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TODAY MAZAR E-SHAREEF, TOMORROW MOSUL If the Pashtuns in southern Afghanistan are expected to run the future government in Kabul why would the Western powers not entrust the future of northern Iraq in the more capable hands of its Assyrian inhabitants? Who says that they aren't? Throw away your Political Science 101 book out the window tonight. World politics is drastically changing before our eyes. The myriad of reasons for our interest in that volatile region of the world may be the same: oil, proximity to Russia and China, immediate access to the Gulf states, Israel, suppression of Islamic Fundamentalism, al-Qaida and so on. All for the sake of national security, of course. But the U.S. and its western allies are using a different approach in meeting their long-term goals in the region. Previously, they toppled the governments with the use of its military junta or extremist movements. Now they meet with the minority or underrepresented groups within that country and help form an all-inclusive government. There is no doubt in anyone's mind that the thousands of American and European soldiers stationed in the Persian Gulf will not leave that region empty-handed this time as they did in 1991. It's just a matter of time before a direct link between al-Qaida and the Anthrax scare is made to Saddam in Baghdad. Same policy, different players. Kurdish groups for the Northern Alliance, Shiites for the Pashtuns, and the Tikriti machinery for the Taliban. But what about the most important segment of Afghanistan's society that helped solidify the support of the American people behind their president in sending the troops to Afghanistan - namely the Afghan women? How about substituting the Christians of Iraq for the Afghan women in the above equation! Not since the beginning of the First World War has there been such a grand opportunity for the Assyrians of Iraq to once again play an important role in the future of Bet-Nahrain. Whether it is the formation of an independent state in northern Iraq or a federal government in Baghdad in which Assyrians are fully represented, soon we will be once again brought to Geneva, New York and Tehran to meet with the British, Russian, and Turkish foreign ministers. On November 12, Saddam Hussein met with the leadership of the Kurdish Democratic Party in Baghdad. Even the Monster of Baghdad realizes that his days are numbered and is working diligently to appease his enemies in the North. The KDP and its rival, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), have administered mountainous northern Iraq since 1992, protected by U.S. and British warplanes that patrol a no-fly zone over the area set up after the Gulf War. Who should the U.S. and the British trust as their troops enter the streets of Baghdad, following the Kurdish and Shiite commandos? They trusted the Jews in 1948 instead of the Moslems, even though their Arab neighbors outnumbered them. The KDP is also quite cognizant of the importance of the "Christian Variable" in this equation. The series of talks conducted by their Assyrian representative, Fawzi Hariri, in Europe was a calculated act to impress the Assyrian activists and the foreign media in Europe. Beginning today Assyrians in the West and in Iraq must prepare the largest mobilization of funds, human resources, and information in their modern history. Such mobilization requires the following:
Are you ready to help our political groups, Zinda Magazine, and our fighting soldiers in North Iraq when the green light is given in Washington and London? Be sure that the Kurdish, Turkoman, and Shiite groups have already drawn the plans for immediate occupation of Baghdad. Just ask their lobbyists in Washington. This time we will not follow, rather walk along - or better yet- lead the procession to Babylon. Zinda Magazine |
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AS THE TABLES TURN: THE STORY OF KARL SULEMAN A Zinda Magazine Special If you live in Sydney very likely you have observed his Internet and
telecommunication company, Froggy.com's advertisement. He rubs shoulders
with Bill Clinton and George Bush Sr. and finances Elton John's concerts
in Australia. Looking great in his expensive Versace suites, Karl Suleman
--the 40-year old Australian millionaire-has been the talk of the town
for the past six months. This week all fingers are pointing to him for
a different reason, a controversial investigation by the Australian Securities
and Investment Commission. And a large number of his investors may indeed
be his own fellow Assyrians. Some took out mortgages to invest, or formed clubs, and new money rolling in was used to pay out earlier investors. The overseas trail even includes money raised in the United States. Out of the $130 million, the government authorities estimate up to $45 million was repaid. They may recover another $19.2 million from identifiable assets owned by the Karl Suleman Enterprise company including loans to Froggy Group companies of about $13 million. Last Tuesday ASIC got court orders effectively freezing Mr. and Mrs. Suleman's assets. These include a property in Vaucluse, properties in the US, Solomon Islands and the UK, as well as a Lamborghini and two private jets. According to "PS 4998 ASIC Acts to Protect Suleman Investors" Mr. David Knott, Chairman of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission announced that ASIC had obtained consent orders in the New South Wales Supreme Court in relation to an investment scheme promoted by Mr. Karl Suleman and companies associated with Mr Suleman, in particular Karl Suleman Enterprises Pty Ltd. (Australian Securities and Investments Commission, 13.11.01). Mr. Suleman appointed Paul Weston and Neil Cussens of Howarth Accountants as administrators of his chief companies, Karl Suleman Enterprises and Suleman Investments. It all came as a surprise to those who had watched the black-shirted Karl Suleman rising from mediocre beginnings to overnight stardom. At a charity auction in Sydney in September, costing $1,100 a seat, Karl Suleman spent as much as $235,000 for a table for himself, Mr. Clinton, and some of his Assyrian friends. Among the invited Assyrians guests were the Assyrian Bishop of the Church of the East, Mar Meelis Zaia; Ms. Suzy Davis, Secretary of the Assyrian Universal Alliance; and Mr. Hormiz Shahin, AUA Representative in Australia. The dinner was a fundraiser for the Children's Hospital at Westmead. Mr. Suleman then took Clinton to a secretive Labor Party fundraiser and carried him around the harbors on his private yacht, The King. His yacht is a 20m motor cruiser that once belonged to Greg Norman. While riding his boat Mr. Suleman learned the former president is a devotee of Mahatma Gandhi. That prompted him to bid $50,000 that night for an autographed photo of Gandhi as a gift to Mr. Clinton. The ex-president was then taken to Melbourne in Suleman's private seven-seater jet. On Sunday, he paid $7,000 to join another 43 businessmen at a fundraising dinner at Double Bay, with Mr Clinton the special guest and the ALP the chief beneficiary. The businessmen made a $138,000 donation that night to Mission Australia and a million-dollar donation to the party. On Melbourne Cup Day earlier this month he showed his Assyrian hospitality to another former U.S. president, George Bush Senior, at a Froggy-sponsored lunch in Sydney. Who is Karl Suleman and how did he get to where he is now? Karl Suleman was born in Baghdad, Iraq, 40 years ago. He is the son of an Iraqi air force pilot and came to Australia when he was nine. In 1978 he graduated from Fairfield High School. At one time he owned three butcher's shops and at the start of 1999 he and his wife, Vivian, lived in a small, run-down townhouse in Greenfield Park in Sydney's west and ran a business collecting shopping trolleys for supermarkets. In May 1999 he paid $203,000 for a two-story house on a new housing estate in Hinchinbrook, in Sydney's south-west. Suddenly this year he was parking a black and a red Ferrari and a red Lamborghini in front of his garage. The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper attributes some of this wealth to Karl Sulmenan's friends in Sydney's Jewish community, including Nati Stoliar, and Sydney's Jewish Chabad House of the North Shore, whose directors included gem prospector Pnina Feldman and husband Rabbi Pinchus Feldman. Rabbi Nochum Schapiro reportedly met Suleman at a function and Suleman promised to donate money to Chabad House when his business became profitable. Zinda Magazine reported in October that the Feldmans held a 10 per cent stake in Froggy.com Internet business. According to Jewish custom it is good luck to give 10 per cent of everything you earn to charity. ASIC records show Suleman had only one previous company directorship, registered in 1993. Now he is a director of 18 companies, including Yasmin Trolley Services (trolley collection business), Froggy.com, Froggy Mobiles, Froggy Music, Froggy Records, Froggy Television and even Froggy Excavations not to mention Karl For Men. None of these companies are affected by the ASIC action. Froggy.com [http://www.froggy.com.au], an Internet service provider, has 150 employees and more than 30,000 subscribers in Australia. His Froggy Music, a music retail chain, will be putting up money to bring Elton John's concert tour to Australia sometimes next year. Although Suleman is a "common director" of all 18 businesses, many of the companies have different groups of investors. The ISP AI Superlink lists a large group of Vietnamese investors. According to the Washington Times of October 2, producer and actor Gianni Russo is working on a $75 million mobster movie and hopes to persuade Mr. Clinton to play himself in it. The film, to be written and produced by Mr. Russo, is tentatively titled "Godfathers, Popes and Presidents." The film is being financed by none other than our Assyrian businessman Karl Suleman and his Jewish friend Nati Stolier, who first approached Mr. Clinton at the September fundraiser dinner. Karl Suleman is an extremely generous man, to both the Jewish and the Assyrian communities of Australia. In addition to helping fund the Assyrian school of the Church of the East in Sydney, he has already financed the production of many Assyrian singers' recent CDs and donated to various causes in his homeland. This morning (November 26) the Supreme Court was in session and the administrators gave details of disbursement of funds that have been raised. The allegations are serious. If convicted, Mr. and Mrs. Suleman face a $5,000 fine and/or one year in jail for giving investment advice without a license, and a $20,000 fine and/or five years' jail for not registering their investment schemes with ASIC. Karl Suleman in a statement has agreed not to deal with his assets as
prescribed by the court orders restraining him and his wife from operating
the scheme. "Mr Suleman believes he has acted with honesty and integrity
and is confident that the matters raised will be satisfactorily resolved,"
the statement said. "The orders issued by the Supreme Court were
by consent and without admission." "For every $25,000 you invest, we were told we would receive $4,000
a month for three years. I'm waiting for the next payment but I'm down
about $28,000 and there are a lot of people in the same position,"
said one Assyrian investor. One solicitor for a creditor said yesterday
many people had re-mortgaged their properties and sold furniture to invest
money in the Suleman scheme. Some had formed investment clubs. Those who
were Assyrian received as much as 16 per cent on their money, and 10 per
cent if they were not. Zinda Magazine was unable to confirm this information. Last Monday some 1000 people packed the Whitlam Room in the Revesby Workers Club, many of whom loudly applauded Mr. Suleman. Attendees at the creditors meeting were largely from the Assyrian community. Among the committee of inspection candidates were leaders and members from the Assyrian churches and organizations. According to one solicitor, some of the investors were blaming ASIC and the Australian government for stopping Mr Suleman's fund-raising activities. Those investors believed that if they had not intervened, the investment schemes would not be under threat. One investor had asked whether, if the only fault with the scheme was that it was unregistered, why not simply pay any fines owing and continue the scheme. When the floor was opened, Mr Suleman said he was given advice by a former solicitor not to have the investment scheme registered and had acted on that advice. Mr Cussen said as many as 21 were nominated for the committee last Monday, but only seven would be chosen. A report was presented today to the Supreme Court by the administrators. The investments were valued at $130 million and are likely to have a shortfall of more than $60 million, according to their initial report, which the court ordered to be made publicly available. The Supreme Court of NSW also ordered that the case be returned to court on December 10. Zinda Magazine does not have any further information at press time. Karl Suleman has the support of a list of local and national Assyrian-Australian leaders to whom he has been very generous. While Mr. Suleman works out the contractual obligations he and his companies have to his fellow Assyrian investors in Australia and abroad, his record of philanthropy must not be forgotten. While other affluent Assyrians shy away from contributing to Assyrian political and religious objectives, Mr. Suleman has been anxiously supporting Assyrian schools in Australia, North Iraq, charities, churches, and artists. Now that the tables have turned, momentarily we hope, and unless the Assyrian community in Australia is overburdened with irreparable financial damages, it behoove us to organize a concerted lobbying effort behind this munificent Assyrian businessman. |
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ASSYRIAN STUDENT AND YOUTH UNION DECLARATION FROM ARBIL [The following is a declaration by the Assyrian Student and Youth Union in North Iraq in response to the elections which took place in the city of Suleimania. The translation from Arabic was prepared for Zinda Magazine in North Iraq.] November
10 It is obvious for whomever that observed the role that our union "The
Assyrian Student and Youth Union" has played during the last 10
years in the field of students work through its participation with other
allied unions to As the effect of this noticeable and active role our union obtained
the confidence of our Chaldean Assyrian students. This was proven when
they voted to our candidates who won and gained the majority of votes
in the special elections of the last two years. The system of having
special elections (for Assyrian Chaldean students) was itself one of
the It is assumed that with the progress of the experiment of the region
the student media (field) should develop too, especially in practicing
of democracy, but, unfortunately, the current events and practices do
not support this line. There are apparent lawbreaking from managements
of faculties and educational institutions, which took side with the
Kurdistan Student and Youth Union. So, due to what legitimacy a manager
of an administrative unit in Erbil gets right to hold seminars for Assyrian
Chaldean students within the campus of university and ask them to vote
to candidates of the Kurdistan Student and Youth Union connecting that
with the support of KDP to his administrative unit and attack other
sides by accusing them of working only to achieve their individual interests???
And offers them (our students) openly economic temptations, and proceeds
beyond that to claim that KDP has granted "Christians" the
particularity in elections? At another faculty our union, according
to the lawful contexts and from its legal position of the previous elections,
sought and got approval to hold reception/ introducing parties for new
Chaldean Assyrian students of Erbil University, but under the pressure
of the Kurdistan Student and Youth Union upon the dean this approval
was taken from our union and given to those who work with the mentioned
union. In addition to that, our students and candidates experienced
different types of threat, which the space does not As usual and as the result of the stand of our union, the national
identity was ratified at the student conference this year in Sulaimania
by voting the majority of members of all unions of the region who attended
the conference. Unfortunately, the tone of small population ratios started to prevail in many occasions. This is raised by individuals of the government, who have powerful positions. Although our union is a professional one, but we possess a national identity and belong to a nation that has a national and political question and non-respecting our national identity (particularity) due to the plea of ratio is diminution of the national right and democracy, because the known national rights are not measured by ratios, especially in our case as an indigenous people living on its historical land for thousands of years, and so many massacres and grievances that our people experienced were behind diminishing our population size… The claim of democracy is something and its application is something else. What a pity to see, under known circumstances, our experiment faces practices that diminish of democracy, which will have bad outcomes to the region. As the result of what we mentioned, we, unfortunately, announce to our student community the boycott of the Assyrian Student and Youth Union the elections for this year, hopping that our step will promote transparency and democracy in future, because the democracy alone guaranties the rights of minority and is the guarantee for building a developed civil society. Executive
Committee
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ASSYRIAN AID WORKER FREED FROM AFGHANISTAN (ZNDA: Islamabad) Diana Thomas, an Assyrian-Australian, along with 7 other aid workers held by the Taliban for over three months for preaching Christianity were released from captivity in Afghanistan on November 15. The dramatic rescue at the hands of American special forces and anti-Taliban troops was revealed on major news networks around the world. The aid workers said on November 16 that they would like to return one day, and feel no animosity towards their Taliban captors. They were arrested first on August 3, accused of visiting Afghan homes to distribute Christian literature and show CD-ROMS on the life of Jesus. Preaching Christianity is punishable by death according to Taliban courts.
Courtesy of the Associated Press (Nov 13) (ZNDA: Damascus) A Syrian-Belgian-British archaeological mission has unearthed 3,800-year-old Babylonian beer-making instructions on cuneiform tablets at a dig in north-east Syria. According to Abdel-Massih Baghdo, director of the Hassakeh Archaeological Department, 92 tablets were found in the 14th layer of Tel Shagher, a site just north of Hassakeh. He said the tablets showed beer-making methods and tallied quantities of beer produced and distributed in the region. This area was under the control of the Assyrians until the early part of the 7th Century B.C. The Hassakeh region, 650 kilometers northeast of Damascus, these days is known for its wheat production and is home to several Assyrian communities. |
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ARCHBISHOP CLEMIS EUGENE KAPLAN, CLAIMS THAT WE ARE ARABS Recently, we have received and read the letter that was signed by Archbishop Clemis Eugene Kaplan, Archbishop of the Western United States Archdiocese, in which he is claiming that he and his community are Syrian/Arab Orthodox Christians. The letter, which can be viewed at [http://www.bethsuryoyo.com/HallofShame/EKArabized.jpg], was sent to the members of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Southern California as an insert inside the Sabro magazine (Vol. 3, July, August, September 2001, Issue 10), that is produced by Archbishop Kaplan. Archbishop Kaplan was originally born in Northeast Syria, but his family is originally from the city of Azakh/Beth Zabday in Southeast Turkey. The overall purpose of the letter was "Condemning Violence and Terrorism in the United States and Abroad" as Arab Orthodox Christians. We all agree and condemn the horrific act of terror that has struck the United States, in which thousands of innocent lives perished. These evil acts were condemned by all of our people in the United States and abroad. Sermons and prayers were conducted in our various churches for the people who lost their lives in these terrorist attacks. But the issue at hand is that, why is Archbishop Kaplan speaking on behalf of our people as "Arab Orthodox Christians"? Ironically, after the September 11th tragedy, even native Arab Moslems are attempting to not identify themselves as Arabs. This is in order to not trigger a retaliatory attack against themselves by some fanatics. We need to ask ourselves, how wise was the statement of the Arab Archbishop to label our church as Syrian-Arabs, when we are not Arabs? It is mind boggling to comprehend the logic behind his statement. Such a statement is endangering the lives of the members of the Syriac Orthodox Church in the US. There are at least two incidents of error in identity, where fanatics had retaliated against innocent victims, one of which was the murder of a Sikh person in Arizona and another was the murder of a Christian Copt in Los Angeles. How would this Archbishop feel if a member of the Syriac Orthodox Church was targeted and murdered by a fanatic thinking that he is retaliating against Syrian Arabs basing his action on the words of the Archbishop himself? Could Archbishop Kaplan imagine what could happen to him if he places a large neon sign at his place of residence in California saying "A Syrian-Arab Lives Here"? Many Armenians come from the same region in the Middle East, why did the Armenian Orthodox not sign that statement claiming themselves and church followers as Arabs? Why were they excluded, after all, we, as Syriac Orthodox, share the same Orthodox faith and doctrine with the Armenian Orthodox? What is Arabian in the Syriac Orthodox Church? Our language is Syriac; it is the language spoken by Jesus Christ, and completely different from Arabic, unless, of course, the Archbishop believes that Jesus Christ spoke Arabic? When the Kurds and Ottoman-Turks in Ottoman Turkey massacred our people in 1915, we were not being massacred for an Arab ethnicity that we do not possess. Over a year ago, the Church's Holy Synods had issued a decree by which changing the name of the Church in the United States and Canada from Syrian Orthodox Church to Syriac Orthodox Church, in order not to confuse our people with those carrying the Syrian Arab citizenship. So far it seems that this Archbishop Kaplan has not accepted the name change and the order of the Holy Synod. The title that he is using on the Western Archdiocese headquarters in Burbank, California, is still Syrian. The magazine Sabro, produced by Archbishop Kaplan, is also using the name Syrian to refer to our people. In addition to all of this, we notice that in this letter signed by the Archbishop, he is using the title "Archbishop of the Syrian Orthodox Church, Western USA" for himself. Archbishop Kaplan's support for Arabism had reached its utmost peak when he supported and blessed the works of Fr. Dr. George Esa Al-Banna, who is under the Archbishop's jurisdiction and heads the Parrish of Oregon. Fr. Al-Banna, who is originally from Iraq, had written a book in Arabic discussing his pride of, as he called it, "The Arabic Blood Flows Through my Veins". Almost a year ago, the Archbishop refused the publishing of the Boy Scouts' newsletter because it contained a quote by the previous Patriarch, Mor Ignatius Yacoub III, in which he was talking about the history of the Syriac Church and its people. In the quote by Mor Ignatius Yacoub III, which can be viewed at [http://www.bethsuryoyo.com/HallofShame/EugeneKaplan/MorYacoubIIIStatement.jpg], he mentioned that our Suryoyo people are of Assyrian and Aramean descent. Obviously, the statement by Mor Ignatius Yacoub III contained neither "Syrian" nor "Arab" in reference to our people, and thus Archbishop Kaplan automatically rejected that and ordered the non-publishing of the Boy Scouts' newsletter. This appalling act was met with a great deal of discontent by many people in the community, one of whom was a leader of the Boy Scouts who was handling the newsletter. He automatically handed in his resignation from the Boy Scouts after this incident. The resignation was immediately accepted by the Archbishop who was extremely pleased that now he has been able to silence the voices of those who are non-Arabs and non-Syrians inside the Church. His rejection of the former Patriarch's quote implies that he believes the former Patriarch, Mor Ignatius Yacoub III, was wrong and that we are neither Assyrian nor Aramean, but rather Arabs. Recently, when Archbishop Kaplan was approached by the members of his Church complaining about his latest statements of claiming us as Arabs, he did not admit that it was a mistake, despite that many of the priests that fall under his jurisdiction have claimed it as an undesirable mistake. The Archbishop, instead, tried to find different excuses for his statement. His latest excuse was, "We have an agreement with those two Churches, the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church and the Coptic Orthodox Church, and we must sign their declarations." According to the Archbishop's excuse, if tomorrow either one of the two Churches claims its followers as Nazis, then he must also claim our Church and People as Nazis!! Does his excuse indicate that he does not have a say in anything and our Church will follow whatever the two above-mentioned Churches say? What a ludicrous excuse! Many questions come to mind when reading the claims of Archbishop Kaplan and knowing his past actions. Who is the Archbishop trying to please? Is he getting paid for making these statements by some foreign government? What does the Holy Synod think of his actions? Are they supporting his statements? Does he think that his statements were wise? Do we want to have a leader in our Church such as this Archbishop, who would make statements such as these on behalf of our People, Church and Community? Are we, as followers of the Syriac Orthodox Church, going to accept an Arab as a leader of our Church? Does this Archbishop believe that he and his community share the same Arab roots as that of the terrorist Bin Laden? It is apparent from his recent signing of this letter and the past actions of the Archbishop that he would like to refer to himself and our people as Syrian-Arab. What he wishes to call himself is his own personal business and none of us can force him to change that, but he does not have the right to change our people's identity and ethnic origin and labeling us as Arabs, an ethnicity that we do not belong to, nor have we ever considered ourselves to be. For these many shameful acts committed by this Archbishop Clemis Eugene Kaplan in the name of our people, we are pleased to award him as the first member of our website's Hall of Shame section. Anyone wishing to add his/her comments about this subject could do so by submitting them to us at bethsuryoyo@aol.com (emails sent to the website will be published as a commentary on this subject). The name of this Archbishop will remain in the Hall of Shame section until he rectifies his deed by: Recanting his statement in which he is claiming that he and his community are Syrian Arabs, by writing a letter apologizing for his comments and stating, "We, the followers of the Syriac Orthodox Church, are not Arabs". Then sending it to the other two Bishops that cosigned the letter with him and to every member of our community, as well as publicizing it in Sabro Magazine. Beth
Suryoyo Assyrian [Zinda Magazine urges its readers to stand up and criticize such cowardly pro-Arabization acts and statements from the Assyrian bishops of either eastern or western Assyrian churches. The Syriac Orthodox Church has been the cornerstone of Assyrian nationalism and its members have fought gallantly to survive the countless attacks of the Islamic regimes throughout its glorious history in the Middle East. Its members helped establish the first Assyrian Federation in 1933 and the first Assyrian political group in 1957. While some church leaders are helping the process of Turkification and/or Arabization of our unique form of Christianity and culture, as a united people, Assyrians of every Christian denomination must resist and denounce all efforts toward the falsification of our national identity. Zinda Magazine salutes the staff of Bethsuryoyo.com].
REV. JOHN BOOKO'S NEW BOOK NOW AVAILABLE "The Assyrian Revelation" Rev. Booko's book can be ordered from: Rev.
John Booko
GORGIAS PRESS OFFERS RARE ASSYRIAN BOOKS I am pleased to announce the Grand Opening of Gorgias Press and the launch of the Gorgias Reprint Series, containing many rare books reprinted with new specially designed covers. As part of our Grand Openning celebration, we are offering 20% discount in addition to our already low prices, available until December 31, 2001. You can access our online catalog at www.gorgiaspress.com. The following books can be ordered now:
J. Hamlyn Hill, The Earliest Life of Christ: The Diatessaron of Tatian (2001, based on the 1910 2nd abridged edition). Joseph Knanishu, About Persia and Its People (2001, based on the 1899 edition). Robert Curzon, Ancient Monasteries of the East, Or The Monasteries of the Levant (2001, based on the 1849 edition). William Wright, A Short History of Syriac Literature (2001, based on the 1894 edition). Frits Holm, My Nestorian Adventure in China, A Popular Account of the Holm-Nestorian Expedition to Sian-Fu and Its Results (2001, based on the 1924 edition). Austen Henry Layard, Nineveh and Its Remains: an account of a visit to the Chaldean Christians of Kurdistan, and the Yezidis, or devil-worshipers; and an inquiry into the manners and arts of the ancient Assyrians, Vol. 1 (2001, based on the 1850 5th edition). Austen Henry Layard, Nineveh and Its Remains, Vol. 2 (2001, based on the 1850 5th edition). Margaret Gibson, How the Codex Was Found, A Narrative of Two Visits to Sinai From Mrs. Lewis's Journals 1892-1893 (2001, based on the 1893 edition). Richard Davey, The Sultan and His Subjects (2001, based on the 1907 edition). Adrian Fortescue, Eastern Churches Trilogy: The Orthodox Eastern Church (2001, based on the 1929 edition). Adrian Fortescue, Eastern Churches Trilogy: The Lesser Eastern Churches (2001, based on the 1913 edition). Adrian Fortescue, Eastern Churches Trilogy: The Uniate Eastern Churches: the Byzantine Rite in Italy, Sicily, Syria and Egypt (2001, based on the 1923 edition). A. V. Williams Jackson, From Constantinople to the Home of Omar Khayyam: Travels in Transcaucasia and Northern Persia for Historic and Literary Research (2001, based on the 1911 edition). Demetra Vaka, The Unveiled Ladies of Stamboul (2001, based on the 1923 edition). Oswald H. Parry, Six Months in a Syrian Monastery: Being the Record of a Visit to the Head Quarters of the Syrian Church in Mesopotamia with Some Account of the Yazidis or Devil Worshipers of Mosul and El Jilwah, Their Sacred Book (2001, based on the 1895 edition). B. T. A. Evetts, The Churches and Monasteries of Egypt and Some Neighbouring Countries, Attribted to Abû Sâlih the Armenian (2001, based on the 1895 edition). James Murdock, The New Testament, Or the Book of the Holy Gospel of Our Lord and Our God Jesus the Messiah, A Literal Translation from the Syriac Peshita Version (2001, based on the 1851 edition). Gertrude Lowthian Bell, Amurath to Amurath: A Five Month Journey Along the Banks of the Euphrates (2001, based on the 1924 second edition). Anthony Vallavanthara, India in 1500 AD: The Narratives of Joseph the Indian (2001, First US edition) You can order these books at www.gorgiaspress.com. In addition to reprinting rare books, Gorgias Press publishes new titles in traditional book and eBook formats in a variety of genre: literature, academic texts and monographs, nonfiction, and literary fiction. For our upcoming new titles, please refer to our website. Gorgias Publishing Services uses the latest in publishing technology, and makes books and eBooks available at affordable prices. We guarantee that our titles remain in-print. Our wide network of book distributors (book stores and Internet stores) worldwide puts our publications within the reach of every reader worldwide. If you are interested in publishing with Gorgias Press, we would like to hear from you. You can submit book proposals by email at submissions@gorgiaspress.com. We look forward to hearing from you. Christine
I. Kiraz
AUA-AUSTRALIA GALA DINNER The Assyrian Universal Alliance Australia Chapter is holding its annual Gala VIP dinner, details of which are set out hereunder: Date: Saturday 1st December 2001 Guests of honour this year will include His Grace Mar Meelis Zaia - Bishop of the Assyrian Church of the East, Senator John Nimrod - the Secretary General of the Assyrian Universal Alliance from USA, Mr Youra Tarverdi , Member of the executive board of the AUA, and Mr. Michail Sado a prominent guests from Russia. At this function we will acknowledge and honour a number of Assyrians for their dedication and significant contribution towards the Assyrian community and welfare in Australia. Upon completion of the formal part of the function, the famous Assyrian singer Charles Tooma with his band will provide entertainment for the rest of the night. Guest Singer will be George Homeh. This function is always well represented by different sectors of the Assyrian community in Australia. Amongst attendees, there will be representatives from various Assyrian organisations, churches, academic group and media. For reservation please call David David on 0416 202 089 or Hermiz Shahen on 0407 235 349. Hermiz
Shahen
NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY IN SAN JOSE Assyrian American Association of San Jose proudly presents Monday, December 31, 2001 Tickets can be purchased at AAA of San Jose starting November 24, 2001:
** Please note that there will be a special priority purchase for AAA of San Jose on Saturday, November 24, 2001 from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. Ticket Price: *** Please inquire about the special Marriott Hotel's room rate and our Baby-sitting services Assyrian
American Association of San Jose |
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THE FAILED CONSPIRACY OF TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 11 New year's day ceased to be an international day as not all humanity mark the day but September 11 has really become a world event because all humanity is talking about it. On that day at work we received a personal phone call informing us that the twin towers of New York were hit by two planes. The news were relayed to our professional hotmail bulletin board as well as the news came live on the Assyrian forum. Worldwide, people contacted each other to talk about the tragic news. Other kind of people relayed the news with excitation as they felt being triumphed with such evil happenings. Innocent people on the doomed planes sent 'I love you' messages to the loved ones when knew that it was the last goodbye. A few others on each hijacked plane must have shouted 'God is Great' the instance of the plane penetrated the tower's window. God is Great is a good slogan and catchphrase to hijack the name of God for barbaric purposes that have been used for the last 1422 years or so. The following Sunday, the Church sermon was somber and dedicated to the tragic events in America and the practice of backward and spent belief and above all the assault on civilized humanity. Every Christian publication I have received since Tuesday September 11, its editorial column shunned those with tainted image of humanity and shared the grief of those affected in the tragedy. From my personal point of view what has happened in America was unsurprising as I fairly knew that things were going wrong with the west due to dithering internal and external (national and international) policies pursued for the last 30 years or so. The march of evil to Tuesday September 11 was gradual but determined and sustained and I knew the west will pay for it dearly. The Islamist march began in 1973 after the October Arab-Israeli Yoma D Ghofrana war. The roots of this march go back to the Islamic Arab defeat in 1967 war with Israel and the eclipse of President Nasser of Egypt as the masterstroke of Arab nationalism from Morocco to the Persian Gulf. The failure of the Arab revolutionary regimes who came to power in the 1950s and 1960s to turn the nomadic, primitive and tribal societies into socialistic egalitarianism modeled in the style of the socialist block of eastern Europe coupled with the demise of that fake might and even surrender to the advance of the Israeli Defense Forces in 1967 Six Day War led to a new phase in the Arab Islamic stands. After Nasser's death, dwarf revolutionaries of Baghdad, Syria, Libya and Southern Yemen lacked Nasser's charisma and his international extrovertism. Here the remnant residues of Nasser's tidal waves just managed treading water at home due to their confined and narrow sectarian or tribal tendencies of the regimes they established which failed them to make an impact beyond their national borders. The regimes' failure in adopting sound social, economic and political programmes coupled with military and moral capitulation, these defeated revolutionary regimes pioneered a new tactic and that is the use of Oil and its prices as 'weapon in the battle' against Israel and its sponsors. After the 1973 Arab-Israeli war the oil prices rocketed and the beneficiaries were not Arab revolutionaries who used the slogan but the Bedouin rulers of the Arabian desert like Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates to name but a few of the leading Arab-cum-Islam oil cartel. The political vacuum has then to be filled but not by Arab revolutionaries but by Islamists or political Islam. The Islamic march started in Egypt with the appeasement of Sadat, Nasser's successor, in order obliterate any traces left from Nasser's era ;the Iranian revolution hijacked by Muslim radicals imposed Islamization and aided the escalation of the civil war in Lebanon and the kidnapping-hostage taking crisis; the rise of the of oil wealth of the Arab and Gulf states like the Saudis and United Arab emirates. These developments combined together were used by Muslims worldwide to start imposing Islamization in their own countries and also exporting Islam by using the massive oil revenue to build Mosques, Islamic centres and Islamic missionary programmes in the west. All these met without opposition from the secular west. This coupled with another important catalyst of massive Muslim migration to the west in the past 30 years. The Arab oil revenues were used to Islamize Sudan, Pakistan ,Afghanistan and more recently northern Nigeria. With the exception of Syria almost the whole Middle East turned Islamic. I have been living in the west since early 1978, when the west was still scented Christian to a degree that was still acceptable by the secular western society. Things started to change when the west gradually moved to adopt more secular and multiculturalistic society. Most of times at the expense of their own western culture in order to appease the immigrants-here the Muslims as they are the most bellicose immigrants. The Muslims in the west, well funded, and now educated in the west started massive missionary campaigns in many forms and sometimes to the degree of defiance to their western hosts. Mosques, centres, schools, publications, organisatons etc were established and access to western media to propagate their causes and concerns was unopposed. Before September 11 I had posted a letter to a Christian organisation cautioning about the unhindered activities of the Islamists in the west. The letter arrived just before the Islamists crashed their hijacked planes in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. What a timing! Tuesday September 11, was a conspiracy that failed. The plotters envisaged a D-day of action and chain of events that would tether the west and pave the way in the long run of Islamic takeover. Tuesday September 11, was a conspiracy that failed. To me it was unsurprising and to me it was necessary. The west is lucky that it has happened now. Had the Islamists waited for a further 5-10 years from now until they triggered their actions, the west would have suffered much greatly and possibly with irreversible damage. The ball now is in the west's court as it has to undo what it has done in the past 30 years of unyielding erratic politics and strategy. More importantly the west must find its lost identity and that is by going back to its genuine Christian roots. For the Middle East and the entire land from Morocco to the Persian Gulf and even beyond, dysfunction and comatose will remain and the current nations will sink further unless and until a new thinking emerges to replace the obscurantist culture and that is by going back to the cultures and civilizations of the pre Arab-Islamic conquests of the Middle East where all the peoples of the land share the governing and the governed status. Dr.
George Habash |
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Assyrian
Nation Network Merry
Christmas from Waw Allap |
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YOUNATAN
AFARIN Almost a year ago the Assyrian Charity & Educational Community (ACEC) in Sydney Australia organised a special program to honour and thank Mr. Younatan Afarin for fifty years of dedication to Assyrian communities both in Iran and Australia. The special event took place during November 2000 in the presence of many distinguished guests and more than 200 people. The speakers were from all the Assyrian organisations that Mr. Afarin has been involved with in the past. Mr. Younatan Afarin was born on 24th August 1931 in Kermanshah Iran. He completed his high school education in Kermanshah, and then in 1948 he joined the workforce in Abadan Refinery of National Iranian Oil Company.
In 1956 he married Alice and they have two sons, Dr James (currently resides in USA) and Raymond (resides in Sydney/Australia) and one daughter, Monika (resides in Sydney/Australia) and five grandchildren. In 1963 he was awarded a scholarship to go to Netherlands and study in "Instrumentation and Process Control' field. In 1964 he was graduated successfully in the said field, and resumed his duties in Abadan Oil Refinery as a "Process Control Adviser'' for the whole Refinery. He was always after greater challenges and wanted to take on extra responsibilities. Therefore, in 1968 when he was offered to take responsibility as head of Engineering Department at the Abadan Petrochemical complex, which was under construction, he accepted the new job. In this position he proved to be capable of taking higher managerial responsibilities, therefore within six years time he was promoted to Production Manager, as a Deputy General Manager and by 1974 was assigned as the General Manager of the "Abadan Petrochemical Complex". Not long after, in 1978 he was promoted to Deputy Managing Director of the whole "Abadan Petrochemical Company" and moved to Teheran Head Office. Later he took the position of the Managing Director of the said company but in 1980 was early retired. From early age he started working for Assyrian community, at night dreaming of what he can do for the community and during the day trying to bring these dreams to reality. In 1950, while he was still at university he took his first challenge by organising a New Year party for Assyrians in Abadan. Being a proactive member of the community who was always willing to take on extra responsibility, people were able to put their trust in him knowing he would do the best for the community. He was involved in purchase and building a community hall and a school (Shoushan) in 1952 - 1955. Due to this he was elected as president of School/Parents committee, head of the entertainment group, director of committee, director of church committee and for four years as president of the Assyrian Charity & Educational Community of Abadan and Khoramshaher. From 1968 - 1973 he was a member of the Assyrian Universal Alliance attending many conferences. Since his migration from Iran to Australia in 1980 he worked as a Petroleum
Engineer in NSW Energy Department for ten years till 1991. While trying
to adjust his personal life in Australia he never stopped from his voluntary
work, he took a great part in establishing the Assyrian Charity &
Educational Community. In 1983 Mr. Afarin with other prominent members
wrote the first ACEC's constitution. Since 1985 he was working closely with other Assyrian organisation to bring unity amongst the communities and he took a great part in establishing the Assyrian Australian National Federation (AANF) in Sydney in 1992. He was elected twice as a vice president and from 1998-2000 was the president of the AANF. He was always aware of Assyrians needs and was ready to help. Mr. Afarin with a team of volunteers organised a sub-committee (The Immigration & Refugee Sub Committee) under (AANF) in Sydney. This was set up to oversee the needs of the new immigrants, helping them with their paperwork for immigration. From 1996 - 1997 he was involved in the committee to establish the Assyrian School in Sydney-Australia (which opens in 2002). Mr. Afarin was also aware of the different needs of both the young and old citizens of the community, by setting up a Seniors Group for the elderly, and encouraging young people to be involved in the community through soccer, scouting and many other activities. With over 50 years of dedicated service he surely came across many obstacles, but with his true love for Assyrians he never stopped from contributing to build a better community. Even today after deciding to retire, members of the community look up to him and respect his judgments, seeking to use his wide knowledge of Assyrians affairs. We thank Mr. Younatan Afarin for his great contribution above and beyond the call. Assyrian
Charity & Educational Community |
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(732-720 B.C.) Israel is conquered by the Assyrians in two waves. In the first, the entire Galilee and the large valleys are captured by Tiglath-Pileser III. Shalmeneser V and Sargon II occupy Samaria in the second wave. Sargon II divides this region into two Assyrian provinces of Megiddo in the north and Samaria (Assyrian Samrina) in the south and appoints Assyrian governors to both provinces. Archeology of the Land of the Bible, Vol II, Stern (A.D. 1904) German historian, Eduard Meyer, in his Egyptian Chronology, calculates the "oldest date in world history" as July 19, 4241 B.C. The mathematicians later explained that the accuracy of this date was of doubtful value. The Secrets of the Hittites, Ceram |
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November 28, 1845 Sir Henry Layard, the British archeologist, makes his first discovery in Nineveh on a very rainy day. His workers under the direction of his Assyrian assistant, Hormozd Rassam, discover several Assyrian tablets. This discovery prompted Layard to continue his excavation which finally led to the discovery of Sargon II and Ashurbanipal's Library in Nineveh. |
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 Month of November |
ASSYRIAN HERITAGE MONTH Sponsored by the Mid-Western Region of the Assyrian American National Federation ”Assyrian Heritage Exhibition”
coordinated by Assyrian Students Open to Public During November
Opening Ceremony
For More Information visit: www.AANF.org |
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 Sunday December 2 |
AMERICAN ANTHROPOLIGICAL ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING Daniel Wolk, Univeristy of Chicago For more info re AAA Meeting in Washington visit: http://www.aaanet.org/mtgs/mtgs.htm |
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Thursday December 6 |
BRITISH MUSEUM LECTURE SERIES "Medicine vs. Magic in Babylonia" Contact: Joan Porter MacIver, c/o British Academy
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Tuesday December 18 |
IVORIES OF THE ASSYRIAN KINGS FROM PALACE AT NIMRUD A Public Lecture presented by Georgina Herrmann
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 Tuesday December 25 |
CHRISTMAS PARTY Sponsored by the Assyrian Aid Society of San Diego,
California |
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Monday December 31 |
NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY Sponsored by the Assyrian American Association of San
Diego, California |
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Monday |
NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY Assyrian American Association of San Jose proudly presents
The Marriott Hotel Tickets can be purchased at AAA of San Jose starting
November 24, 2001: There will be a special priority purchase for AAA of San Jose on Saturday, November 24, 2001 from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. Ticket Price: Please inquire about the special Marriott Hotel's room rate and our Baby-sitting services |
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Through March 17, 2002 |
AGATHA CHRISTI & THE ORIENT Revealing Agatha Christie the archaeologist and how her discoveries in the Near East influenced her detective writing. The hitherto unknown interests and talents of the great crime writer are told through archaeological finds from the sites on which she worked with her husband Max Mallowan at Ur, Nineveh and Nimrud. Important objects from these sites in the Museum's collections are combined with archives, photographs, and films made by Agatha Christie herself. Personal memorabilia and souvenirs of travel in a more leisurely age are only some of the exhibits which range from first editions of those novels inspired by her other life to a sleeping compartment from the Orient Express, from a lethal 1930s hypodermic syringe to a priceless first millennium ivory of a man being mauled to death Admissions £7, Concessions £3.50 West Wing Exhibition Gallery Room 28 |
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July 1-4, 2002 |
48TH RENCONTRE ASSYRIOLOGIQUE INTERNATIONALE http://www.let.leidenuniv.nl/rencontre/ "Ethnicity in Ancient Mesopotamia" Registration Form: http://www.let.leidenuniv.nl/rencontre/mailform.html
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Zindamagazine would like to thank: Samuel A. Babisha Nassir Bet Shamso Dr. Racho Donef Jan Picton |
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Zinda Magazine™ Copyright © Zinda Inc., 2001 - All Rights Reserved - http://www.zindamagazine.com
ANCIENT
BEER PRIMER UNEARTHED IN HASSAKEH, SYRIA
In
1955 he graduated as a Chemical Petroleum Engineer from the Abadan Institute
of Technology (AIT). At the same time he worked in different capacities
in the Abadan Oil Refinery.
