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My Response
Posted by Jeff (Guest) - Wednesday, August 16 2006, 6:36:02 (CEST)
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Ken,
You are quite welcome. It has been my pleasure to respond.

I'm not quite sure if your comment about self-hating Assyrians is directed at me. Whether it is or not, I should state for the record that I love the richness of the Assyrian culture as I see it practiced by my family and friends, and as I define it. However, that being said, your definition and mine may differ on many things, including (but not limited to) what defines an Assyrian, and what defines self-hatred.

I find it curious that you could characterize "Anti-Israel, pro-moslem Assyrians" as vicious writers. Please be a bit more introspective. Look at your misguided assumptions in that very statement. "Anti-Israel, pro-moslem".

I personally believe that the Jewish people as a whole deserve a state where they can be free from persecution. History has shown us and them how Christians want to treat them (read: Holocaust). Furthermore, history proved that the only lands where Jews were really tolerated were in the middle east, which are majority-Muslim territory. The same goes for warring Christian factions. However, the creation of the modern state of Israel seemed to have exported the "Jewish" problem of Christian Europe to Palestine. European and American Christians have in Israel a client state, one which does not care about the best interests of the Jewish inhabitants of Israel. So, on your first point, "Anti-Israel", I kindly submit that you are wholly incorrect if you are characterizing me in these terms.

Regarding me being "pro-moslem", I fail to see where you could begin to make this determination.

So, just analyzing the first 4 lines of your e-mail, I have responded by wholeheartedly disagreeing with you. I think anybody reading would agree that I am being polite in my disagreement with you. Is this vicious?

Now that I think about it, I haven't answered your original question. You perceive that Assyrians who do not agree with you are vicious. I do not see this as being true, nor valid.

However, on a side note, when I saw you speak at an Assyrian convention a few years ago, what I heard come out of your mouth was quite vicious, if one would use this term. If I were to use my own vocabulary, I would have chosen different words, but vicious will suffice. I recall you saying that Assyrians 'didn't even pray before a meal', that they had lost their 'spiritual guidance', and you went on to imply that they almost deserved the terrible, inhumane, and genocidal treatment that they were receiving as ordinary Iraqis under the Sanctions and under the bombardment and suffering/hardship associated with the US invasion... simply because they didn't pray before a meal. How anyone could think this is a very terrible thought.

Getting back to your e-mail, your second question asks why there is "so much anger and such a low level of discussion" and why the Assyrians who disagree with you can not be civil...? Well, I suppose civility is in the eye of the beholder, as everything else. For example, I believe that supporting genocide is uncivil. War unhinges society. Genocide destroys society. Your words and sentiments support the illegal, unprecedented, and terrible travesty, tragedy, genocide, and war against our people in Iraq... so I don't feel as if those who disagree with you (myself included) are uncivil. Rather, I feel the opposite. (Note that I have replaced your terminology of "AI/PM" Assyrians as simply Assyrians who disagree with your viewpoint.)

I see radical muslims and radial christians in the same light. They need each other. They feed off of each other's hatred. Both groups should be restrained by more progressive/liberal muslims and christians. And Jews as well. Nearly every religion (with the exception of perhaps Buddhists) has extreme elements which need to be restrained by the liberal/progressive majority of members from that same religion, or from civil/secular society.

You may not respect my thoughts, or believe that they are civil, or professional, or even educated. You may interpret them as personal attacks. That is your prerogative.

It is not my intention to insult you, as that would never solve the argument. My intention is to attempt to show you the other side. If you can't comprehend the other side, then you might as well not speak at all. We argue based on certain accepted facts. I have a premise which I believe to be true, an understanding of the history of Iraq, of religion and how it developed, and of many other things which all, intertwined, form the basis of my viewpoint. And you have yours. So how can I best describe to you my feelings on the matter? If I express myself, you might interpret that as me stepping on your toes... forgive me if I step on your toes, while our people are being shot, bombed, and poisoned. Forgive me if I seem uncivil, as I don't go out of my way to be so. I simply feel strongly about something so terrible, and I can't fathom how you can support that same thing.

I don't consider my behaviour, nor that of Tiglath Chibo and others, to be unprofessional. Rather quite the opposite. Are the Assyrians who do not share your viewpoint generally not well educated? Actually, quite the opposite. Progressive/liberal Assyrians are generally more educated than the group as a whole. I feel like some sort of a parrot which repeats the same things over and over when answering your questions. Almost each question of yours has an implication which I diametrically disagree with. Are they from Syria/Russia/etc. so they have some other problems? Firstly, geography: Tiglath is from Australia, and is educated on paper, as well as in life. I was born and raised in Michigan, and Farid was born in Kuwait, raised in Iraq and California, and now lives in Mexico. My friend Debbie, one of "us" is a college professor. I could go on and on... We are not uneducated... what gives you that impression? And secondly, problems? They do not have problems! Their only problems are that they are not willing to sit back, silently, while their people are killed... and they regard all innocent Iraqis as their people, rather than seeing victims of international crime as Muslims vs. Christians... that would be uncivil.

You are quite welcome. It has been my pleasure to respond to you...

Jeffrey Joseph Atto

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