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=> Re: “Assyrian” identity?

Re: “Assyrian” identity?

Posted by Dean (Guest) - Sunday, September 12 2004, 5:31:23 (CEST)
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Tiglath,

Either way you slice it guys, modern "Assyrians" owe their identity to either Layard finding ancient Assyrian ruins (around 1850 AD) near Mosul and the subsequent influence of that find on both the old Iraqi constitution (1970s) and the Church of the East usage (1970s).

In any event, current "Assyrian" nationalism can’t be more than 150 years old and more than likely less than 40.

A claim to ancient Assyrian ancestry by anyone today is far fetched considering the major disconnect between the last of ancient Assyria (615 bc) and relatively new claim to Assyrianism (1970s AD) by the surviving remnant of Church of the East members (mainly natives of either Iran or Turkey) and an artificially carved out (by Britain) modern state of "Iraq".

-Dean

Tiglath wrote:
>Dear SA,
>
>Actually the Church of the East has used the Assyrian identity that belongs to all the people of Iraq for purely selfish purposes. When the first wave of nationalism first spread across the Middle East it was the Church of the East who used the Assyrian identity to differentiate us from the majority of the people of Mesopotamia who had converetd to Islam.
>
>Meanwhile one has to only look at the former Iraqi constituiton that declared that the Iraqis were the descendants of the Babylonians and the Assyrians. One has but to look at their currency to see the Law code of hammurabi on the 5 dinar note. One has simply to look at their armed forces who currently wear a badges depicting lammasu and the lion of Babylon.
>
>It is the modern Iraqi people who recognise that their ancestors were recognised by numerous names throughout our long 7,000 year history. Unlike our parochial church and nationalists who exclaim that we are Assyrian. Period. Not Sumerian, not Babylonian, not Akkadian, not Amorite, not Aramean. Just Assyrian. Period. Which makes no sense at all.
>
>We and all the people of Iraq are the descendants of the ancients, culturaly divided and religously estranged. We need to recognise ALL our ancestors both modern and ancient as the modern Iraqis have done before we can make this religously-based paradigm shift.
>
>P.S. Please pass on my regards to your beautiful family.

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The full topic:

“Assyrian” identity? Dean - Friday, September 10 2004, 2:35:57 (CEST)
- Re: “Assyrian” identity? Tony - 09/10 06:22
  - Re: “Assyrian” identity? parhad - 09/10 07:36
    - Re: “Assyrian” identity? Tony - 09/10 07:48
      - Re: “Assyrian” identity? parhad - 09/10 08:03
      - Re: “Assyrian” identity? Dean - 09/11 03:45
        Now you see them... parhad - 09/11 04:39
        Parhad the Liar Dean - 09/13 18:09
- Re: “Assyrian” identity? Tiglath - 09/10 12:51
  - Re: “Assyrian” identity? Paul Younan - 09/10 16:18
  - Re: “Assyrian” identity? Dean - 09/12 05:31

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