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=> Re: Identity 101 - Zinda Interview with Professor Joseph (Questions)

Re: Identity 101 - Zinda Interview with Professor Joseph (Questions)
Posted by parhad (Guest) - Friday, November 12 2004, 19:09:39 (CET)
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.......I've taken the liberty of inserting a few comments and corrections...

Tiglath wrote:
>Identity 101
>
>Zinda recently had the chance to interview Professor John Joseph an author and historian….(Brief 1-2 paragraph introduction detailing your work, books etc.)
>
>
>1. In Nations and Nationalism, Ernerst Gellner argues that nationalism occurs in the modern period because industrial societies, unlike agrarian ones, need homogenous languages and cultures in order to work efficiently. Thus, states and intellectuals mobilize campaigns of assimilation through public education and the culture industries.
>What exactly is Nationalism and have our people grasped this concept yet?

.........an interesting and ofen confusing point these days is "ethnicity". Just what is it in the modern era and how does it play off of nationalism? But like I said...there is more than enough here already...

>2. The Mellamu project run by Professor Simo Parpola, the head of the State Archives of Assyria at Helsinki University is attempting to show the continuity of the ancient Assyrians throughout the millennia right down to the present day. In your opinion will this project conclusively show that the modern Assyrians are the descendants of their ancient ancestors or will it leave more questions unanswered?
>
>3. While the Assyrian writer Fred Aprim

.....while we all deplore Aprim, on Evolutionary grounds if nothing else, I think we should not refer to him as a "writer". That concept has distinct meaning among those who no longer live in nationalist caves. One who writes is not a writer. It would do us all well to become a bit more sophisticated in our use of them edium we supposedly invented ages ago and have since been trying to trash. Aprim is NOT a "WRITER" in the hallowed sense or in any sense...might as ell call him a Thinker and be done with it Aprim himself goes to great pains...and gives grea pain, when he laboriously explains how it was never his idea to refer to himself as writer and historian, but what CAN he do? So, let's all honor his request nd stop calling him one..

from the Church of the East attempts to show the continuity of the ancient Assyrian identity, Johhny Messo from the Syriac Universal Alliance, has come to your defense on Zinda while attempting to push the Syriac Universal Alliance's Aramaen identity adopted by the Syrian Orthodox church. Meanwhile we have another writer, like Ghassan Hanna from Chaldeans online who is a member of our Chaldean church but also holds a differing view from both writers and provides evidence showing the continuity of the Chaldean identity. Why are the views of these 3 writers so divergent?

...once again....I would not call these people "writers". Refering to them as "people" is all the praise they should expect.
>
>4. The late Professor Mateev once told me that the Shiites of Iraq are the descendants of the ancient Sumerians and Babylonians. What about the people of central and northern Iraq? Does your study of history point to an annihilation theory or an assimilation theory of the ancient Assyrian majority?
>
>5. We have heard about the ( NO NEED FOR "the") Saddam Hussein - a descendant of Tikrit, a Nestorian city that converted to Islam only 200 years ago - to Arabise the minorities of Iraq. Meanwhile in the north we have Mustafa Barzani - who's (WHOSE) Kurdish tribe converted to Islam only 300 years ago - also attempting to Kurdify the minorities in northern Iraq. Why are the dominant ethnic/religious groups so intent on creating a homogenous identity and nation? Why is this also evident in our Christian sects who go to great lengths to differentiate their church, language and identity and either Assyrianise, Chaldeanise or Aramaenise the other group(s)?
>
>6. In light of the comparative evidence, what exactly has your extensive research about our identity revealed? Who are we?
>
>7. Does this understanding of our identity change our political goal in the Middle East? Should we be pursuing human rights rather than a homeland?



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