The damp air over her house in Turlock was saturated with the smell of animal waste and the next door neighbor's barbecued kabobs.  Rabbie Yoav prided himself in being the oldest Assyrian BBQ cook in the Stanislaus County.  Maryam was going to miss the old man and her manifold experiences of living in Turlock.  Only two days before her wedding she was avoiding everyone and anything that could break her peace.  Everybody except Ramiel!

“Maryam, it's your man on the phone- don't keep him waiting too long”, Khata Julia shouted from her kitchen.  Almost instantly Maryam ran to the kitchen door and shouted back at her mother: “Haven't I told you before that I don't want you to call him ‘my man’.  His name is Ramiel and he's going to be my husband- not my master.”  “Lady, keep your feminist gibberish for your lesbian friends at Davis.  In my house the Gospels and the Epistles are the rule of the house- not your professors’ lectures”, Julia was even less hesitant.  Maryam gave up much quicker than usual.  She wasn't going to let anyone affect her mood in these final days of her subjugation.

Rabbie Yoav’s granddaughter was now crying unceasingly.  Maryam closed her window and reclined on her bed.  She thought of her new life with Ramiel in San Diego.  She always wanted to live in Southern California.  Fantasizing about a new house not too distant from the sunny La Jolla Beach she was reminded of her father's “Madeira Sunset” painting.  The moon over Turlock could never be as beautiful and rose-colored as that in San Diego, she thought.

A few minutes later the loud noise followed by a couple of knockings on the door awakened Maryam, still intoxicated with the thoughts of her new days ahead.  “It's me, Ramiel.  Can I come in?”  Maryam hurried to the door.  “Oh my God, Ramiel.  I totally forgot to pick up the phone.  I got into this stupid argument with mom and then...”  Ramiel closed the door behind him and held her firmly in his arms.  With a quick move he drew her face closer and hid her chin behind his goatee.  Nothing could seal her lips so completely like the kiss she craved every night in her most intimate hours.  She slowly opened her eyes and smiled.  The brevity of her smile alarmed her lover.  “Ramiel, can you promise me that you will never be like them?”  Ramiel reached for her left hand and slowly brought it to his chest.  “Can you feel the beating of my heart?  I tremble every time I think about the two of us together- away from all of them.  I love you more than my life.”  Maryam moved closer: “Then promise me that you will not be like them.  I want a husband, not a master.  I need to be free, to think for myself.  Help me become what I want to be. Promise me that you will not do what my father has done to my mother and what your father has done to your mom.  Can you promise me this?”  Ramiel touched Maryam’s long silky black hair and looking into her black eyes whispered: “I promise!”

From the look in Ramiel’s deep brown eyes Maryam knew that something was vexing his thoughts.  “What’s wrong, sweetheart?", asked.   Ramiel looked down, and as if pushing a ton of weight over his head, ponderously raised his head and looked into Maryam’s eager eyes.  “I promise never to treat you like that, but what about the traditions?”

Maryam:  “What traditions?  You're keeping something from me.  What is it, Ramiel?
Ramiel:  “I promise when we're married and live in San Diego everything will be okay.  It's just these
   final days in Turlock that I'm concerned about.”
Maryam:  “Ramiel, talk to me baby.  Did they ask you to do something?”
Ramiel: “God, Maryam- you can read me like a book. I can't hide anything from you anymore.”  He
   waited a few moments and took a deep breath.  “Maryam- I will never let anything cool our love.
   We're always going to be there for each other.  You believe that--  don't you?”
Maryam was now growing very impatient.  She walked back a couple of steps and leaned against her dresser: “Ramiel, did they ask you to do something?  Stop playing with my head and tell me,”  she inquired seriously.
Ramiel: “It's my family- they want us to follow the family's tradition on our wedding night.”  This time
   he could not dare to look into his lover's judgmental eyes.
Maryam:  “And what tradition is this that your family wants us to follow?”
Ramiel:  “Please don't get mad at me- I have nothing to do with it.  It's mainly my aunts in Turlock.”  He
   could not bear to stand up anymore.  He moved his body away from her and sat on the bed, his head
   still  focused on the blue and white floor patterns.
Maryam:  “I'm still waiting...”

Somehow he found the courage to utter the impossible words that could never be spoken in the presence of such a woman.  He knew well that everything he had worked and hoped for could disappear in a few seconds.  He raised his head in preparation for Maryam’s anger:  “They want me to give them a white cloth stained with your virgin blood on our wedding night.”   Maryam could not believe her ears.  He continued: “This has been a tradition in our family; they say our family honor is dependent on it.”
Maryam looked at Ramiel for a few more seconds and then managed to walk to the window.  With a swift move of her strong arms and burning with rage she opened the large window to let the humid air in.  She could not hear the baby's cry anymore.   For the longest two minutes of their lives Maryam and Ramiel avoided each other's eyes.

Finally she broke the silence:  “What do you want to do?  Show your family the blood of the woman you have successfully hunted- the poor, miserable person lying helpless in her own blood- waiting for her hunter to come back and finish his game?”
Ramiel:  “Please understand that this is just an old tradition that means nothing anymore.”
Maryam:  “If it means nothing...(she stops abruptly)  forget it.  I'm not going to worry about your stupid
   family's traditions now.  (turning to the window to avoid Ramiel’s face) We'll deal with it later. Ramiel,
   remember this- if you're looking for an object to affirm your masculinity you have two days to look
   elsewhere for a desperate woman.  There are plenty of them out there- begging to be brutally
   conquered so that they can leave their prison at home.  I, for one, don't need your traditions.  (she was
   now standing farthest from Ramiel)  Leave me alone now.  I have to finish packing my clothes.”
She stood by the window until she heard the door closing behind her.  Her Ramiel was now conveying the impression she feared in any other Assyrian man she had ever encountered.  He was no different from the rest, she thought.

That night Maryam made up her mind.  This time she was not going to run away from home, Ramiel’s family, and the traditions that had for two thousand years suffocated the brave women like herself. She loved Ramiel and she was going to marry him.  Crying a hopeless kind of tears, she packed the white lingerie and the white candles she had bought for their wedding night.

Despite the many challenges she had to deal with in arranging the most important day of her life, the church service and the wedding reception could not be more perfectly arranged.  Because of the tribal controversy in Modesto her favorite church was shut down and they had to find a different Assyrian church.  Furthermore, her insistence on not holding the reception at Turlock’s “civic club” had cost them an arm and a leg.  However she was satisfied to know that her guests were treated with a tasty meal and a sumptuous dessert.  She could not live with herself knowing that Costco ice-cream cups were served at her wedding.  What did it matter anyway?  Nearly half of their six hundred and seventy two guests could recognize neither the bride nor the groom before this day.

A little after three in the morning the newly married couple were driven to their hotel in San Francisco.  Maryam was astonished to find Ramiel’s aunts and family sitting in the hotel lobby waiting for their arrival.  The eldest aunt stood up and kissed Maryam: “My girl, may God bless you and the children you will have for Ramiel.”  Then in a synchronous motion the rest of the family members began to clap their hands and make the birdcall sound.  Maryam was furious: “Ramiel, I'm going to our room.  Here's your key...Christ!”   Ramiel stayed behind talking to his family.  The men were cheering him louder by the moment.  As the elevator ascended into the upper floors Maryam looked down through the glass wall and saw her Ramiel helplessly surrounded by the hunters and the hunted.

Ramiel was wandering aimlessly down the hallway, wondering what had become of him.  Was it not for the non-conforming position he held in the community that had brought him and Maryam together?  He then noticed the embroidered white cloth he was so firmly clutching in his hand.  How could he now so unabashedly acquiesce to the age-old traditions of his family?

He quietly inserted the plastic card into the electronic doorlock.  The blinking green light gave him permission to enter his lover's chamber.  He quietly opened the door.  The smell of her perfume instantly delighted his senses; his tense body relaxed and settled in a calm languor.  The lights were dimmed.  He could see Maryam’s silhouette in the middle of the dancing shadows on the wall.  The smooth sound of jazz and the cool air emanating from behind the curtains intensified the impalpable atmosphere Maryam had so carefully created.  He could wait no longer, and slowly moved away from the door.  Suddenly his eyes found Maryam sitting in the middle of the bed- naked and crying silently.  He then noticed a candle missing from the holder at the corner of the room.

“Let me see the cloth!”  she commanded him with her tears flowing incessantly.  Ramiel just stood there in complete shock.  Only then he become aware of the blood covering the white sheets creased beneath Maryam’s beautiful body.  “I said give me the cloth", Maryam murmured in a weary voice.  "I'm going to give them what they want.  Me!.  I will never let anyone own me.  Not you or your traditions.”

The cloth felt so heavy in his hand.  He stretched his arm and handed it over.  She raised her right hand by which she was holding a bloodstained candle.  She wiped the candle with the cloth and gave it back to Ramiel.  “Take this to your blood-thirsty people.” She paused.  Her wise sweet face shone in the light of the remaining candle slowly burning in the corner of their honeymoon suite.  Ramiel took the cloth and uncontrollably began to cry.  He shifted his sweaty body and his stained soul closer to Maryam.  He then placed his head on her bosom and in desperation tried to hide his shame.  His tears were slowly melting the drying bloodstains on Maryam’s thighs.  “I'm so sorry,” he muttered in shame.

Today Ramiel and Maryam live in Seattle.  They plan to start a family as soon as Ramiel receives the promotion guaranteed to him in his last year-end review.  Maryam teaches English at a local college.  Neither of them have walked the streets of Turlock since their wedding night.
 

Wilfred Alkhas
California

(ZNIN: London)  Several senior PUK and KDP delegates will meet in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, to resolve problems over the implementation of a U.S.-brokered agreement signed in September 1999. The delegation hopes to speed up the process of normalization of relations, which would eventually lead to parliamentary elections.  According to Zamman Newspaper, KRG (Kurdish Regional Government) has decided to establish a unified flag that will be raised along with the Iraqi flag on official buildings and other places. The flag is colored red, white and green with a yellow sun in the center.  KRG has also proposed the creation of four new governorates that will be added to the region. These newly proposed Governorates are Halabja, Soran, Rania and Aqrah.

(ZNRU: Tehran)  Last week following the arrest of 13 Iranian Jews on charges of spying for Israel President Khatami of Iran has made a strong defense of the rights of religious minorities.  Tehran radio quoted him as saying that he was responsible for the protection of all religious minorities who live in Iran.
The Iranian judiciary warned last week that the arrested Jews could face the death penalty.  President Khatami stated that all religious minorities are free to practice their faith in the Islamic Republic.  He sought to reassure the Iranian Jews and the international community that religious minorities are safe in Iran and that he is personally responsible for their protection.

The case is at the center of a growing international outcry which threatens to damage Mr. Khatami's reformist image and the significant progress he has made in improving relations with the West.  Moderates in the Iranian leadership fear that if the Jews are convicted and executed on charges of spying for Israel, it is likely to have detrimental effect on Mr. Khatami's international standing.  It has even been suggested that his conservative rivals, who control the Iranian judiciary and the intelligence service, could be using the case to sabotage his attempts to further improve relations with the West.

It appears that the case of the 13 Jews is becoming a new focus for power struggle among moderates and conservatives in the Iranian leadership.  According to a document signed by a group of leading members of the Jewish community in Iran, among them Rabbi Youssef Hamedani Kohan; the Jewish representative in Majlis (Iranian Parliament), Manouchehr Eliassi; and members of the Board of Directors of the Society of Iranian Jews (Motva'd Youdaye d'Iran), Haroun Yashaya-ee, said such incidents may happen in any part of the world, and expressed confidence that "provocative propaganda of the enemies of the country in or outside of Iran would not affect either way the eventual judgment of the Iranian courts."       Today, there remain as many as 25,000 Jews in Iran- mostly living in the capital- Tehran.  Last week, Rev. Jesse Jackson was contacted by the Jewish community in Los Angeles to intercede and help in the release of the 13 Iranian-Jews.

Photo courtesy of BBC News, June 13

(ZNPR: Jerusalem)  On May 31, Israeli authorities prohibited a march led by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate from entering the tomb of Prophet David on Mount Zion in Jerusalem on the occasion of the Ansara feast. The march, which has been a ritual for hundreds of years, was obstructed by a group of religious Jews who prevented the worshippers from entering. The site was opened two hours later by Israeli authorities after the Greek Orthodox Church angrily protested such provocations. An Israeli police spokesman later announced that, although the rituals were held this year, Greek Orthodox Christians would not be allowed to pray there next year because the site "belongs to Jews".

Excerpted from the Palestine Report, 4 June 1999

"We would like to announce here at the Mor Gabriel Monastery in Midyat, Turkey that we now have email and presently are working on a webpage (click here). We will post news each week. This week for example we started repairing our buildings again. The Turkish government stopped us in October of 1997. Through the help of the American Consulate in Adana pressure was put on the Mardin district to allow us to repair our churches.

Any help would be appreciated as the Turkish telephone lines make is difficult to upload files to the website.  Maybe someone could help us with that who has a better connection.  Foosh bashlomo."

Fr. Dale a. Johnson
Bar Youhannon
Mor Gabriel Monastery

For more information on Mor Gabriel Monastery in Turkey visit the following website:
Zenda Sept 14, 1998
Turks Ban Syriac in Tur Abdin
Turkish Authorities Clamp Down on Syrian Christians

Mor Gabrial Monastery photo courtesy of Turkish Airlines-  Photography by Servet Dilber

I joined the Assyrian Academic Society with the understanding that the Society represented Assyrians and worked for Assyrians. Your endorsement of the combined census category of "Assyrian/Chaldean/Syriac" is extremely divisive for our nation.

It is naive and myopic to expect a mere change in a category name to truly unite the three Assyrian denominations when in reality they are not truly united. This is a quick-fix approach that is ill-considered and is being taken in lieu of the real work that must be done -- educating the Chaldeans and Jacobites about their true Assyrian identity.

This action of the Society is expedient and demonstrative of a lack of ideological grounding. How can the *Assyrian* Academic Society promote the *Assyrian* cause on the one hand while simultaneously undermining its ideological foundation on the other?"

Peter Pnuel BetBasoo
Chicago

Mr. BetBasoo is the founder of "soc.culture.assyrian" newsgroup and an early pioneer of Assyrian presence on the Internet.

I am willing to bet that the very same people who proudly posted their opinions on the ‘Assyrian Forum’ failed to pay attention to the article published in Zenda last week in which the Detroit News referred to the Assyrians, from the Chaldean sect, as “Arab Americans”.

This is a sad reflection of the way we are viewed by the media, and the rest of the world. As much as I respect our Arab brothers, the plain and simple fact is we are not Arabs.

I urge all our Assyrian organizations to stop talking and start acting. To start with, how about sending letters asking the Detroit News to print an apology for mislabeling our people."

David Chibo
Australia

Manuel de la Puente, Ph.D.,
Chief, Ethnic and Hispanic Statistics Branch.

Dear Manuel,

Thank you for your response and explanations.  In connection with the label "Assyrian/Chaldean/Syriac", accepted by the Census Bureau, I would like to make a few, but brief comments. In 1551 A.D., there was a split in the spiritual leadership of the Assyrian Church of the East. The patriarch of the dissident party, to gain recognition and influence, decided to join the Roman Catholic Church. Rome, at first decided to give the new ally the title "Patriarch of the Eastern Assyrians", but shortly after, decided to make a distinction between "The Assyrian Church of the East", and the new adherents, and labeled them "Chaldeans".

Therefore, what Chaldean stands for is "Roman Catholic". What I don't understand is that, being called Assyrians, doesn't change their religious affiliation, then, why insist on an artificial label created just to distinguish between two groups. Personally, I am a Roman Catholic, but I insist that I am an assyrian, and that has had no effect on my religion.

Second, it is the designation "Syriac" that is strange. The term Syriac is a linguistic designation, it is the name of our language, it is not an ethnic category.

To give you an idea what the new label means, I will give you the following example: "Irish/Catholic/English speaking". The most ancient documents, since the dawn of Christianity, as we are the first non-Jewish people who accepted Christianity, refer to us as Assyrians. The name Chaldean, appears after the split in 1551 A.D. Of course the label "Chaldean" can be regarded as an ethnic designation, but it is not real.

Dr. George V. Yana (Bebla)
Florida

Religious ranked local or universal leaders can not cross their limits to talk and act as political figures, they can not step on the foot of our Assyrian political parties. It was very damaging when Bishop Ibrahim Ibrahim interfered to lead the case of bringing the issue of the Chaldean name as an ethnic group in the American Census, clearly and openly separating us. That was the first step and will follow in other countries where Assyrians live. By that he tried secretly and openly to extract our brothers and sisters who are members of the Chaldean Church from our Assyrian nation. He used his influence as a religious leader and participated to cut our people into pieces and then tried to glue them into one nation which is called per his great vision the so called "Assyrian/Chaldean/Syriac".

Social club or organization leaders can not interfere into the Assyrian political decisions on political issues, hence without the political mentality and knowledge, is the best weapon to create more damages for our Assyrian political movements. Those leaders also like the religious leaders crossed their limits, we obviously have seen the unpleasant results. That applies to all organizations which are established as social entities per their constitution, if they have it.

When Assyrian Political Parties will be successful enough to establish an Assyrian Front which shall act as an Umbrella Political Organization, then the social organization will be part of such Umbrella. However each acts as it stands and represents, still acts as social entities. it should follow the instructions of our political parties though such Umbrella I believe that above discussion shall clear many confusions that are lying among many Assyrian non-political organizations. As it is understood in all nations of this world, political parties who are the organizations that shapes the life of it's people. If we visit any country, we notice that those countries are run by political parties, from Europe, Australia, America, Africa to Asia.

Assyrian people should be awake from the current situation, we shall open our eyes and show our stands. We should ask such leaders to Stop bringing damages to our nation and stop crossing their lines, otherwise we shall stop supporting them as leaders and as Assyrians.  God bless Assyrian Nation."

Kaiser Shahbaz
California

Menashe Morad
California

We publish our readers' articles regarding a specific matter for three consecutive issues after the first time an article appears in ZENDA.  This week we publish the last of our readers' articles re Census 2000 issue.  The "Assyrian Y2K Problem" remains a critical issue affecting the future of Assyrian politics in the Middle East and the abroad ZENDA as it soon will warrant our attention in the very near future.

Haney David
Australia

"It has been two weeks since I've received my last issue of Zenda.  Every morning I am checking my email to see if there is any Zenda note.  Are you finally giving up on us?  I am waiting anxiously to see what is the latest on census 2000 and what is new in Bet Nahrin.  Thank you for keeping us updated with news and events of our people and cheboo for the wonderful job you are doing."

Lena Mushell
California

On Friday, June 4, 1999 while attempting to update the Assyrian Information Medium Exchange web site, a technical error caused over 3 years of hard work and over 6Megs of data to be lost from our web site (www.edessa.com). The hosting ISP, informed us that they do not backup our data; this was ugly and sad news to us. Their technical support is attempting to restore our web site's directory structure that was damaged. The Email directory was also affected, therefore I am using my email address from my work till I get access to our web site's email. I have a backup that dates somewhat back and am currently attempting to retrieve and verify it in case restoration of the web site is not possible.

Any of EDESSA.com visitors or Zenda readers who have UNIX knowledge to the level of a System Administrator/Supervisor/Super-User that can offer some possibilities for data recovery, we welcome your assistance and appreciate it. Regards,

Esha Emmanuel Tamras
Webmaster, Assyrian Information Medium Exchange
www.edessa.com
Email: etamras@edify.com

Tjena! Mitt namn är Sofia Ninveh Abalhad och jag är en assyrisk tjej på 19 år. För närvarande studerar jag det Naturvetenskapliga programmets tredje och sista år på Karolinska skolan i Örebro.

Favoritfärg: Blå
Cybernamn: Gizli, Gihano, Sofia
Intressen: Karate och Datorer
 

Personal Website:  Click Here
Favorite Poem:  Click Here
 
 

BC (610)

Two years after the fall of Nineveh the Egyptian pharaoh dispatched a contingency to the city of Harran where the last royal Assyrian family had fled.  The Egyptian delegation was too late in saving Harran from the advancing enemies of Assyria.  In October Ashur-Uballit II and his family were forced to flee Harran.

Egypt, Canaan, and Isreal in Ancient Times, Redford

Dr. Asahel Grant, an American missionary-physician, arrives in Urmia, Iran.  In meeting the Assyrians he notes the following:

We found much in their character to raise our hopes.  They have the greatest reverence for the Scriptures, and were desirous to have them diffused among the people in a language which all could understand.  In their feelings towards other sects they are charitable and liberal; in their forms, more simple and scriptural than the Papal and the other Oriental churches. They abhor image-worship, auricular confession, and the doctrine of purgatory; and hence they have broad common ground with Protestant Christians, so that, not inappropriately, they have been called the Protestants of Asia.

Dr. Grant believed that Assyrians, or Nestorians as he called them, were the lost tribes of Isreal.

The Nestorians or The Lost Tribes, Grant

Hills of my old home, where I played and grew
A child I strayed all about you
To your sweet memory I shall stay true
You shall be in my heart always

You shall be in my heart always
To your sweet memory I shall stay true
You shall be in my heart always.

O valleys that smiled as I roamed around
My fear and my sorrows you drowned
To you as comforter I shall be bound
You shall be in my heart always

Chorus

Crystal pure waters healed my limbs when sore
As I lay my strength to restore
Their music gave life t'my spirits and more
You shall be in my heart always

Chorus

O majestic peak crowned with fleecy cloud
You were our protector no doubt
A trusty guardian you watched all the crowd
You shall be in my heart always

Chorus

Land of my fathers made me strong and brave
Where my mother lies in her grave
Wherever I be for you I shall crave
You shall be in my heart always

Chorus

To your song across space of land and time
Everyone shall respond in rhyme
Your voice shall ring to us like a sweet chime
Oh we will never forget you

Chorus

Music and lyrics by William Daniel (1903-1988)
Original in Assyrian
Composed in 1942
Translated into English by composer

June 18, 1938:  Yosuf Malik begins the publication of ATHRA newspaper in Beirut.  The controversial material published in ATHRA prompted the British and French officials to force Malik's deportation from Lebanon.

Last week Rabbie Issa Benyamin donated one hundred posters and ten books of his own work to the Assyrian students in northern Iraq during the visitation of Mr. Yabu Yosip of the Assyrian Democratic Movement.  The calligraphy shown above depicts the words "leeshanan" (our language) holding "eetotan" (our existence) in the likeness of Atlas holding the globe.

For more on Issa Benyamin:  Click Here

ZENDA Magazine is published every Monday. 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   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 be in 500 words or less and 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.

The Directory of ZENDA News Sources
ZNAA (Assyrian Academic Society-Chicago)
ZNAD (Assyrian Democratic Organization)
ZNAF (Agence France-Presse)
ZNAH (Al-Ahram Newspaper, London)
ZNAL (Al-Hayat, London)
ZNAI  (Assyrian International News Agency)
ZNAK (American Kurdish
ZNAM (Archeology Magazine)
ZNAP (Associated Press International)
ZNBN (Bet-Nahrain Inc/ KBSV-TV "AssyriaVision")
ZNCN (ClariNews)
ZNCS (Conservative News Service)
ZNIF (Iraq Foundation)
ZNDA (Zenda: zenda@ix.netcom.com)
ZNDN (Detroit News)
ZNIN (Iraqi National Congress)
ZNLT (Los Angeles Times)
ZNMN (San Jose Mercury News)
ZNMS (Mar Shimun Magazine-Canada)
ZNMV (Minerva- The Int. Rev. of Art & Archaeology)
ZNMW (Mideast Newswire)
ZNNQ (Nabu Quarterly)
ZNNV (Nineveh Magazine)
ZNNY:  New York Times
ZNPR:  Palestinian Review
ZNQA (Qala Atouraya- Moscow)
ZNRF (Radio Free Iraq)
ZNRU (Reuters)
ZNSH (Shotapouta Newsletter)
ZNSJ (San Jose Mercury News)
ZNSM (Shufimafi Lebanese News)
ZNSO (Syrian Orthodox News "SOCNews")
ZNTD (Turkish Daily News)
ZNTM (Time Magazine)
ZNUP (United Press International)
ZNUS (US News & World Report)
ZNCW:  Catholic World News