Israel's first registered "Aramean" to address United Nations in Geneva
On 16 September 2014, Israel’s Minister of Interior, H.E. Gideon Sa‘ar, signed a document that recognizes “Aramean” as a distinct national identity in Israel’s population registry. In order to promote this historic decision, the World Council of Arameans (Syriacs) (“WCA”) has invited the first registered Aramean from Israel to present a momentous statement on behalf of the Arameans worldwide at the UN Office in Geneva. Next Wednesday, 26 November, the WCA will address the Seventh Session of the Forum on Minority Issues on “Preventing and addressing violence and atrocity crimes targeted against minorities” (“UN Seventh Session”).
Mr. Shadi Khalloul from Gush Halav in North Israel, Chairman of the Aramaic Christian Association in Israel and a member of the Maronite Church, was one of the main forces behind this landmark decision. He was the first to register his two-year old son Jacob as Israel’s first official “Aramean” citizen on 20 October, 2014. Mr Khalloul has stated that Israel’s decision exemplifies a “just and timely move, righting a long-standing wrong. We call upon all the Arameans in our country to rectify their registration according to their original and traditional identity.”
The WCA has invited Mr. Khalloul to speak on behalf of all the Arameans worldwide at the UN Seventh Session in Geneva, Switzerland. Mr. Khalloul will also be invited as one of the keynote speakers early in 2015, when the WCA will hold a side event at the UN Office in Geneva, titled “Israel’s Recognition of the Aramean Christians: Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon Next?” The WCA invites other major NGOs to co-organize this event and calls upon UN Member States to co-sponsor this conference that aims at ensuring and promoting the basic human rights of a threatened minority.
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WCA President speaking at Syria & Iraq Conference
From 21-23 November, the WCA President has been invited to speak on Iraq and Syria at a big Conference at a German University. The organizer is the highly regarded Research Centre for Aramean Studies at the Department of History and Sociology at the University of Konstanz in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry of Germany.
After the analyses by scholars and the situational reports of the leaders on the ground, the background of the political and military successes by Islamist groups in the Middle East will be reviewed. NISIBIN has invited politicians, NGOs and church leaders (incl. Syriac Orthodox and Chaldean Patriarchs & Assyrian ("Nestorian") Archbishops) to discuss the perspectives and opportunities for the Aramean Christians in their homeland.
In Iraq and Syria, the Arameans and their Aramaic language are at a critical point: the already catastrophic humanitarian situation is deteriorating at a rapid pace and the Christian exodus continues. What can the German government, media and society do to help?
Our Federation of Arameans in Germany has organized and will coordinate meetings after the Conference with senior politicians in Berlin, including the Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
For the program, poster and more info, see www.nisibin.de.
RECENT ACTIVITIES
16 Nov 14 | Lecture in Switzerland on activities of WCA and its Memer Federations'
Last Sunday, the WCA President (Johny Messo) spoke at the Syriac Orthodox St. Avgin Monastery in Switzerland about the work the WCA has been doing for decades for the Aramean people, summing up its main activities, results and what the WCA will focus on in the next years.
Organized by Evlin & Turan Aksan from Zurich, the event was opened by Melki Toprak (Chairman Federation of the Arameans in Switzerland), who spoke about the important work the Federation is doing for the Arameans in Switzerland and at large.
After Mr. Toprak, Archbishop H.E. Mor Dionysius Isa Gurbuz took the floor. He gratefully acknowledged the WCA and the Federation for the tireless efforts and important work they have been doing for the Aramean Christians. After that, the WCA President spoke, followed by questions from an enthusiastic audience.
14 Nov 14 | Fundraising program for Sayfo activities in 2015
On 14 November, the WCA held a unique fundraising program on the Sweden-based Aramaic satellite channel Suryoyo Sat. It was co-organized by the international board of Suryoyo Sat, Syriac Aramean Academic Federation (SAAF) and Syriac Aramean Youth Federation (SAUF).
Some 30 old and young people participated in the program; old video clips and photos were shown; oral and written Aramaic eyewitness testimonies were read aloud from and about the Sayfo period; and songs and poems were recited.
The theme concerned a fundraiser for several Sayfo projects in 2015, including a Sayfo documentary, jointly supported by the WCA, its Member Federations, SAUF, SAAF and Suryoyo Sat. Many viewers dialed in to the live program to donate in memory of their victims.
11 Nov 14 | Lecture on Aramean struggle for survival in Turkey, Syria and Iraq
On 11 November, the WCA President gave a lecture in the big hall of Södertörn University near Stockholm, on "The Aramean (Syriac) Christians of Turkey, Syria and Iraq: The Struggle for Survival." More than 80 enthusiastic Aramean students attended the event, which was hosted by Sweden's Syriac Aramean Academic Federation (SAAF) and co-sponsored by the Syriac Aramean Youth Federation (SAUF).
The first part of the lecture introduced the Aramean people, their history, language, religion and identity. The second part summarized how they have lived in the last 100 years in Turkey, Syria and Iraq. The final part was about whether or not the Aramean people will have a future in their home countries.
The event was recorded by a Dutch national TV channel that is producing a documentary on the Sayfo, the massacres against the Aramean Christians of Southeast Turkey before, during and after World War I. They were in Sweden for recordings from 10-12 November.
For those who understand Swedish, a summary and photos can be found here.
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