)wUlmpyat d medrE4tA0

Issue No.
33
October 2000
6750 0
Nyr4t
This is a Free Publication
BnLle
0ty-ylrtsw) 0t-yrwt) 0tw-m-yl9d 0t-syrp
The.Assyrian-Australian.Youth.Publication
NAKOSHA
nakosha@hotmail.com
P.O. BOX 948 Merlynston,
Victoria, 3058. Australia.
www.atour.com/aygv
P P 332398/0002
School
Olympics
St. George’s Assyrian Language School
Come along and
join in for a fun day
at Edwardes Lake,
on Sunday 12th
November 2000.
From 12pm to 4pm
Invitation is open to all.
Games (for students), music,
BBQ, and plenty of fun!!
0ayArUwtA) 0ana4ild Suygrewyg Yramd 0At4Erdem
g
Risin .Sun
Simon Younan
The Australian Under 15 Kyokushin Karate Champion. P3
taypmlUw)
0At4Erdem d
uYptwe4m dib 0oyA=yltE) 0oayl6wE=
. 0At4Eredmd 0opwlay YhyewAg
0o4uyrp 0otaylwE= - 0oyA=yltE) 0oyARuwm
. 0otaylw3k)om - uYqysUwm - 0o4uyrp
YElk 0aq hAl5y 0Atxuytp 0Atuwnuymz
Using.the.worldwide.resources.of.Zinda:.www.zindamagazine.com
ASSYRIAN-CHALDEAN DETAINEES
JOIN THEIR U.S. FAMILIES
POLICE IN TURKEY
ASSYRIAN PRIEST
(ZNDA: San Diego) Last Sunday some 1700
Assyrian-Chaldeans crammed into St. Peter’s
Chaldean Catholic Church in El Cajon,
California to give their support to the 22
detainees who were freed to enter the U.S. and
join their families. At press time, 41 more
detainees have been released from Mexico and
have stepped on American soil. Over 200
immigrants are asking for asylum from the
U.S.
The trouble began last week when Federal
Mexican authorities detained 38 AssyrianChaldeans in the Suites Royal Hotel in
Tijuana. Others fled to the border and were
taken in by the Immigration and Naturalization
Service.
After negotiations made between the U.S. and
Mexican governments and the pressure from
the Assyrian organizations and the local
Chaldean church, an agreement was
reached between the U.S. and
Mexico which allowed the
immigrants to seek
political asylum in the
U.S.
The AssyrianC h a l d e a n
immigrants are
smuggled through
Jordan, Albania,
Greece, and finally
arrive in Mexico where
they await the documents
granting them permission to enter the United
States.
(ZNRU: Diyarbakir) Last Thursday, Turkish
police arrested a “Syriac” priest after he
allegedly told newspapers his Christian
minority community had been the victims of
genocide carried out by Turks.
Police in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir
told Reuters they had detained and questioned
Father Yusuf Akbulut about stories in Turkish
newspapers quoting him as saying Turks had
systematically killed Syriac Christians in the
southeast.
Turkish officials have been outraged by a U.S.
Congressional panel’s approval last week of
a non-binding resolution urging U.S. President
Bill Clinton to characterize the killings of
Armenians in the latter days of the Ottoman
Empire as genocide. Turkey
rejects the charges,
emphasizing
ARREST
ASSYRIAN SOCCER PLAYERS KILLED
IN CAR ACCIDENT
Courtesy of Beth-Suryoyo Assyrian
(ZNDA: Syria) On October 10, a bus carrying
12 to 15 soccer players of the Assyrian Athletic
Club of Khabour in Syria was involved in an
accident which resulted in the death of six of
the team mates. Many others were critically
injured. The team was traveling from TelTamir to Ras al-Din where a soccer match was
to be held. The injuries remain serious. The
oldest member of the team was in his early
20’s.
The driver of the van, a Kurdish man from the
same area, attempted to cut in front of a large
trailer truck, but was unable to avoid a headon collision with another incoming vehicle.
His van was caught in between two large
vehicles. The severity of the impact
was so large that the roof of
the van carrying the
Assyrian players is
said to have been
torn off.
The
Assyrian coach, in
his 20’s, was also
killed in the accident.
All victims were from
Tal-Tamir except one who
was identified as a resident of
Tel-Tawil. The brother of one victim
lost both legs.
The funeral for the victims was held in the
Church of the East in Qamishly and Tel Tamir.
D
L
R
O
W
f
N
e
A
i
I
r
R
b
Y
.
S
ASn e w s
IRAQ INTENSIFIES PERSECUTION OF
ASSYRIANS
A report of the Assyrian International News
Agency; posted October 4, 2000
(ZNAI: Chicago) Attacks by the central
government in Iraq against the Assyrian
language and culture have continued unabated
despite calls by the international community
for the Baghdad regime to respect the rights
of all of its citizens.
According to an Assyrian National Congress
(ANC) press release dated September 10,
2000, the Iraqi Directorate General of
Intelligence in early August summoned several
Assyrians, including intellectuals, clerics, and
activists, for interrogation in Mosul (ancient
Nineveh) and Baghdad.
Security agents reportedly interrogated the
Assyrians regarding Bet Nahrain Magazine, a
California based Assyrian cultural journal.
According to the ANC, “Bet Nahrain magazine
is the literary organ of Bet Nahrain
Organization, an educational and cultural
association affiliated with the Assyrian
National Congress.”
2-NAKOSHA. October 2000
t h e
context
of
widespread partisan fighting in Anatolia
in 1915, and characterizes an Armenian
minority as rebels carrying out Russian plans
to carve up the country.
Police said a prosecutor had freed Akbulut,
who denied having claimed his community
had suffered genocide at the hands of Turks.
According to an Assyrian Democratic
Organization spokesperson, less than 2000
Assyrian-Syriac families currently live in
Turkey’s mainly Kurdish southeast region of
Tur-Abdin.
U.S. FEDERAL JUDGE REJECTS ANC’S
CENSUS PROTEST
Article from the Modesto Bee; written by Jerry
Bier on October 7
(ZNMB: Fresno) District Judge Robert E.
Coyle has rejected claims by Assyrian
protesters who challenged a Census Bureau
decision on how the agency categorizes
members of the ancient ethnic group.
In a ruling filed last Friday, Judge Coyle
granted a government motion to throw out the
challenge by the Assyrian National Congress
and affiliated organizations. Modesto
Assyrian leaders were solemn when they
learned of the judge’s decision and promised
to appeal it.
ASSYRIAN TABLETS FOUND IN EXCAVATIONS IN DIYARBAKIR
Courtesy of the Anatolia News Agency;
September 29, 2000
(ZNAN: Diyarbakir) Fifteen tablets written
in Assyrian language and various other
historical artifacts were unearthed in the
excavations carried out in Hasankeyf township
of southeastern Batman province and Bismil
township of southeastern Diyarbakir province.
Many historical artifacts were unearthed in the
excavations which were held in ten different
spots in Hasankeyf and Bismil. Andreas
Schachner, the head of the excavation team,
said on Friday that they found architectural
constructions built around 5000-4500 B.C. in
Grecano Tumulus in Bismil township.
Schachner noted that they found 15 tablets
written in Assyrian language in the tumulus
and that a German expert read one of these
tablets.
The tablet was about an Assyrian merchant
lived in eight century B.C. and his commercial
deals, Schachner stated. They think that all the
tablets found in the tumulus were private
archive of a person who lived those days,
Schachner said, adding that but he thinks all
the tablets were about different issues.
What does it take to be the Australian Under
15 Kyokushin Champion? A love for Karate
is a good start. Simon Younan, a 15 year
old, year 10 student, got into Karate when
he was only 6 years old. After a year of
training he had to stop due to his family’s
move away from the club where he had
been training.
After trying his hands at a number of
sports, including soccer, football, tennis, and
basketball, he got back into Karate in 1999
after noticing a sign for a Karate Club near
his new home.
Since his return to Karate, and under the
supervision of his trainer, Sensei Maria of
the F.A.F.C. Simon has entered eleven
competitions, and achieved many wins.
These have earned him the Melbourne
Under 16 title, the Victorian Under 16 title,
and on the 19th August 2000, he added the
Australian Under 15 title to his collection.
Simon’s training, which needs to be
juggled with his school work, and his casual
hobbies of soccer, surfing the net, and
catching movies with friends, takes up to
eight hours, spread over four days. His
sights are set on the Under 18 Australian
Championships that will be held on 19th
August 2001, in Sydney. If Simon wins this
particular competition, he could have a
chance at joining the Australian Olympic
Team.
With the support of his family Simon is
determined to add more titles to his
collection, including the up coming New
Zealand Championships that will be held in
March 2001. Along side his hopes for great
achievements in Karate, Simon is looking
at a career in the IT field. With his
determination, not much seems out of
reach.n
Sennacherib Warda
.0oni4 resE9 0a4mex tuwxt 0aylortsUw)d 0onAl)E=md 0Ardis wAg
0yarAs9
i 0rAds
i wg
A 0p
A wlya hl
o yu 0no4
i rs
e 9
E 04
a mx
e Nnew
U y jw
U mys
a
hl
o tyu)w 0yalrotsw
U ) hl
A kl 0rAyzk
e 0w
o h
a d jwmys
a hl
o 0c
1 mw
jwmyas hol)orw4d Nemuy0 , 0Atyemway 0AtyEli9 0At4Erdem wAg
Pt
i w4
a d d5x
e w 0p
o l)E Nyrotd 0yat)Ad 0t
A n54 0t
A r%x
o )% 0s
a rw
u p 0dax
jwmys
a 0t
A n54 0dax rt
% b
a Nm , 0no64
i 0t
A 4)i 0w
a h
5 yu Y
u trk
a 0l
o w
U w=
A
0aylortsUw)d 0onAl0E=md 0Ardis wAg 0azuyrx $yApd uYndis wAg
0akuwd Y&h Nm juw5hl 0onUw4m hotawRam Nemuy) YtArak Nm hol 0olk
0owahd 0aq jwmyas 0Ar3bes holtuy0w .0oni4 rsE9 0aynemt tuwxt
01cm 0anuy) , howAg YtArak 0aw5h Li)A= 0okd 03akams tyob 0aw5huyd
dib 0AtaylwE=m 0amk5dex wAg holmirq ji)d 0asruwp Y&h hol5y
0axtim wAg 0on%rox%) 0Atayuw=yltA) wAg 0aw5h Pitwa4d hol
0t
A n54d tyapmlw
U ) 0q
a 0yalrotsw
U 0d 0l
A hye Nm 0m
a dah
e d5x
e 0w
o h
a
0Atrex%)w , SinAt w 0AlqE)d 0Attuwg 3<yE) YtArak Nm hotyElkd
.0A9brE)w 0oplE) Nyortd
Nuy94itw 0ami) 0A94itw 0AplE) r3eb9edd 0At5n4 YtArakl hori9d
0aq 0Ar3bes holtuy) jwmyas hotwtyebd 0AtnErdE9w 0Atednsbw
0abruwq uYtArakd 03akams tyob 5dex holx4`kuwm Nemuy) 0A94itw
Yhye-yniq holuyd 0onami4l 0onadyzmw 0onamreq uYnA0 Nm 5dex 0owahd
.howAg 0aw5h 0oyex 0okd 0Atyebl
Nyortd 0At5n4 dnElyzuwynd 0Atuwzuyrk wAg 0AtmErq tuy)a4uyrpw
01cm Nimyas 0ayram Ysnaysd 0AtuwnAplemw 0AtuwnArbedm tuwxtw
.redA) wAg 5dexw 0oplE)
0abAr ww5huy 0o=Alpw 0oyAruwm res9dex wAg 0aw5h Pitwa4d hol
duyt9ed wAg 0anaAl)E=m hol Xezax jwmyasd 0aq 0Ar3bes NEltuy)
0Ardis wAg hol 0aw5h 3B5ytam M5deq 0AtaymErq 0onE)w , 0AtaymErq
.0ayAly3bot 0axA=4im wAg
Ly)yqzx jwdyrf
. YtArakd 0oni4 rsE9 0At4i) tuwxtd jrUwblimd 0onAl)E=md
03abtuwm hol4uyp 0oplE) Nyortd 0At5n4 XebE=b rsE9 0A94itw
editor’s.n o t e
Rising.Sun
I was given a book by a friend,
during the last month, which I
tackled in a semi-interested
state. The title of the book is
“Way of the Peaceful Warrior”,
by Dan Millman. It did get
rather interesting as I read
through it. I will not spoil the
story for those who will be
interested in reading it, but I
thought I would share one of the
traditional stories (an Indian
folk tale) included in the book:
“Milarepa had searched
everywhere for enlightenment,
but could find no answer – until
one day, he saw an old man
walking slowly down a mountain
path, carrying a heavy sack.
Immediately, Milarepa sensed
that this old man knew the
secret he had been desperately
seeking for many years.
‘Old man, please tell me what
you
know.
What
is
enlightenment?’
The old man smiled at him
for a moment, and swung the
heavy burden off his shoulders,
and stood straight.
‘Yes, I see!’ cried Milarepa.
‘My everlasting gratitude. But
please, one question more.
What after enlightenment?’
Smiling again, the old man
picked up the sack once again,
slung it over his shoulders,
steadied his burden, and
continued on his way.”
I guess it is a self-explanatory story, but it would
make more sense for those who are searching for
a meaning to their lives.
The Meaning of Life! I think the Monty Python
crew captured it very well when they made the
movie “The Meaning of Life”. I recommend it, as
it presents a humorous view on life. The question
itself though was something that we rarely contemplated whilst living in the Middle East. It comes
down to a cultural level, as the people of that region of the world have always had the answer to
the question. In the Western countries though, we
are finding that there are many answers to the question, and at times some controversial answers seem
very convincing. So, many individuals are slipping
into a state of depression as they try to make some
sense of it all.
Where can a meaning be found? Books are the
best option; they assist in understanding other
people, and experiences. The Holy books of
various religions are a great start. There is the
Prophet by Khalil Gebran, there are some of the
classics by Russian writers such as Dostoyevsky, and
Tolstoy. Books on ancient religions, and
mythologies. The classic philosophical books that
have shaped up our thinking, these include The
Republic by Plato, Meditations by Rene Descartes,
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin, the list
is endless.
I have turned this editorial into a guide for those
who are searching for a meaning for things; I guess
we are no different. We wonder about the meaning
of our work, and this magazine, and everything else
we do. The thing that keeps us going is that we
view it as a form of humanitarian work – we are
people of a needing world.n
Sennacherib Warda
6750 0 Nyr4t .04wqn-3
Living
Legends
The.Young
a t . H e a r t
Senator John J. Nimrod
T
he Assyrian Universal Alliance,
AUA, is an umbrella group that has
been representing the Assyrian
community to the world for the past
thirty two years. It was established in Pou,
France, on April 13, 1968. An information flyer
states that the AUA committed “itself to
spreading, upholding, and enhancing the
Assyrian name around the world, and working
to secure the sacred human and national rights
of the Assyrian people...”. Such goals, which are
a part of many more, have allowed the AUA to
make some great achievements during its thirty
two years of existence.
Members of the AUA made their way to
Melbourne for a presentation on the current
Assyrian situation, and the role that the AUA is
playing on the world scale. The AUA members
were Mr. David David, Mr. Hormiz Shahen,
Mr. Homer Ashurian, and Senator John J.
Nimrod. The presentation was held on Sunday
the 22nd October 2000, at Melbourne University.
Mr. Ashurian, and Senator Nimrod were
visiting from the United States to present a
number of speeches at different gatherings to
Assyrians in Melbourne, and Sydney. The duo
gave a very youthful presentation; their
friendship of many years working together, and
their love for the work they do was very evident.
Senator John J. Nimrod was born in Chicago,
in 1922. He graduated from the Northwestern
University as a Mechanical and Industrial
Engineer; this allowed him to gain employment
with General Motors.
Senator Nimrod served six years of army
4-NAKOSHA. October 2000
Mr. Homer Ashurian
service during the Second World War, he was
stationed in Europe. Later he served a further
two years in Korea.
In 1960 he was elected to his first public
office. After twenty five years, Senator Nimrod
reached retirement, finishing during his third
term as a State Senator in Illinois. Two years
after leaving American Politics, he joined the
Assyrian scene.
Senator Nimrod’s presence has been a great
advantage not only for the AUA, but it has
presented great pluses for the Assyrian
community at large. His experience in politics
has opened many doors, including that of the
UNPO (Under-represented Nations and People
Organisation). Currently he is the Assyrian
Representative, and he is also on the UNPO
Executive Body.
During his good humored presentation,
Senator Nimrod highlighted a number of key
points about the Assyrian situation. He
mentioned how members of this generation
“are giving their lives up, so their children may
prosper.” Turning his attention to the youth
Senator Nimrod declared, “Young people, this
is your world.” His presentation was a personal
history of achievements and tribulations.
The second key speaker was Homer
Ashurian, a former Deputy Secretary General
of the AUA, who now holds a position on the
AUA Executive Board.
Mr. Ashurian was born in 1936, in Charbash,
a village near Urmia in Iran. After completing
his high school studies he moved to Tehran.
There he gained a Masters degree in
Archaeology at the University of Tehran. His
major was Assyriology.
While studying, Mr. Ashurian was recruited
to work in the Ministry of Culture, where a year
later he was promoted to the position of Head
Curator of the Iranian Cultural Museum in
Tehran. Between 1963, and 1975 Mr. Ashurian
served as a principal, and a teacher at a number
of high schools. After that he was elected as a
congressman to represent the Iranian Assyrians
in the Iranian Parliament. Mr. Ashurian moved
to the United States with his family after the
Islamic Revolution.
Mr. Ashurian was one of the five persons who
initiated the AUA. Currently he works with the
AUA Foundation in Chicago, where he extends
his experience in Archaeology, and history to
assist in the running of the Ashurbanipal
Library, the Assyrian Heritage Musem, The
Oral History Project, and many other cultural
affairs.
Mr. Ashurian’s presentation concentrated
more on our attitude on the world scene. He
commented, “We don’t accept assistance?” His
view was that the whole community should drive
a forceful, but peaceful campaign to present the
Assyrian name to the world, and have the world
assist us in bettering the situation of
disadvantaged Assyrian individuals, and families.
The speeches by Mr. Ashurian, and Senator
Nimrod were presented in a very light,
humorous manner. There knowledge, and
experience were presented in the most
humblest of ways.n
Sennacherib Warda
67
The
th
Annual
Assyrian
Convention
T
he American City of Chicago, the windy
city, is home to the largest concentration
of Assyrians outside the Middle East. One
of the largest U.S. cities is home to an estimated
90,000 Assyrians. The Assyrian American National
Federation (AANF) had booked the convention
rooms of the Hilton hotel, in downtown Chicago,
for the crowds of Assyrians that were expected to
attend the much-advertised, 67th Annual Assyrian
Convention. The expectations of Chicago’s
Assyrian community were very high, when they
were first told of the venue for this year’s
convention; it was expected to be one of the biggest
and best Assyrian conventions ever held.
The convention began on Wednesday, 30th
August and ran for five days ending on Sunday, 4th
September. It officially began with a night time
Opening Ceremony. It was followed by a timetable
that was crammed with various Assyrian related
activities, displaying Assyrian culture, history and
language, which would cater for Assyrians of all
tastes, over the course of the five days.
The convention activities took the form of a
Bazaar, an Art Exhibition and a Sports Tournament
that were conducted from Thursday until Sunday.
Meanwhile Language, Art and Dance workshops
were planned throughout Saturday and Sunday.
Thursday night saw an Assyrian Youth Excellence
Pageant & Dance Party dubbed ‘Elona Night’ which
was put the spotlight on the Assyrian youth.
Friday’s highlight involved a trip to the newly
erected Martyr’s monument in Chicago’s Montrose
Cemetery, commemorating over two-thirds of the
Assyrian population who had been massacred in
World War 1. The afternoon’s activities were
followed by a series of speakers who gave talks on
various topics, including, the Shaping of the Ancient
Assyrian Ethnic and Cultural Heritage, Poetry,
Literature and Art. These talks featured Thea Halo,
author of ‘Not Even My Name’, who was on hand
after the lecture to sign copies of her book. Later
that night Sargon Gabriel, Janan Sawa and Shabeh
Lawando kicked off a dance party titled ‘Belona
Night’.
Saturday afternoon was very busy, as a series of
lecturers discussing; Assyrian Identity and
Institutions and Assyrian Political Issues, as well as
Language, Internet and Computing were held on
Saturday afternoon. As well as the American
speakers, speakers from as far away as Europe, and
Australia also participated in the presentations.
Saturday night’s entertainment was given the title
of Nishra Night and featured singers such as, Ogen
Betsamo and Emmanuel Younan.
The convention slowly increased in tempo until
it’s final climactic Sunday night party, given the title
of ‘Edessa night’. There were two rooms booked
for the occasion; one housed a black tie event
catering for the older crowd, whilst the other was
crammed with youth dancing the traditional Khigga.
All the singers were on call to keep the throngs of
Assyrians entertained as many of the youth, who
had, on previous nights, lined the foyer, decided
to enter the dance party and enjoy the final night of
entertainment.
The day following the convention was, in a sense,
a recovery day, and being a public holiday, allowed
many to catch up on much-needed sleep before
attending the traditional convention picnic which
was held at the Milk Pail Picnic Ground. The
Assyrian crowds that had attended the convention
gathered for the finale, a picnic that brought together
many Assyrian families in a day of fun, games and
outdoor entertainment. The lines of Assyrian
dancers stomped the dry ground and created a haze
of dust that rose steadily in the air.
The realisation of how much the convention
actually reflected the true Assyrian situation in the
West was strangely evident during the final days of
the convention. The convention, unknown to the
attendees, had acted as a microcosm clearly
revealing the Assyrians’ strengths, as well as
weaknesses. n
David Chibo
6750 0 Nyr4t .04wqn-5
Caricature on Life
What has been your greatest
challenge and how did you
overcome it?
M/18/West BLoomfield,
MI, USA
uuMy greatest challenge was
to “fit in” with other people
that are my age. At one point
I was only friends with
“Assyrians and Chaldeans”
and at another point I was
friends with not a single
“Assyrian or Chaldean”
because they were acting
like punks and I didn’t want
to associate with them.
Eventually, I found a group
of Assyrian-Chaldeans at
my school who were like
me.. they got good grades
and had good morals, and I
also have many friends that are
outside of our “group”. Just being
myself and being confident was
enough for me to have many friends...
M/54/Münster, Germany
uuIt has been my youngest daughter’s
getting sick with cancer about 16 years ago
and being healed from it. It took me
some years to understand what this
meant for my family and me and I came
to this conclusion: Live your life as a present
thing not as a passed neither as a future
one.
M/31/Sydney
uuGoing to university without passing my
HSC. I did it through hard work and my
determination to succeed. I believe anyone
can do anything if they really want it. There
it is if you try to focus on your goal. Patience
and hard work will get you there, you’ll be
very happy person, believe me!
M/ 24/Toronto, Canada
The greatest challenge is the temptation to
finish high school and not to continue
studying in University. I hanged out with
few Assyrians who mostly did not finish high
school. I had great time with them and at
times it was so good I started paying less
and less attention to school. It was my
parents who helped me and encouraged me
to continue studying, which led me to finish
University. Now I still hang out with the
same people except this time I am finished
with my studying. My brothers and my sister
are always encouraged by my parents and
me mostly to follow in my footsteps to get
higher education. Thanks Mom , Dad. (Esp.
Mom).
I wish more Assyrians were in schools
instead of hanging out at Donut shops and
Assyrian restaurants (Chaykhana) wasting
their time.
6-NAKOSHA. October 2000
F/34/North American Continent
uuEven though your question is a simple
one but the answer to it isn’t.
Life is a challenge by itself, and we as entities
are a challenge to ourselves and amongst
ourselves.
I believe that in every stage of our lives we
have “a” or “many” challenges to over come.
However, in order to give you an answer I
wanted to sort out and the answer came to
me, how did I adapt myself to live in a
different environment than mine?
Not an easy task, but I will make it simple,
and say that I had to sort things out and
decide if I wanted to live in these countries
then I had to accept their ways. But I didn’t
have to adopt them and that I was able to
pick good things just like in any other
community and then follow that guideline.
It’s not easy and I think that some of our
problems are coming from either not being
able to adapt or that we try to adopt too
much, too soon, too wrong.
F/16/Sydney
uuMy biggest challenge that I have over
come has been getting over a very bad
experience at work that was sexual
harassment and I overcame it with the help
of my cousin who has helped me throughout
the whole experience and which I am still
struggling to get over it.
I’m sure people who have suffered the same
thing know what its like and how bad it can
effect your life.
F/18/Sydney
uuThe greatest challenge that I have had
to face is an ongoing one, and will be until
gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgenerd Assyrian
youths are accepted by the Assyrian
community- because homophobia is killing
our Assyrian brothers and sisters.
M/32/London, England
uuTransforming a start-up I.T company
from an unknown entity in to a major player
within the Data Storage Industry through
extremely hard work, a good team, unique
ideas and financial investment.
M/15/Toronto, Canada
uuI don’t think I have ever had a great
challenge. This may be because I have faced
everything head on no matter what it was!
I feel there are never any GREAT challenges
in life. However, there are situations which
may have been a challenge to most people.
I guess one challenge was to prove to my
relative’s that I can beat my older sister’s
average of the semester! I accomplished
that by studying twice as hard and paying
twice as much attention in class as I ever
had before.
GENOCIDE
MONUMENT
A
K
i
n
g
.
T a
l
k
In Memoriam of Assyrian Martyrs
ssyrian history is painful to recall, and much
more so for the people history has come
to know as the Assyrians. The modern
Assyrian history is filled with harrowing tales telling
of a dark time of genocide and great loss, known
as the year of the Sword (Seypa).
Against this background it becomes very clear
why most Assyrians, who have left their ancestral
lands in the Middle East, have chosen to forget the
dark past and focus on building a future in the
Western world. Their
murdered ancestors
have
only
been
remembered once a
year, August 7, on
Assyrian Remembrance
day. Unlike the Jewish
and Armenian survivors
of
genocide
the
Assyrians have been
slow to remember the
loss of over two-thirds of
their population killed
during World War 1.
The year 1919,
marked the end of the
Great War, and in order
to commemorate their
horrendous losses an
Assyrian Monument
was erected in Baquba
refugee Camp, Iraq. It
was dedicated to the
memory of all the
Assyrian Martyrs who
had been killed during
World War 1. This
monument, the only
testament to the
750,000 Assyrians who
were murdered, was
eventually destroyed by
marauders in 1920,
during a raid on the
camp.
These
haunting
words were inscribed on
the original monument and can be clearly seen in
archival photographs.
“In Memoriam O God, Grant Them Rest And
Peace In The Kingdom Of Heaven”
Last year, 80 years after the destruction of the
original event, a new project, initiated by Norman
Sulkha, called for the construction of a new
monument to commemorate all the Assyrian
victims of genocide.
Norman Sulkha set to work commissioning the
monument, which stands over 16 feet high. The
Black Granite Obelisk was specially selected and
quarried from Belfast, Ireland, and the grey granite,
used for the pedestal, was quarried in Vermont,
before both were sent to Canada to be cut and
polished. Weighing over 12,000 pounds, the two
piece monument finally arrived at its final resting
place at Chicago’s Montrose cemetery, where it was
inscribed and detailed.
It was presented to the Assyrian American
National Federation, by Norman Sulkha, in
recognition of the AANF’s work to protect the lives
and cultural identity of Assyrians worldwide.
The monument was officially opened, on August
7, 2000, at an official
unveiling ceremony.
The cemetery was
crammed with Chicago’s
Assyrian community
who had turned up on
the
day
to
commemorate their
nation’s dead.
Norman Sulkha had
managed to turn what
would otherwise have
been
a
personal
commemoration, into a
lasting
monument
dedicated to all Assyrian
people. Mr. Sulkha’s
own personal losses,
however, will forever be
immortalised. Etched in
cold granite on the
monument’s left panel is
a
piercing
commemoration of
Norman’s own loss. His
father and brother had
also been victims of
genocide.
On the morning of
12 th December 1946,
after they had sheltered
14 Assyrians and 6
Armenians, who were
n o n e t h e l e s s
systematically, and
brutally, hunted down
and killed, Norman’s
father and brother were also murdered.
“In memory of our father Avrahim Ganja and
brother Avnir Ganja.” reads the inscription on the
monument’s left panel.
The Genocide monument stands as a silent
sentinel telling the world of a proud people and
the losses that they have endured. It also serves to
remind the modern Assyrian generation of the
losses inflicted on their ancestors. The Genocide
monument’s aim and inscription clearly etched, in
English and Aramaic, on the black granite’s face,
and tell the world of its simple aim and the painful
history of the Assyrian people, “In Memoriam of
Assyrian Martyrs.”n
David Chibo
THE
POWERS
OF THE
ASSYRIAN
KING
I am Ashurnasirpal, the devotee
of the great gods, the destroyer of
evil ...... the king whose word
destroys the mountains and seas,
who by his power has forced his
supremacy to be recognized by
those powerful kings without mercy
who rule from where the sun rises
to where the sun sets.
A palace of cedar wood, a palace
of cypress, a palace of juniper
wood, a palace of boxwood, a palace
of mulberry wood, of pistachio
wood, of tarmarisk wood - this have
I raised for my royal residence and
for my pleasure.
I made to be sculptured in the
white limestone and in the
alabaster images of animals and of
mountains and of seas, and with
these I ornamented the gates. I had
them affixed with braces of brass.
And I had placed there doors of
cedar, of cypress, of juniper, of
mulberry wood. Silver, gold, tin,
bronze, and iron - the plunder that
I took from the lands I conquered I stored here.
Vieyra : Les Assyrians (pp.135, 171)
6750 0 Nyr4t .04wqn-7
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
0AyqwUzx....................h-zo-qio....................travelling.....................kh-zo-qia....................0ayquwzx
0a t wU-ywe 0 .....................aaw-u-tho.............agreement.................aaw-u-tha....................0A t wywE )
0atwUn rA yo9m..........mee-ro-noo-tho..............observation/note...............mee-ara-noo-tha.................0Atw
u nAryu 9m
PH.13.17.60
BATTERY WORLD PRESTON
Independently owned and operated by
Michael Younan
24 HR SERVICE
Michael & Simon Younan
497 Plenty Rd.
Preston, Vic. 3072
Phone: (03) 9471 2655 Fax: (03) 9471 2699
Mobile: 0414 474 000
Email: service@batteryworld.com.au
www.batteryworld.com.au
Managers
Assyrian Women’s World
www.atour.com/~women
A place for all
Assyrian women.
Features - Assyrian Women’s
Conference
- Assyrian Women’s
Network Archives
The Assyrian Youth Group of Victoria is a nonpolitical, non-religious and non-profit
organisation.
It seeks to promote the Assyrian culture, history
and language, as well as the Assyrian name
and community, bringing it to the world stage.
AYGV
P.O. BOX 948 Merlynston, Victoria, 3058. Australia.
nakosha@atour.com - www.atour.com/aygv
8-NAKOSHA. October 2000
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
A w
u naqpem
0atwUn--Aq-p-Em..............maf-qo-noo-tho...............directing..............map-qa-noo-tha.......................03t
○
○
LU[Im................me-tool..........................because.............................me-tol......................L=im
○
0atr0ot.......................tir-tho..................conscience...........................ter-tha......................0Atr)ot
○
○
0aTlIxwet................taw-hel-tho.......................despair.......................taw-khal-ta................0AtlxwEt
○
)ArAqn.....................n-qo-ro...........................sculpting...........................n-qaa-ra......................)Araqn
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
0a t wA n -me 0 ..................am-no-tho.....................art..............am-noo-tha.......................)A 3 t u w nmE )
○
○
0a t wA q sE 9....................as-qo-tho..................difficulty...............as-qoo-tha..................0A3tuwqsE9
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
l e a r n . y o u r
l a n g u a g e
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
Kn4l Ply
3<wn4l Pwl%y
NINEVEH
GALLERY
Walk through the ancient palaces of the greatest of Assyria’s kings.
View the bas reliefs depicting ceremonial rituals, hunting and war
scenes carved over 2600 years ago. A full historical record of the
Assyrian kings as well as a decsription of each image are provided
in both English and Assyrian.
Price: $35AUS + $5 p&h - for further info contact the AYGV
Assyrian
Relief
Fund
assisting Assyrians
where ever they are...
Send donations to
PO Box 1032 Valley Plaza, Green
Valley,Sydney, NSW 2168, Australia.
Fax:...........
61 2 9755 7571
E-mail: .......
arfaus@hotmail.com