Five Assyrian leaders were presented the outstanding Community Service Award on Wednesday 11 May, 2012. The Ceremony took place in the Jubilee Room of the New South Wales (NSW) Parliament House, Macquarie Street in Sydney.

A Resolution authored by the Hon. Marie Ficarra MLC, Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier of NSW, was passed unanimously by the Legislative Council of the Parliament of NSW in relation to the outstanding community service of certain Assyrian community leaders.
Mr. David M. David, President of the Assyrian Australian National Federation, Mr. Hermiz Shahen, Deputy Secretary General of the Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA), Mr. Simon Essavian, president of the Assyrian Charity and Education Community, Mr. Yacop Barhy, member of the NSW Babylon Cultural Association, and Mr. Ninos Aaron, Chairman of the Young Assyrians.

Dragons and Violins is the story of George Edgar, born in Persia at a time of terrible violence against Assyrian Christians. His family escaped to Russia, then Constantinople, and finally to the United States on July 4th, 1921. In World War II, he helped build assault bridges from Normandy to the outskirts of Berlin, his life unfolding against the backdrop of monumental events. But despite all obstacles, nothing deterred him from his one true dream - to become a violinist.

The author of the book is David A. Armstrong, George’s grandson. Like Not Even My Name by Thea Halo and The Crimson Field by Rosie Malek-Yonan, Dragons and Violins also covers the tragic events of the genocide of 1914.

In the introduction of the book, David writes:

"Chicago, 1956 — I HAVE ONLY one photograph of the occasion, yet the image shows me many things. With it and the imagination my grandfather nurtured in me, I can relive as if I were there the important evening in the sweltering summer of 1956 when he performed a violin solo at Orchestra Hall with members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as part of the conservatory’s summer season opening concert. His performance of Mozart’s “Concerto in A Major for Violin and Orchestra” was the culmination of an intense, region-wide competition, one for which he had practiced ceaselessly for months, the kind of accomplishment he had set his heart on for four decades at least—since the time when he had been a small boy in Persia, the son of a skilled Assyrian craftsman who made tars, the long-necked Persian lutes whose sound bowls are covered with lambskin.

My grandfather was born a musician and throughout a life of huge challenge and high adventure—one in which he repeatedly struggled to survive—it was the violin and the music of Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, and Mendelssohn that fascinated him, moved him, and to which he brought his colossal persistence and dedication. Born near the salt-encrusted shore of Lake Urmia in far northwestern Persia—a place that today is part of Iran—my grandfather traveled with his family on foot and by train to Russia to escape the slaughter of Assyrian, Armenian and Pontic Greek Christians by marauding Kurds and Turks, endured the famine that presaged the Russian revolution, saved his mother from rape at the hands of a tsarist soldier, then, miraculously, escaped with her to teeming Constantinople, now Istanbul, where they awaited visas that eventually would allow them to sail to the United States.

By Arianne Ishaya, Ph.D.

This article is an excerpt from a book titled The Assyrian Flag. It is in the form of an extensive interview that Mr. Homer Abramian, the chief editor of Kirkha (an Assyrian periodical published in Iran), had with the designer of the Assyrian flag, Mr. George Bet Atanous (1919-2000).

The interview touches on many different topics including the history, mythology, and the art of ancient Assyrians as well as contemporary issues regarding the legal status of the Assyrian minority in the constitution of Iran in the post Islamic revolution era.

George Bet Atanous published this interview in the form of a book to be distributed freely to friends and fellow Assyrians. It should be noted that almost every page is adorned with ancient Assyrian art motifs and designs, some of which he analyzes as to their symbolic significance in response to the questions from the interviewer. In that context, he also tells the reason why he was prompted to design the present Assyrian national emblem, the flag, and how he chose the representational symbols for it.

Yerevan, May 3, 2012 – Once again the Assyrian nation has proved that it will mass stronger against all attempts to deny the Assyrian genocide committed by the Ottoman Turkey during WWI, which claimed about 750,000 innocent lives, and show to the world the heinous crimes committed against its people. “Turkey is still living in denial of this fact” Mr. Arsan Mikhaylov said.

On Wednesday 25th April 2012, the Assyrian people of Armenia gathered en masse to celebrate the official unveiling of the Assyrian genocide monument in a public land located at Crossroads of Moskovyan and Nalbandyan in central Yerevan. A special prayer service was organised by the Rev. Father Isaac Tamras from the Assyrian church of the East at the beginning of the ceremony.

The formal proceedings began with the Armenian and the Assyrian national Anthems, followed by a minute silence observed in memory of victims of the Assyrian genocide .After welcoming the attendees by the Master of ceremonies Mr. Razmik Khosroev, RA Meritorious Artist, lecturer at Yerevan Theatre and Film, State Pedagogical University, he then invited Mr. Arsan Mikhaylov, president of the Atour Association in Armenia and the Secretary of Eastern Europe of the Assyrian Universal Alliance to welcome the attendees.

“What prompted us to build this Assyrian genocide monument in Armenia is our respect for our martyrs who gave their lives for the preservation of our Assyrian cultural and ethnic identity, and also to add our voice to those of our fellow Armenians in this country” Mr. Arsan Mikhaylov said.

Mr. Mikhaylov continued that many Assyrian organisations from different countries have contributed to the cost of the entire project. The site is expected to become a pilgrimage site not only for the Assyrians but for Armenians and Pontic Greeks who are also victims of the same genocide.

By Benjamin Daniali

Once again, Thunder Rolling Down the Mountain, Chief Joseph amazes us with one of his belongings, and this time, it is not Chief Joseph’s Assyrian cuneiform tablet, but the Star of Ashur insignia he amazingly carried on his bag. [Figure 1]

I recently came across two pictures of Chief Joseph that clearly display the Star of Ashur. [Figure 2] The Star of Ashur is the sacred insignia people of Mesopotamia carried during their long history. The insignia, today, it could be found on the Assyrian National Flag. [Figure 3]

Chief Joseph, the honorable leader of Nez Perce American Indian tribe, after a long bloody battle with the American army, he surrounded in 1877. In his medicine bag, the army found an Assyrian cuneiform tablet dated back to 2042 B.C. The cuneiform was the first cuneiform found in America, and it reads:

"Nalu received 1 lamb from Abbashaga on the 11th day of the month of the festival of An, in the year Enmahgalanna was installed as high priestess of Nanna"

"The chief said that the tablet had been passed down in his family for many generations, and that they had inherited it from their white ancestors. Chief Joseph said that white men had come among his ancestors long ago, and had taught his people many things. His story echoes those told by Native Americans in both North and South America about white culture bringers. But in this case, Joseph had a souvenir to demonstrate the truth of his story."

Yerevan –The Assyrian people of Armenia took a historical step to preserve their heritage and history by honouring victims of the Assyrian genocide, committed by the Ottoman government during WWI (1914-1918).

According to Mr. Arsen Mikhaylov, the Chapter Secretary of the Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA) in Armenia, preparations are under way for the upcoming official unveiling of the Assyrian genocide monument in Yerevan on April 25, 2012.
A special program is organised by the AUA in collaboration with Assyrian Armenian Association “Atour”. The unveiling will commence at 3:00 pm at Yerevan city, Crossroads of Moskovyan and Nalbandyan,

Mr. Mikhaylov said that he expects a number of representatives from the government to attend the unveiling. It is also expected that a large number of guests will arrive from overseas including; Mr. Hermiz Shahen, the Deputy Secretary General of the Assyrian Universal Alliance from Australia; Mr. David David , The president of the Assyrian Australian National Federation and the Regional Secretary of AUA in Australia and New Zealand; Mr. Edwin Babeleh Khanshan, Regional Secretary of Homeland from Iran; Dr. Anahit Khosroeva, Ph.D., a Senior Researcher in the Institute of History, National Academy of Science From The Republic of Armenia. and Mr. Sabri Atman, Director of the Assyrian Genocide Research Centre (Seyfo Center) from Europe . Among the guests will also be representatives from the Assyrian Armenian organisations.

By Benjamin Daniali

His Assyrian ancestors invented wheels and chariots, and now he designs luxury cars. Emil Badal, 26, recently migrated to United States, and his American Dream is to study Transportation Design.

Emil’s portfolio is online at www.emilbadal.com in which he showcases new 3D models for famous cars, from Hummer Rhino, to Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Lamborghini, Chevrolet Corvette, Ferrari, and sweet BMWs.

Sydney – Preparations are under way in Sydney - Australia for the upcoming celebration of Assyria day. This event will be held on 3rd July 2011 at 5:00pm at “Ur Ashur” located on 1677, the Horsley Drive, Horsley Park. The Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA) designated the Assyria Day at its 27th World Congress held during 2nd - 4th December 2010 in Erbil, Iraq, and therefore requests all Assyrians throughout the world to observe this day as a symbol of our national revival day, “Return to Assyria.”

According to Mr. Hermiz Shahen (Deputy Secretary General and the Regional Secretary of the AUA in Australia & New Zealand), the organizing committee is preparing for this great event and has sent invitations to all of our organizations & parties to attend and participate in this national occasion. This event aims at sending a message regarding the rights of the Assyrians to safely return to their homeland, to affirm their rights to exist in harmony, peace & security with their neighbors by exercising the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and all other international conventions and treaties which emphasize refugee’s right of return. It also supports the demands of the Assyrians in their pursuit of an autonomous federal province or state.

The Assyria Region is crucial for the survival of the Assyrians of Iraq, and will allow for a greater local Assyrian control within the context of an integrated and sovereign Iraqi state. Such a region will allow for increased peace, stability and balance throughout the whole region.

Mr. Shahen continued that AUA has submitted a number of appeals and has entered into negotiations with various governments and international organizations on behalf of the Assyrian Nation. The objective of such efforts has been to advance the Assyrian cause internationally on both humanitarian and political fronts. AUA strives to demonstrate that Diaspora Assyrians aspire to live in peace and harmony as worthy members of their host societies. As to the Assyrian people who remain in their homeland, AUA seeks the support of democratic governments and international bodies in defending their indigenous rights and their highly cherished national identity, culture, heritage, language and religion.

Rudaw -- The Justice and Development Party (AKP) of Prime Minister Receb Tayyib Erdogan won the majority of votes in Turkey’s elections on Sunday. Fifteen parties ran in the parliamentary elections where PM’s AKP party secured a third term in office. AKP’s parliamentary seats however, went down from 341 in the 2007 elections to 326 and this is short of the two-thirds of total seats that AKP needs to have a super majority.

Assyrians in Chicago remember when an ethnic gang roamed Albany Park

By John Greenfield
Time Out Chicago

George Knox knows how difficult life can be for recent immigrants. "A lot of new immigrant groups go through a period of cultural conflict when they’re susceptible to discrimination and bullying," says Knox, director of the National Gang Crime Research Center, based in Peotone, 40 miles south of Chicago. This period of adjustment, Knox says, leads some immigrants to form gangs.