January 17, 2010

The Call of the Shepherd

Chaldeans and Assyrians:

Reading the compass

 

For Chaldeans and Assyrians, it is imperative that the year 2010 be a time for decisive orientation. These are the uncharted waters engulfing them:

 

An Apostolic Church Sailing through the Tempest:

The results of the protracted agony of the Church in Iraq and the massive and continuous exodus of Christians for the last two decades have left their marks on all levels of ecclesiastic life: diocesan, parochial, monastic, educational, social, economic…etc. The impact is so overwhelming that the survival of Christianity in the Arabic part of Iraq is a real issue for the whole civilized world to consider.

          Is the ongoing persecution of Christians in most of Iraq a momentary outburst of fanatic fundamentalists, or is it a policy that the ruling forces of the New Iraq are adopting, or, at least, accepting implicitly? Despite the heroic attitude of the Chaldean Patriarch and of many of the Church hierarchs, who remain in their seats and continue to be faithful to their pastoral duties, their flocks, in massive numbers, have had no choice but to leave, with bitterness, their homes and country.

          After years of wandering in adjacent countries, or running from land to land in search of settlement, hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Christians are now torn between going back to Iraq, hoping against hope for a tolerable future, and giving up definitely on the expectation of equal rights and decent life in their ancestral land, then proceeding though deeply wounded and empty-handed, towards the unknown. Visas, since the end of 2007, to some European countries and to the United States have alleviated the pains of many, but legions more are still waiting in desolated conditions. 

Facing Destiny: Fragmented or Together?

          The tempest has been fully raging for some decades now; its destructive force remains an ongoing tragedy. At this junction of history, it is incumbent on Chaldeans and Assyrians to face it and deal with it, on ecclesial terms as well as on civil ones - i.e. as a people with specific ethnicity and culture, and as a Church with its particular heritage, but most of all as leaders of both communities, they have two options: shall they face their destiny separately or together?

          Deciding for a unified Church and people is a choice that entails challenging consequences on each sector of the matter, and triggers a movement on a course that Chaldeans & Assyrians must outline and tackle together. Throughout our history we have lost so many opportunities; will we now rise up to the challenge? Time, here, is of the essence.

We Need Each Other: It is our call to all Chaldeans and Assyrians, especially those yearning for unity, common cause, and shared destiny, not to lose time but to come urgently together to reject and challenge the prophets of doom, as did our forefathers the Ninivites, and build with the blessings of heaven a spiritual tower wherever we reside, especially within the boundaries of our Diocese.

+ Bishop Sarhad Yawsip Jammo

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Response of the Faithful Representatives 

MANIFESTO

ON THE BETH NAHRAYN IDENTITY

EXPRESSED AS CHALDEAN & ASSYRIAN

We, a group of Chaldean and Assyrian members of the Chaldean Catholic Church, convened in San Diego, CA, January 9, 2010 on the occasion of the1600 anniversary of the Synod of Mar Isaac, while recognizing our full unity in our holy Christian faith within the authentic original Beth Nahrainian theology and liturgy of our Chaldean Catholic Church, and aspiring to extend this unity of faith to other sectors of life, do collectively declare our commitment to the cause of social, cultural and nationalistic unity within our church and amongst our people and beyond, and to offer the following principals and guidelines as a basis to foster understanding that leads to an agreement expressing nationalist unity.

Failed Attempts

Through the past century until the present time, it is a matter of historic fact that several attempts of forging a nationalist unity between Assyrians and Chaldeans were tried, using different methods:

1)       Adopting, by many goodwill groups and boards of Chaldeans and Assyrians, the combination of the two names Assyrian and Chaldean, as in Athur-Chaldaye, Chaldu-Athoraye, Assyro-Chaldeans, Chaldu (or: Chaldo)-Assyrians.

2)      Claiming unilaterally by many Assyrian institutions and parties that the name “Assyrian” includes every Aramaic language speaker, Chaldean or otherwise, as well as, claiming by several intellectual Chaldeans that the name “Chaldean” is historically inclusive of all descendants of Mesopotamian people and cultures.

Result: With the passing of time and the clarification of intentions, none of these, and similar attempts, obtained considerable acceptance or validation, most of all, because of one or more of the following factors:  a) These attempts were the result of wishful thinking of one side or both.  b) They lacked any serious application of the principle of equality and mutuality between the two sides.  c) They implied a hidden agenda, trying to make it acceptable in regional and international arenas, or intending to secure the interest of one side at the deprivation of the other. d) Moreover, they implied usurping the basic elementary right of individuals and communities to self-identification and self-determination.

Therefore, lacking fairness and transparency, as the one expected to be between brothers and sisters of one nation, these attempts failed, imposing by consequence upon all decent Assyrians and Chaldeans to identify and adopt a viable path to unity.

Honorable Method for Nationalistic unity

This much desired goal can be reached through negotiations conducted by representatives of Chaldeans and Assyrians, who are free from the pressure of any foreign power, mostly political, and have a proven record of faithfulness to their people, having struggled valiantly for its noble causes.  Those Chaldeans and Assyrians who achieved the ecclesial unity between a segment of faithful of the Assyrian Church of the East and the Chaldean Catholic Dioceses, especially their spiritual leaders and intellectuals, have certainly proven to be fit to charter and advise the course of nationalistic unity as well.  As such, we offer the following principals and guidelines.

Basic points of reference:

1) The history of Beth Nahrayn in its totality, as a one continuum of peoples and states, of civilizations and cultures, is the common point of reference for the acknowledgment of our original identity.

2) We do agree that either and both names: Assyrian and Chaldean are validly and genuinely expressive of the BethNahraynian identity. The duality of names is due to the richness of our background and complexity of our history, therefore the two names are to be maintained, at least for the time being, and understood in a complementary way.

3) The BethNahraynian Aramaic language is the basic cultural reference that is binding us to each other at the present time and connecting us as well to the ancient heritage of our ancestry.

4) Christianity, as embodied particularly in the history of the Church of the East, became a fundamental part of our identity for the last two millennia and remains an important point of reference for the recognition of our religious identity.

Guidelines for successful negotiations:

1) The basic principle of dialogue between the two sides shall be the mutual recognition of the valid and genuine Chaldean and Assyrian identity, as expressed in nomenclature, linguistic dialect, or other cultural or social particularities. Until an agreement of national unity is reached, adopted and implemented adequately by both sides, both sides must respect the right of the other to have its distinct identity included in constitutional and other governmental documents and institutions, with the standard language expressing national identity and rights.  Indeed, without admitting being two distinct Chaldean and Assyrian identities, there are no nationalistic issues to negotiate; but being two distinct communities, Chaldean and Assyrian, with so much commonality, leads us rationally to come together and negotiate a road map, in order to forge ultimately one nationalist community we so much desire.  

2) Though "majority" and "minority" of number is a factor in concrete situations, equality in nationalistic “dignity” and equitable participation in “positions of responsibility and leadership” between the two sides is to be recognized, with due regard also to competence and reliability.

3) The general understanding shall be the following: having formed distinct Chaldean and Assyrian identities, especially in the past one or two centuries, most of our people yearn at the present time to a comprehensive unity that will provide us a better chance for survival, both in our ancestral homeland as well as in the countries of expansion. Nevertheless, this yearning cannot erase the actual particularities or distract us from searching and finding concrete solutions to real differences, and from eliminating the very serious obstacle in the way of unity.

The Iraqi Syriacs: Having formulated a common position on the road to national unity between Chaldeans and Assyrians, we shall formulate a proposal to be presented to qualified representatives of the Iraqi Syriac community, who will have to consider the above-mentioned points of reference as their own community's heritage and reference, hoping to include their participation in a process that will lead them, as well, to a BethNahraynian comprehensive nationalist unity.

Notes:

The Assyrian and Chaldean delegates present request that the Eparch of Saint Peter Catholic Diocese for Chaldeans and Assyrians, Bishop Mar Sarhad Yawsip Jammo, to establish a Diocesan Committee for Justice & Human Rights to promote and put into action the agreed upon “Manifesto”.

We RESOLVE that the Chaldean and Assyrian delegates present, after full deliberation, accept the above text of the “Manifesto” on the Beth Nahranyan Identity as Chaldean & Assyrian, as presented in signature thereof.

The undersigned to this Manifesto declare that the Manifesto fully represents their thinking and beliefs and these beliefs take precedence on any position, in speech or in writing, which they have presented in the past.

Signatories at the Consultation (listed alphabetically)