February 14, 2010

ASPIRATION FOR OUR RISE
By Dr. Noori Barka

After the full Church unity in March 2008 that has brought together thousands of new Assyrian Catholics within three Chaldean Dioceses of the Catholic Church, we in the State of California, and probably elsewhere, have, in the past two years, been living a unique joy as the People of God and a wonderful awareness as the Members of the Body of Christ.  Indeed, based on the said Church unity we have now the opportunity to expand our spiritual oneness to also include in the future a unity that is social, cultural & nationalistic.

Aspiring to national unity is no longer a dream because a journey towards its fulfillment has already begun. A number of Chaldeans and Assyrians, brothers and sisters in so many ways, met in San Diego early this month on the occasion of the 2010 Mar Isaac Symposium, under the auspices of Saint Peter Diocese and the leadership of its Eparch, Bishop Sarhad Yawsip Jammo, to endorse a historic document named the “Manifesto.”

Although the individuals who endorsed the Manifesto are only two-dozen, they nevertheless carry in and among themselves the freedom to do the good our people have aspired for generations and the wisdom to avoid the evil of failed attempts the Assyrians and Chaldeans have suffered in past times. We believe these two characteristics are very attractive and shall begin to rally other Assyrians and Chaldeans to embrace this Manifesto. History is on their side, because in 2008 this same group of people achieved a remarkable & historical church unity. Why not make 2010 also a historical year in a nationalistic sense?

Our homeland Iraq (BethNahrayn), its history, culture and the Aramaic Language are the bases of what is common between Chaldeans and Assyrians. This is what the Manifesto teaches, as its title indicates, “Manifesto: On the Beth Nahrayn Identity Expressed as Chaldean and Assyrian.” 

Although BethNahrayn was also the country of other peoples and nationalities like Arabs, Kurds, Turkumans & many others, what unites Assyrians and Chaldeans is much greater than that which is common among these other inhabitants of our shared homeland. A common Mesopotamian ancestry, a common language, a common history, common customs and culture, and most of all a common Christian faith, which includes common Church Fathers and common liturgical tradition, strongly unite Chaldeans and Assyrians so much more to one another than other peoples and nationalities. 

Let’s allow the path of this unity made available by the Manifesto to be realized in our midst through our collective wisdom and collaborative efforts. We must be wise not let those who wish us evil from any side to obstruct or divert, to steal or confuse, to marginalize or underestimate this historic process. The Manifesto invites us, we the Assyrians and Chaldeans who have different “nationalistic” identities, to begin gradually building one unifying Beth Nahraynian national identity for the glory of God and the prosperity of our People.