The Inside Assyria Discussion Forum #5

=> Actual Letter to Dr. Kelley Ross

Actual Letter to Dr. Kelley Ross
Posted by pancho (Moderator) - Monday, February 23 2009, 21:35:14 (CET)
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Actual Letter to Dr. Kelly Ross

Some time ago I posted an open letter to Dr Ross apologizing, in part, for dragging him into a public debate at his college. But I never actually sent it. This one I did send.

Dear Dr. Ross,

I rather hope you forgot the debate I forced on you, which you, and your college president, graciously accepted. I wish I could forget it. But, since I caused you some trouble at the time I have to take the trouble now to write and tell you that I was wrong. That is, as far as my claim that modern Assyrians really do exist. I’m sure you’ll agree with me that all nationals are raised with myths, and I believed the ones I was raised with, sort of. I never really believed that there could be direct descendants of the ancient Assyrians but had no evidence one way or the other.

Much to my chagrin, the evidence was placed before me a few years after our debate. It turns out that the gentleman from whom I received such information was a relative who tells me now that he tried, gently, to enlighten me several years ago but that I would not listen. It took my own wonder and dismay over the way modern Assyrians behave, once I mixed more intimately with them, to raise even more doubts that our claims have any merit.

The book which cleared things up for me was written by Dr. John Joseph, the relative I mentioned. He received his doctorate from Princeton University in Middle East History with an emphasis on missionary work among the Christians of Persia, Turkey and Iraq. He is retired now from Franklin and Marshall College as Professor Emeritus and recently had a new International Studies Building, on campus, named after him...the funds being supplied by an ex-student who said that Dr. Joseph was the first to teach him how to think. While we have several Assyrian and Chaldean professionals who claim to have studied history, none of them did so in an academic setting and none of them, to my knowledge, earned any advanced degrees in the subject. We have Assyrian dentists, anthropologists, doctors, lawyers, engineers and even, finally, one Assyriologist, who all claim to have studied the matter and are satisfied that history shows that we Christians are indeed the lineal descendants of the ancient Assyrians. A few have even gone so far as to write down such stuff , producing what they call “books” through the print-for-hire shops. These collections of national myths they then “reference” in each other’s books and pass on to the public at large as history; the lot of them drifting giddily to hell.

Dr. Joseph’s book, “The Modern Assyrians of the Middle East, Encounters with Western Christian Missions, Archaeologists, and Colonial Powers”, Brill Publishers, is something you should familiarize yourself with, particularly the first chapter. It will give you the material you need when next confronted with our nationalists. And, in the event someone else wishes to take you to task, I’d suggested requiring that he first read Dr Joseph’s book, or the first chapter at least.

Not surprisingly our own people call Dr Joseph a traitor, one whose diploma was bought for him by the C.I.A on whose payroll he has been since before graduation. His mission was to “make sure we Assyrians never rise again”. Though how one professor in a sleepy town such as Lancaster, Pennsylvania, could expect to accomplish this, no one can say. Dr. Joseph has received death threats and been subject to personal insult and calumny. And, I’m pleased to report, so have I since reading this book and writing about it on our forum.

I still take exception to your assessment of the ancient Assyrians as barbarians and bloodthirsty savages...moreover I think they helped educate the feckless Hebrews, as did the Babylonians and Egyptians, and did not “lose” those fortunate tribes...who seem to have managed to wander lost for years even before they met the Assyrians. But I haven’t written to start a new argument with you.

I recognize now the damage that these nationalist claims have inflicted on what is merely a Christian sect, or two, maybe three...Nestorians and Jacobites. The modern Chaldeans were invented by missionaries sent by the pope in the 16th century...and the Assyrians were invented by archaeologists and missionaries of the 19th. Till those times our people never referred to themselves as Chaldeans or Assyrians...but I’ll leave Dr. Joseph to explain it much better than I can.

Once again I want to thank you for your willingness to debate someone who must admit now that he was sadly mistaken. It isn’t easy to make this change....I too have lost friends and antagonized family and, as a professional sculptor who for years has made Assyrian sculpture, this hasn’t been good for business either. But, if the truth really sets you free, then it has to be told before it can do any good.

Sincerely,

Farid Parhad



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