| |
| |
Assyrian New Year celebration in Australia
ASSYRIAN Iraqi refugee Hermiz Shahen said efforts by Iraqis to wipe out thecountry's remaining Assyrian Christians as part of a jihad were never far from the thoughts of local Assyrian Iraqis especially on Sunday, when more than 10,000 revellers celebrated the Assyrian New Year at Fairfield Showground.
Coming together: (From left) Mariam Sada, Ashor Isaac and Liza Dawood of the Assyrian Youth Group at the celebrations on Sunday. Among the guests were the federal Minister for Communications, Helen Coonan, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Teresa Gambaro, local MPs Chris Bowen and Joe Tripodi, and Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, who spoke on behalf of Prime Minister John Howard about the plight of Assyrian Iraqis abroad. Picture: Carlos Furtado |
|
''There is a lot of depression among our people, many of whom worry about their relatives,'' Mr Shahen said.
''They are sending money back home in case their loved ones are forced to pay a ransom to insurgents who are kidnapping our children.''
Mr Shahen, of Bossley Park, is the secretary of the Assyrian Universal Alliance-Australia Chapter at Wetherill Park.
He said there were close to 30,000 Assyrians in the Fairfield area alone and that the Assyrian New Year was the biggest festival in the ancient Assyrian and Babylonian empires.
''Nowadays the Assyrian New Year falls close to the Easter holiday,'' Mr Shahen said.
''We therefore also remember the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, who spoke Aramaic, 'the Assyrian language', which ties in with the ancient, and contemporary of the Assyrian people.''
This year's Assyrian New Year was organised by the Assyrian Australian National Federation in Wetherill Park, in conjunction with Assyrian organisations and churches.
Organisers called on the Australian Government to support demands to have a protection-zone in northern Iraq, south of the Kurdish areas, where the majority of Assyrians live.
Bossley Park resident and secretary of the federation, Anabell St Vincent, said it was encouraging to see the large number of local, state and federal dignitaries in attendance.
''They showed a great understanding of the hardship and the challenges that the Assyrians face, both here and abroad, and have thrown their support behind our call to have a safe zone in northern Iraq,'' Ms St Vincent said.
She migrated to Australia from Iran in 1987 after living through the Iran-Iraq war and remembers wearing the hijab.
|
|
Who are the Christians of Iraq?
Neisan = April
Assyrian New Year celebration in Australia April 4, 07
EU Conference Calls on Turkey to Recognize
Assyrian Genocide April 3, 07
Iraq's Christians Flock to Lebanon April 3, 07
The Christian victims of Iraq April 1, 07
Assyrian New Year Greeting April 1, 07
Addar = March
We Must Not Let the Assyrian Church Slide Into Oblivion
March 30, 07
Assyrian Testifies At the Congressional Human Rights Caucus
March 30, 07
Assyrian Delegation At the EP Conference on Iraqi
Turkmen and Kirkuk March 30, 07
The Kurdish peshmerga terrorize young Assyrian in Tel-Kef Iraq
March 29, 07
Journalists and Politcians request help for the Assyrians
March 28, 07
Assyrian New Year Celebrations in Sydny-Australia
March 28, 07
SAFE AND DONNY GEORGE HOLD GLOBALCANDLELIGHT
VIGIL FOR THE IRAQ MUSEUM March 28, 07
Iraq Second Most Dangerous Place in World for Minorities
March 27, 07
Congressional Subcommittee Criticizes Administration's
Iraq Refugee Policy March 27, 07
Two Catholic Nuns Stabbed to death in Iraq March 27, 07
Assyrians gather in Ceres to discuss presence in Iraq
March 26, 07
Christians, targeted and suffering, flee Iraq March 26, 07
US fails to Help Iraqi Translators March 25, 07
Writing on the Wall for Iraq March 25, 07
State Department, Iraqi Envoys to Attend Assyrian Forum
March 23, 07
The Ankawa Conference March 23, 07
Say No to the Sharia law Rule by Kurdish Regional Goverment!
March 22, 07
The Christian Iraqi Refugees in Lebanon;
A Humiliating Wait for Immigration Visas March 20, 07
US State Department says Christian sanctuary in Iraq is being
considered March 20, 07
IRAQ Islamic groups impose tax on Christian "subjects" March 19, 07
Iraqi Assyrian Refugees Flocking to Sweden March 19, 07
Muslims Forcing Christian Assyrians in Baghdad
Pay 'Protection Tax' March 18, 07
Scholars debate stolen artifacts March 17, 07
Urgent Action Needed to Protect Iraq's Religious Minorities March 17, 07
In Jordan, Christians From Iraq Harassed March 15, 07
Iraqi Christian Monthly Is Honored March 15, 07
Religious Freedom Watchdog Agency Urges Protection
for Iraq's Assyrians March 14, 07
Is Newruz the Kurdish national day? March 13, 07
Assyrians: An Ancient Community Under Siege in Iraq March 12, 07
Assyrian Genocide Memorial Wall Erected in California March 12, 07
Attiya Gamri Reelected to the Provincial Parliament of the Netherlands
March 12, 07
Corruption: The Dark Underbelly of Kurdistan's Dream March 12, 07
Egypt Arrests Christian Victims of Muslim attack March 11, 07
Iraqi Refugees who Despite Improbable Odds Reach US March 11, 07
U.N. refugee agency assesses the uprooted Iraqis plight March 11, 07
Students graduate from the Theological School March 11, 07
Kurdish authorities forbid Assyrians from using Assyrian names
for their businesses March 10, 07
Where do all Assyrian refugees end up March 6, 07
Iraq's Mandaeans 'Face Extinction' March 5, 07
The Loss and Rediscovery Of the Great Epic of Gilgamesh March 4, 07
Assyrians at the New Zealand Folklore festival March 4, 07
Australian MP Draws Attention to the Plight of Iraq's Assyrians
March 2, 07
Assyrian (Syfo) Genocide Conference at the European
Parliament March 2, 07
Eshvad = February
Turkey Bars Examination of Evidence of Assyrian Genocide
February 28, 07
Assyrian Journalist receives death threats February 26, 07
Christians Fleeing Iraq February 26, 07
A G. I.'s Letter from Iraq February 24, 07
International Community has abandoned the
weak and the helpless in Iraq February 23, 07
The inauguration of the Assyrian Genocide Memorial
Wall in Tarzan Ca. February 23, 07
Jewish Groups Not Supporting Turkey on Armenian Genocide Bill
February 23, 07
The Assyrian rights and the Kurdistan Region Option February 22, 07
Looting leaves archaeologists worried over Iraqi artifacts February 22, 07
Kurds Trying to Intimidate Turkmen in North Iraq February 20, 07
Lectures titled “Genocides of XX and XXI centuries”
at North Park University February 20, 07
Europe has to help Iraq's refugees February 20, 07
'Honor' Killings: A Tale of Two Cities February 19, 07
Kirkuk Has Never Been a Kurdish City February 17, 07
Twin car bombs in Kirkuk market kill 10, wound 60 February 17, 07
Attack on Yazidis in Northern Iraq February 17, 07
Iraqi Christians Fleeing Violence Face Uncertain Future February 16, 07
US Support Will Backfire for Kurds February 15, 07
International intrigues behind Kurdish passport scandal! February 15, 07
Iraqi refugees dismiss U.S. resettlement February 14, 07
Iraq Refugees' Struggle in Syria February 14, 07
EU Condemns Lebanon Bus Attacks in Christian Areas February 13, 07
Muslims Burn Christian Shops in Egypt February 13, 07
Remains of possible victims of Genocide will be examined by international expedition
February 13, 07
Press release: Mardin Mass Graves Revisited February 11, 07
Thousands of Iraqi Refugees Demand Change to Syrian Residency Laws February 11, 07
Rifts aside, Iraq has a timetable February 11, 07
The State Department's Rosy Deception on Iraq Refugees February 9, 07
Iraq Militants Kill Christian Airline Official Feb. 8, 07
Luana, 22 year Old Christian girl Raped by Iraqi soldier Feb. 7, 07
A letter to Sylvester Stallone Feb. 7, 07
The Assyrian Universal Alliance Reacts to Recent Allegations Feb. 6, 07
Syriac Christian cuisine of Mardin Feb. 6, 07
Kurds Displaced in Effort to Preserve Ancient City Feb. 4, 07
Kirkuk bombs kill 2, injure dozens Feb. 3, 07
Iraqi Refugees Feel Hounded By Syria Crackdown Feb. 3, 07
Assyrian Genocide Memorial Wall Feb. 2, 07
Turkey is changing, despite Dink's murder Feb. 2, 07
The irrationality of 'They killed us, that’s why we killed them' Feb. 2, 07
Kurdish Iraq's Ambassador issued 29000 passports for none Iraqis Feb. 2, 07
|
