Assyrian Voice Emagazine

في متابعتي للاحداث واخبار المظاهرات الشعبية العارمة في العراق، و الطريقة القمعية الدموية التي تُرد عليها من الحكومة الشيعية المدعومة من إيران، خطرت هذه الفكرة إلى البال: أليس الان الوقت الأفضل و الفرصة الذهبية للشعب الإيراني الجار لكي يتظاهر هو الآخر ويثور على حكومته أيضا؟ بما انهم الداعم الأكبر للحكومة في العراق،الحكومة الايرانية ستواجه صعوبة بالغة في اخماد ثورتين في انً واحد. مصارع الحلبة قد يستطيع ان يُصارع ثور واحد بنفسه، لكن قد يصبح من شبه المستحيل ان يصارع ثوران هائجين في نفس الوقت

ما يحدث في العراق هو نتيجة سنوات، بل عقود من إهمال متعمد من الحكومة لشعب كانت له امال كثيرة بعد الإطاحة بالنظام السابق في ٢٠٠٣. وفي هذا السياق، لا يسعنا إلى ان نتطرق عن البعد والدور الإيراني في المجريات على الساحة آلعراقية. ليس سراً على احد انه لن يكون هناك وجود قوي للميليشيات الشيعية في العراق من دون الدعم الإيراني لها، تحت ذريعة قوات مكافحة الشغب و اجهزة أمنية أخرى، ممارستاً ابشع أنواع القمع و الرد العنيف ضد شعب خرج إلى الشوارع لينادي بأبسط المتطلبات و الحقوق، حاله كحال اي شعب اخر

دعنا نعود و نحلل بكثف ألدور الإيراني في العراق. المشروع الإيراني في العراق هو البوابة التي تنطلق منها إيران لنشر الهلال الشيعي في المنطقة، مرورا بلبنان، سوريا، اليمن بل وحتى دول الخليج. أي فشل لبسط السيطرة الإيرانية على الحكومة العراقية قد يعرقل بل ينهي المد الشيعي في المنطقة عامةً. لذا , و انطلاقا من هذا المنطق الإيراني، على طهران ان تفعل كل ما بقدرتها لدعم والتأكيد من استمرارية حكومة ونظام عراقي خاضع لها.و إن دل على شيء فان هذا يدل على ان المظاهرات الحالية في العراق ليست من صالح إيران لانها قد تزيح بالحكومة الحالية الموالية لها وتُبدل بحكومة إنقاذ وطنية بحتة، بل وحتى دستور جديد مبني على أسس رئاسية وغير برلمانية بعد الان. والمستنتج هو دعم إيراني للعراق لقمع المظاهرات بأبشع و أقصى الأساليب لابقاء الأمور كما هي

لكن دعنا نتصور للحظة ان كانت هناك مظاهرات عارمة و محاذية في إيران. ذلك قد يُجبر القادة في إيران على الإلتهاء والتركيز على كبح المظاهرات في عقر دارهم أولا، مما قد يرغم الحكومة في العراق للتداول مع المظاهرات في العراق بنفسها. هل للحكومة العراقية القدرة الكافية واللازمة لكسر إرادة ملايين من العراقيين الذين عجزوا من ما آلت اليه الأمور وعازمين على قلب الموازين و احداث تغيير جذري في الحكومة؟ قد يكون لهم القدرة لاحتواء المظاهرات في المدى القصير، أما في المدى البعيد، الأمور قد لا تسير في صالحهم اذ هناك عدة عوامل قد تلعب دور مهم ضد الحكومة

الشعب الإيراني، كجاره العراقي، قد يأس من عقود من نظام الملالي الذي لم يجلب له سوى العزلة و اقتصاد ضعيف على وشك الانهيار بعد سنين من العقوبات الدولية. محاولاتهم السابقة ضد الحكومة (٢٠٠٩، ٢٠١٧) ، بالرغم من عدم نجاحها، أكدت واستطاعت ان تعطي للإيرانيين أمل للنجاح في المستقبل للإطاحة بحكومة يأسوا منها

لذلك ، انه من الضروري مزامنة المضاهرات من كلا الشعبين لتحدث في أنً واحد. ابعاد الدعم الإيراني عن الحكومة في العراق لن يحدث الا عندما تحدث مرادفاتها في إيران، حيث ستعجز الأخيرة على التعامل مع الاثنين في نفس الوقت

أشور سادا، مؤسس صفحة الصوت الآشوري
www.AssyrianVoice.net

On January 21, 2014, the Iraqi government declared, in principle, that Nineveh Plains would become a new province, which serves as a safe haven for Assyrians.[/caption]

defeated.  Its people go on to live thousands of years with no place to call their own, subject to constant intimidation from neighbors, wars, oppression, cultural subjugation, terrorism and even a genocide.  Yet, despite all of this, the people-though scattered and oppressed-don’t die.  Most of them remain in the same areas and around where their former empire and its capital once stood.

And let us further imagine that after all these thousands of years of demographic changes, forceful migration and land grabbing, these people remain defiantly rooted in the lands of their great ancestors. And at the end of it all, against all odds, they finally get rewarded with something simple for their efforts and persistence: they can claim something back and call it their own. At least symbolically…

If you guessed  ‘Assyrians’ for these people, you are right!

Recent news of the Iraqi government agreeing in principle to turn the ‘Nineveh Plain‘ region-the ancestral homeland and center of the former Assyrian empire-into a province was a dream for a lot of Assyrians in Iraq and worldwide.  In reality, nothing has yet been implemented or passed as a real law in the constitution. But we are now closer than ever before to seeing this dream turn into reality. Sure, Assyrians are not getting their own country back and few are asking for that anyway. Nonetheless, this is a good first step to ensure Assyrians-and Christians in general-are protected and their cultural rights are guaranteed within a multi-ethnic and federal Iraq.

Getting a province or some sort of semi-autonomy for the Christian Assyrian (also referred to as Chaldean and Syriacs) population in Iraq won’t magically solve all their problems. Nor will it help in solving Iraq’s many problems. But it is a good first step. For one, it will help in stopping the indigenous Christian population of Iraq from migrating to the west. At least we hope it will! Since the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, the number of Christians in Iraq has gone down from 1.3 million to less than 750,000 at the moment. An Assyrian province, one that is safe, coupled with a good and vibrant economy for its residents, will go a long way to ensuring some stability for Assyrians in the the country.

Assyrians have been extremely patient and suffered through so much since the fall of their empire. Yet, they remained defiant and persistent in their effort to survive and stay relevant and rooted in their ancestral homeland. Getting their own province is the least thing that can be done to reward them for their resilience.

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

As the year draws to a close, it is time to reflect back on the past 12 months and attempt to make sense of what happened. Assyriangly Speaking that is!

We thought, like we have done in previous years, it would be cool to come up with a top 10 list of Assyrian events and persons for this ending year of 2011.

So how did we come up with this list? It is based on various things and criteria, including people’s nominations, amount of discussions and viewership it generated, buzz on social networks, and last but not least, how much it was debated and talked about in person. We may have missed or forgotten to include some other important ones, and if we did, please don’t hesitate to include them.

1-The attacks on Assyrians and their properties in the Northern Kurdish region of Iraq

2-The continuing efforts to unite Assyrian political movements and parties under one voice (started after the horrific terrorist massacre at the ‘Lady of Salvation’ Syriac Catholic church in Baghdad in 2010)

3-The passing of the great Assyriologist and archaeologist Donny George

4-Appointment of an Assyrian (Sargon Lazar, Ministry of Environment) as the first Assyrian minister in the new Iraqi government

5-The continuing threats, attacks, intimidation against Assyrians in Iraq and the resulting escape out of the country

6-The Completion of the Assyrian Dictionary Project

7-The passing of Assyrian singer and musician ‘George Homeh’

8-Assyrian activist, Michael Youash, and his continuing and relentless effort to get more funding and support for Assyrians and the formation of an Assyrian ‘Nineveh Plain’ province, all part of his role at the ISDP.

9-Assyrian soccer player ‘Leena Khamis’, playing for Australia, becomes the first Assyrian female player to make it to the world cup.

10-Launch of a new Assyrian Channel ‘Assyrian National Broadcasting

Do you agree with the list? do you agree with most choices? Who would you like to have been included, whether it was an event or a person? Please let us know in the comments section below or on our discussion forums.

Kurdish officials in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq have been proudly saying for years how safe and progressive their region is. To a certain extent, especially when compared to the rest of Iraq, that was true.

But that all came to an abrupt end last week. That is when Kurdish Islamists-incited and fueled by a mosque preacher-came out after Friday prayers and burnt and destroyed various Assyrian liquor stores, hotels and massage parlors owned by people from other minorities in the region. The rioters and saboteurs apparently did this to show their displeasure with things that go against their religion despite the fact that these businesses were licensed and operating legally.

The legend that Assyrians were safe in the Kurdish part of Iraq is now, well, a legend from the past.  The attackers have vowed to repeat their attacks again with a more extensive target list this time, possibly including churches too.

Assyrians may have been physically safe from any terrorist risks in the north, but politically, they were as oppressed as they had ever been. Unless of course you pay your allegiance to the ruling Kurdish parties, then you are free (by local standards)

Following these attacks, Assyrians have become neither politically nor physically safe. The damages sustained in less than 24 hours is well over 5 million dollars. The destruction sustained, including to a cultural club, is a reversal of years of progress made by Assyrians in the region.

While the government, headed by Barazani, has stated that they will form a committee to investigate these crimes, few have much hope that much will be done. The security forces were very slow to respond-much later after the acts had been performed-they did take better positions to ensure these things don’t happen again next Friday.

While Assyrians living in Baghdad are mostly under a physical threat, Assyrians in the north now have a political as well as a physical threat to deal with.  And when we say physical, it includes both property as well as bodily harm since these rioters will go the extreme to achieve their religious obligations.

Which brings us to the next and very important question: if they are safe nowhere in Iraq, where should they go? although hundreds of thousands of Assyrians have already left, the ones remaining either can’t leave or don’t want to leave. Nineveh Plain anyone? this is an area in the province of Nineveh, just south of Dohuk, where various Assyrian parties and politicians have been lobbying to turn into an Assyrian province and safe-heaven. Make no mistake about it, with every act of terror and adversity faced by our people in Iraq, increases the chance of making the ‘Nineveh Plain’ as an Assyrian province, a reality.

Would our people be safer in Nineveh Plain? compared to the rest of Iraq, and although it wouldn’t be completely terror and problem free, it would be a big improvement. Our people already live there and make up close to a majority in various villages in the region so they are familiar with the land and its demographics. This familiarity and majority will help Assyrians manage it better and keep it as safe as possible.

Creating an Assyrian province and safe heaven for the Assyrian Christian population doesn’t mean separation or isolation from the rest of Iraq. Assyrians will still have their active representatives in the central federal government as well as to the Kurdish region to the north. It simply means a better way to manage, protect and help the Assyrian community prosper within one united Iraq.

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

Syria has finally joined the Arab spring, with thousands of its citizens taking to the streets nationwide, seeking reforms or even regime change. The Syrian government has been relentless in its response, unleashing a very violent crackdown and shelling on its own citizens and towns.

Caught in this political and bloody mess-as has often been the case-are the Assyrians of Syria. Some have sided with the government, some have called for reforms, while others have remained silent and neutral for the most part. Those who protested, or at least were hinted to have sided with the opposition, have been dealt with by the Syrian authorities already. Just a few weeks ago, several members of the Assyrian Democratic Organization in Qamishly were arrested by the feared Syrian police with many items in their office also confiscated (they have some been released.)

The question is, what should Assyrians’ stand be? to side with the opposition and call for reforms and regime change? or should they side with the regime?

Either one sounds very risky, with lots of implications and consequences,  in a country like Syria.

-To side with the government: this may sound like a safe bet, to enjoy government’s protection in the future. But this is assuming that the government doesn’t fall anytime soon. Not to mention, this will also alienate other groups in Syria who are anti-regime.

-To side against the regime: to side with the opposition, calling for the toppling of the regime, and making it loud and clear? this could bring the wrath and anger of the Syrian government and its ruthless security forces. Assyrians have to play this card safely and carefully.

-To remain neutral, on the side: this may already be the stand being taken by many Assyrians in the country. They realize that siding with either one will cost them eventually. So it is best to stay quiet and with a low profile until things resolve themselves.

It is clear that only by ‘staying neutral’ will Assyrians get some stability and assurances against any future escalation in violence. But this position also makes them weak and unable to take a clear stand which could also cost them in the future, especially if the government is toppled and the opposition starts forming a government based on the various ethnic groups in the country.

Ironically, and after you analyze all the possible scenarios, it is a good thing after all, for Assyrians to be for, against and with no stand against the regime, all at the same time. This way, you will have your own representation in any outcome.

But whatever happens, Assyrians in Syria should demonstrate their love and loyalty to the country before anything else. If you don’t want to be seen as standing with one side versus another, you should at least show your loyalty and love for the country to help you score some political points. No, I am not asking them to show fake love, but if they do care about their country, let them show it and make it clear to the rest of the people.

Unity, when combined with determination, can really have some dramatic effects. For example, it can neutralize an otherwise powerful and loyal one-million man army.

If you guessed we are talking about Egypt, you are correct!

The events quickly unraveling before our very eyes in Egypt-Tunisia before that-and various other Arab countries, seem hard to believe. But upon further analysis, it shouldn’t be that surprising.

For a ruthless dictator, who has ruled Egypt for over 30 years, to come so close to being literally kicked out of Egypt shouldn’t be a big shock when you think about the pushing factor behind it all.

The single biggest reason the protests in Egypt have been so successful so far can easily be attributed to the unity of people. Coupled with passion and determination, and you have got the perfect recipe for a successful uprising-and a recipe for disaster for the Egyptian president and his government.

The Egyptian people have been so united-albeit through peaceful means-throughout these protests that they have managed the almost impossible task of neutralizing the powerful police force and army. Once you take these two out of the equation, Mr.Mubarak’s collapse has become simply a matter of time. Or as Mr.ElBaradei, one of the leading opposition voices, described him: “He is a dead man walking…” an indication that the Egyptian leader is virtually out of options already.  The Egyptian people have united under one voice and purpose and have resisted any divisions that come from conflicting political agendas or personal interests. They have sacrificed it all for a better future for their country.

It is not so much about the Egyptian army being intimidated. They are simply overwhelmed by the amazing unity and passion being shown by the protesters, for weeks and around the clock all day long. It is an energy that is very hard not to admire. In fact, many members of the Egyptian security forces (police and army) have joined-in with the protesters.  It is a unity that has also energized and caught the attention of others in the region who will inevitably come out to demand change as well.

So what about the Assyrians? Can we ever unite and energize with such a passion? Interestingly enough, the ‘Baghdad Church Massacre‘ late last year brought the best in us, prompting us to march, protest, strike, and best of all, come together as one. I call it ‘the politics of the Black March.’ According to these politics and the new reality faced by Assyrians, we simply can’t afford to stay divided. Disunity is simply not an option.

Unity and extreme passion-as shown and exemplified by the ongoing Egyptian protests-are badly needed by and from our people these days. While we have shown flashes of unity and passion to work for a better and more stable future, they haven’t been consistent enough.  We need more. We need to capture our very own attention and memory before we try that of the world. If we forget our unity and passion after a few weeks, it will take the world much less to forget.

For us to get, what and where we want to be, there has to be consistent hard work and not only as a contingency or in reaction to other unfortunate events that inflict our nation. Couple that with unity and passion, and you have got an Assyrian energy that is very hard to stop or slow down. Until then, we will be living like the Egyptians did for decades, till that morning of January 25 when they decided to unite and have a passionate desire to make a change.

Assyrian Christians in Iraq are getting it from all sides these days.

No exceptions!

While it was obvious that our religion was making us the target of religious extremists, it seems like the Iraqi government is taking care of threatening the other part of the equation: our cultural identity!

On the evening of January 13th, the ‘Ashurbanipal Cultural Center’, an Assyrian social and cultural club in the Karrada district of Baghdad, was unjustly and surprisingly raided by the very Iraqi security forces and other politicians from the Baghdad city provincial council.  Not only was this raid unforeseen and uncalled for, it was even confusing to some of those doing the raid themselves! During the raid, various items were confiscated, furniture toppled, things broken and club members abused and beaten for no reason.

Aftermath of the attack on the center

The excuse given for this raid is that the club was serving alcohol to its members and attendees, something which is slowly and gradually becoming prohibited in Baghdad and other parts of Iraq.  But this can’t be the case because a member of Baghdad’s provincial council came out later confirming that Christians are excluded from the ban to sell alcohol and that this wouldn’t be a reason to raid the club.  But he didn’t know why it was raided either and instead announced a much welcome full investigation into what happened and why. The investigation committee is to present its findings and conclusions within three days of the announced date. We are not hopeful, though,  that we will hear anything earth-shattering or admittance of wrong-doing by the police and members of Baghdad’s provincial council.

In a country struggling with containing and defeating terrorism and insurgency, why the hell would the security forces instead focus their attention and resources on an innocent and very loyal group like the Assyrians? Worse yet, why target a cultural and social club which can only help restore some normalcy and civility to the Iraqi society? Talk about absolute wrong priorities.  But I am afraid it is less about priorities and more about hidden agendas and intentions. It is said that during the raid, some of the security force personnel (including members of the Iraqi police force) were on the phone with a Sheikh member of the Baghdad Provincial Council. The said Sheikh was quoted as telling the security officials on the phone “It is either me or this club, I want it shut down for good…”

There is a saying in Iraq that goes something like: “the guards happen to be its robbers” (حاميها حراميها) and it couldn’t have been more accurate in this case. The security officials that we entrust with spreading the rule of law and ensuring our safety, are the very ones who are doing the opposite. How can Iraq move forward and be governed with the rule of law when the very security personnel are doing such a lousy, unprofessional and bad job? It is ironic that the Iraqi PM Nouri Al Maliki ran on an election platform titled “State of the Law”!

Needless to say, the Iraqi government has to come down really hard on everyone involved with this uncivil raid and send a strong message to every Iraqi that enough is enough; the law is above everyone else. It is one thing not to be able to arrest an invisible terrorist or insurgent, but to attack a social and cultural club for no reason, will not help the reputation of the Iraqi security forces at all. As if its reputation for being unprofessional and lacking loyalty needed any more damage.

The original, nation-loving and loyal Assyrian Christian population of Iraq needs to be rewarded for its loyal behavior and not targeted like this. This will only make more of them leave and as a result degrade Iraq’s reputation in world opinion even more.

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