedication will be in the spring of 1998 prior to Memorial Day.  Please make your plans to attend this memorable weekend which will include the dedication of the Monument and the celebration of  the AMVET Post 5, Fiftieth Anniversary.

The AMVET Post 5 Memorial Committee:

Cyrus A Alexander       Edward E Joseph      Albert Miglioratti       Lincoln Peters
John Hosanna               Marshall Joseph       *John J Ninirod          Lincoln S Tamraz *

* For further information Please call  (773) 264-2786 or (773) 463-0990

 Please find my tax deductible contribution of   $400.00______ $300.00 _______ $200.00______  Other$______

 Please reserve Memorial Brick(s) in the name of :    ____________________________________________

Please make your checks payable to:

Assyrian American AWER Post 5 Memorial Fund
c/o Ms. Margaret Cumniing
First Bank & Trust of Evanston
820 Church Street
Evanston, IL 60201

ALL CONTRIBUTIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE:     7055 North Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois 60626


 John Hosanna, editor and publisher of the "Assyrian Americans Who Served in the Armed Forces of the United States" died on Sunday, October 19 in Chicago.  He was 86.  John worked diligently to in the fundraising efforts toward the construction of a permanent memorial monument at Elmwood Cemetery in honor of the Assyrian American servicemen.  His book contains the pictures of hundreds of Assyrian men and women who served during World War II, Korean War, and the War in Vietnam.  For more information visit the Assyrian American Veterans' Website.

 
 
XLV RENCONTRE ASSYRIOLOGIQUE INTERNATIONALE
45th International Congress of Assyriology and Near Eastern Archaeology
 
As already announced in Venice, the XLV RAI will be held in Cambridge, MA, and New Haven, CT, from the 5th through the 10th of July, 1998, under the auspices of Harvard University and with the participation of Yale University.  The principal part of the XLV RAI will take place in Cambridge, on the campus of Harvard University, from the 5th through the 8th of July.
 
The main theme of the meeting will be "Historiography," seen from both philological and archaeological perspectives, and as broadly understood as possible, to accommodate a wide range of topics and approaches.
 
There will also be a session (comprising four or five invited papers) devoted to the Hurrians, their history, language, art, and material culture. This session is to coincide with the exhibit on Nuzi and the Hurrians, which will be mounted for the occasion of the RAI by the Semitic Museum of Harvard University.
 
The principal part of the RAI will also include a panel entitled "Women in the Public Sphere," comprising four invited papers.
 
One of the afternoon sessions - to be followed by a reception - will take place at Brandeis University, situated in Waltham, a suburb of Boston. Our hosts there will be Professor Tzvi Abusch and Brandeis' Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies.
 
The provisional program of the principal part of the RAI is as follows:
Sat., July 4:   Registration.
Sun., July 5:   Morning:
                Welcome.
                "Historiography" session - invited papers.
                Afternoon: The plenary session on the Hurrians - invited papers.
                A reception on the campus of Harvard University.
Mon., July 6:   Morning: Paper sessions.
                Afternoon: Paper sessions.
Tue., July 7:   Morning: Paper sessions.
                Afternoon: Paper sessions and "Women in the Public Sphere" panel, to take place at Brandeis University.
                A reception at Brandeis University.
Wed., July 8:   Morning: Paper sessions and business meeting.
                Museum Day.
                Afternoon: A local tour.
 
The principal part of the RAI will be followed by an additional day of activities in New Haven, CT, on the campus of Yale University (for the specifics, see below). The participation in that event will be optional; there will be a separate registration fee for it.
 
Registration forms (both for the Harvard and Yale events) and additional information will be sent out at the beginning of this December.  These materials will be additionally distributed through E-mail, and they will also be available on the Internet, at the site "Abzu" (//www-oi.uchicago.edu). All the participants of the last two RAIs (Prague and Venice) will be mailed these materials automatically. Those who did not attend either meeting but wish to obtain registration forms should contact the organizers, preferably using the attachment just below.
 
XLV RAI                   Cambridge - New Haven          July 3-10, 1998
Please send me registration forms
 
Surname and Title ........................ First Name..........................
Institution.....................................................................
Address........................................................City.........................PostalCode.........................Country.....................................
Phone.............................................Fax................................E-mail.......................................
 
Requests for registration forms and all inquiries should be directed to:
 
                XVL RAI
                Dept. of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations
                Harvard University
                6 Divinity Avenue
                Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
 
                Fax: -617-496-8904                E-mail: greene5@fas.harvard.edu             Phone: -617-495-5656
 
               For the Organizing Committee,     P. Steinkeller (Harvard) and W. W.  Hallo (Yale)
 
Description of the New Haven part of the XLV RAI:
 
The entire Rencontre is cordially invited to New Haven, CT, at the conclusion of the meeting in Cambridge. The following program is planned:
 
I. Thursday, July 9:
   10:00 AM: Depart from Cambridge by charted buses.
   11:30 AM: Arrive in Sturbridge, MA, for a tour of Old Sturbridge Village, an open air museum that constitutes a fascinating
                     reconstruction of life in a New England village in the 1830s.
     1:00 PM: Buffet lunch at the Bullard Tavern in Old Sturbridge Village.
     2:30 PM: Depart from Old Sturbridge Village by charted buses.
     4:00 PM: Arrive New Haven and check in at the Holiday Inn, 30 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT 06511
                    Tel.: -203-777-6221, Fax: -203-772-1089.
     5:00 PM: Walk (5 minutes) to Beinecke Rare Book Library, Yale University (northeast corner of Wall and High Streets)
                     for reception in honor of the RAI tendered by the Beinecke Library. Formal opening of two exhibitions:
                    (1) "Treasures from the Yale Babylonian Collection" and  (2) "Seventy Years of Near Eastern Archaeology
                           at Yale."
     8:00 PM: Free evening.
 
II. Friday, July 10:
     9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon: Symposium (invited papers) on "Seals and Seal Impressions" in the lecture hall of the Yale Art
                     Gallery (entrance on High Street).
    12:30 to 2:00 PM: Lunch at Morse College (entrance on York Street).
      2:30 to 3:30 PM: Visit to the Babylonian Collection in Sterling Memorial Library (spouthwest corner of Wall and High
                     Streets). On-line Catalogue of  the Babylonian Collections at Yale to be opened to the World Wide Web and
                     demonstrated to the RAI.
      3:30 PM: Conclusion of RAI. Participants may stay on at the Holiday Inn, go on to New York, or return to Cambridge.
                     Transportation will be their own responsibility.
 
Costs:
The all-inclusive package price for all the above is $ 80.00 for a shared  room (2 persons) and $ 115.00 for a private room. This price covers the bus from Cambridge to New Haven, admission and lunch at Old Sturbridge Village, hotel room for one night, and lunch on Friday. Those who wish to stay over on Friday night may do so at the rate of $ 36.50 for a shared room or $ 72.00 for a private room.
 
Registration forms (which will be sent out in December) should be received by April 1 and can be submitted to the undersigned by mail (Yale Babylonian Collection, Yale University Library, 130 Wall Street, Box 208240, New Haven, CT 06520) or E-mail (William.Hallo@Yale.edu) or Fax: (-203-432-7231). Payment for participation is due in full at the same time, and can be made by check or money order made out to Yale University and sent to Ms. Susan Adler, Director, Office of Conference Services, 246 Church Street, New Haven, CT 06520.
 
N E W S   D I G E S T
 
DIPLOMATIC SHOWDOWN MAY RESULT IN U.S. MILITARY INTERVENTION IN IRAQ

(ZNAF:  Baghdad)  Last week Iraq turned back US arms inspectors working for the United Nations and was poised for a new showdown if their colleagues posted in Baghdad ventured out to resume field operations.  The UN Special Commission (UNSCOM) in charge of disarming Iraq said the Iraqi authorities allowed in six arms inspectors of other nationalities, including the Swedish head of a monitoring centre in Baghdad.  UNSCOM addressed a letter to the UN Security Council president
to inform him of the incident at Habbaniya airport, west of the capital. Two Americans working for UNSCOM were asked "politely" to leave, in the incident at Habbaniya airport, west of the capital, a diplomatic source here said.  In "solidarity," a third US national who works for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to disarm Iraq returned with them aboard a UN plane to Manama, although he was not turned back. The same US nationals had tried in vain to enter Iraq on Thursday, a day after President Saddam Hussein imposed a ban on Americans who work for UNSCOM and ordered out the eight posted
here. One of the eight Americans in Iraq also left on Sunday as part of a "normal rotation" of staff, who on Monday are to
resume field operations. "Monday will be a crucial day because it will be the real test for Iraq. Inspectors are going to start a new mission, and it is very, very probable that Americans will take part in it," said a Western diplomat in Baghdad.  The Arab League on Sunday also "categorically" rejected any military intervention against Iraq and called on the Security Council to take peaceful actions to contain the crisis.  Meanwhile, Saddam and his ministers held a meeting Sunday on what measures to take against possible "US aggression," the official INA news agency said.  A UN oil embargo in force against Iraq since its invasion of  Kuwait in 1990 can not be lifted until UNSCOM has certified the elimination of Baghdad's weapons of mass destruction.  Protests took place in Iraq for the fifth straight day Sunday supporting the government's decision to stop cooperating with US officials from the UN Special Commission to disarm Iraq (UNSCOM).  Some 15,000 people rallied in Mosul (Nineveh), 400 kilometers (250 miles) north of Baghdad, with banners that said "Yes to President Saddam Hussein," "No to the Americans" and "No to injustice," witnesses there said.  State television reported that similar demonstrations occurred in the southern cities of Basra, Diwaniya, Najaf, Nassiriya and Hilla and in the northern city of Kirkuk.

 
 
C A L E N D A R  of  E V E N T S

Nov 22-24            Middle East Studies Association's 31st Annual Meeting
                     San Francisco, California
                     Hyatt Regency San Francisco

                    Selected Topics: Dec 7                General Meeting of the Assyrian Foundation of America
                     Berkeley, California
                     Agenda: General Elections

Dec 11-13            British Association for Near Eastern Archaeology
                     1997 Annual Conference
                     University of Durham
                     United Kingdom

Dec 20               Maestro Nebu Issabey's Nineveh Choir
                     San Jose State University Music Hall
                     8:00 PM
                     (Tickets are on sale!)

Through Mar 8,1998   In the Presence of the Gods: Art from Ancient Sumer
                     The Smart Museum of Art
                     5550 South Greenwood Avenue
                     Chicago
                     Free Admission

A presentation of 43 4,500-year-old Sumerian temple offerings, including statues from Tell Asmar, tablets, carved stone vessels, and relief panels showing banquet scenes.
 
Jul 5-10             45th International Congress of Assyriology and Near Eastern Archaeology
                                                Cambridge, Massachusetts & New Haven, Connecticut
 
 K H U D R A

Nov 3      Dokhrana 'd Mar Gewargis, Sahda (The Martyr)
Nov 19     Commemoration of Mar Yacoub m' Pasqa
Nov 22     Dokhrana 'd Mar Odisho d'Urmi
Dec 7      Annunciation of the Virgin Mary (Soobara)
Dec 8      Immaculate Conception
Dec 13     Mar Yacub d'Nsiven (St. James of Nisibin)
Dec 20     King Abgar V
Dec 22     Mar Yousip (St. Joseph)
Dec 25     Christmas (New Calendar)
Jan 1      Mee-yah Khateh (Epiphany)
Jan 22     Dokhrana 'd Mar Benyamin (St. Benjamin)

The Church Liturgy of the Assyrian Church of the East

E N T R A C T E!

Nov 9         Fundraising Dinner
                  Assyrian Social Club
                  63133 Pulaski
                  Chicago
                  7:30 pm
                  RSVP by October 30:  773-478-8808
                  P.O. Box 597365
                  Chicago, IL 60659

Dec 31        New Year's Eve Party
                  Assyrian American Association of San Jose
                  Entertainers:  Black Cats & Franco
                  Marriott Hotel
                  Santa Clara, California
 

I N T E L L I G E N T S I A

 
Chicago Intro & Adv Modern Assyrian Zaia Kanoon Wed,Thu,& Sat 7:00-9:00 PM North Park University  
Carlson Tower
Assyrian Academic Society  
800-454-6979
Soccer Practice  
Ages 7-14
Mondays 7:45-9:45 PM Warren Park Gymnasium  
                               Western Avenue & Devon Street 
Assyrian Athletic Club Soccer Development Program
Harvard University Elementary & Readings in Syriac I & II Dr. J.F. Coakley
North Hollywood Assyrian Boy Scouts  Sargon Gewargis fishtale@juno.com  
(818) 891-3705  
after 7:30 PM 
Sundays 9:30 AM  to 12:30 PM 5901 Cahuenga Blvd  
                               North Hollywood, California
Assyrian American Association of Southern California  
                               Assyrian Club 
- Meeting Sargon Gewargis fishtale@juno.com  
(818) 891-3705  
after 7:30 PM 
Mondays 6:00 PM 5901 Cahuenga Blvd  
                               North Hollywood, California
Assyrian Student Union  
                               California State University, Northridge
Ontario, Canada Nisibis School Saturdays 10:30-1:30 PM Toronto, Canada
The Church of the East
-
-
-
-
12:00 PM MSA Room, Fennell Campus  
Hamilton, Canada
Assyrian Students Association
San Jose, CA English as a Second Language Jacklin Bajan Mondays 7:00-9:30 PM 20000 Almaden Rd, San Jose Assyrian American Association of San Jose
-
Nisibin School for Children Madlen Ivan Saturdays 10:00 AM -1:00 PM 20000 Almaden Rd, San Jose Assyrian American Association of San Jose
-
Computer Class Esha Tamras Sundays 2:00-4:00 PM 20000 Almaden Rd, San Jose Assyrian American Association of San Jose
-
Assyrian Language Wilfred Alkhas Mondays 7:30-9:00 PM 20000 Almaden Rd, San Jose Assyrian American Association of San Jose
 

A B Z U

RADIO PROGRAMS
 
 
Ontario, Canada Assyrian Voice of Canada Saturdays 3:00-4:00 PM  
10:00 PM-12:00 AM
Cable 91.7 & 91.9 Voice: 905-279-6206  
Fax:  905-279-7347
 
TELEVISION PROGRAMS
 
Modesto/Turlock AssyriaVision Daily 7:00 AM-2:00 AM KBSV-TV 23 Bet-Nahrain Inc.  
209-538-4130
San Jose, California Atour TV Mondays 8:30-9:00 PM Channel 15A (TCI Cable) Assyrian American Association of San Jose
San Jose/South San Francisco Bay Area Assyrian Weekly Magazine Tuesdays (1st & 3rd  of the month) 6:00-7:00 PM Channel 15A (TCI Cable) Host: George Maragolof
San Jose/South San Francisco Bay Area Assyrian Weekly Magazine Fridays 7:00-8:00 PM Channel 15A (TCI Cable) Host:  George Maragolof
Southern California & Chicago Assyrian Church of Nineveh Check Your Local Listing Check Your Local Listing Ch. 20:  Santa Clarita  
Ch. 25:  East San Fernando Valley  
Ch. 27: West San Fernando Valley  
Ch. 36:  Chicago
Assyrian Pentecostal Church of Nineveh
 
 
ASSYRIAN SURFING POSTS
 
 The Descent of Ishtar:  performed in original Babylonian

  

P U M P  U P  THE  V O L U M E
English       Modern Assyrian
 
 
                                                   Honor                  myaq/roo/ta       [F]
 
                                                   Dignity                 k-nee/khoo/ta     [F]
 

                           F = Feminine    M = Masculine    P = Plural

 

B A C K   TO THE  F U T U RE
 
 BC ( 2057)

The First Dynasty of Babylon began to rule in the city of Babylon under its founder, Sumuabum, who reigned for 13 years.  The Dynasty's eleven kings ruled for 300 years.  Under Sumulailu, Sabum, Apil-Sin, and Sin-Muballit, the power of the Babylonians increased greatly, but it was under the rule of Hammurabi that Babylon achieved its greatest influence and splendor.  Hammurabi ruled for 42 years and was the sixth king of this Dynasty.
 
<<  Babylonian Life & History, Budge  >>

AD (651)

Yazdgird III, the last Sassanid king of Persia, after his defeat by the Arabs, dies in the city of Merv and is buried by the Nestorian bishop of this town.

<< Journal of the Assyrian Academic Society, Vol XI, #1 >>
 

 

L I T E R A T U R S
 
    OLD ASSYRIAN MARRIAGE CONTRACT
  19th Century B.C.
 
  Laqipum has married Hatala, daughter of Enishru. In the country (i.e., Central
  Anatolia) Laqipum may not marry another woman---but in the city (i.e., Ashur)
  he may marry a hierodule. If within years Hatala does not provide him with
  offspring, she herself will purchase a slavewoman, and later on, after she
  will have produced a child by him, he may then dispose of her by sale
  wheresoever he pleases. Should Laqipum choose to divorce her, he must pay her
  five minas of silver; and should Hatala choose to divorce him, she must pay
  him five minas of silver.
 
  Witnesses: Masa, Ashurishtikal, Talia, Shupianika.
 
<< Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, Finkelstein & Pritchard >>
 

 

T H I S  W E E K  I N  H I S T O R Y
 
November 6, 1975:  Mar Ishai Shimmun XXIII, Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, is assassinated in his residence in San Jose, California.
 
 
B R A V O
COMPUTERS AND ASSYRIAN LANGUAGE, TWO NEW CLASSES IN SAN JOSE

(ZNDA: San Jose)  Beginning in November, two new classes are offered at the Assyrian American Association of San Jose's BETA (club house).  The "Computer Class", taught by Esha Tamras, will cover the history of computers, networking, and the Internet.  Wilfred Alkhas will teach  a new course  to adults with little or no knowledge of the Assyrian language.  The computer classes are held every other Sunday from 2:00 to 4:00 pm and the Assyrian language class will be held on Monday nights.  For more information contact AAA of San Jose at (408) 927-9100 or write to zenda@ix.netcom.com.  The AAA of San Jose also welcomes any donations of  PC's that could be used in training the students of the Computer Class.
 
 

W E L C O M E   to   Z E N D A

CORPORATE ACCOUNTS
                                                            Yahoo!
UNIVERSITY ACCOUNTS
                                                Champlain College, Montreal, Canada
                                                University of Melbourne, Australia
PERSONAL ACCOUNTS
                                                Assyrian Society of United Kingdom, London
                                                Chicago, Illinois
 

 

S A L U T E !
 This Week's Reporters:

Esha Tamras         San Jose, California    Surfers Corner
Firas Jatou         Chicago, Illinois       Literatus
                                            Surfers Corner
Gabriel Rabo        Germany                 Surfers Corner
Lena Mushell        San Jose, California    Good Morning Bet-Nahrain

[Map of Syria courtesy of CIA World Fact Book; John Hosanna's photo courtesy of Assyrian Information Medium Exchange.]

Thank You For Referring ZENDA to a Friend:

Albert Gabrial      Turlock, California
Firas Jatou         Chicago, Illinois
Raman Mikhael       Chicago, Illinois
Shamiran Safaro     Melbourne, Australia
 

Would you like to know more about a particular topic on Assyrian culture, arts, history, language, politics, etc.  Drop us a note!

Are your old Assyrian books and magazines sitting at home eating dust?  How about sending them to ZENDA so we may share their information with our readers.  ZENDA will gladly cover your cost of postage and handling.



ZENDA is a weekly online magazine distributed on Mondays. Views expressed in ZENDA do not necessarily represent those of the ZENDA editors, or any of our associated staff. This publication reserves the right, at its sole discretion, not to publish comments or articles previously printed in or submitted to other journals. ZENDA also reserves the right to publish and republish your submission in any form or medium. All letters and messages require the name(s) of sender and/or author. All messages published in the SURFS UP! section must bear the name of the author(s). Distribution of material featured in ZENDA is not restricted, but permission from ZENDA is required. This service is meant for the exchange of information, analyses and news. To subscribe, send e-mail to: zenda@ix.netcom.com with the message body "subscribe ZENDA Firstname Lastname". To unsubscribe, send e-mail to the above address, with the message body "unsubscribe ZENDA".
 
zenda@ix.netcom.com
P.O. Box 20278 San Jose, California 95160 U.S.A.