Subj: ZENDA (Vol II,#28; 8/26/96) Date: 96-08-26 03:09:33 EDT From: zenda@ix.netcom.com (Zenda) To: zenda@ix.netcom.com Tdabaakh 26, 6746 August 26, 1996 ***** ***** * * **** ** * * ** * * * * * * *** * * * * * ****** * * * ** * * * * ***** ***** * * **** * * Volume II, Issue 28 A Weekly Online Publication of the ZENDA Assyrian Newsagency ===================================================================== THE L I G H T H O U S E ===================================================================== TWO KEY PRINCIPLES NEEDED FOR A NEW DAWN IN THE HISTORY OF THE ASSYRIAN NATION Part 2 of 2 We can also utilize the taxation mechanism to feed our needy children, cloth them, teach them, give them a chance to grow up as Assyrians in the Christian faith, give them health and medicine, give them a sense of pride and a chance to be more influential than us in making their mark on the face of this earth. Allow them to build a better world for themselves pro-actively, and not be reactive like us and the ones before us, to the global political/social upheavals of their time. Examples of such upheavals were : 1) IRAN's 1979 Revolution, resulting in mass migration of our people to West 2) IRAQ's persecution of the Assyrians in Northern Beth-Nahrain, and forcing them to be refugees in every European country and the American continent 3) The hunger of our people in Soviet Union after the political/economical collapse of that country 4) Forced Prostitution of our women due to poverty in some U.S cities!!! 5) Dying of our people in Syria due to lack of clean water and being stuck between the politics of Syria and Turkey 6) Killing of our people in Lebanon's civil war ... and, the list goes on, not mentioning the silent genocide of our people during world war I and II in the Middle East, where 750,000 people perished. This was by some estimates two third of our population at that time. Armenians and Jews were smarter; they talked about it and leveraged from it while our lack of infrastructure numbed us to respond. These were and are our brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, cousins, and grand parents who have not been as lucky as us to go to college, have a roof over their head and eat three meals a day. Or may be it was and is a part of our own story that we have forgotten or want to forget. When the economies of the West collapse under their own weight where do we want to raise our children? Maybe our best choice would be gang infested cities of U.S and other western countries, where our children will be forced to have their own gangs and get de-railed as a survival tactic through assimilation with Mexicans, blacks, Portuguese, and other nationalities. What if we can fund their future through a systematic way of education in the East and West, through schools that will breed Assyrian scholars rather than lost Assyrian souls. Principle TWO: Assyrian nation's Democratic national movement solution: We need a grass root political system that represents the true population of our generation and not the mini ivory towers that our so-called political dictators/self elected political leaders have erected around themselves, living in a fantasy world, and thinking that the whole world knows about them and their personal agenda. Creation of an Assyrian Congress is the key to the implementation of this plan. Let's use what is done in the past and learn from others. We have to utilize our cultural centers throughout the world, after a transformation from entertainment centers to true cultural centers, to act as a whole and not a collection of isolated activities. The leadership of these organizations are responsible and accountable as a part of their duty to work and complement other activities in their regions. Through local organizations, the concept of an Assyrian Congress and the democratically elected Assyrian government needs to be implemented. We need to transform our conventions to physical links of face to face communications of our people about our national agenda and a meeting with our democratically elected representatives. Only at this time, we can truly enjoy our celebrations, because there is a reason to celebrate our achievements as a nation. We can transform and mobilize our localized masses throughout the world in support of a common cause via our local social and religious organizations. The local leaders have to see the unification of agenda as a center stage of their activities and think of a bigger picture. Churches need to accelerate their re-unification talks and rally people to participate in the affairs of their national awareness in a global sense. If they do not , their secular audience will be lost in no time. We need your input, Mr. and Mrs. Lawyer, politician, doctor, engineer, student, house wife,..., to start a true Zenda(Assyrian for Spark) in our community and be the conscious of our nation.. We request from you to think about it, act out of your love for your people and nation , and push for unity in your own circles of micro infrastructures (Social/cultural societies, churches, political parties, humanitarian, educational institutions, etc.) to work together. We are asking you as the representative batch of our educated people to ponder and think about these issues and try to digest the importance of your role to save the future of your own children and that of your fellow Assyrian neighbors. There is a need for an awareness and movement in a true global sense by people like yourself who need to take action and get involved. We must try to utilize the Zenda forum as a vehicle to inform each other on the events happening to our nation in a global scale. Lets start to leverage the strength of our virtual nation and communicate with each other and take steps to execute what is right for our people. Please write to Zenda with your views and share your information on organizations that can be influential in supporting the two key principles mentioned in this article. If interested in more information regarding the Assyrian Aid Society write to: 41 Sutter St. Suite #1534 San Francisco, Ca. 94104 Jeanclaude Toma A small but proud Assyrian voice Milpitas, California ===================================================================== G O O D M O R N I N G B E T - N A H R A I N ===================================================================== RENEWED RIVALRY AMONG KURDISH POLITICAL GROUPS (ZNRU: Turkey) Rival Iraqi Kurdish groups in northern Bet-Nahrain accused each other of cooperating with Baghdad or Tehran in an outbreak of fighting between Kurds that has shattered a U.S.-mediated cease-fire. ``Credible reports indicate growing coordination and collaboration between the KDP (Kurdistan Democratic Party) and the Iraqi regime,'' the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) said in a statement faxed from its Ankara office. The PUK said Iraqi government forces, including armored units, have taken up positions against its fighters at several points on the edge of the Kurdish- controlled region. Massoud Barzani of KDP denied the claim. He said the PUK of Barzani's long-time adversary Jalal Talabani was using heavy artillery given to it by Iranian forces who briefly entered north Iraq last month to fight an Iranian Kurdish group. Turkey fears that feuding between the Iraqi Kurds helps Turkish Kurd rebels establish themselves in northern Bet-Nahrain. Turkish Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller reaffirmed Monday Turkey would not accept any change in the power structure in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq. ===================================================================== S U R F S U P ! ===================================================================== "Shlama Elokhon Kasheirea d'Zenda, thank you for your hard work in bringing us the news and keeping us abreast of the current events. Please correct the following date error in your next publication: [A.D. (1890) Persian Crown Prince visits Urmie, Iran calling upon the Bishop of Urmie, Mar Gauriel. The royal visit was a gesture of good- will between Iran and the Christian foreign powers which had settled in the Azerbaijan region since 1930's.] Do you mean 1830's?" Bellos Nisan Sunnyvale, California [Yes indeed. The missionaries began arriving in Azerbaijan and northern Bet-Nahrain in 1835.] "I am an Australian video producer of educational videos and I have received a contract from a government agency to translate a birth video into ten different languages. One of these was put down as "Assyrian", but my contact at a translation agency said there was not such a language, but could be connected with Iran or Iraq. I went back to the government agency who asked for the translation, but they were acting for another party and did not know either. I would be grateful for any information on what language is classified as Assyrian or if there is more than one. At least I would be able to go back to my client with a better idea of what was needed. Many thanks in Advance." Kym Tank ktank@ozemail.com.au Australia ===================================================================== S U R F E R S C O R N E R ===================================================================== PLACES TO BE, THINGS TO DO AT THE ASSYRIAN NATIONAL CONVENTION Assyrian Women's Panel Discussion Sat, August 31 1:00-3:30 pm Election of the AANF President Sun, September 1 Afternoon Informal Gathering of the Net Surfers Sun, September 1 1:30-3:00 pm Deva Cafe & Bistro 12th & J Street ===================================================================== N E W S D I G E S T ===================================================================== THE ASSYRIAN COMMUNITY IN FINLAND (ZNDA: Finland) On August 17 & 18 Assyrians in Finland held their first community meeting. About 75 participants from Iraq and Iran attended the two-day meeting organized in Oulu, Finland. Mr. Ashur Nissan comments that "we, as a small number of Assyrians in this northic country on the edge of globe, decided to continue our war against time, and to maintain our inheritance and our connection with other Assyrians worldwide." There are less than 100 Assyrians living in Finland. ASSYRIAN WOMEN'S PANEL DISCUSSION TO BE HELD IN MODESTO (ZNDA: San Jose) A panel discussion on the status of Assyrian- American women will be held on Saturday, August 31, during the Assyrian American National Convention in Modesto, California. Pamella Saffer, director of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, will discuss the role of women as instruments of peace in the world. Other speakers include Christine Yalda, an attorney and PhD-candidate at Arizona State University and Kim Yalda, a school principal in California. Both speakers will address cultural and political identity of Assyrian women today. Lastly, Dr. Aryan Ishaya, professor of cultural anthropology, will assess the changing roles of the Assyrian women over the past century. 12:00 noon Registration (free to public) 1:00 pm Panel Discussion 2:00 pm Question & Answer 3:00 pm Networking ASSYRIAN DANCERS AT THE UCLA'S IRANIAN FOLK FESTIVAL (ZNSC: Los Angeles) Last week, a group of Assyrian dancers performed the traditional dances during the First Annual Iranian-American International Summers Festival held at the University of California in Los Angeles. An information booth, exhibiting replicas from the Assyrian artifacts in the British and Metropolitan Museums, was set up to provide information for the Festival attendees. A pamphlet of the Assyrian alphabet and "Who Are Assyrians" article were handed out. The work of the local Assyrian artists was well received. The event was broadcasted on Iranian News Media and the Assyrian dancers and exhibit were mentioned several times. ASSYRIAN SCHOOLS IN IRAN (ZNAS: Tehran) Currently there are two K-12 Assyrian schools in Tehran, Iran: St. Mary School for Girls (formerly Shooshan) and the Behnam School for Boys. The former is run by the Assyrian Association of Tehran (Motva'd Tehran) and the latter is under the supervision of the Assyrian Chaldean Catholic Church. In addition to the general curriculum as taught in all schools in Tehran, the Assyrian schools also conduct afternoon religious training in the Assyrian language. Presently, over 500 students are attending St Mary's and Behnam Schools in Tehran. The two schools in Urmie, Iran, are also supervised by the Assyrian Chaldean Catholic Church where 770 elementary through junior high and 300 high school students are taught Assyrian language by 32 Assyrian teachers. ===================================================================== D I R E C T O R Y OF THE N E W S S O U R C E S ===================================================================== ZNAR (Archeology Magazine) ZNAS (Assyrian Sentinel) ZNMN (Mercury News) ZNNQ (Nabu Quarterly) ZNNY (New York Times) ZNRU (Reuters): ClariNet Communications Corp. ZNSC (soc.culture.assyrian) newsgroup ZNTN (Turkish News Agency) ZNUP (United Press International) ZNDA (Zenda: zenda@ix.netcom.com) ===================================================================== C A L E N D A R OF E V E N T S ===================================================================== N e w D a t e s & U p d a t e s --------------------------------------------------------------------- Aug 29-Sept 2 AANF National Convention Red Lion Inn Hotel Modesto, U.S.A. Sept 9 Assyrian Food Festival Assyrian Church of the East San Jose, California Thru April 6 The Ain Ghazal Exhibit Smithsonian Institute Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Washington D.C. --------------------------------------------------------------------- E N T E R T A I N M E N T --------------------------------------------------------------------- Assyrian National Convention Modesto/Turlock, California August 29 - Sept 2, 1996 --------------------------------------------------------------------- R E G U L A R C L A S S E S & M E E T I N G S --------------------------------------------------------------------- Fridays Assyrian Educational & Cultural Club at Modesto Junior College 1:00 pm Founders Hall 108 Modesto, U.S.A. Saturdays Nisibis School 10:30-1:30 The Church of the East Toronto, Canada ===================================================================== A S S Y R I A N S U R F I N G P O S T S ===================================================================== N e w S i t e (s) Publications on the Syriac Language Studies http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/users/gk105/papers/publications.html ===================================================================== P U M P UP THE V O L U M E ===================================================================== ENGLISH ASSYRIAN Painting (verb) saay/yaa/ru:/taa [M] Color gou/na [M] Gallery bet/khiz/wa/ne [M] Pronunciations: a as in bat b big s sit aa make ch church sh shovel a: father d dog t top aw awe f fun td [tdlaa=three] e let g go th thigh ee leak h hit TH those i kid j judge v van i: like k kite w way ou ouch l link y you o: boat m make z zip oi boy n not zh pleasure u: boot p pot u pulley q [qaatdoo=cat] * 'do-nut r red _____________________________________________________________________ F = Feminine M = Masculine P = Plural ===================================================================== B A C K TO THE F U T U R E ===================================================================== B.C. (ca. 1900) Assyrians trading colonies are formed in Anatolia (modern Turkey), the main metallurgic center of the ancient near east. << Ancient Iraq, Roux >> A.D. (737) The Arabian Caliph, Mehdi, decrees that all churches built since the Muslim conquest of the Prophet Mohammed and Omar be destroyed. Over 5000 Christians were forced to either accept Islam or death. << The Ashurbanipal Library Newsletter, Vol 3, #1 >> ===================================================================== L I T E R A T U S ===================================================================== ******** An Assyrian Folk Song ******** We have a cow which we love! It gives us very tasty milk! It goes out in the morning to graze on a meadow. It returns in the evening and milk is with it. The cow moos every morning. Why don't you know what it wants? It says: "give me grass and water, and you will get fatty milk! and if you give me more barley, you and the cheese and the milk will be richer! << Journal of the Assyrian Academic Society, Vol VI, #2 >> ===================================================================== T H I S W E E K I N H I S T O R Y ===================================================================== August 31, 1971: Assyrian-Swedish youth publish the first issue of Neesha Magazine in Assyrian, Swedish, and Arabic. ===================================================================== B R A V O ===================================================================== Last week the wedding bells in Tehran, Iran rang for Caroline & Carlo Ganjeh. Mr. Ganjeh, a ZENDA reader from San Jose, California, is the president of the Assyrian United Organizations of California and the Western Regional Director of the Assyrian American National Federation. ===================================================================== W E L C O M E T O Z E N D A ===================================================================== Zenda welcomes our new on-line subscribers from: CORPORATE ACCOUNTS None UNIVERSITY ACCOUNTS Arizona State University PERSONAL ACCOUNTS Belgium Finland Modesto, California ===================================================================== A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S ===================================================================== Zenda wishes to thank the following individuals & organizations whose contributions appear in this issue: Sargon Tavour Los Angeles, California Bellos Nisan Sunnyvale, California Ashur Nissan Oulu, Finland George Kiraz Cambridge, England Sharokin Betgevargiz San Jose, California ___________________________________________________________________ ZENDA prints your comments and suggestions free of editing, as they appear in our mailbox. All letters will be printed in our SURFS UP! section unless directed otherwise. We urge you to submit the activities of your local and national Assyrian communities, personal accomplishments, and meeting/school events to ZENDA no later than Sunday, 12:00 PM, Pacific Standard Time. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Our Next Issue will appear on Monday, September 9, 1996. Please note that ZENDA will not be published next week so that we may bring you a complete report from the Assyrian American National Convention to be held in Modesto, California. --------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------- Headers -------------------------------- From zenda@ix.netcom.com Mon Aug 26 03:09:03 1996 Return-Path: zenda@ix.netcom.com Received: from dfw-ix1.ix.netcom.com (dfw-ix1.ix.netcom.com [206.214.98.1]) by emin17.mail.aol.com (8.6.12/8.6.12) with ESMTP id DAA00400; Mon, 26 Aug 1996 03:09:00 -0400 Received: from sjx-ca65-48.ix.netcom.com (zenda@sjx-ca65-48.ix.netcom.com [206.217.121.112]) by dfw-ix1.ix.netcom.com (8.6.13/8.6.12) with SMTP id XAA16189; Sun, 25 Aug 1996 23:57:23 -0700 Message-Id: <2.2.16.19960826070137.5887e6c2@popd.ix.netcom.com> X-Sender: zenda@popd.ix.netcom.com X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Pro Version 2.2 (16) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Mon, 26 Aug 1996 00:01:37 -0700 To: zenda@ix.netcom.com From: Zenda Subject: ZENDA (Vol II,#28; 8/26/96)