Zinda 18 August 2005

A Brief Survey on the New Beth Nahreen Magazine (1947)

Aprim Shapera
United Kingdom

Introductory Notes

Nearly a decade ago, while I was searching for rare books, documents and occasional references on Assyrians in the British Museum & Library (in the Last couple of year sthe British Library separated from the British Museum and located in a new building) – most of which unknown to the new generation and inaccessible to many of us, I found a few references of interest. Among them was a single copy of the New Beth – Nahreen Bi – Monthly magazine issue no. VIII, March – April 1947.

The magazine’s contents are very impressive. As usual, I rushed taking notes, scribbling comments and copying the most interesting pages, expecting these to be supportive for my future writings. A few years later, I recognized that there were some additional pages that needed to be copied form the magazine. I went to the new building of the British Library looking for the same magazine. Unfortunately, my attempt was without success because that unique single copy has disappeared from the British Library’s shelves. Recently, I tried once more through the Internet and the answer I received was “Unfortunately we do not hold this title in our stock. Our apologies”.

I tried to figure out the reasons behind this disappearance, but I could not reach any conclusion apart from the following:

1- This A5 copy magazine could be rolled up by a “very interested gentleman” in Assyrianism, put in his pocket and stolen it from the British Library.. Personally, I witnessed similar behavior when I saw some interesting books on Assyrian modern history. Some of the important pages and unique pictures were torn up and taken form the book. Missing books and documents was a major problem facing the British Library in the old building. This “civilized” behavior is reminds me of similar behavior happened at the Public Library of Ealing Borough in London. At the insistent demand of few Assyrian intellectuals, the Library purchased several interesting and valuable books on Assyrians. However, it was only a matter of time before all of these books were missing from the shelves. The same happened at The Assyrian Cultural Centre in Ealing. Many of its books, which were donated by Assyrians to its library, where stolen and offered for sale at the Second Hand Bookshops across from the British Museum.

2- In 1995 when I checked out the magazine, the lending card revealed that since 1947, the date of publication, not a single person had borrowed it, suggesting a low level of interest by users of the British Library. This could have led to the British Library a policy whereby low-use materials are deleted from its holdings.

Whatever scenario one chooses, this is the cultural aspect of our national tragedy. However, the pages in my hand are still enough to provide a glimpse into the magazine and some of its interesting articles.

Hints on The Magazine

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The Assyrian New Beth – Nahreen Association published the magazine in English in 1947. Mr. Samuel J. Shamsey was President and Ms. Rose S.J. Shamsey Managing Director. The Associate Editors were Noorei Koorie, Emanuel Perch, Esehack Darakjy, Simon M. Karkenny, Hanna Salman (Beirut) and Mrs. Babagian (nee) Sadie Chavoor. It is remarkable that all these individuals are adherents of the Syriac Orthodox Church and none appears to be from the Nestorian or Chaldean Churches.

Publication and General Business Office was located at:
455 Cedar Lane, Teaneck, N.J – Treneck 6 – 1292.

The price of the magazine was 50c per copy. Yearly subscription was $.2.00 yearly and US, $ 3.00 outside USA.

The front page of the magazine featured a photo of Professor Naum Palack (Faik) [1869 – 1930], while the back cover offered the following comment from its editor:

From 1913 to 1930 the Beth – Nahreeen was published in the mother language, monthly under its immortal editor professor Naum Palack (Faik). The New Beth – Nahreen came under the present management in 1938, which was published monthly up to 1940 and bi-monthly since then necessitated by war conditions. Other attempts at publication were made prior to 1938 but of shorter durations. The name Beth – Nahreen refers to our ancestral home between the two famous rivers: Euphrates and Tigris, and as such it suggests a great historical and spiritual significance to us – the home where Queen Shamiramis ruled and where the palace of Sennacherib was built, known as the royal palace of Kuyunji which was nearly five times as large as Buckingham palace (London - England).

It is worth mentioning that Kuyunjik is not an ancient name. It is a Turkish word, which means pastureland. The site of the ancient Nineveh remained as a green and grassy land, which was used by the locals to graze their sheep. Arabs and Muslims never inhabited this site and certainly not the place of palace location because they believed that Nineveh monuments belonged to Nimrod, the Gigantic Satan. On the contrary, when Henry Layard employed Assyrians from Hakkari and Nineveh plain villages in his excavations, they rushed to work with him in enthusiasm because they believed that these monuments were their ancestors.

Magazine’s Contents

From the scrambled copies of some pages available in my hand, I can quote the following titles:

PETITION IN BEHALF OF IRAN ASSYRIANS:

This article is a petition submitted by Mar Shimon, the Patriarch of the East to the United Nation on the Assyrian massacre in Azerbaijan and Ridhaiyah (Ormi) in the year 1947. This massacre was committed by the Iranian government, and it took place following the collapsed of the Kurdish Mahabad Republic. The article is a documentarily petition, including the chronicle of no less than 11 massacres occurring in the period 1914 - 1947.

CHALDEAN COMMUNITIES IN KURDISTAN:

This article first appeared in the Royal Central Asian Journal of Jan. 1947, Vol. 34, Part 1, written by A.H. Gransden and reissued in the Magazine. It is a standard informative subject on Chaldean. In which it is stated that:

“They made their names as astronomers. But … when speaking of Chaldeans today, they should on no account be confused with the Chaldeans of ancient time, since the Chaldean Uniate Church – that is to say, a church acknowledging the sovereignty of the Pope, whilst at the same time adhering to its own retreats and pointing its own hierarchy… The Chaldean Uniate Church is a comparatively modern offshoot of the great Nestorian Church”… “With the advance of the Dominican Fathers to Mosul (circa 1700), the church of Plains became subservient to Rome, by whom it was known as the Chaldean Uniate Church. In 1845 the Chaldeans became segregated from the Nestorians in a separate millet and were recognized as such by the Ottoman Government”

In his conclusion the writer offers a very surprising figure on Chaldean population saying that “The only available figures for the number of Chaldean communicants are those of the Vatican for 1932, but considerable changes have been taken place since then, and the following are based purely on estimation”.

Approximate figures for:

Iraq	83,000
Mosul Liwa	50,000
Baghdad	15,000
Basra	10,000
Kirkuk	8,000
Turkey	8,000
Mardin Wilayat	7,000
Diarbekr and elsewhere	1,000
Iran	4,000
	95,000

A Rejoinder

This is an article written by Dr. David B. Perley criticizing the above article and declaring emphatically:

“The Chaldeans are of the same family of Assyrians …. Since 1681, however, the Latin fathers have succeeded in imposing the faith of Rome upon one section of the Assyrians or Chaldeans calling them “the Chaldean Uniate Church. Mar Emanuel is the fictitious head of that Church as the Patriarch of Babylon with no real jurisdiction. To this day, he remains merely a Papal Delegate. We would admire him much were he to alienate all foreign influence and become a true Chaldean, regardless of his free faith…. Let the Assyrians and Chaldeans believe according to the dictates of their conscience, but let them be Assyrians and Chaldeans. Let them eliminate alien influences from their midst. How would the Assyrians resent the accusation of the British Foreign Office in World War I that Mar Emanuel was an “unprincipled man” were Mar Emanuel a real genuine Chaldean and not the Vatican’s nominee”.

The Militant Language of a Militant Religion

This is a commentary on George Lamsa’s book “New Testament Origin” published by Aiff-Davis Publishing Co., New Your & Chicago in 1947”. The author of the remarks, anonymous according to my notes, initiated his remarks by saying:

“It has been the ambition of George M. Lamsa for years to write an essay on the origin of the New Testament showing that Christianity is an Eastern religion and Aramaic the only key to the Gospel, not a word of which was originally written in Greek…. This work is the culmination of his long cherished ambition. Mr. Lamsa may be linked to a man who has gone through a woodland with an axe on his shoulder, and feel the trees; and as his axe has gone to the very root of the trees, they can never be replanted. The Western scholars in general and the Greek in particular (who have been the bitterest foe of the Assyrian Churches), have now an opportunity to refute his allegations, if they can…. The New Testament was originally written in Aramaic and carefully handed down from Apostolic times: that Christianity was an Eastern religion and the Christian Gospel was therefore written for the native people every part of which is according to the course of Semitic thought and of Aramaic speech. The Greek did not become the vernacular until after Constantine when the Assyrian text, the venerable Peshitta, was already enjoying its golden age……. The Greek versions were translations from the original Aramaic as evidenced by Aramaic style, idioms, metaphors, and Oriental mannerisms of speech, and as such, no one can depend upon them without incurring the risk of falling into errors and distortions; that the first important Greek version was introduced by Erasmus in 1516, who knew no Aramaic and had to rely upon Greek manuscripts, for when the Gospel was translated from the original Aramaic into Greek, the Aramaic originals in Greece were discarded and, quite logically and conveniently, lost, in the course of time… and that by reason of all this, the Easterners alone are qualified to interpret their Sacred Literature, its origin, and its meanings…. Why should the Christian Gospel be written in an alien tongue, the author justly asks, which the native people could neither speak nor read?... In his exploration of the beginnings of Christianity, the author repeatedly emphasizes the Eastern origin of Christianity; its first acceptance by the Assyrians and by the peoples of Palestine, Syria and Galilee; and its subsequent spread into Europe via Greece and Rome in the eight and tenth century by imperial edicts – such as those of Charlemagne in the West and those of Constantine in the East. The British and other European people received the Scriptures about 1700 years after Christians of the East had theirs – King James Version was made only 335 year ago. And in the case the Greeks and the Romans, they were known as barbarians up to the time of their forced conversion, and even after then, the muniments of their paganism persisted, as they do to this very moment, in the form of devotional respect of Goddess Diana… Christianity was alien to the thoughts and institutions of both (who were strong adherents of pagan religion). Thus, it was that both the Greeks and the Romans persecuted, tortured, and murdered the followers of Christ, chiefly the Assyrians for nearly four centuries.

What shall we say about the author (George Lamsa), this “Assyrian of Hills” with a heart and mind so calm, so steadfast, so serene? Only this: By the sheer force of his native endowment and erudition, he has come to be the symbol of Assyria’s dramatic struggle for free existence – the most noiseless but brilliant weapon for the Assyrian people’s indomitable national consciousness. He has revealed in this Origin, and very ably, the soul of the two factors that inspire that consciousness: Language and Religion. A third factor is their erstwhile political independence, which lasted many centuries. They are the factors that militate against their Desperation.

Mighty prophet. Lamsa! You have won our devotion, ourlove, our respect. We bend our knees before the majesty of your scholarly virtue, piety, learning! You have immortalized yourself … you have brought imperishable glory and fame upon your race … No Assyrian man, woman, and child’ no, not one, will miss possessing, reading and re-reading your latest work; New Testament Origin!

Reflections on Church Unity

This is the most exciting article in the Magazine; as such, I am obliged to quote whole contents of the available pages:

(Editor’s Note: The following article contains some moving reflections on our editorial of last issue, contributed by a reader interested in Church and National Unity. We urge our readers to express their views on this burning problem)

In the last issue of the New Beth Nahreen, labeled the “India Issue,” I read the editorial entitled “The Church and National Unity” and was very favorably impressed by the wholesome thoughts and ideas it contained. The realization that there are fearless men among us who dare to place such constructive thoughts in writing, knowing that in doing so they will solicit the displeasure and criticism of many so-called leaders of the Nation, and particularly some religious leaders, who have lead the Assyrians for centuries as if they were a flock of sheep being led to be sheared, is indeed encouraging. It evinces positive proof that the Assyrians of the modern age refuse to be led blindly without rhyme or reason. It indicates conclusively that they have minds of their own, do reason, and must be told where they are being led, and why, before they will follow. I hope that more articles from intellectual and thinking laymen on the wholesome subject of Church and National Unity will appear in the columns of the New Beth Nahreen, giving inspiration and food for thought to others.

While Church and National unity may be commented upon in one and the same article, nevertheless, the subject is so broad and so far-reaching that it would seem advisable to treat them one at a time. I therefore, dwell primarily upon Church unity- that is to say, the unity of the two Sister Assyrian Churches – the Jacobite Church (a misnomer for the Western Church), and the Church of the East and of the Assyrians (sometimes erroneously called the Nestorian Church). At one time these two Churches were one and inseparable, and there is no logical reason why they should not be re-united. What is the difference between the two denominations? They both believe in the same Father, the same Son, and the same Holy Comforter. As to the form of worship, they both use the Aramaic. It is true that there are some minor differences in dogma, but at most, they are trivial. There is nor difference in the fundamental faith of the two denominations.

The high-ranking Church leaders, such as the Patriarchs of the two Churches, have the power and the right to vary custom, practices, and authorize changes in the ritual of the Churches; they have exercised such prerogative time and again. For instance, in recent years, certain parts of the rituals of these Churches have been revised; certain deletions of omissions from the ritualistic order of worship have been authorized. The custom of observance of Lent has been broadened; and yet the long awaited official word from the Patriarchs to their subordinates, and to their parishioners, declaring the two Churches, for all practical purposes. To be one and the same, has not yet come forth.

I do not believe the Potentates of two Churches feel the lines of demarcation between the two Churches to the extent that the subordinate clergy and the parishioners are led to believe to be the case. As evidence of this fact, for instance, during the exile of the Assyrians of Kurdistan from their homeland during the troublesome years of the first World War, and the years immediately followed, a group of them became stationed in Mosul, and on that occasion the Assyrians of Kurdistan, being communicants of the Church of the East (erroneously called Nestorian), were extended the privilege by Mar Tooma, the Bishop of Antioch in Mosul, to conduct services in one of the Western Assyrian Churches in Mosul. The invitation was accepted, and upon the same altar the Priesthood of both denominations conducted their services for several years.

Must one be a communicant of a given Christian denomination in order to inherit the kingdom of Heaven? On what Christian denomination has God or Christ placed a special stamp of approval? Which can claim the favor of God and Christ more that another? And by what evidence can such claim be substantiated? God is the God of us all and His only begotten Son is claimed by Christians of all denominations as their Saviour.

The Kingdom of Heaven may be likened to a mansion. There is only one street by which it may be reached through the Son, our Christ – but the mansion has many doors and entrance by which one may enter. Will God the Father, or any of His children who may endeavor to enter by the side or the rear doors, and on this account disown him? Not at all! I cannot believe it! I could not conceive of even an earthly parent doing anything of the sort,

“Father of all, from land and sea
The Nation signs, “ Thine, Lord, are we”
Countless in number, but in Thee May we be One”

Those belonging to different Christian denominations are the only ones who draw the distinction. Peoples of the outside world do not draw such distinction. For instance, a non-Christian regards all Christians as Christians. He dose not differentiate between Catholic, Protestants, or in the case of the Assyrians, the Church of the East or the Jacobites. When the Assyrians in Iran were recently being massacred, the murders did not stop to ask them their denomination; nor did the Turks stop to inquire the denomination of the Christians they massacred from time to time. In all such instances, the massacres were applied to all Christians in the community, regardless of race or creed. During the so-called Armenian massacres of 1895, the attention of a certain Turkish official was called to the fact that all Christians were being massacred, and that the massacre was not being confined to the Armenians along. The Turkish official replied, “Is there any difference between moist and dry dung?” If the outside world regards all Christians alike, why are Christians, and I am now referring particularly to the two main Assyrian denominations, so fussy about denominational differences?

The denominational differences between the two Assyrian Churches are not fundamental differences; they are mainly man-made differences. Each person is entitled to his own views and in privileged to worship his God in his own way; but it is sacrilegious, unjust and unchristian to say that one is not a Christian just because he dose not adhere to a given denomination.

Paul Hutchinson, one of our contemporary authorities on Church unity, says, “The Churches are weakened by the fact that they are still stuck in their old sectarian ruts. They are struggling – here and there – to get out. But they aren’t out, and a large majority of the Churches don’t want to get out. Some want to keep talking about themselves as “The Church” …. It is easy to wax indignant about this, and to point out its folly, but it is not easy to see what can be done about it – not unless there comes an uprising among Christian men and women who grasp the lateness of the hour and the tragedy of Christian division.” In this respect we may safely say the lay Christians seem to exercise better judgment, and have a better conception of the truths of Christianity that some of the Clergy.

The trend among the Christian Churches of the world today is unity – such as discussions to merge the Presbyterian and Episcopalian denominations, and also to overcome prejudice, fanaticism and intolerance. In this connection I need only to refer the reader to the efforts in recent years of the World Council of Churches held in Oxford, England, Edinburgh, Scotland, and Madras, India, and its aim to draw all Christians of Christ closer to each other.

Tolerance of our Christian brethren who may differ in dogma is so thoroughly in accord with the Gospel of Christ and the dictates of genuine conscience and reason, that those who oppose it may be charged with throwing a stumbling block in the pathway of progress of Christianity.

The failure of the Church leaders to exert an effort to bring about Church unity, doses not of course apply to all Clergymen. I know from personal knowledge of some Church leaders who seriously favor merger of the two Churches, but they are few and far between. There are not enough of them. More keenly active supporters of the issue are needed.

As Nation unity in our case is closely associated with denominational unity, we say without fear of contradiction that one of the causes which has made National unity of the Assyrians difficult is the division of the main National Churches, and the consequent indifference of some of the Church leaders to the sad fate of other Christian Nationalists.

This is another reason why we welcome the call to church unity from India. As Christian brethren, let us join hands and labor toward unity of the two main Assyrian denominations. And as Nationalists, let us strive, shoulder to shoulder, toward National unity.

In Christ there is no east or west,
In Him no south of north.
But one great fellowship of love.
Throughout the whole wide earth.

(Continued on page 27)

Unfortunately page no. 27 is not available and consequently we missed the rest of the article and the author’s name, if a name was given.

Before I close, allow me to mention the following points:

The contents of the Magazine clearly express an advanced national consciousness characterized with bravery in criticizing the church leaders and confronting critical issues.
After World War I, while Mar Shimon, Patriarch of the Church of the East (Nestorian) was leading the national movement, the majority of the nationalists who worked with him were followers of the Syriac Orthodox Church and neither Nestorian nor Chaldean.
The major point of contention appears to be between the Church of the East and the Syriac Orthodox Church and there is no any reference to the Chaldean Catholic Church. The reason for this is that the Chaldean Church and its leaders were totally avoiding involvement in national affairs. The main issue was among the leaders of the other two churches who maintained contradictory directions. Mar Shimon, the Patriarch of the Church of the East was deeply involved in the national movement, while Mar Aprim Barsom, the Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox diverted from an Assyrian nationalist to pro Arabism promoter and was known as the “Priest of Arabism”. He continuously attacked Assyrian nationalists such as Naum Faik. He even excommunicated Fared Nus’ha. In 1940s, Mar Aprim severely criticised Mar Shimon and called him a “feudal leader”.
The pioneers of Assyrian nationalism since that time have wisely recognized that the national unity is closely related to confessional unity and that the obstacle to achieving national unity has been engendered by our National Churches. To this day, this chronic national disease continues to impinge severely on the prospects for national unity. From all appearances, the situation will remain unchanged in the decades to come, because denominationalism appears to continue as the one constant in our destiny. Upon reflection, the editor’s opinion that the issue of Church and National Unity is a “Burning Problem” turns out to be most prescient. The fire raging on the national identity continues unabated and, barring a compromise, it will turn to ashes.

Assyrian Pianist Takes First Place at International Contest

(ZNDA: Krasnodar) Ms. Elena Akopova "Yacoub", an Assyrian from Krasnodar, Russia and a fourth-year student at the Kuban Music Conservatory took the first place at the International Piano Contest in Helsinki, Finland.

The event was dubbed the “Musical Performance and Pedagogics”.

The Contest took place between June 7-19, in the small town of Jyvaskyla, located 60 kilometers from Stockholm, Sweden. Lena’s performance conquered jury’s and audience’s hearts. She played two musical compositions: Frank's “Preludes, chorals and fugue” and Ravel's “The Game of Water”.

The contestants also performed and gave master-classes in Stockholm on 16-18 June. Elena is a student at the Department of Piano at Kuban Conservatory studying under Professor Nelly Mezhlumova.

At press time Ms. Akopova is in flight to San Jose, California where she will be spending a year of sabbatical from her studies.

Elena Akopva stands next to her piano instructor Prof. Nelly Mezhlumova

The Assyrian Association of Krasnodar “Khaydta” on behalf of the Assyrians of Krasnodar would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Elena and wish her a successful career in music.

Assyrian Chaldean Syriac Council of Australia Reuniting Three Groups of the Same Nation

Courtesy of the Fairfield Advance
17 August 2005

A Council representing three cultural groups in Fairfield has been formed.

"The aim of the Assyrian Chaldean Syriac Council of Australia is to bring all three different groups together, work together, form different committees and help the people here," prepatory committee member, Sam Shalalo said.

"And to correspond with all the people back in our homeland, in Iraq mostly."

Fellow prepatory committee member Soro Soro said the three names identified in the council's title were "sacred names of one nation".

"Through this Council we want to bring these three names together - to indicate it is one people, one nation, one identity. That's extremely important to us," he said. Committee member Edward Rowell said the Council was a "noble cause".

"It's to promote the bond of unity between these three - Assyrian, Chaldean, Syriac," he said. "That is a very very important element in our task."

Organizations participating in the Council include the Assyrian Australian Association, the Chaldean National Congress and the Bet-Nahrain Democratic Party.

Chaldean Chamber of Commerce Visits Washington

(ZNDA: Washington) On 16 August the office of Public Diplomacy for Middle Eastern and MEPI Affairs received members of the board of the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce, headed by its Chairman Sabah Hermiz and its Executive Director Martin Manna. They were briefed by USAID officials on the USAID programs in Iraq.

The Chaldean Chamber of Commerce is organizing a one-day conference on the rebuilding of Iraq in Detroit, Michigan. The conference is scheduled for September 9, 2005, where Administrator Andrew Natsios will be the keynote speaker at the luncheon. For more information on the conference, please visit the Chamber’s website (click here).

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Mar Aprem Metropolitcan Presenting Paper in New York

H.E. Dr. Mar Aprem Metropolitan

(ZNDA: Trichur) His Excellency Dr. Mar Aprem, Metropolitan of the Assyrian Church of the East in India, will be presenting a paper on the history of the Nestorian Church in India until the Synod of Diamper in 1599 A.D. at the First International Conference on the History of Early Christianity in India. This is the first time such a conference is being held outside of India.

His Excellency will be meeting other participants in the Concordia College in Bronxville, New York, from12 to 17 September.

His Excellency is also planning to hold a Holy Qurbana in Yonkers, New York and later on the 21st in New Britain, Connecticut.

From Babylon to Boronia, Mathematics has Long Tried Us

Courtesy of the Age
11 August 2005
By Chee Chee Leung

The way mathematics professor Bill Casselman explains it, there are things about the ancient Babylonian civilisation that are not too different from ours.

Take spreadsheets. These days we run them on computer programs, but rewind to about 3000BC and inscriptions on clay tablets formed a similar function.

Visiting Canadian mathematics professor Bill Casselman with an image of an ancient Mesopotamian clay tablet used by students. Maths does not have to be painful, he says.

"It's kind of like a spreadsheet," Professor Casselman said, pointing to a tablet inscribed with symbols representing numbers of sheep and lambs. "You have rows and you have numbers … it's like a receipt, or it may be just a temple record."

The visiting Canadian professor, from the University of British Columbia, says that like modern students, not all Babylonian scholars finished their studies.

One tablet he refers to in a prepared lecture shows a maths exercise that a student was meant to complete — determining the area of a trapezoid.

On the reverse of the tablet is the space for the student's answer, left blank. "He doesn't quite get it," he said.

Professor Casselman's talk about the history of mathematics, titled "From Babylon to Silicon Valley", will be presented tonight at the Monash University Science Centre.

He is in Melbourne as a guest of the International Centre of Excellence for Education in Mathematics and the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute.

Professor Casselman uses images of items from about 3400BC to the present day to illustrate his theme. The pictures range from ancient Mesopotamian clay tablets to medieval manuscripts and computer animations.

"The idea that I'm trying to convey … is that math is really a part of human culture, despite everybody's perception," he said.

"My feeling is that most people can enjoy math if it is presented to them carefully, but somehow it's hard to present it in a school context, when people have to do homework."

Professor Casselman, who is also the graphics editor of the Notices journal of the American Mathematical Society, says "everybody should know some math".

He recalls a recent trip to a Sydney cafe where a broken cash register forced an employee to puzzle over the correct change. "He took five minutes to subtract two numbers," he said.

But Professor Casselman does recognise that maths can be agonising. "I think young people should be encouraged to do so (study maths), but for some kids it's so painful they really shouldn't have to face it."