Z I N D A   M A G A Z
I N E

Volume
VI
Issue 3
Adaar 7,
6749
March 7, 2000

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T H I S   W E E K   I N   Z I N D
A

The
Lighthouse

Mor Habib

Good
Morning Bet-Nahrain

The Controversial Ilisu Dam Project

News
Digest

Syrian Orthodox Church on Census 2000
Ancient Castle Found in Southern Bet-Nahrain

Surfs
Up

"misconception actively spread by
the Roman Cath. Church"

Surfers
Corner

The Assyrian Genocide Seminar in Chicago

1999 Mid Eastern Country Reports on Human Rights
Practices

Assyrian
Surfing Posts

The Ilisu Dam Project in Yurquie
Talking Assyrian Alphabet
A History of
the British in Iraq

Literatus

Ancient Mesopotamian Pregnancy Test

Bravo

Stargate SG-1

Milestones

No Entry

Pump
Up the Volume

Exchange & Convert

Back
to the Future

Dog's Tongue & Paul Émile Botta

This
Week in History

First Assyrian School for Girls

Calendar
of Events

Hannibal Alkhas Exhibition in
Holland

All blue
links throughout this issue are hyperlinks to other sections on this page or
featured websites.

THE LIGHTHOUSE

MOR HABIB
Egyptian Missionary in Mesopotamia

Introduction

Mt Izlla is located in present day Turkey near the Syrian
border. It is a few kilometers north of Nisibis, the town famous at the end of
the fourth century for its Christian University.  Persian and Roman armies
moved back and forth within view of Mt. Izlo for several centuries. The Roman
general, Julian the Apostate,  lost to an inferior Persian army on the
Syrian plains below Mt. lzla.  In the next millennium, Marco Polo, the
Italian explorer,  passed by the base of the mountain on his way to China,
traveling on the famed Silk Road.

When monasticism emerged in the fourth century in Mesopotamia,
Mt. Izlo was a natural location for monasteries.1 It was near a
strategic military and cultural nexus, yet remote enough to satisfy the needs of
solitude. It was close enough to Nisibis, an important Christian population to
provide financial support, yet far enough away to allow monks to conduct prayer
in relative peace. Mt. Izla was on the Persian/Roman military border which made
it an important region for Emperors to court the loyalty of the monks.
Monasteries often financially benefited from generous gifts and building
programs.

Location of the Literary Source of the
Story

Traditions of the region suggest that monasticism was founded
by St. Awgin and his seventy two disciples from Egypt who came to the region in
the first half of the fourth century. Although a native monastic tradition
existed in the region, St. Awgin is credited with initiating the birth of many
monasteries and churches in the region. The spiritual center of this religious
phenomenon was on Mt. Izla.2

We know of at least seven main monasteries that were built on
Mt. Izla. The chief of the monasteries was St. Awgin where the Saint was buried.
The other six monasteries were Deir Mor Abraham of Kashkar, Deir Mor Yohanon
Tayoyo,  Deir Mor Melke, Dier Mor Khudahwi, Deir Mor Yareth, and Deir Mor
Sallara.

Four major Christian villages grew up in support of the
monasteries. Beth Arabaye: a village where  Eulogius lived in this village
for two years, Beth Mar Fafa: a village near Mt. Izlo below Deir Yohanon, Kfar
Zamara: a village near Mt. Izlo, and the main village M'arre which was the main
support for the monasteries for fifteen hundred years and bears archeological
evidence of its rich Christian past.3

We are told in the story of St. Habib that he came with the
original Egyptian troop of monks led by St. Awgin. He helped in the construction
of what became the monastery of St. Awgin.  Eventually the monks spread out
across the region evangelizing the pagan populations who practiced a
syncretistic but essentially Mithrian religion.   St. Habib is
credited in the story with evangelizing a region in what is today northern Iraq
in the vicinity of the Kardu mountains.

We learn from the story that he returned to Mt. Izla after his
first journey instigated by the prompting of St. Awgin.  The return to Mt.
Izla seems to indicate that the mountain was the spiritual heart of the
missionary enterprise.  Local Christian residents today believe that St.
Habib is buried at the site of the monastery of St. Awgin.  Our story
suggests that he is buried at a monastery that bore his name near the Tigris
river, perhaps in the vicinity of the town of Shigar in northern Iraq.

Date of the Literary Origin of the
Story

We have an excellent linguistic marker in the text to suggest
the time of the writing of the story of St. Habib. The story uses several Greek
loan words. The word 'theoria' first appears in the Greek writings of
Evagrius.  His writings became popular among Syrian monastic writers,
especially in Isaac of Nineveh , Babai, and Gregory of Cyprus, all of whom write
in the seventh century. The term became especially popular among contemporaries
of Isaac of Nineveh such as Shem'on d-Taybuteh and Dadisho.

Gregory of Cyprus defined the word as meaning 'divine vision'
and Dadisho defined it as 'purity of intellect', and Isaac of Nineveh describes
it as 'spiritual vision' or 'vision of the soul'.  Not only do we have this
single word, but we have it in a specific configuration. Professor Sebastian
Brock, the noted Syriac orientalist, lists adjectives associated with this Greek
loan-word throughout Syriac literature. In our story a variant of the adjective
'alahayta' modifies the Greek load word.  Brock says that this phrase is of
Dionysian origin. Dionysius the Areopagite was translated from Greek to Syriac
by Sergius of Resh'aina. It occurs in Syriac writers such as Philoxenus, Babai,
Gregory of Cyprus and Shemoun d-Taybuteh.4

We can conclude that the source of this story maybe as early as
the seventh century, three hundred years after the arrival of St. Habib on Mt.
Izla.  But more than likely the source of the story was written no earlier
than the ninth century as there is no manuscript referring to St. Awgin before
this time according to Brock.  We must have some humility about this
observation as it is evidence of having not yet found early manuscripts more
than lack of evidence.  We may have indirect evidence in our story that
this disciple of St. Awgin may have been recorded as early as the seventh
century.

The dating of the source of the story could be assisted by
identifying two towns mentioned in the story. First, there is Domaane which is
north and west of Mt. Izlo. It seems to be in the region of Turabdin. Also the
town of Romanus near Anhel. These villages are not present today. If one could
find when these villages began and ended under these names it could provide a
range of time for narrowing down the period for the source of this story along
with other factors.

Religious
Environment

Also we learn some things about the religions of the region
during the time of the writing of the story or perhaps even during the time of
St. Habib. We are told that there was a large idol and image-making industry.
Some of these idols were made of wood. We deduce that figurines were hung on the
idols and items such as gold and silver beads and pearls were hung around the
necks of the worshippers.

The names of the people also give us hints into the religious
world St. Habib was encountering, or at least it is knowledge of the pagan world
at the time of the writing of the story of St. Habib. In the story we encounter
a chief magi who was named Adarmalek and his son Pargoshansaf all indicate a
Persian/Mithrian religion.

Summary of the Story of St.
Habib

St. Habib entered a monastery near Alexandria when he was about
fifteen years old feigning ignorance, although he was quite knowledgeable in the
scriptures and philosophers.  After a few years he secluded himself a cell
and wrestled with demons. He left the solitary life in order to go to
Jerusalem.  He went to Alexandria to receive a blessing from the Patriarch
who saw his holiness and made St. Habib Bishop for Athens. Having to chase down
the saint, the Patriarch succeeded in making St. Habib a Bishop and sent him to
the city. He was received in Athens with great adulation and miracles of walking
on water. In Athens he battled over money with a fellow by the name of
Dionysious who had confiscated the money of the church and also from the
poor.  St. Habib through a dream discovered where the money was hidden and
had it brought to him.  Habib prayed and made the money magically fly to
him. Afterwards, Dioynisious committed suicide and St. Habib fled back to Egypt
to the Nitrian desert and joined the holy band of St. Awgin.  They left
Egypt and traveled to Syria, crossing over to Beth Nahrain to Mt. Izla near
Nisibis. There they built a monastery and church and it became a staging area
for a large missionary enterprise in the region.  St. Habib traveled with
the troop to the Kardu mountains where he miraculously healed a man who had been
mauled by a lion. He was taken to the village of the man and there St. Habib
destroyed their house of idols and converted the village to Christianity.
He baptised 6,006 people and stayed there and taught them for one month.
He returned to Mt. Izla with the man he healed and had become his disciple,
Barboze.  Later he traveled to the village of Domaane which was north west
of Mt. Izla. He and Barboze built a monastery and gathered sixty monks
there.  Later they traveled to Beth Lafat where they worked for seven years
among idol worshippers. When it was discovered that they were Christians, the
people of the city threw them in prison. The chief of the Magis beat St. Awgin
but the son of the chief of the Magis died as a divine consequence. Through a
dream of the Christian servant, the chief of the Magis had St. Awgin released
and come and raise his son from the dead.  St. Awgin mocks the pagan priest
whom he asks first to try to revive the dead son. When they fail St. Awgin
revives the son and converts the city and many nearby villages to
Christianity.  He baptises 10,635 people. He stays with them for three
years. St. Habib then goes to the city of Shigir and pays a carpenter to make a
living idol. He mocks the man and the idol and for this he is cast into prison
again. But St. Habib prays and casts down their house of idols. The people ask
St. Habib to show them the power of his God.  St. Habib has them bring two
dead children to him, a Persian and a Jew. He  revives them and converts
the city to Christianity.  He baptises 1,027 souls. He conducts ministry of
healing and teaching and stays with them for six months. Finally he leaves the
city and goes and builds a small cell near the Tigris River across from a small
village. He is told that he will soon die, and after a brief illness he dies and
is taken to heaven.

Signs of
Authenticity

Although the story in its present form in the two manuscripts
consulted in this story at Mor Gabriel monastery, shows signs of redaction,
there are clear evidences of authenticity. In three place we have exact numbers
given when counting the number of people baptised. We have 6,006 people baptised
in the region of Kardu, 10,635 in the region of Beth Lafat, and 1,027 souls in
Shigir. Also we have what sounds like a very authentic prayer from the mouth of
the saint that he prays over the people of Kardu. This is followed by a poem in
praise of the saint.

Notes

1. see J-M Fiey, Nisibe metropole
syrienne orientale et ses suffragants, des origines a nos jours, History of Mt
Izla Superiors of Mor Augin:  Augin 327-363 AD,  Andreas 363-444 AD,
Yoanon of Hira 444-485 AD, Daniel 485-505 AD, Yohanon Araboyo 505-540 AD,
Estephanon the Persian 540-590 AD, Isho the Palestinian 590-592 AD, Abraham the
Egyptian 592 - 612 ADAbraham of Jerusalem 612-643 AD,  Sallara 643-664
AD

2. Brock, S., Notes on Some
Monasteries on Mt. Izla, Abr-Nahrain XIX, Leiden, 1980/1
912 The life of John the Egyptian is copied at Mor Awgin by monk Moshe
(Mingana 496)
1271: restoration of Mor Awgin by Mar
Abdisho
1501: A manuscript is copies at Mor Awgin
(Berlin syr 59)
1620; A manuscript is copied at Mor
Awgin (Berlin syr. 31)
1739: Maryam of Mor Awgin
commissioned the writing of the manuscript of the life of Mor Awgin.

Coped by the
priest Shemoun of Alqosh (Mingana syr 166)
1808: Order
of St. Anthony and St. Awgin  founded as part of a monastic revival
by  Gabriel Danbo
1842: Monastery changed hands
from Nestorian to West Syrian ownership. Perhaps initiated by Mafrian

Basilios
Abulhad.
1973: Monastery restored again and one monk
and two nuns live there.

3. M'arre: a village in the vicinity
of Mt. Izlo. Known to have inscriptions of a unique relief similar to

those found at Mor
Gabriel and Mor Yohanon.

4. see Brock, S, Parole de l'Orient
XX. Kaslik, 1995

Fr. Dale A. Johnson (Bar
Yohanon)
Tur-Abdin,
Turkey
January 2000

Fr. Johnson (Bar Yohanon) works at the Mor Gabriel
monastery in southeast Turkey where he is involved in the translation of the
local hagiography.  The story of Mar Habib has not been published in the
west and Bar Yohanon has kindly submitted this article for exclusive publication
in the Zinda Magazine.

GOOD MORNING BET-NAHRAIN

THE CONTROVERSIAL ILISU DAM
PROJECT

(ZNRU: Istanbul)  The governments of
Austria, Germany, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the
U.S. are currently considering extending official export credits or guarantees
of about $ 850 million to finance the Ilisu hydropower project in Turkey. Ilisu
is at present the largest dam project in Turkey's pipeline. It is located on the
Tigris river in South-East Anatolia, 65 km upstream of the Syrian and Iraqi
border. The project is extremely controversial for a variety of political,
social, environmental, economic, and archeological reasons. It appears to
violate five policy guidelines of the World Bank on 18 accounts, and core
provisions of the UN Convention on the Non-Navigational Uses of Transboundary
Watercourses.

The Ilisu reservoir will flood 52 villages
and 15 small towns, including the city of Hasankeyf, and will affect
15,000-20,000 people. The exact number of affected people has so far not been
established, since the surveys of the reservoir area were in part conducted by
helicopter rides. Affected people are not being consulted.

The Ilisu reservoir will flood Hasankeyf, a
Kurdish town with a population of 5,500. Hasankeyf is the only town in Anatolia
which has survived since the middle ages without destruction. Being a rich
treasure of Assyrian, Christian, Abassidian-Islamic and Ottoman history in
Turkey, Hasankeyf was awarded complete archeological protection by the Turkish
department of culture on April 14, 1978 (decision A-1105).  The decision by
the department of energy to flood Hasankeyf violates this protection. Numerous
cultural experts and activists in Turkey have appealed to the national
authorities and the foreign companies to save Hasankeyf by changing the design
of Ilisu.  According to Olus Arik, a professor of Ankara University who
supervises the archeological excavations at Hasankeyf, many cultural treasures
cannot be transported, and that only 15 percent of all relics could be saved by
evacuation.

For more information see this week's ASSYRIAN
SURFING POSTS.

NEWS DIGEST

SYRIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH ON CENSUS 2000,
PRESS RELEASE

SOCNews:   The
Patriarchal Vicars of the Syrian Orthodox Church in the United States have
issued a joint encyclical requesting members of the Church residing in the U.S.
to submit the US Census-2000 forms registering themselves under the category
"Syriac", rather than the name of country of origin. Registering under this
category will help ensure that the community meets the minimum numbers required
to ensure appropriate federal assistance that is available to such communities
in the US. The Archbishops point out that the category should be spelled
correctly as "Syriac" and not "Syrian" since the latter would indicate a
national of Syrian Arab Republic.

February 20, 2000
From:  The Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch in the United
States
To:      All the
members of our Syrian Orthodox Church in the United States

May the blessings, peace and grace of our Lord be with
you.

As you may know, the U.S. Government is conducting census this
year. As of next March, the Census Bureau will start sending out the Census-2000
forms to every household in the USA. This process takes place once every ten
years, and based on its results, the Census bureau studies the demographics of
the population shift in the USA, and accordingly it assigns certain federal
financial help to each community based on its size. This federal help could
contribute towards education programs such as teaching of our language and
culture, as well as other community related services. There are two forms
involved-- form D-61B (the long form) and D-61A (the short form). A sample of
the sections related to ethnic origin and race is attached for reference. It
shows the location where the SYRIAC name is to be entered.

We urge each and every member of our community to register as
"SYRIAC", the specific category that has been assigned for our people. Please,
do not register under the name of any country of origin (i.e. the country from
which you originally immigrated from, such as Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq,
Turkey, etc.), because if you register under the name of any country of origin,
the federal help would go to the nationals of that country. It is very important
to register as "SYRIAC" with a "C" and NOT with an "N", because to the U.S.
Government the word "Syrian" means Syrian Arab and not Syriac (Suryoyo).

Our Syriac speaking community owns one of the oldest cultures
in the world, and it always strove to preserve its language and culture
throughout its long history. It is vital, therefore, for us to continue to work
towards preserving our language, the language of our Lord, and our
culture.

The "Syriac for Census-2000 Committee" was formed to encourage
and request all Syriac speaking communities in the US to register as "SYRIAC"
under the combined category of "Syriac Speaking People"
(Syriac/Chaldean/Assyrian), so that we can meet the minimum required size of an
ethnic minority to be qualified for federal assistance.

Assuring you of our fatherly love and benediction, we
remain,

Clemis E. Kaplan, Archbishop
Patriarchal Vicar of the Western US.

Cyril Aphrem Karim, Archbishop
Patriarchal Vicar of the Eastern US.

P.S. If you need any further information or help in filling the
Census forms, contact your Archdiocese office or the Syriacs for Census 2000
Committee (SCC) at: (818) 888-4768.

For Syriac version click
here.

ANCIENT CASTLE FOUND IN SOUTHERN
BET-NAHRAIN

(ZNRU:  Baghdad)  Iraqi archeologists have discovered
an ancient castle dating back to the pre-Islamic era in southern Bet-Nahrain's
Babil Province- 60 miles south of Baghdad.  According to the al-Zawra
Weekly the castle contained many artifacts, statues, coins and earthenware pots
of different sizes.  Abdul-Hameed Aggar, the head of the excavation team,
said that bricks gilded by engraved gypsum were used in the castle, indicating
``technical innovation'' in the building. The excavation began last year in
Babil province, which is also the site of the historic city of Babylon. Aggar
said other houses and castles discovered in the excavation had designs showing
they were built under Parthians and Sassanids -- Persian dynasties that reigned
between the third century BC and seventh century AD.  Last December, Iraq
said its archeologists discovered 397 artifacts that dated back to about 2500 BC
at an ancient site in southern Iraq.

Also last week, Turkey took possession Wednesday of 133
artifacts, some of which are 2,500 years old, that were looted from
archaeological sites in Turkey and smuggled into the United States.  Items
on display at the State Department ceremony included bronze bracelets and lamps,
a terra cotta bird image, a Byzantine cross and a small green glass flask. The
collection also contained Assyrian antiquities.

As Alfay Pasinli, Turkey's director general of monuments and
museums, signed a receipt and officially received the pieces, Istemihan Talay,
Turkey's culture minister, said he hoped the treasures' return would set a
precedent.

Last week, Joel Malter, 68, of Malter Galleries in Encino,
Calif., pleaded guilty in federal court in Oklahoma City to a conspiracy charge
in connection with the smuggling.  Investigators said Malter had agreed to
buy $8,000 worth of the stolen antiquities.

The investigation began in October 1997 after a U.S. Customs
agent learned of the smuggling from an Oklahoma City buyer. Working with the
Turkish national police, the agent met with Sezai Portakalci, who worked on the
U.S. Air Force Base in Incirlik, Turkey.  Portakalci, whom investigators
called the operation's mastermind, was arrested in 1998. Searches in the Turkish
towns of Adana and Kozan resulted in four more arrests, including a reserve U.S.
Air Force major at Incirlik. Investigators also recovered additional coins and
artifacts.

SURF'S UP!

“As a Deacon for the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian
Church of the East, I am surprised constantly by the ignorance and the lack of
research of so-called theologians and the inappropriate presentation of the
facts when publishing material regarding the Assyrian Church of the East and St.
Nestorius. While it is true that he was condemned for believing that the Virgin
Mother of Christ should not be called "Theotokos" or God-bearer, you fail to
mention that he was unfairly tried and judged in a hostile and prejudice court
during the Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D. Also, it may be true that his
followers fled to Persian territories after his ex-communication and exile, it
is utterly false that they founded the Nestorian Persian church. While the
Persian Church, also known as the Assyrian Church of the East, similarly rejects
the designation of Mary as God-bearer, they do accept that she should be called
"Christotokos" or Christ-bearer. However, this belief in Christ's natures and
his relationship to the Virgin Mary was part of the Church's theology long
before the birth of Nestorius, let alone his ascension to the Patriarchal See of
Constantinople. Neither Nestorius nor his followers founded the Assyrian Church
of the East in Persia. This is a misconception actively spread by the Roman
Catholic Church and believed by many Assyrians. Rather, the Orthodox theology
Nestorius preached was that of the Assyrian Church, founded centuries before his
birth. Additionally, he did not claim the existence of 2 persons in Jesus
Christ, as the Roman Catholics and Chaldeans falsely maintain. In contrast, he
believed in the dual natures of Christ, one divine and one human, each
performing their own purpose in the one man Jesus.

The Assyrian Church of the East, with its
capital being located at Seleucia-Ctesiphon during the 5th century A.D., was
founded by the apostles St. Thaddeus and St. Mari during the first century. It
had developed an organized and structured religious institution with the
Catholicos-Patriarch as its head. Furthermore, while the western church was
embroiled in persecutions and religious controversies regarding Christology, the
Church of the East had developed a superior theology and belief in Christ that
was based on the prophets and Gospel, as opposed to the Western Church's
theology that was based on Greek philosophy.

Because the Assyrian church was confined to
the borders of the Persian Empire, free and open communication with the Roman
West was difficult and mostly prohibited. As many of our church's ancient
theologians state, by the time the Persian Church had heard of the Nestorian
controversy, many decades had passed and Nestorius was dead. However, our church
did not excommunicate Nestorius as the Western church requested, since we found
no fault with his religious doctrine and theology. To excommunicate St.
Nestorius would be tantamount to excommunicating our own faith and theology,
which was handed down to us via the Apostles, and has allowed us to survive two
thousand years of persecution, rape, torture, and injustice perpetrated against
us because of our belief in Jesus Christ, the Son of God Almighty.

Since the Assyrian Church of the East had a
structured hierarchy and institution with the Catholicos-Patriarch as its head
and various metropolitans, bishops, and clergy to oversee its rural and urban
districts, and as mentioned above due to geographical borders, it was
independent of the West and had no dependence on Rome as did the Sees of the
Western church. Additionally, the Assyrian Church had prominent learning
centers, such as the schools of Nisibin and Edessa (Orhai), where instructors of
Christian theology, inspired by divine thinking rather than earthly philosophy,
taught students that would carry on the traditions of the church. These learning
centers were the envy of the Western world. Not only was theology taught at
these institutions, but secular subjects as well, such as medicine, astronomy,
and science.

In all actuality, the Assyrian Church was
an organization centuries ahead of its time that was open and tolerant to many
beliefs and promoted novel ideas to educate its members. Its success can be
witnessed by its flourishing during the Abbassid Caliphates, when many Assyrians
were promoted to high level government positions during Arab rule. Furthermore,
as quoted by A. Mingana, a prominent Assyrian theologian, the Assyrian Church
had realized that the atom was the smallest physical particle and that the earth
revolved around the sun centuries before these discoveries were made by Bohr,
Copernicus and Galileo. And while the Roman church considered such ideas as
heresies, the so-called Nestorian church promoted these ideas centuries before
they were scientifically proven in the West.

When the Roman church was still in its
infancy, the Assyrian Church of the East, with its strict monasticism, had
developed an active missionary prowess that would allow the penetration of the
good news of the Gospel into areas such as Malabar and Trichur, India, Armenia,
Turkestan (southern USSR today), Tibet, central China, Mongolia, Siberia, and
Japan. Even today, there is a bustling community of "Nestorian" Christians in
India that claim their Christian heritage from St. Thomas and recognize the
Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East as their head. Therefore, it is
erroneous and intellectually ignorant to make such a statement regarding
Nestorius and his followers.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, Roman
Catholicism began to penetrate into the Middle East, specifically Iraq, causing
divisions within the Assyrian Church of the East as well as the Assyrian nation.
Many believers, due to church controversies and matters beyond their control,
were compelled to leave their mother church and join their Assyrian brethren
that had subscribed to the Roman Catholic faith. During the 16th century, in
order to distinguish between the Assyrians who had steadfastly remained in the
faith of their ancient church, and the newly converted Roman Catholic Assyrians,
Pope Eugene IV, quite belligerently subscribed the connotation of "Nestorian" to
the ancient and true Assyrians, while calling his Roman followers "Chaldean".
The head of this newly formed "Chaldean Church" was the Patriarch of Babylon of
the Chaldeans who was ordained amidst controversy.

Although members of both churches are
Assyrian and of Assyrian ancestry, until today these false and inappropriate
titles have only deepened the divide between our churches, possibly eliminating
all hope of unifying our Assyrian nation.

Additionally, we must realize the workings
of the Roman Catholic Church. This is the same institution that in the name of
Christianity began the Inquisition throughout regions of the world where Roman
Catholicism was dominant. Furthermore, with the use of the militaries of
Portugal and Spain, the Inquisition was spread to other areas of the world, such
as Goa in India, in order to reconcile to the Roman church those "heretical"
Christians who claimed their heritage from the Apostles and only recognized and
followed the Persian Church and its Patriarch. One must wonder how such brutal
and ungodly actions were taken by Rome and condoned by the Bishop of Rome (Pope)
all in the name of Christ! As I have stated quite succinctly, it is erroneous to
call members of the Assyrian Church of the East as "Nestorian". This term has
been applied to us by the Roman Catholics as a way of demeaning our faith and
denomination, and it is still used today. St. Nestorius is considered by the
Assyrian Church of the East as a martyr that suffered for Christ and the true
Orthodox faith without shedding blood. Many ancient theologians of the Holy
Apostolic Catholicos Assyrian Church of the East have commented on this matter,
stating that St. Nestorius was not of our race, his features were not like ours,
he did not speak our ancient Aramaic language, and by the time he was born, our
church had a developed faith and theology that was spreading like wildfire
throughout Persia, the Middle East, and Asia due to its missionary zeal. In
other words, Nestorius nor his followers founded the Persian Church. Rather,
Nestorius through his preaching only affirmed the orthodox faith of the Persian
Church. Thus, Nestorius' theology supported what the Church had been preaching
centuries before and not the other way around as claimed by Rome.

If one was to seriously study the events of
that period, they would see how the political and economic atmospheres during
that time influenced the decisions of the so-called "Robber Synod". Furthermore,
contemporary theologians as well as theologians and historians of the past
century, many of whom have strong Protestant roots, have supported St.
Nestorious, stating definitely that the Christology he subscribed to and the
faith he preached is the true Orthodox faith, and that he was unfairly judged
and tried by hypocrites rather than true Christian believers. Therefore, the
idea that his followers founded the Nestorian Church following his exile is
absolutely and unequivocally incorrect.

As mentioned previously, I am a Deacon for
the Assyrian Church of the East, and such matters of theology and history are of
vital importance to me as well as many other people of my church and Assyrian
nation. For nearly two thousand years my people have suffered in the name of
Christianity, albeit much of it due to pagans and Muslim conquerors, but also to
the Roman Catholic institution. Even to this day, this misnomer of "Nestorian"
and "Nestorian Church" perpetuated by the political and egotistical whims of a
Roman pontiff stings like a venom. We should never allow these so-called
historians to inaccurately portray our most glorious and sacred church with
their misguided claims. The Assyrian Church of the East has been a beacon of
hope and spirituality for the Assyrian nation, and for it to survive in this new
millennium, we must be vigilant in making sure not only Assyrians, but other
nationalities and religious denominations, know and understand our history and
what our ancestors have suffered to keep our Christian faith and ancient and
beautiful Assyrian race alive. I apologize for the length of this manuscript,
but throughout it, I hope I have shed some light on this
matter.”

Deacon John Badal Piro, B.S.,
M.S.
California

SURFERS CORNER
THE ASSYRIAN GENOCIDE SEMINAR IN
CHICAGO

March 3, 2000

The Assyrian Academic Society, along with
the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at North Park University, proudly sponsor
a Seminar entitled "The Assyrian Genocide: Living With Hope For the Future."
Featured speakers are: Abdul Massih Saadi, Ph.D. Lutheran School of Theology at
Chicago, Raman Michael, BS., Chair, Public Programs Committee, Assyrian Academic
Society (AAS) and Robert DeKelaita, JD., Chair, Publications Committee, Assyrian
Academic Society (AAS).

Both, the AAS and CMES view this seminar as
a unique opportunity to showcase some of the complex issues facing Assyrians
today with a focus on the last century's upheavals and future prospects. The
seminar will be enlivened by a panel discussion formed by representatives of the
Coalition of Assyrian Political Organizations, namely: Assyrian Democratic
Movement, Bet-Nahrain Democratic Party, Assyrian Universal Alliance, and the
Assyrian Democratic Organization. The panel participants will discuss a brief
history of each respective organization and the political objectives the
representatives are pursuing on behalf of Assyrians in the Middle
East/Bet-Nahrain. The seminar, "The Assyrian Genocide: Living With Hope for the
Future", will take place on Sunday, March 12, 2000 in the Anderson Chapel
(corner of Spaulding and Foster in Chicago) from 5:30 p.m.-8:30
p.m.

A $5 admission fee will be collected at the
door. For more information, please contact the Assyrian Academic Society
at:  (773) 461-6633; or the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at (773)
244-5786.
All are
welcome.

Assyrian
Academic Society, P. O. Box 3541, Skokie, IL 60076
(773) 461-6633: E-mail:
[email-masked]
E-mail:
[email-masked]

Center for Middle Eastern
Studies, 3225 W. Foster, Box 52 Chicago, IL 60625:
(773) 244-5786: E-mail:
[email-masked]

1999 COUNTRY REPORTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS
PRACTICES

Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human
Rights, and Labor
U.S.
Department of State, February 25, 2000

Excerpts on the "Christian" &
"Assyrian" populations:

I R A N

Religious activity is monitored closely by
the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS). Adherents of recognized
religious minorities are not required to register individually with the
Government, although their community, religious, and cultural organizations, as
well as schools and public events are monitored closely...Evangelical Christian
groups are pressured by government authorities to compile and hand over
membership lists for their congregations. Evangelicals have resisted this
demand. Non-Muslim owners of grocery shops are required to indicate their
religious affiliation on the front of their shops.

The Christian community is estimated at
approximately 117,000 according to government figures. Of these the majority are
ethnic Armenians and Assyro-Chaldeans. Protestant denominations and evangelical
churches also are active, although nonethnically based groups report a greater
degree of restrictions on their activities.

Authorities have become particularly
vigilant in recent years in curbing what is perceived as increasing
proselytizing activities by evangelical Christians, whose services are conducted
in Persian. Conversion of a Muslim to a non-Muslim religion can be considered
apostasy. Government officials have reacted to this perceived activity by
closing evangelical churches and arresting converts. Members of evangelical
congregations are required to carry membership cards, photocopies of which must
be provided to the authorities. Worshipers are subject to identity checks by
authorities posted outside congregation centers. Meetings for evangelical
services have been restricted by the authorities to Sundays, and church
officials have been ordered to inform the Ministry of Information and Islamic
Guidance before admitting new members to their congregations.

Evangelical church leaders are subject to
pressure from authorities to sign pledges committing them not to evangelize
Muslims or to allow Muslims to attend church services. Evangelical communities
in Iran report a heightened sense of fear from authorities in the period since
the murders of three prominent Iranian evangelical ministers in 1994, Reverends
Tatavous Michaelian, Mehdi Dibaj, and Haik Hovsepian Mehr. Three female members
of the Mujahedin-e Khalq organization were convicted for the murders of the
three ministers; however, many observers believe that authorities played a role
in the killings. Late in the year, a prominent investigative journalist raised
new questions about the guilt of the three women convicted of the 1994 murders,
alleging that the real murderers may have been officials within the Intelligence
Ministry linked to the deaths of several prominent dissidents in late 1998 (see
Section 1.a.).

One organization reported 8 deaths of
evangelical Christians at the hands of authorities in the past 10 years, and
between 15 and 23 disappearances in the year between November 1997 and November
1998.

Oppression of evangelical Christians
continued during the year. Christian groups reported instances of government
harassment of churchgoers in Tehran, in particular against worshipers at the
Assembly of God congregation in the capital. Instances of harassment cited
included conspicuous monitoring outside Christian premises by Revolutionary
Guards to discourage Muslims or converts from entering church premises and
demands for presentation of identity papers of worshipers inside. Iranian
Christians International (ICI) detailed the cases of Alireza and Mahboobeh
Mahmoudian, converts to Christianity and lay leaders of the Saint Simon the
Zealot Osgofi Church in Shiraz, who were forced to leave the country permanently
in June 1998 after continued harassment by the authorities. The ICI reported
that Alireza Mahmoudian had lost his job because of his conversion and had been
beaten repeatedly by Basiji and Ansar-e Hezbollah thugs on the orders of
government officials from the Ministry of Islamic Guidance. His wife, Mahboobeh,
also had been the subject of intimidation, principally through frequent and
aggressive interrogation by government officials.

I R A Q

The Government does not recognize the
various political groupings and parties that have been formed by Shi'a Muslims,
as well as Kurdish, Assyrian, Turkomen, and other Iraqi communities. These
political groups continued to attract support despite their illegal
status.

Assyrians and Chaldeans are considered by
many to be a distinct ethnic group as well as the descendants of some of the
earliest Christian communities. These communities speak a distinct language
(Syriac), preserve important traditions of Christianity in the east, and have a
rich cultural and historical heritage that they trace back over 2,000 years.
Although these groups do not define themselves as Arabs, the Government, without
any historical basis, defines Assyrians and Chaldeans as such, evidently to
encourage them to identify with the Sunni-Arab dominated regime.

The Government does not permit education in
languages other than Arabic and Kurdish. Public instruction in Syriac, which was
announced under a 1972 decree, has never been implemented. Thus, in areas under
government control, Assyrian and Chaldean children are not permitted to attend
classes in Syriac. In areas of northern Iraq under Iraqi Kurdish control,
classes in Syriac have been permitted since the 1991 uprising against the
Government. By October 1998, the first groups of students were ready to begin
secondary school in Syriac in the north; however, some Assyrian sources reported
that regional Iraqi Kurdish authorities refused to allow the classes to begin.
Details of this practice (for example, the number of students prepared to start
secondary courses in Syriac and the towns where they were located) were not
available, and Kurdish regional authorities denied that they engaged in such a
practice. There were no reports of elementary school instruction in Syriac being
hindered in northern Iraq. In November the Kurdistan Observer reported that the
central Government had warned the administration in the Kurdish region against
allowing Turkmen, Assyrian, or Yazidi minority schools.

Assyrian groups reported several instances
of mob violence by Muslims against Christians in the north in recent years.
Assyrians continue to fear attacks by the Kurdistan Workers Party, a
Turkish-based terrorist organization that operates against indigenous Kurds in
northern Iraq. The Christians often feel caught in the middle of intra-Kurdish
fighting. In December 1997, six Assyrians died in an attack near Dohuk by the
PKK. Some Assyrian villagers have reported being pressured to leave the
countryside for the cities as part of a campaign by indigenous Kurdish forces to
deny the PKK access to possible food supplies.

Many Assyrian groups reported a series of
bombings in Irbil in late 1998 and early and late 1999. On December 9, 1998,
Nasreen Shaba and her 3-year-old daughter Larsa Toma were killed when a bomb
exploded on the doorstep of their home in the Terawa section of the city. Later
the same month, bombs exploded at the front door of Salman Toma Khoshaba in the
Al-Iskan area and in front of a convent in the Al-Mal'ab area. On January 6, a
bomb exploded at the door of Father Zomaya Yusip in the 7th-of-Nisan area. No
one was killed in these three subsequent incidents. On December 15, a bomb
killed 60-year-old Habib Yousif Dekhoka in front of his store in Irbil after
several months of threats and one prior attempt. Although the bombings have not
been linked to any particular faction or group, Assyrians believe that they are
part of a terror campaign designed to intimidate them into leaving northern
Iraq. The Assyrian Democratic Movement, the Assyrian Patriotic Party, and other
groups have criticized the investigation into these incidents conducted by the
Kurdistan Regional Government. There were no reported arrests by year's
end.

In June the Assyrian National News Agency
reported a " well-established pattern" of complicity by Kurdish authorities in
attacks against Assyrian Christians in northern Iraq.

Many Assyrian groups reported a series of
bombings in Irbil in December 1998, and in January and December. On December 15,
a bomb killed 60-year-old Habib Yousif Dekhoka in front of his
store.

On June 19, the Assyrian International News
Agency (AINA) reported that the partially decomposed body of Helena Aloun Sawa,
a 21-year-old Assyrian woman missing since early May, was discovered by a
shepherd in a shallow grave near Dohuk dam. Her family reportedly suspected that
she was raped. Sawa was a housekeeper for Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP)
Political Bureau member Izzeddin Al-Barwari. Reporting that the KDP offered no
assistance in searching for Sawa and that Al-Barwari had intimidated the family
into not pursuing an investigation, AINA concluded that the murder " resembles a
well-established pattern" of complicity by Kurdish authorities in attacks
against Assyrian Christians in northern Iraq. It reported that Sawa had been
coerced into working for Al-Barwari to restore to her family a KDP pension that
had been suspended arbitrarily. The pension had been awarded because of the
recognition of Sawa's father as a KDP martyr after he was killed in the uprising
against the Iraqi regime in 1991.

However, on June 21, a spokesperson for the
Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced that the Dohuk police Homicide
Division and the Dohuk General Security Department were investigating the Sawa
murder. A subsequent KRG statement indicated that there did not appear to be a "
political or racial" motive. The KRG noted that the Al-Barwari family had
reported last seeing Sawa when she left Dohuk on her way to a vacation at her
family village in the Nerwa O Rakan area, and that Al-Barwari had been in
Damascus, Syria at the time. Nevertheless, Al-Barwari was suspended from
official KDP duties pending the conclusion of the investigation. At the end of
June, KDP President Massoud Barzani decided to appoint a three-member commission
to further investigate the killing. No results of that investigation were
reported by year's end.

No hostilities were reported between the
two major Iraqi Kurdish parties in de facto control of northern Iraq. During the
year, the KDP reportedly imposed a blockade on Assyrian villages, and later
entered the villages and beat villagers. The Kurdistan Democratic Party and the
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan agreed in September 1998 to unify their
administrations. Little progress was made toward implementing the 1998
agreement.

Many Assyrian groups reported a series of
bombings in December 1998, and January and December 1999. Assyrian groups
criticized the investigation into these crimes by the Kurdish
authorities.

The Special Rapporteur and others reported
that the Government has engaged in various abuses against the country's 350,000
Assyrian and Chaldean Christians, especially in terms of forced movements from
northern areas and repression of political rights. Most Assyrians live in the
northern governates, and the Government often has suspected them of "
collaborating" with Iraqi Kurds. In the north, Kurdish groups often refer to
Assyrians as Kurdish Christians. Military forces destroyed numerous Assyrian
churches during the 1988 Anfal Campaign and reportedly tortured and executed
many Assyrians. Both major Kurdish political parties have indicated that the
Government occasionally targets Assyrians, as well as ethnic Kurds and Turkmen,
in expulsions from Kirkuk, where it is attempting to Arabize the
city.

According to AINA reports, on August 25,
the KDP imposed a blockade on eight Assyrian villages in the Nahla area east of
Aqra. ICRC monitors in northern Iraq reportedly intervened on the villages'
behalf, and the blockade was lifted. During the night of August 27, KDP forces
reportedly reentered the village of Kash Kawa, rounded up the villagers, and
publicly beat two of them. The KDP allegedly suspected a connection between the
village and the Kurdistan Workers Party, with whom the KDP often has fought.
AINA reported a similar night raid by a dozen members of the KDP forces on the
village of Belmat on September 10. The KDP media quoted village leaders and the
mayor of Aqra, denying that any such blockade or village raids occurred. The
ICRC confirmed that it intervened with the KDP after receiving an Assyrian
request and that the KDP withdrew from the villages thereafter. AINA reported
that armed KDP members entered Assyrian Patriotic Party (APP) headquarters in
Dohuk on October 21 and forced its closure. APP offices were allowed to reopen 4
days later.

J O R D A N

In general Christians do not suffer
discrimination. Christians hold government positions and are represented in the
media and academia approximately in proportion to their presence in the general
population, which is estimated at 6 percent.   Christian children in
public schools are not required to participate in Islamic religious
instruction

Over 90 percent of the population are Sunni
Muslim, and approximately 6 percent are Christian. The Government does not
recognize religious faiths other than the three main monotheistic religions:
Islam; Christianity; and Judaism. In addition not all Christian denominations
have been accorded official government recognition. Officially recognized
denominations include the Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic
(Melkite), Armenian Orthodox, Maronite Catholic, and the Assyrian, Anglican,
Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventist, United Pentecostal, and Presbyterian Churches.
Other churches, including the Baptist Church, the Free Evangelical Church, the
Church of the Nazarene, the Assembly of God, and the Christian Missionary
Alliance, are registered with the Ministry of Justice as " societies" but not as
churches.

The Government does not interfere with
public worship by the country's Christian minority. However, although the
majority of Christians are allowed to practice freely, some activities, such as
proselytizing or encouraging conversion to the Christian faith--both considered
legally incompatible with Islam--are prohibited. Christians are subject to
aspects of Shari'a (Islamic law) that designate how inheritances are
distributed.

Non-Jordanian Christian missionaries
operate in the country but are subject to restrictions. Christian missionaries
may not proselytize Muslims. In late 1998 and early 1999, foreign Christian
mission groups in the country complained of increased bureaucratic difficulties,
including refusal by the Government to renew residence permits. One couple
affiliated with the Anglican Church was accused of converting a Muslim minor to
Christianity and ordered to leave the country. The couple stated that the minor
in question had been attending their church for several months before they met
him.

Of the 80 seats in the lower house, 9 are
reserved for Christians, 6 for Bedouins, and 3 for the Circassian or Chechen
ethnic minorities.

J O R D A N

Officially all schools are government-run
and nonsectarian, although some schools are run in practice by Christian and
Jewish minorities. There is mandatory religious instruction in schools, with
government-approved teachers and curriculums. Religion courses are divided into
separate classes for Muslim and Christian students... Although Arabic is the
official language in public schools, the Government permits the teaching of
Armenian, Hebrew, Syriac (Aramaic), and Chaldean in some schools on the basis
that these are "liturgical languages."

T U R K E Y

Although the country is secular, religious
and moral instruction in state primary and secondary schools is compulsory for
Muslims. Upon written verification of their non-Muslim background, minorities
considered by the Government to be covered by the 1923 Lausanne Treaty (Greek,
Armenian, and Jewish) are exempted by law from Muslim religious instruction;
they may hold their own classes. Syriac and other Christians whom the Government
does not consider to be an official Lausanne Treaty minority are not exempted.
Non-Muslim students who wish to attend such courses may do so with parental
consent.

By law religious services may take place
only in designated places of worship. Non-Muslim religious services often take
place in nondesignated places of worship. The Roman Catholic Church in Ankara,
for example, is confined to diplomatic property but has not sought property to
construct a church recently.

Minority religions considered by the
Government not to be recognized under the Lausanne Treaty may not acquire
additional property for churches (beyond those predating the establishment of
modern Turkey). Religions recognized by the Government under the Lausanne Treaty
(Greek Orthodox, Armenian Christian, and Jewish) can regain lost property if
there is a community need, but if they cannot maintain existing property, it may
revert to the Vakiflar. Government authorities do not interfere in matters of
doctrine pertaining to minority religions, nor do they restrict the publication
or use of religious literature. While the Government does not recognize the
ecumenical nature of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, it acknowledges him as head
of the Turkish Greek Orthodox community and does not interfere with his travels
or other ecumenical activities.

In February 1998, the Syriac Christian
community and government officials reached an understanding that the Syriacs
could resume renovation of the Dayrul Umur monastery in Midyat in compliance
with government standards for preservation of historical sites. Authorities had
halted the renovation in 1997. In April the Syriac Christians received written
government approval of their technical plans for the renovation, which was well
under way at year's end.

Under the law, religious buildings that
become "extinct" (because of prolonged absence of clergy or lay persons to staff
local religious councils or for lack of adherents) revert to government
possession. Some non-Muslim minorities, particularly the Greek Orthodox
community and, to a lesser extent, the Jewish community, the Armenian Orthodox
community, and the shrinking Syriac Christian community have lost the use of
houses of worship and other facilities. During the year an Armenian Church in
Hatay province was deemed by authorities to be no longer in community use and is
to revert to the Vakiflar. If such minorities can demonstrate a renewed
community need, they may apply legally to recover such properties. The
authorities monitor the activities of Eastern Orthodox Churches and their
affiliated operations. The Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul consistently
expressed interest in reopening the seminary on the Island on Halki in the Sea
of Marmara. The seminary has been closed since 1971 when the state nationalized
most private institutions of higher learning. Under current restrictions,
including a citizenship requirement, religious communities remain unable to
train new clergy. However, coreligionists from outside the country have been
permitted to assume leadership positions.

For complete reports click
here.

MILESTONES

No Entry

ASSYRIAN SURFING POSTS

Links to Other Assyrian
Websites

The
Ilisu Dam Project in Yurquie

Talking
Assyrian Alphabet

A
History of the British in Iraq

LITERATUS

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIAN PREGNANCY
TEST

A rare pregnancy testing text from Babylon
has come to light.  It was used to test whether a woman is able to
conceive.  The test consists of inserting a pessary made from medications
wrapped in a wad of wool, or of giving the woman a potion to drink.  If the
potion causes her to vomit, she is pregnant; if the wad of wool has turned
green, she is pregnant.

Babylonian Birth Prognosis, Erica Reiner (Zeitschrift
fur Assyriologie und vermandte Gebiete 72, 1982)

BRAVO

STARGATE  SG-1

Where can a TV viewer see samples of the ancient Assyrian
clothing designs?  How about Showtime's most popular Sci-Friday series,
Stargate SG-1?  According to wardrobe designer Christine McQuarrie, some of
her exotic designs were inspired by the ancient designers of
Beth-Nahrain.

Stargate SG-1 follows a unique team of a Special Operations
Colonel, an Archaeologist, an Astrophysicist and an Alien Warrior on their
missions through an ancient "gate" to new worlds where they encounter
fascinating, but sometimes dangerous cultures. This team, known as SG-1, works
under the auspices of a covert agency known as the SGC, a division of Air Force
Intelligence that is highly classified; only the President and the Joint Chiefs
know of its existence.

Stargate SG-1 began filming on February 18, 1997 in Vancouver,
British Columbia.  Dozens of extras were utilized throughout filming,
meaning that hundreds of costumes had to be designed. That task fell to wardrobe
designer Christine McQuarrie, who made about two hundred costumes, borrowing
liberally from different historical periods.

"I used the film as a starting point and then was inspired
solely by visual interest," says McQuarrie. "By mixing modern fabrics with
classic designs -- from such cultures as the Roman, Egyptian, Assyrians -- I was
able to create costumes that convey the right feeling and avoid being
historically accurate. We didn't want the clothes to be identified too closely
with any actual Earth culture because the societies of these different peoples
seen in the show were developed on different planets. It would be too
coincidental if they dressed exactly like the ancient Egyptians or
Greeks."

Working with a staff of ten, McQuarrie sourced her clothes from
Vancouver and also New York and Los Angeles. She worked closely with a U.S. Air
Force representative in designing the garb of the SG-1 team. In fact, the
group's fully-dressed field uniforms are authentic military issue.

Courtesy of MGM Global Television Inc. and Showtime
Networks Inc.

PUMP UP THE VOLUME

ENGLISH

MODERN
ASSYRIAN

GENDER

Exchange

mkhal/pa/noo/ta

Feminine

Convert

makh/lap/ta

Feminine

BACK TO THE FUTURE

BC (1000)

A pharmaceutical handbook is found from this period indicating
different herbs' medicinal effects.  For example:  Yellow Saffron for
constricted bladder and Dog's Tongue for cough.

Astral Magic in Babylonia, Erica Reiner

AD (1870)

dies, Paul Émile Botta (b. 1802), French archaeologist and
diplomat, born in Turin, Italy, the son of the Italian historian and physician
Carlo Giuseppe Guglielmo Botta, who became a French citizen in 1814. Botta
studied medicine but later entered the French diplomatic service; his first post
was in Alexandria, Egypt. In 1842 he was assigned to Mosul in northern Iraq,
then a Turkish province. While there he directed a search for Assyrian
antiquities at the nearby village of Khorsabad. Excavation uncovered ruins of
the city Dur Sharrukin, founded by Sargon II, king of Assyria (reigned
722-705BC). Statues of Sargon and winged bulls that guarded his palace were
moved to the Louvre in Paris. Botta wrote accounts of his discoveries and a work
on the cuneiform writings of the Assyrians.

THIS WEEK IN
HISTORY

March 12, 1838:   The first Assyrian Girls School in Urmia is
founded.  The first enrollment sheet consisted of 4 registered
students.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

until
Apr 23

ENSCHDE,
HOLLAND
HANNIBAL ALKHAS PAINTINGS
EXHIBITION

Sponsored by the Patriotic Revolutionaries of BethNahrin
& Museium Jannink

Museum Jannink
Haaksbergerstr
147

The gallery opens officially on March 17 by the Syrian
Orthodox Church's Bishop Yulius Cicek who lives in the Mor Afrem Monastery
in Holland.  Gedeputeerde Overijssel dhr. Jan Kristen and Wethouder
dhr. M. Swart from Enschede will also be present.  The opening
ceremony will also feature Beth Nahrin folk music.

Phone: 053-431 9093
Fax:
053-430 5492

Mar 12

CHICAGO

SEMINAR:  THE ASSYRIAN
GENOCIDE

"The Assyrian Genocide: Living With
Hope for the Future"
Sponsored by the Assyrian Academic Society & the Center for
Middle Eastern Studies at North Park University

North Park University

Anderson Chapel (corner of Spaulding
and Foster in Chicago)
5:30-8:30 PM

For more info click
here

Mar 28

LONDON

LONDON CENTRE FOR THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST
LECTURE

"Reading and writing cuneiform past and present"

Christopher Walker
6:30
PM
British Museum, Great Russell St. WC1. Lecture
theatre.
Tickets 7.50 pounds
Contact 020 7323 8566

Apr 12

LONDON

LONDON CENTRE FOR THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST
LECTURE

"Egypt through the Assyrian annals"
Paul Collins
6:00 PM
British Museum, Great Russell St. WC1. Lecture Theatre

EES and BM Dept. of Egyptian antiquities.

Non-EES members contact the EES 020 7242
1880

Apr 28

SAN
FRANCISCO
INTERNATIONAL CULINARY
EVENT

Sponsored by the Assyrian Aid Society
of America
To raise
$100,000 for projects in north Iraq

Dinner prepared by famous Middle
Eastern chefts
Served
with finest California wines

Garden Court of the Palace
Hotel
$200 per
person

For more information
contact:
Assyrian Aid Society of
America
350 Berkeley
Park Boulevard
Kensington, CA 94707

May 22-26

COPENHAGEN

2ND INTERN. CONGRESS ON THE
ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST

"Near Eastern Archaeology at the
Beginning of the 3d Millen. AD"
Hosted by Carsten Niebuhr Institute and the
University of Copenhagen.

Contact:  Secretary of the
2ICAANE
Carsten
Niebuhr Institute
Snorresgade 17 - 19
DK-2300 Copenhagen.
Tel. +45 35 32 89 00; Fax. +45 35 32 89
26
e-mail:
[email-masked].

May 27

MODESTO

FIRST ASSYRIAN MIDI COMPOSERS
CONFERENCE

Double Tree Hotel

2:00 PM-10:00 PM PST

Organized by: Nineveh On
Line
Click Here for more
information
What is
MIDI?  Click
Here

Jun 26-30

SYDNEY

EIGHT ANNUAL CONGRESS FOR SYRIAC
STUDIES

Department of Semitic
Studies
University of
Sydney

Jul 10-13

PARIS

46th RENCONTRE ASSYRIOLOGIQUE
INTERNATIONALE

"Nomadism and Sedentarism in the
Ancient Near East"

College de France

52 rue Cardinal
Lemoine
75005

Contact: [email-masked] or
fax 33-1-48-87-82-58

XLVIe RAI
Christophe NICOLLE
Chaire d'Assyriologie
College de France
52 rue Cardinal Lemoine

75005, Paris -
France

THANK
YOU!
Rachelle
Badal..........California...........News Digest
Nadia
Joseph....................Chicago..........Calendar of Events

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