By Abbey Mikha

Every day I think about the Assyrian Martyrs who were massacred in 1915 in Hakkari, Tur Abdin, and other Assyrian areas and also in Simele in 1933. I am especially thinking about these Genocides today August 7th because today is Assyrian Martyrs day.

By: Ashur Sada

Over the weekend, I came across an article about ISIS (aka ISL) taking over the Library of Mosul where

Digitizing books in Iraq would give them a safe future

they confiscated close to 2000 books-leaving behind only Islamic books-and taking them away. What happened next is very disturbing but not shocking at all: ISIS set the books on fire, destroying them all in the process.

Sounds familiar? yes it does, it is similar to what the Mongols did in Baghdad in 1258 when they threw thousands of historical books, documents and records-many of which were Assyrian by authorship and origin-into the river, purportedly turning the river black from all the spilled ink.

But it is not just the Mongols and ISIS. Iraq has always been an interesting place: lots of history but at the same time rarely ever stable enough to sustain this rich history. From ancient times and until now, it has never been stable enough for more than a few years or decades at a time and that has meant that its historical treasures-especially books and artifacts-have always been the subject of looting, burning and total destruction. Iraq may have an vast collection of historical and ancient books and artifact today but it should have been double this had it not been for all the wars and destruction that this land has seen over the ages.

While artifacts and other physical objects can’t be easily digitized, other than simply taking pictures of them, books can have a better fate and be protected from destruction. Thanks to the internet and other new technologies that didn’t exist even a few decades ago, Iraq can and should start to digitize as many of its ancient books and archive records as possible. Google Books for example is already the largest digital depositary of books in the world. Using new scanning technology that Google pioneered, you can now find English-other languages are slowly being added too-books that go as far back as 500 years ago, which is shortly after the printing press was invented. This ensures that these priceless documents and books are preserved virtually forever, eliminating the possibility of a future destruction through fire or intentional sabotage which unfortunately is an inevitable possibility in a place like Iraq and the Middle East in general.

Imagine for a second if Google Books or other similar technologies existed some 1000 years ago. It would completely change our world today. It would mean that the books were preserved already, even if the Moguls tried to destroy them when they invaded Baghdad. From a historical point of view, this would be a complete paradigm shift from what we have today. It would mean having access to material that we can’t even dream of today. For example, from an Assyrian prospective, it would shed new light on what happened to Assyrians after the fall of their empire and how they evolved to become Christians and continue their legacy. While we do have some information on what happened to Assyrians after the fall of their empire, a lot has been lost in the centuries following the fall of their empire. The ruthless moguls ensured that most of what was left, would be lost forever in the Tigris river in Baghdad.  From a Christian prospective, we would likely have a lot more literature and volume on how Christianity came to Iraq and neighboring regions etc.

Google, in fact, has already taken steps to digitize physical objects from the past.  Using Google Maps technology, they have already digitized the ‘National Museum of Iraq‘ , allowing you to take a virtual tour inside. Not a substitute for the real thing of course, but at least we have a copy in case the real thing is lost as a result of fire, looting or direct sabotage by terrorists, looters etc.

Digitization, of course, has its limitation. For one, it may preserve the text of the book and even the way its cover and its pages look, but it is not a substitute for the real book and the way it feels when you touch it. But at the end of the day, it is better to at least preserve the content of these books than not to have anything left at all. In other words, when we can’t preserve both the substance and the form, let us at least save the former. After all, the ideas we inherit from these books are what matters the most. The preservation of the book itself, the cover, the pages, while of paramount importance, comes only second to preserving the actual idea, facts and information that these books and records try to convey to their readers.

By: Ashur Sada

Recently, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) hosted an exhibition of hundreds of exceptional artifacts of Sumer, Assyria and

The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) hosted an exhibition of hundreds of exceptional artifacts of Sumer, Assyria and Babylon

Babylon from the British Museum. For a limited time, people in Toronto and near-by cities had a historical opportunity to witness the innovations of ancient Mesopotamia. Innovations that truly changed and made our world what it is today.

As an Assyrian living in Toronto, and having never been to any of the world famous museums that host a lot of our ancient Assyrian treasures, I thought this was like winning the lottery. I mean, I already live in Toronto, I am Assyrian and are interested in my history: it would be crazy to miss it. Not to mention, the exhibition ran for months and there was no excuses to miss it. I actually made my visit a bit late, just a few days before this temporary section at the ROM was to close and its artifacts returned to the British museum again. Cameras weren’t allowed inside which was unfortunate but understandable.  Most of the items at the museums can be found online, though it is nothing like seeing it in person.

The Visit

We made our way to the ROM on a Sunday, right after Christmas. Though it had been running for a few months, there was still a significant number of people there to visit the Mesopotamian section. The section was divided into three parts, by chronological order:  Sumerian, Assyrian and Babylonia. Interestingly, the Assyrian section, from my observation,  was the largest of all. The exhibition overall had some very interesting and priceless pieces,  including the Epic of Gilgamesh, a portrait of king Ashur Banipal hunting lions, replicas of the Code of Hammurabi, relief panels from king Ashur Banipal’s library, statue of King Ashurnasirpal II and so much more.  The museum did a good job of explaining things through text and audiovisuals. Another interesting feature the museum had in place was the ‘stitching’ of related bas-relief sculptures into one video to make it easier for people to understand what is exactly happening. One such illustration was king Ashur Banipal hunting lions. Originally, this is depicted in three different bas-relief sculptress. Using video illustration, the museum shows and makes it easier for people to understand what is happening.

Assyrian Pride and implications

I am please to report that a lot of Assyrians I know here in Toronto did go and visit the museum to witness the new Mesopotamian section.  It would be foolish to be proud of such a great civilization but not take the effort to witness it in person. . For the duration of this exhibit, close to a million people would have seen the Mesopotamian section or at least been exposed to it indirectly (ad, radio, web etc) . Imagine a lot of these people later searching for Assyrian related material online. And imagine their shock when they visit websites like Assyrian Voice and others and realize that Assyrians are actually still alive.  It is nice to remind these people that Assyrians exist beyond this museum and history books.  Some 2500+ years may have been passed since the fall of the Assyrian empire but as people, culture and language, we are still here.

The feeling of pride is priceless. The world is paying homage to our civilization. A civilization that has helped define and shape our world as we know it today.  But as always, as great as the past is, the present and future is what matters now.

By: Ashur Sada

In 1991,  the world witnessed the sudden and shocking collapse of one of the 20th centuries greatest powers, the Soviet Union.

After the fall of the Assyrian empire in 612 B.C, the Assyrian people and ethnicity continued on and till this day.

Though the collapse dissolved the Soviet Union into several smaller independent states and with it the Soviet identity, it didn’t mean the loss of the Russian identity. It simply meant that those Soviet citizens would now identify themselves as Russians, Georgians, Ukrainians etc. But essentially, their identity remained and didn’t cease to exist with the collapse of their former Soviet empire. In 1000 years from now, we will be looking at books from the late 20th century and early 21st century and see that people in the former Soviet Union were no longer referring to themselves as being ‘Soviets.’  Would we conclude from this that those ‘Soviets’ has disappeared from the face of the earth? Not really, they still existed and their main heir, the Russians, simply came to be called by this name now.  The name may have evolved but the lineage is direct and traceable.

This is essentially the case with the Assyrian identity and its survival following the collapse of the empire in 612 BC.  The question of the Assyrian continuity in the aftermath of the fall of the empire has been proven beyond any doubt but there still remain some skeptics-many with agendas-who argue that the Assyrians of today are probably not the same Assyrians from the ancient empire. They claim that following the collapse of the empire, Assyrians as people and identity were lost forever. As silly as these claims sound, they have been answered by so many Assyriologists, archaeologists, historians and recently even by DNA tracing.

The circumstances and timeline of the collapse of the two empires-Assyrian and Soviet-may favor the latter in that their people’s survival was much easier given that they didn’t have to be annihilated by other empires and that they have only been out of the scene for 25 years and not 2500 years like the Assyrians. Sure, that is true. But at the end of the day, the Soviet example is a great one when analyzing the ‘Assyrian survival and continuity’

There are even more recent examples. Following the collapse of the Ottoman empire, the identity of the Ottoman people didn’t cease to exist. It was simply morphed or evolved to a full Turkish one. Today, no one calls themselves ‘Ottoman’ but that is obviously not an indication that today’s Turks are not the direct descendants of the Ottomans. In the case of the Assyrian empire and the aftermath of its collapse, the case for the survival of the Assyrian people and identity is very strong. Despite some 2500 years since the collapse and despite all the different stages, empires and religions they have had to live with and under, the Assyrian identity remained intact and often strong. Sure, the people and identity were threatened at various stages, including by the Median-Babylonian invasion, being subjects under  powerful Persian and Roman empires,  conversion to Christianity, the Muslim invasions, bloody attacks by the moguls, Ottoman genocides and more, yet the Assyrian people managed to keep their name and blood alive!

Speaking of Christianity, it is interesting and ironic to see that Assyrians’ early adoption of the religion was one of the biggest threats to their identity. Assyrians of the antiquity were often viewed in the bible as being ruthless and destroyers of Jewish people, God’s chosen people. This prompted the newly converted Assyrians to distance themselves from their old name and ancestors at times-Assyrianism-and start a new chapter, where they would simply be identified by their new religion or their general geographical area-Mespotamia, Assyria etc.  Not to mention, the complication that arose from the introduction of the word ‘Syrian‘ and ‘Syriac’ made the term ‘Assyrian’ more lost in ambiguity.

Back in my teen years in the mid 90s, while living in Greece for a few years, I had a habit of writing daily journal entries. The topic would vary depending on my mood for that day. These entries were in English, despite it not being my first or second language at the time. Looking back at these entries recently, I noticed this one entry I had made about myself. Sort of a one page bio intro to myself. It caught me by surprise that there was not a single mention of the word ‘Assyrian’ neither as my language nor my ethnicity. I only mentioned myself being from Iraq and of a Christian religion. Does this mean I wasn’t Assyrian at this particular stage of my life? Of course not. Was it simply ignorance on my part or just part of my upbringing and the influence of school and the Saddam’s Ba’ath regime in brainwashing the masses? It could be. The point is, your ethnicity could be set in stone but it may not reflect in the way you live and write. Throughout the ages, starting from the time of Christ and up until the 1900s, Assyrians either didn’t see the need to constantly refer to themselves as being Assyrian, or they did but it was basically lost in translation. During my research into Assyrian continuity after the fall of the empire, I found no less than 20 different terms by which other nations referred to the old and new Assyrians. And that is just in my limited research and only in the English language. Imagine all the other ways they were referred to in all the other languages (Arabic, Greek, Latin etc.)

Assyrian continuity after the fall of the empire is analogous to a road that starts small and narrow, passes through dirt and challenging steep elevations but at the end, it is clear and gets you to your destination.

Think of the Assyrian identity and continuity post the fall of the empire in 612 B.C as a road (see the road image on the side for illustration).  It starts as a small one, signifying the start of the empire, around 2400 B.C. Then the road gets wider-the empire at its peak strength and reach-and by 612 B.C, that road becomes very narrow and filled with potholes, dirt and is almost unrecognizable. Yet it is still a road and continues forward. This road goes through mountains, hills, even a cave. At times, it becomes a narrow bridge over very deep and fast moving water but at no point does it end, it just continues.  In fact, there are stretches on this road that are so badly damaged and can’t be recognized, if you only managed to remove some of the dirt, you will realize that this road actually is continuing and it is the same road that you took when you started your journey.  In other words, if you took this road from the start and despite all the difficulties you will encounter along the way, if you manage to continue on this road, you are guaranteed to get to your current destination. That is the Assyrian continuity for you in a nutshell: it is  like road that changes so much in terrain but it is essentially the same one that you took and at no point does it cut off.

Assyrian continuity is a great example of the human will and its strong desire to remain relevant and alive in the face of all obstacles. We may take a nation’s survival for thousands of years for granted but it is not as easy as it looks, especially for the Assyrian people and ethnicity.  The fact that Assyrians have been stateless complicates things even more. Assyrian resiliency, being this strong, can only be traced to their strong and powerful ancestors, the Assyrians of Nineveh and Ashur, from 2400 to 612 B.C.

By: Ashur Sada

It is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world yet no one in this generation has ever seen what they look like nor where it was situated exactly. You just

The Hanging Gardens of Assyria?

had to take historians’ word for it, that it was a marvelous piece of engineering from the ancient world. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon has been the subject of an intense debate amongst the archaeological community.  Finding its exact location is the holy grail of this field and till this day no one has been able to find its remains and exact location.  Some even went as far as doubting its existence and thinking it was only a stuff of legend.

New research and evidence

Then came a British academic and archaeologist by the name of Stephanie Dalley from Oxford University. She has gathered a wealth of evidence suggesting the garden was created at Nineveh, 300 miles north of Babylon (current day Iraq.) Nineveh was the capital of the ancient powerful Assyrian empire. Babylon, at various times in the life of the Assyrian empire, was a satellite state for the Assyrians.  Based on all of this, the Assyrians and Babylonians-even till this day-are considered virtually one and the same, both speaking Aramaic and both rising to inherit the earlier Summerian and Akkadian civilizations in what is currently referred to as ‘Mesopotamia’ or the land between two rivers.

Given these facts about the Assyrians and Babylonians and their close social and geographical proximity to one another, it may have been a historical fallacy or inaccuracy by someone to attribute the gardens to Babylon rather than to its rightful builders and hosts, the Assyrians. And that is exactly what Stepahnie Dalley has argued for, amongst her many other arguments to support her claim.

Her 18 years of research culminated this month in the release of her new book “The Mystery of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon” Most of her evidence comes from re-translating previous cuneiform scripts which were poorly deciphered.  Add to that recent discoveries of an aqueduct (water supply structures) near the site of ancient capita of Nineveh and you have more evidence to support this claim.

Global and Assyrian Implications

Assuming this research and claims are accurate, and I personally find it all very compelling, what does this mean going forward? both from a global prospective and an Assyrian one? globally, this is a paradigm-shift indeed. It is akin to someone claiming that Hitler lived another 10 years beyond his stated death date. It will literally require the reprinting or correction of thousands of books and other literature in which this is currently stated as a fact. Wish there was a magic way to use the electronic version of ‘Find and Replace’ and apply it to physical books and texts!

Likewise, the implications for Assyrians will be huge although not surprising to some. The fact that this was already attributed to their Babylonian cousins to the south was like being their own.  As a matter of fact, there was already talk that the hanging gardens may have been pioneered for or by an Assyrian queen in Babylon.  But now that there is evidence to suggest they were indeed in Nineveh, the historical, spiritual and cultural capital of the Assyrians, a new sense of pride and glory is born. It is a new site to add to a long list of significant ancient Assyrian landmarks, including the library of AshurPanipal, the Palace of Sanharib, the Winged Bulls and more…

One question remains: What sounds better: “Hanging Gardens of Nineveh” or “Hanging Gardens of Assyria”? The first may sound more accurate and specific but I would choose the second for two reasons.  First, more people are more familiar with the word ‘Assyrian’ than the word ‘Nineveh’, so the transition from the old and wrong ‘Hanging Gardens of Babylon’ to the new ‘Hanging Gardens of Assyria’ will be easier and more familiar to most.  Secondly, it promotes the ‘Assyrian’ name and makes it more widely used.

Best Use for Degraded Lands in Western India Project

Think of the following essay in relation to our homeland.  We have water shortage in Iraq as well and in all our villages, like for example in Bartella.  Our Assyrian people need help as the people of India also need help.  We are an ancient people just like the Indus Valley people.  What is happening in India is happening all over the world.  Take fifteen minutes of your time to read through this report.  Our friendship as Assyrians with peoples of the entire earth is a testament to our humanitarian spirit as a nation.  Let me know what you think.

By Abbey Mikha

Summary

Changing the ideas of modernized people of the earth in relation to poor peoples of other nations has to be part of an education process for modernized people in regards to human and humanitarian issues. Abolition of rural poverty should be an extremely important concern for all persons and nations. We need to help peoples of the Third World! In our project area in the Maharashtra region in India there live a simple ancient people who have not been influenced a great deal by the progress other regions of the world have seen. Though they may be poor they certainly have people of intelligence and wisdom. Our team wants to help improve the situation of the people who are trying to survive on a seasonal basis. We have to aid in the development of farmers who can serve as future leaders in the field of agriculture. Also, we realize that water is the source of life. We want to provide help and opportunities for creative people and even inventors to influence the future of their land and villages by implementing ancient wisdom combined with modern knowledge on water harvesting techniques to cure the ecological degradation in the area. We have researched the opinions of various individuals and experts on the three approaches to land use under consideration. In our research it was our hope to find the best solution for the peoples of the Maharashtra region of India. Although it would be amazing if we could make each person in our project area rich, a more realistic solution is to provide practical advice and support in order to influence their life, so that their living conditions can improve and they will have hope and joy not just for a moment but for a lifetime.

Structuring the Problem definition

Trying to help people of other cultures is every good human beings hope regardless of which culture they are from, but there are problems to achieving those goals and dreams, most of which are financial. In the following research project and report the opinions of various individuals and experts on the three approaches to land use under consideration will be evaluated. The opinions of individuals who are actually from India like Dr. Narayana Shenoy, Greeta Nair, K.G. Kshirsagar, and Madhav Gadgil have been considered. Additionally, the views of Kevin Conway and Thomas Rosin have been presented. We also referred to Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd report called, “Modern Irrigation and Fertigation Methodologies for Higher Yields in Sugarcane.” We are of the opinion that considering a variety of views will lead us to more accurate conclusions.

It is rather confusing to think that poor peoples of the world could not want help from those who are modernized, but the fact is that people are afraid of change. The peoples who wholeheartedly want to help are often times received in a suspicious manner by the villagers in the Maharashtra region. Accepting help from those who are strangers to the ancient land of the Indus Valley is a choice and cannot be provided by force.

The ancient water harvesting techniques that the people have used for generations must be developed and combined with modern techniques to improve the livelihood of the people. To take for granted this ancient wisdom of water harvesting would be a testament to our ignorance. Therefore, we will do our utmost to appreciate this knowledge, which springs from a distant time and even an eternal source.

Background Information

In his report titled, “Conjunctive use of water resources in the Decan Trap, India” Dr. Frank Simpson gives a detailed explanation of the area of Akole Taluka which is very similar to our project area located on the eastern flanks of the Western Ghats mountain range. He says:

“Akole Taluka is located on the eastern margin of the Western Ghats mountain range in the westernmost part of Ahmednagar District, Maharashtra State, India. This area is comprised of uplands to the west and south, which give way to rolling and relatively even topography, at lower elevations to the east. The taluka is part of the Deccan Trap plateau, where generally flat lying basalt lavas make up the bedrock beneath a variable cover of weathered basalt and soil. In these respects, it is similar to much of the Deccan region, which covers an area of 500, 000 km2 in western and central India. Superficial deposits are thin to absent at higher elevations and up to 2 m or more in thickness in the valleys. The annual rainfall, which ranges from 600 to 2,000 mm across the taluka, is largely confined to the monsoon period, from June to September. July is the wettest month. Typically, there are sporadic showers during the post-monsoon period (October–January) and little or no rain in the pre- monsoon months (February–May). Before the onset of the monsoon, temperatures in the 40–50°C range are common.”

The tribal and rural people are subsistence farmers. Their main crops are rice, groundnuts, ragi and local grass during the autumn growing season, and wheat and gram during the spring season (Simpson). The quality of the harvest depends on the amount of soil moisture and there is also fluctuating water availability that decreases gradually after the monsoon period, which affects the soil and agriculture (Simpson). Water is the source of life, and attaining it is part of the difficulty for this region.

Measures of Effectiveness

We will consider that we have succeeded in our project not necessarily when we have changed the whole region. Rather, through simple signs like when the local people trust us and have learned to more effectively subsist from their land, as a result of a combination of their ancient knowledge and our suggestions and expertise. When we have shared our information of modern strategies and combined it with the people’s ancient approaches and they start to believe that we want to help them, we will have accomplished something amazing. Our goal is to help the people of Maharashtra region and those near Akole Taluka in moving forward as a group, society, and even as individuals.

We are certain that humanitarian work will and would be embraced by many individuals of the world if the funds were available. This though should not be an excuse for non-action; we must at least attempt to help poor peoples of every nation. Nonetheless, funds are one aspect of our project that we had to keep in consideration and under control. Our team of agrologists and volunteers have decided to live amongst the people of the Maharashtra region and in this way avoid unnecessary expenses. This also will help us in understanding the daily difficulties of the people. The funds we have been granted have been expended carefully with the hope of making the best of every dollar.

Alternative Solutions

Water Harvesting Solution:

Water harvesting is an ancient water collection method, which has been improved and improvised throughout the ages from the time of the earliest civilizations including that of the Indus Valley. A most pleasant verse indicating a part of the water cycle is found in the ‘Kiskindha Kanda’ of Valmiki’s Ramayana. It states: “The sun’s rays have drunk the water of the seas, and carrying it as an embryo for nine months, is giving out the elixir of life” (Shenoy). The ancient peoples of the Indus Valley realized the necessity of water and its obvious connection with all the living beings on earth.

In the article titled, “Traditional water harvesting methods of India”
 by Narayana Shenoy he states:

“Ancient Indian Sanskrit literature reveals the extensive knowledge our ancient predecessors possessed, of very complex and dynamic phenomena of movement of water in nature i.e. knowledge of rainfall, run-off, weather pattern, properties of water, properties of soil, etc. They designed and constructed dams, aqueducts and a variety of water harvesting structures much earlier than the commonly believed Greek, Roman or other ancient civilizations.”

This is a testament to that although the majority of the peoples of this region are poor; they are the descendants of a rich culture and civilization from a mysterious forgotten time in history. They were able to make it to this century from so many thousands of years ago! This is an achievement considering the difficult environment they live in. It is the opinion of our team that the ancient water harvesting techniques should be continued and developed and combined with modern techniques that suit the area. There are solutions, which will cause the least harm for the land and also the people.  On the subject of rainwater harvesting Dr. Narayana Shenoy states:

“It can be simple to construct from inexpensive local materials, and are potentially successful in most habitable locations…Roof rainwater can’t be of good quality and may require treatment before consumption. As rainwater rushes from the roof it may carry pollutants in it such as the tiniest bit of mercury from coal burning buildings to bird feces. Although some rooftop materials may produce rainwater that is harmful to human health, it can be useful in flushing toilets, washing clothes, watering the garden… these uses alone halve the amount of water used by a typical home…Overflow from rainwater harvesting tank systems can be used to refill aquifers in a process called groundwater recharge, though this is a related process, it must not be confused with Rainwater harvesting. Rainwater harvested from roofs can contain human, animal and bird feces, mosses and lichens, windblown dust, particulates from urban pollution, pesticides, and inorganic ions from the sea (Ca, Mg, Na, K, Cl, SO4), and dissolved gases (CO2, NOx, SOx)) ( Shenoy ).”

This is exactly where modern science and technology and technique can help. After collecting the water as described in the passage, it must be treated. Clean water can be made available for the population of the region. In this world of coincidence there are so many ways to lose ones life, but not having drinkable water is not an acceptable reason to die for anyone in the world, for any child of any nation. We are responsible for this as human beings and as friends to our fellow human kind.

Another opinion is that of Kevin Conway who asserts that, “Over the past 70 years, human numbers have tripled but our thirst for water has surged six-fold” (p.1). He continues:

“Supply is only one part of the growing water crisis. For an increasing number of people, water quality is every bit as threatening. Population growth, industrialization, and urbanization are not only depleting lakes, rivers, and aquifers, they are polluting them as well. Already more than 1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water; 3 billion lack access to basic sewerage systems. For millions, life-sustaining water is now a deadly menace. Water- and sanitation-related diseases will rob many more of their health and a productive future. The history of rain harvesting is rich in technique and innovation. The Greeks, the Mayans, and island peoples around the world all developed ways of harvesting or holding back rain as it cascaded from their roofs or flowed across their fields. IDRC-supported researchers tapped into this broad base of traditional knowledge and used the tools of modern science to improve water-harvesting techniques and safeguard water quality (Conway p.1).”

We agree with this strategy. The water harvesting solution is beneficial for the villagers near the area of Maharashtra. There are no negative consequences for the people using the various ancient techniques of water harvesting. This knowledge may come in handy at times of great need. We can help improve upon this way when combining it with some modern strategies to insure the best results.

The Sugarcane Solution:

According to the Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd report called, “Modern Irrigation and Fertigation Metholodgies for Higher Yields in Sugarcane” India is the world’s largest producer of sugar and sugarcane (p. 5). It also states that sugarcanes requirement for water and fertilizer are also equally high (p. 5). Sugarcane is grown with flood irrigation in all other states except in Maharashtra, which is the location of our project area (p. 5). According to this article the constraints for sugar cane production are:

1. Non availability of high yielding varieties
2. Dearth of good quality seed
3. Improper water management
4. Use of imbalanced fertilize doses
5. Negligence in plant protection
6. Low awareness among the farmers to use improved cultivation practices.

In this article it also states that sugarcane grows extremely well in medium to heavy, well-drained soils, and high organic matter content. Water logged soils and soils of poor drainage are not suitable. Growth of sugarcane will be poor in sandy soils (p. 6). Also, heat, humidity, and sunlight intensity play important role in sugarcane germination, tillering, vegetative growth and maturity. Sugarcane grows well in humid and hot weather (p. 6). In the JISL report it also states that the mean minimum temperature and the relative temperature disparity are comparatively lower in Maharashtra (p. 7). It seems that for all those reasons some are of the opinion that Maharashtra is a good region for growing sugar cane. This must be analyzed further with the reality and truth at heart. The motive of those trying to promote this alternative must be considered. Are these individuals trying to take what they believe to be the easy way out? This idea of making fast money while not considering the future of the land will cost the poor people in the end, not those making big money.

In an article titled, “More Maharashtra farmers shifting to sugarcane cultivation” the author Greeta Nair said the following:
Favorable conditions not necessarily climatic but more political, financial and overall support, are making farmers shift. Increasingly land in Maharashtra is being diverted to sugarcane. This shift is significant in Solapur, Beed and Latur. Traditionally cane has been grown in western Maharashtra and accounts for more than 60% of the state’s contribution to the sugar bowl. But now, cane is also been grown in areas that have historically known to be chronic drought prone areas and they are contributing 25% to the sugar production (Nair p.1).

In this region of India politics hardly considers the destiny of the common folk. Politicians should not make decisions about degraded lands and best alternatives. Politicians study politics and should contribute to their field. Geologists study the earth and these scientists and engineers should be the decision makers in regards to earth issues. This would positively influence our destiny as a human race upon this planet we call home.

All things considered, the district of Maharashtra is actually facing the problems of water scarcity and sustainability due to sugarcane cultivation. Therefore sugar cane cultivation is not the solution. A society cannot make all of its decisions based on a one-year economic plan. The income made within one year of sugar cane production will only be beneficial for those with the money in their pocket.

In the Agricultural Economics Research Review of 2006 called the, “Organic Sugarcane Farming for Development of Sustainable Agriculture in Maharashtra” by K.G. Kshirsagar the issue of how much sugar cane costs to grow is discussed. Also, how much fertilizers cost chemical and non-chemical, costs of irrigation, and plant protection chemicals. In this article he states:

In Maharashtra, about 80 per cent of water is utilized for agriculture (World Bank, 2003), and more than 60 percent of it is utilized for the sugarcane crop alone. Moreover, farmers mine water from deeper aquifers for the sugarcane crop, especially in the study district. This is a cause of great concern and demands conservation and judicious use of water, as it has endangered the stability and sustainability of agriculture. The organic sugarcane farming (OSF) has been found quite successful in the study area and has offered several benefits as compared to those by inorganic sugarcane farming (ISF). Although OSF requires more human labor, cost of cultivation has been found lower due to savings on chemical fertilizers, irrigation, seeds and agrochemicals. The yields have been observed to be relatively lower on OSF but are more than compensated by the price premium fetched by the organic sugarcane and the yield and profit stability observed on OSF. The OSF has been found to conserve the soil and water resources, increases farmers’ income, thereby enhancing their economic well-being and livelihood security. Thus, OSF is important in achieving the goal of sustainable agriculture. It has been suggested that organic farming should receive prime attention from all the stakeholders to realize its full potential in increasing profitability and providing the much sought after sustainability of agriculture.

This is an exaggeration of the reality of sugar cane production in Maharashtra and the future of its lands, soils, and economy. Although it is always good to consider various opinions in the end the truth must be the guide, for the harnessing of truth of those of the poor of Maharashtra region will be a beacon of light that will enable them to subsist well into the future. Their truth may need to be considered on a global level. It may well be a simple truth, that they need honest advice and help. The future of the lands in the region must be well thought out and although the people are being pressured to grow sugar cane by the government this solution is not the best alternative.

Do Nothing Approach

In his article called, “Conjunctive use of water resources in Deccan Trap” Dr. Frank Simpson stated, “Indigenous knowledge, attention to local religious practices, and respect for traditional and folk approaches to communication were indispensable to the success of the project.” This is a very important factor of our project also. Allowing the people of the Maharashtra region to continue on with their traditions and the way they have subsisted since ancient times without any help may be a choice, albeit an unfair one. It allows them to live life as their ancestors have done. So many times throughout history modern peoples have intruded on the lives of ancient peoples and have caused a lot of unpleasantness in the life of the people as a community. Although our project is an honorable one and we want to help the people of Maharashtra, they may not want the help we so want to give. Though they live in poverty they may have found some greater meaning to life.

A simple question may be, “Does what we want to provide for the people of this region fit with their life style as physical and spiritual beings?” The answer to this question may be contradictory depending on whom we ask. Some of the people might be very attached to their practices and consider them holy. Nonetheless, our goal is to try to increase their self-esteem so that they can change their future, but we must remember that this may not be ours to control. The natural way of living may be satisfactory and the most environmental friendly system for human beings to subsist at peace with the earth. Perhaps someday there may not be any better permanent solution and therefore we must think about the meaning behind this approach.

It is true that we should try to influence other cultures in order to help them move forward. Aiding people of the area in the Maharashtra region will benefit them physically, propel them forward as a community, and give them a better life. Nothing is certain in this world but the philosophy of brotherhood and sisterhood is everlasting.

In Madhav Gadgil’s article titled, “Biodiversity and India’s Degraded Lands” she discusses a very interesting topic. She says that, “ecosystem people” subsist by producing or gathering a diversity of biological resources from their immediate vicinity. The people of the Maharashtra region are such “ecosystem people”. She says:

“Their quality of life is intimately lined to the maintenance of modest levels of biodiversity in their own circumscribed resource catchments. Their resources base has been extensively degraded by pressures created by “biosphere people”…the Third World elite and citizens of industrial countries, who can draw resources from all over the world and are thus, indifferent to environmental degradation in the Third World. “Ecosystem people” have a genuine stake in biodiversity maintenance in their immediate surrounding, it is important that conservation efforts include maintenance and restoration of at least modest levels of biodiversity throughout the Third World (p. 167).”

So the question must be considered, “Do we want to help the poor of the region in order to give them bits of our life style, or rather so that we can continue our own life style in the future?”

Our projects incentive is moral so we can help poor farmers and villagers and give them our knowledge. After we do so though we must be careful not to consider ourselves their managers. We must not allow ourselves to believe that after we have given the people in Maharashtra newfound information that we must now stay in the country and become the overseers of events. It has been said many times that the world has become a global village and this is true, but we have overstepped many boundaries as a western civilization. We must deal with the people in a very considerate and sensitive manner. Their culture is fragile. We should help them and protect them but we should not govern them. We should never destroy that which makes them unique. Above all we should ask what they want.

Analysis of Alternative Solutions

The positive and negative consequences of each possible solution to the alternative solutions will now be considered. In Mintesinot Behailu and Mitiku Haile’s report about water harvesting they state:

“The aim of water harvesting is to mitigate the effects of temporal shortages of rain, so-called dry spells, to cover both household needs and productive use. This involves storage component and various forms of storage exist such as: micro-dams, farm ponds, subsurface dams, tanks… Water scarcity is a critical issue for many developing countries in general and for those in the arid to semi-arid areas of the world in particular. It has long been understood that intensive water resource development can have a decisive role in the economic and social development of a country and in alleviating drought. Alleviating food security related to drought and famine through sustainable agriculture and environmental rehabilitation…attempts are being made to harvest runoff water in micro-dams for use both in households and small-scale irrigation schemes. It is recognized that the construction of micro-dams with proper irrigation and agronomic services will result in micro-climatic and environmental changes with positive impact on sustained productivity. Notwithstanding the positive impacts on increased agricultural productivity and improved community welfare, the negative impacts of water resource development require constant assessment and monitoring on environmental changes (Behailu and Haile).”

Therefore, there are innumerable positive aspects to water harvesting. There are no negative consequences for the people relying on their ancient techniques and further developing them through our modern knowledge of water retrieval. This solution can only bring constructive results for the land and the people. Although the water collected may not be directly drinkable instantly, it is usable in many other ways, and there are many procedures to clean the water so that every person in Maharashtra will have enough to survive and hopefully prosper.

The positive aspects of sugar cane productions are that it provides a multitude of jobs and thus influences the economy positively. Negative aspect of sugar cane production other than the negative influence on soils, is that sugar cane is a water intensive crop, and enormous amount of water is required for its cultivation. This water is lacking in the area. The water to cultivate the sugar cane will be taken from the mouths of the people.

Although local politicians, representing both the State and Federal Governments, have proposed that there is money to be made from growing sugar cane on a large scale in our project area, we must consider the needs and the thoughts of the villagers. We are of the same opinion as the villagers. We believe that the proponents of the widespread production of sugar cane and scarce soil nutrients would be depleted on a large scale, with every harvest. Therefore, although the politicians think this strategy would be a big money maker it is not the best long-term solution for the land or the people.

The do nothing approach which would allow the villagers to live their life as they have done in the years before, since many thousand years ago in ancient times, also has positive and negative impacts. The positive aspect of this strategy is that the people would live as their ancestors have lived without disruption of their life style. The negative aspect is that the people may not be able to survive as they have because of changes upon the earth. Also, it must be said that our future as a human race is codependent. Yes, we may also need to learn from the people of the Maharashtra region, perhaps to balance our own life style of greed, waste, and excess. Therefore, we must lift the people of Maharashtra unto a higher standard of living and perhaps in the future lower our standard of living, in order to meet somewhere in the middle in a forthcoming time where we all must coexist together. Balance and equality of living standards will be essential so that we all survive into the next thousand years upon the earth.

Evaluation

Although it might be difficult to explain to all the people of Maharashtra what the solutions are for the project area, our team of volunteers and experts are eager and ready to meet with all the various village councils who oppose the growing of sugar cane as a major crop, and anyone else who may wish to attend our meeting. We believe that the village council is correct in that they believe that the problem of land degradation would get much worse in the longer term as a result of the mass production of sugar cane for profits. We also agree with the village council that the only way to reverse the processes of desertification, which are well under way in the region, is to prevent the monsoon rains from flowing out of the area as surface runoff. This is best done through the widespread introduction of the technologies for water harvesting and water spreading. These involve very simple modifications of the hill slopes, which are cheap, small-scale and easily replicated. The new technologies would raise the amount of soil moisture and permit the production of a higher-yield second crop. When this knowledge is combined with that of ancient harvesting methods the people will feel comfortable because they will sense a familiarity with the practices.

In Thomas Rosin’s article, “The Tradition of Groundwater Irrigation in Northwestern India” he expresses that research indicates that there existed a different groundwater irrigation system of dams and perennial canals redesigned for India by the British during the early nineteenth century and have been continued by modern Indian government. There were though also indigenous principles and practices that the people in the region followed before. He writes about a folk system of hydrologic practices in India and gives importance to the surface impoundments of rain (p. 51). He further expresses that there is a interlinking among surface water facilities and their significance to the all over hydrology. This article argues that the opinion has been voiced that the indigenous system is actually superior to that of the British (Rosin p. 51).

It is very true that some modern civilizations have lost admiration for the ancient world and the knowledge that its peoples hold within their memory. Ancient knowledge is precious and we were all once connected to peoples who were originally ancient. One day we will know perhaps how those ancient people built the great civilizations of the world including that of the mesmerizing Indus Valley, and how they survived for so many thousands of years. Until we better understand these civilizations we should never undermine the knowledge of its people.

In conclusion we cannot accept the sugar cane solution, which would cause further problems down the road for the land and the people. Therefore, we must work with the locals of the Maharashtra region to bring about changes in the area through the ancient water harvesting techniques combined with our modern knowledge. The do nothing approach in our opinion is also not acceptable. We must do something! We must be able to earn the trust of fellow human beings in that we will help them and contribute our knowledge in order to make their lives better. The Indus Valley people are a link to the past and our sincere friendship with them and all peoples of the world is our link to the future.

We should respect all the farmers of the world and not just in Maharashtra.  We must always also remember just like human beings need rest the earth also needs its rest and can only produce so much.  Do not abuse the earth that freely gives of herself and be true to our planet.  God only knows how much time there is left on earth.  This was an Assyrians point of view in regards to Geology and what is going on in India and the world.  The big question is though do you agree and what do you think and believe?

References

Brooks David, Shames Tilly, Wolfe Sarah (2001). Local Water Supply and Management: A Compendium of 30 Years of IDRC-Funded Research International Development Research Centre. Retrieved from: http://web.idrc.ca/uploads/user- S/111711308618Brooks.pdf

Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd. Irrigation & Fertigation Methologies for Higher Yields in Sugarcane. Retrieved from: http://www.jains.com/PDF/crop/sugarcane%20cultivation.pdf

K.G. Kshirsagar, Agricultural, (2006). Organic Sugarcane Farming for Development of Sustainable Agriculture in Maharashtra. Economics Research Review Vol. 19 pp 145-153. Retrieved from: http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/57785/2/DrKG-Kshirsagar.pdf

Madhav Gadgil, Biodiversity and India’s Degraded Lands. Published by: Springer on behalf of Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Page 167 of 167-172. Obtained from Jstor: Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4314063.

Mintesinot Behailu and Mitiku Haile, (2006 June). Highlighting the impacts of North– South research collaboration among Canadian and southern higher education partners. Association of Universities and Colleges in Canada.
http://www.aucc.ca/_pdf/english/publications/colloquium_proceedings_e.pdf

Nair Geeta, (2011 Jan 14). More Maharashtra Farmers Shifting to Sugarcane Cultivation. Financial Express. Retrieved from:
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/more-maharashtra-farmers-shifting-to- sugarcane-cultivation/737292/1

Rosin Thomas (1993). Human Ecology: The Tradition of Groundwater Irrigation in Northwestern India. Obtained from Jstor.
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4603074

Shenoy Narayana, (2009 August 16). Traditional Water Harvesting Methods of India. Retrieved from: http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage& pid=304&page=22

Simpson Frank, and Sohani Girish, (2003). India BP-II.13: Conjunctive Use of Water Resources in Deccan Trap. In: MOST/Nuffic (IK-Unit) Database, Register of Best Practices on Indigenous Knowledge, Chapter 4 of Best Practices on Indigenous Knowledge, Joint Publication of the Management of Social Transformations Programme (MOST) and the Centre for International Research and Advisory Networks (CIRAN), MOST Database of Best Practices. Web-link Reference: http://www.unesco.org/most/bpik13-2.htm

By: Ashur Sada

With Halloween almost at our door steps, as Assyrians, we have another painful and scary anniversary quickly approaching. In fact it falls on Halloween day too: the horrible ‘Lady of Salvation’ church massacre in Baghdad which claimed the lives of over 50 Assyrian Christians, including women, children, priests and entire families.  And just as many were injured and emotionally wounded forever.

And the fact that the 31st of October-the day of the massacre in 2010- is also my birth date, doesn’t make it any less painful to revisit and remember.

On this date, it wasn’t about being surprised by the inhumane and brutal nature of the terrorists. That was already known for years. What surprised us was how this dark day united Assyrians and Christians from Iraq in general, all over the world. All the rallies and protests in different cities around the world were testament to that.  I don’t remember anything in the recent history of our nation that could have united us to this point. It reminded me of the September 11 attacks on the US and how it brought the whole nation together, liberal or conservative, it didn’t matter.

But now that a year has almost passed, are we becoming a little complacent and beginning to forget? I read a lot of Assyrian news, literature and general internet content and it is a little disappointing that there has been virtually no mention of this massacre in the last few weeks, leading up to the first anniversary. That is a worrying sign. If the magnitude of this horrible massacre wasn’t engraved in our memories forever, I don’t know what will.

Assyrians remember massacres that happened to them decades and centuries ago so you would think this would be even fresher in our memory and should be there at all times. Sure, only about 55 people were killed compared to the thousands and hundreds of thousands that were killed in other massacres and genocides against the Assyrian nation, but relatively speaking, this was as bad as it gets. And to have been committed in a church, lasting several hours and causing such damage and fear, makes this whole thing all the more distressing and grievous.

Take a moment-or maybe days-to reflect on this painful anniversary and don’t let our fallen victims be forgotten even less than a year after their passing. Be part of any remembrance service that is held in their honor.  As determined as the terrorists were to kill them, so will we in our determination to keep their memory-and this nation-going forever!

The Baghdad Church Massacre is one of those self-serving events in history: even if we don’t remember it or celebrate its heroes, it is still powerful enough to survive on its own in our history books and imagery.

Christians of Iraq

And “Nineveh Plain” Conspiracy

Ashur Giwargis – Beirut
Annahar Lebanese Newspaper: 25/09/2011

Assyrians today are considered the indigenous cultural group in what is known as Iraq. Throughout their history, they have been subjected to different kinds of national and religious persecution since the fall of their political entity in 612 BC. Their religion is Christianity, and they are divided into many sects: Syriac, Chaldean (Catholic) and Assyrian Church of The East. They used to form around 8% of the Iraqi population before the fall of Saddam, while today this rate has decreased to less than 3% due to frequent aggressions implemented according to strategies based on national and religious malice on one side, and international plots on the other side, especially after the Central Intelligence Agency controlled over the rule of Iraq (openly) since the fall of Saddam Hussain.

In the recent eight years, Assyrians have been reluctantly involved in the game of “new Iraq” which was no better than Iraq of Saddam’s time or that of the Islamic and the Ottoman ages. The Assyrian people well knows who blasts its churches and kills its elderly and young only to implant intimidation amongst the people, so that in the end Assyrians are forced to join a scheme much bigger than themselves and even bigger than Iraq itself, the scheme which aims at expanding geographic entities coined at their expense. These entities give greater weight to the powers conflicting in such an area that has been, throughout its history, under the focus of western powers’ greed since the days of “Silk Road” from Europe to the Far East.

In this big game today, Assyrians are playing the role drawn to them: victims, and not players. They are victims torn between the fires of Islamization and kurdification. And some international foreign channels talk about them every now and then to show dissatisfaction about the Iraqi government under internal bargains between kurdish and Islamic racism. And here, western politicians and their media succeeded in showing the problem as “Islamic persecution” and the solution for it is “kurdish protection”, note that kurds themselves executed all the massacres against the Assyrian nation over centuries, and Assyrian lands in occupied Assyria (northern Iraq) are still confiscated by kurdish leaders with the support of kurdish occupation authorities. In addition, the project of the so-called “Christian governorate” or “Nineveh Plain governorate” is nothing but a result of that policy, for the kurdish project of achieving the so-called “greatest kurdistan” is known for those who are interested in the middle-eastern affairs, and the demands of kurds in Syria today are nothing but a sequel to this project, because the map of the project, that joins lands from Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq, is still hanging above Barzani’s head in his office as well as in all offices of the kurdish parties under the sight of Iraqi politicians.

All that above is associated with crucial negatively important developments facing the future of the Assyrian nation as people and as culture. Unfortunately, lands and power, if any power, of the Assyrians make the major obstacle for the kurdish scheme. The so-called “Nineveh Plain” zone is considered the historical and national homeland for the Assyrians historically, demographically and truthfully, and is the point around which Assyrians crowd together; it is the most qualified for an inception towards the Assyrian national project which extends from Great Zab to the Tigris River (The Assyrian Triangle) within the one Iraq and along the lines of the other groups. However, unfortunately, this region is the strategic link of what is named “Iraqi kurdistan” to what will be named “Syrian kurdistan” (in case of any change to the Syrian regime). All Iraqi politicians in general, and Assyrian politicians in specific, are aware of this project and of the kurds’ intention to push the Assyrian “people” forcedly and by terrorism to seek kurdish protection under the slogan of “Nineveh Plain governorate” according to the article /35/ of the constitution of the kurdish occupation which, in turn, stipulates that Assyrians be given autonomy (by Kurdish occupation authorities) in the areas where they form the greatest population, whereby kurds avoid the conflict with Arabs of Mosul since the residents themselves demand, though unwillingly, a governorate independent from Nineveh governorate, when the Assyrians take the hit. Arabization has been launched anew against these Assyrians – Today thousands of hectares of their lands are being confiscated by Arabist trends in Mosul as a reaction to the kurdish project: “the Christian governorate”.

In addition, it’s well-known to everyone that:

– No “Islamic” offence has taken place to the kurds who converted to the Evangelist Church.
– No aggression or terrorist act has taken place to anyone inside the kurdish occupation areas.
– The terrorist acts against Assyrians discontinued after their politicians adopted the project of annexing their lands to the kurdish occupation.

Though the article /50/ was issued by the governing council on September 29, 2003, which states that: “All acts, decisions, regulations, directives, instructions and orders that are issued by what is known as revolution leadership council and other Iraqi officials (During Baath Rule), and which are issued for the purpose of changing the political and the demographic reality in Iraq, shall be cancelled”, this was selectively enforced when the Governing Council kept the effects of Al-baath decisions on March 11, 1970 which states the separation of the Assyrian Nohadra (kurdified to “Dohuk”) from the Assyrian Nineveh, hence Assyrians are still divided administratively, politically and demographically under two conflicting authorities: kurdification and Arabization.

Moreover, the project of kurdifying the Assyrian homeland is “constitutional” according to the “democratic” Iraqi state legislations and its constitutional article /143/, which approved to name Assyria as “kurdistan” (land of kurds) without any Assyrian representation (despite the presence of a “representative”), in the Iraqi state institutions.

In this status quo, Assyrians have hope neither in their parties nor in the Iraqi government being no less aggressive to them than Baath or the kurdish trends while their sole hope lies in the Assyrian Diaspora, especially those in the United States and Europe which are actively ruling Iraq and where Assyrians exist powerfully and heavily, the thing that enables them to be heard by international tribunes, for the international ethical duty requires that Assyrians must be treated as the indigenous people of Iraq according to “Indigenous People Declaration” stated by United Nations General Assembly on September 13, 2007 which declares the right of self-determination of indigenous people (articles /3/ , /4/) to reserve its entity and culture which are considered an international trust.

Hence, and according to the UN legislation mentioned above, Assyrians have the right to obtain (at least) a “safe zone” internationally protected just like the kurds since 1991, because Assyrians have no trust in the Iraqi state especially because it is a group of Islamists and kurds, and this will be the first step on the road to achieving “Assyria Region” like that of the kurds, and as long as the Iraqi constitution became mere ink on paper after contradicting the Iraqi state to article /7/ of its constitution, by establishing a racial region on a national basis under the name of “kurd-stan” (land of kurds).

Haaretz newspaper summed up the Assyrian tragedy in a couple of words in the issue of December 24, 2010 under the headline “Christmas requiem for Iraq’s Christian community” by the newspaper political analyst and the historian and ME affairs specialist, Dr. Zvi Bar’el who wrote: “The Kurds object to establishment of a protected Christian enclave, because they want to annex the Nineveh Valley, most of whose residents are Christians”. And the “governorate” project will be the first step to that, constitutionally, since the “Iraqi” constitution permits annexing a governorate to a region, and this is a clear sign to that in case the issue is not redressed by Assyrians themselves before the others, then the Assyrian torture journey will go on by appropriating Assyrian lands and confiscating them by Arabs in the so-called “Nineveh Plain” and also by kurds inside their entity which has been imposed on Assyrians and on others since 1991.

Ashur Giwargis – Beirut
English Translation by Donis Ishaia – Syria

12/09/2011

Note: in the article hereinafter the reader may find phrases that do not appeal to them, like “changing the church”, whereby we do not mean any hatred towards our Chaldean Church, but it was used just to restrict debaters before reveling my point, for the Chaldean Church is an Assyrian institution, having been established in Assyria and by Assyrians as stated by the Cardinal Emanuel Dalli (during his Assyrian youth) in his doctoral dissertation under the title “The Patriarchal Institution in The Church of The East” in 1958.

If you are an Assyrian and you deny your nationality because you don’t know, you are a naïve Assyrian.
If you deny it because you don’t know it and you don’t want to know it, then you are a stupid Assyrian.
If you deny it and you know it, then you are a liar, sycophant and cowardly Assyrian.
If you acknowledge it and you don’t know it, you are an ignorant Assyrian.
If you acknowledge it and you know it, then you are an Assyrian believer.

However, if you are an Assyrian then you are an Assyrian willy-nilly.

Many still think that murdering the Assyrian identity has been fulfilled especially after it has been agreed among kurdist Assyrian parties to use the term “Christians” to avoid conflicts and keep esteem before their financial supporters whether they are the Diaspora’s naïve or the Kurdish parties.

In any case, “The expiry of the Assyrian identity” theory is very wrong. Moreover, attacking the Assyrian identity since October 2003 has reflected into the clinging of many Assyrians more and more to their identity, especially the Assyrian intellects from the Catholic Church, or the “Chaldean intellects” as we call them. But this did not materialize, since they did not play their role actively in educating the naïve about the Assyrian identity. They were only active in writing some articles with no actual move in the face of the campaign launched against the Assyrian identity, and which is led by the renegade personas, mentioned above, with support from the clerics.

In this context, it is worth analyzing the psychology of “some” individuals of this class of intellects finding a complex blocking their way to achieving their Assyrian notion. As an example, I’ll choose two brief conversations with two of the “Chaldean” intellects, who have been, to me, two angles of the Assyrian writing triangle, who educated me nationally before the age of the Internet. The third angle is from The Church of The East, but I have realized in the recent years that he is not more faithful to his Assyrian belonging than Younadam Kanna. Then I’ll move to a third person to get into the subject through the front door. To cut a long story short, I’ll get into the crux of my arguments with these two intellects. I was writing immediately what I heard.

Person one:

In the late 2006, came to Beirut one of the most well-known Assyrian intellects, a man of rationality, never been tainted with Aflaqism, Leninism, or Barazanism. He listens to my opinions and pursues my writings, although I consider myself a student of him in many Assyrian history lessons. In one of our Beirutian gatherings we discussed the Assyrian identity issue where he frankly said that it became a commodity to be traded with by the parties only to satisfy the voters. He, as usual, didn’t want to be involved in names and titles/headlines, but I asked him some questions trying to warn him that his pretext could/would not cover up his weak personality. So I asked him to give me answers to my “juvenile” questions no matter how insignificant he might find them. The conversation was as follows:

Me: Don’t you believe in your Assyrian nationality?
Him: (Smiling) more than you do, and you know that.

Me: Do you care if Saint Mary is called “Mother of God” or “Mother of the Christ”?
Him: I’m a believer, yet not pious, and I don’t get into such details. Of course it is not logical that a woman begets her creator. All of these were discrepancy established to enable some churches control over some parts of the world due to the political conflicts at the time. What matters to me is that I’m Christian clinging to my Christianity.

Me: Then, you don’t care if you are Chaldean or from The Church of The East, since you are an Assyrian Christian.
Him: Of course. But where are you trying to reach with your questions?

Me: What I want to get is an answer to the last question; since you care not about your ecclesiastical belonging but about your Christian one, and since you well know about the schisms in The Church of The East, and you wrote about the establishment of your church by power of the Turkish and Kurdish Agas, incited by Vatican, and since you actually don’t acknowledge the phrase “Mary is the mother of God”, so why don’t you announce to the public your withdrawal from this church and return to the mother church – The Church of The East? This would be of influence on many naïve Assyrians, especially those from your region who are misled by the delusion and malice of clerics towards their Assyrian nation.
Him: (guffawing) Dear, you don’t know our society. Anyone who engages in the Assyrian concern is pointed at with the forefinger, so how do you want me to abandon my people and relatives? I prefer to stay “Chaldean”, writing about our Assyrian belonging. This works better than your idea, with all due respect to your opinion.

Although his reply was clever, it was not convincing. So I threw a final question: “Well, then why do you only write? Why don’t you establish, with the rest of the Chaldean intellects (I named so-and-so…), an Assyrian national awareness movement inside the Chaldean society?” His shocking answer was that they (the people I named) were “cowards”, note that he himself expressed his fear from his society.

Person two:

This is the second angel of my national educational triangle mentioned above. I met him for the first time in The Church of The East’s hall at the Assyrian Quarter in Beirut, where I was introduced to him by another Assyrian writer. When he saw me he peered over his spectacles and asked: “Ashur Giwargis ? you?” surprised at my young age comparable my professionalism for writing and my profound knowledge in Assyrian history and politics (as far as he evaluated, of course).

As for my second meeting with him, it was just like the one with my first victim; a pure Beirutian gathering where the same talk went, and the man expressed his adherence to Assyrianism. To reassure him that I believed him, I reminded him of some of his harsh writings about his church spiteful towards its people’s nationality across occupied Assyria’s plains. He was surprised again that I had read his works since I was seventeen. After the customary eastern compliments, I told him, as I did with the first victim, to answer some questions no matter how insignificant he might find them. He smiled and all that he said was: “Go ahead”.

Me: You say you believe in your Assyrianism, don’t you?
Him: You yourself say that I’m one of your lanterns in the way of the Assyrian national awareness.

Me: Exactly. And do you care much more about your ecclesiastical belonging than your national belonging?
Him: As you know, I come from a communist family and I’m a former communist though being nationalist. Of course what I care about more is my national belonging.

Me: Then why don’t you announce your withdrawal from your Chaldean Church, which you attack every day, and return to your church to guide the naïve people?
Him: I think I’ll do best if I stay in my church. For your information, when I returned to my village after the fall of Saddam I dared not even to enter the church because of how people were looking at me. I even learned that the priest of the village asked: [what did this “Athournaya” come to do here ?] This is why it’s hard for anyone to leave their society. So we have to deal with this reality, which we refuse, in such a way that does not invite aversion of the others.

Me: well, sir, I understand that you can’t leave your church , but why don’t you establish a constructive and more influential movement than writings, along with other Chaldean intellects, specifically those of our thought and those nationally educated,?”
Him: For the time being and after all these years, I want to dedicate to my personal life. What I am into now is preserving our nation, whichever you call it, after the destruction our parties has caused to our cause”.

How strange is this man! A former communist fighter against the tyrant Saddam, who writes against his church, fears a Vatican smurf wandering in his kurdified village, though, at the same time, he (the debater) uses as a pretext the destruction brought to us by our heroic “parties”, ignoring his role and knowing that all ideological revolutions launch among the intellects then among the farmers, just like communism he has believed in.

Here we are done with two characters known for their writing, research and critique. We go on to a character from the outside of this triangle. I will name only this character because it is more expressive than the previous ones. This is in the drama that follows, which does not only express the problem of the Chaldean intellects, but also expresses the void arrogance of the “Bad time parties” and also of the Chaldean church malice towards its sons’ national belonging.

Person three:

Before holding Younadam Kanna’s festival in 2003, an attempt was made to form an Assyrian National Council initiated by the Assyrian Partriotic Party (APP) and attended by the so-called “Bet Nahrin” Liberation Party represented by Mr. Ishaya Eshu and independent dignitaries such as Mr. Odishu Malku, Aprim Samanu, Odishu Mikhael and others. They agreed on approaching Kanna’s Movement to take part in the council as an active party that has won the trust of many Assyrians (at that time). Sabah Mikkhael was chosen to represent the so-called “Bet Nahrin” Liberation Party, Aprim Samanu for the independents and another person of the Assyrian National Party. They met Kanna’s movement leadership represented by Touma Khoshaba who met their suggestion in an unbecoming and unaccountable way, sarcastically saying that they were not up to the status that qualifies them to invite an organization like the heroic Movement to join them in this project.

After this meeting, a Committee Foundation of the council was elected. It included Ishaya Eshu for the so-called “Bet Nahrin” Liberation Party (though the responsible of the party was present), Leon Simson for the APP and Odishu Malku for the Independents, on condition that negotiation must continue with other parties to be adjoined to the council. The APP suggested approaching educated and active persons from other Assyrian denominations, so the suggestion included each one of the “Chaldean” intellects: the linguist Binyamin Haddad, Mr. Saed Shamaya (the secretary general of the so-called “Chaldean Forum” today) and Adeeb Koka (now in Australia).

The first meeting was held, and the “Chaldean Intellects” started to break away, so another appointment was set at the headquarters of the so-called “Bet Nahrin” Liberation Party but the “Chaldean intellect” didn’t attend. A new appointment was set at Babel Club, where they reluctantly attended, and were embarrassed because of the persistence of the Committee Foundation. There they literally announced their stand as follows: “we can’t join because we belong to the Chaldean Church”. One of the attendees inquired about what deters them from joining as independents, and regardless of their affiliation in any ecclesiastical institution. The “Chaldean intellect” Binyamin Haddad’s answer came as: “My brother, we know that we are Assyrians, but our church does not accept it that we announce that”. Here the inquirer put an end to the hit-and-run game as he said: “An intellect who does not dare giving their thoughts for the fear of their church, is already not qualified to join this council”.

Finally, it’s the readers’ judgment, especially those from the Chaldean Church, and specifically their educated ones who have made clear more and more the biggest problems and complexes of the Assyrian society which we are still confused about their name: is it hypocrisy, fear or laziness? Whatever it is, it is still the problem of all problems regarding maintaining the Assyrian identity and its revival within the society after all the calamities the Assyrian Nation has gone through. It is a problem of the conflict with the ego of the “Chaldean” intellect, and those who suffer from this problem should put an end to it, to conclude with the known saying by Socrates: “The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be”.

By: Ashur Sada

History can speak for itself but sometimes it needs more than that to stay alive and relevant. Assyrian history is rich, deep and popular enough to survive on its own but efforts by current historians, archaeologists and Assyriologists are still needed to explore, understand and appreciate its value even more.

Having said that, recent news of Iraq’s renewed effort to revive the great library of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal was a welcome news for Assyrians and those interested in their culture worldwide.

The plan is build a library that mimics the old design but in a much larger form. In fact, the building is already finished, at the campus of the university of Mosul (the city where the former Assyrian empire once stood.) The library, as the picture below shows, has a unique design that took into consideration the buildings and designs of the ancient Assyrian culture.

The new building for the revived library of Ashurbanipal in Mosul, Iraq
The Ashurbanipal library was the first of its kind in history. The king collected as many clay tablets, containing various sources of knowledge, in this library. It had thousands upon thousands of pieces, a lot of which are housed at the London and various other museums around the world.  England and other countries around the world have in fact agreed to lend Iraq some of the pieces taken from this library as well as digital copies of the artifacts.

Also of significance, the project will be the biggest of its kind in the entire Arab world, both in design and resources.

We have been seeing a lot of projects and initiatives recently that bring more attention back to the contributions of the Assyrian civilization to the world, including this one to revive the Ashurbanipal library, the completion of an Assyrian dictionary that took 90 years to finish, the discovery of very important Assyrian tablets in Southeast Turkey and many more.  These important projects and discoveries, with the help of the internet and social media, will help in reminding the world about just how great the Assyrian civilization really was.

Assyria wasn’t just a military power and empire that once ruled the world for close to half a millennium.  Their other scientific, cultural and educational contributions were even more important in shaping and developing our world for the last 3,000 years.  While kings of the time only cared about annihilating each other and setting a legacy for themselves, the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal had other interests that were ahead of his time: build a library to house as much knowledge possible to advance knowledge and wisdom. He pretty much lay the foundation for the modern knowledge base, the printing press and most recently, the internet!

We appreciate the effort by Iraqi scholars and academics to pursue this project and I can assure them that such endeavors will bring Iraq back to the the front of the international community and restore its image as a cradle of civilizations.