Assyrian Stories

FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA - When I first became a mother,

FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA - When I first became a mother, I found it really hard to be an Assyrian mom in Fairfax, Virginia because there weren’t too many other Assyrian moms I could connect with. So I really felt this pressure to connect my children to the Assyrian culture through books. When my kids were young, I would go to the library all of the time. One day I just saw all of these bilingual children’s books, Korean and Indian books and all of these cultures represented in bilingual books and I thought I really have to publish a children’s book in Assyrian and English. That was my inspiration and I thought, “This is what I need to do while I’m a stay-at-home mom.” Since then, I've received so much positive feedback from my books, people really appreciate that they are easy to read, easy to follow along with really colorful, bright pictures. It’s inspired an interest in connecting kids to the Assyrian alphabet at a young age. I’ve even had buyers from Louisiana and Idaho and Pennsylvania where there are small Assyrian communities.

#assyrianstories is a series by The Assyrian Journal

Chicago - “This store was originally opened in 1

Chicago - “This store was originally opened in 1982. It went to a few people, then I took over and I converted it to a half-restaurant-half-grocery store.

Now, the groceries are not [selling]. Even though my prices are way cheaper than [other stores'], they're not selling.

People like [my food]. It's delicious and it's selling better than groceries. So I said, 'Why would I bother with the groceries?' When I finish [selling] the groceries, I'll put a couple of chairs here, a couple of chairs there. We still have Assyrian souvenirs. I will just honor them and keep them. [Selling souvenirs] was my job when I first started in 1986."

Phoenix - "I'm a long-term substitute teacher, whi

Phoenix - "I'm a long-term substitute teacher, which means that I fill in for a teacher who's sick or quits or can't come back. I've been there since February.

We had a two-hour [farewell] drive-through. The parents would just...wave and say bye, and the ones who had gifts were just handing them out from their car to their teachers. I made a sign, and my car was all decked out with bows and little painting things and stuff like that. It's kind of fun for the kids, mostly, and for the teachers, too.

They wanted to come back to school, all the kids. You’d think they would like being home but, really, they wanted to come back. They have fun with each other. Some of them don't have any friends outside of school.

I like when kids learn. I like watching them learn things and seeing them grow. It makes me feel happy when I see them learning."

Modesto - "I first went on Gishru in 2018 and agai

Modesto - "I first went on Gishru in 2018 and again in 2019. On a tour of the Sapna Valley, we stopped in the village of Blejaneh (also known as Bet G’naneh) at the final resting place of Yousip Toma Hermiz. Yousip was executed by the Ba’ath regime in 1985 fighting for the rights of Assyrians.

We were welcomed by his son Ninab, who offered touching remarks. He said that he doesn’t consider himself to be set apart as the son of a martyr. Instead, the Assyrian nation can consider themselves the son of a martyr. Also with Ninab that day was Ramsin Aprim Benjamen from Canada. Ramsin, who was good friends with Yousip in Kirkuk, offered testimony on the mentality of Yousip. I was moved to hear Ramsin talk about the sequence of events that led to the arrest and execution of Yousip, Youbert, and Youkhanna. Being there to hear not only from the son of Yousip, but from someone to give a firsthand account was a capstone to that trip.
At that point, I realized that it takes a special individual to die for something you believe in. The Assyrian nationalist path requires dedication, hope, and perseverance." #assyrianstories is a series by @theassyrianjournal

Chicago - “I work in the pediatric unit....we do

Chicago - “I work in the pediatric unit....we do get a lot of immunocompromised kids. It’s kind of scary to balance out your work between immunocompromised kids and kids who might have the coronavirus. We get one N95 mask until it soils or rips and we get a surgical mask every time we go to work for the whole day. I’ve felt really on edge.” .

#assyrianstories is a series by @theassyrianjournal. .

If you are a healthcare professional and would like to share your story, contact us at admin@theassyrianjournal.com

(2/2) Kafro Tahtayto, Tur Abdin – “When my hus

(2/2) Kafro Tahtayto, Tur Abdin – “When my husband told me we will return, I was totally against it. I didn’t want to leave my family behind. But my husband said he will go if I like it or not. So he left me for awhile to see how life changed in the village. Later, I was ready to at least think about a possible return. I also asked my children for advice. Even though I lived 33 years in Germany, they told me I should go with my husband. The problem was, I compared the life here with the old days of my youth where I had to work very hard on the fields and feed the animals. Now, it is the most beautiful place for me in the world. I wouldn’t give one day away of living in my village for one year in Germany.”
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This series is by @theassyrianjournal. Special thanks to @jessybethzabday for taking this picture and gathering this story. .
#assyrianstories

(1/2) Kafro Tahtayto, Tur Abdin - “There are dif

(1/2) Kafro Tahtayto, Tur Abdin - “There are different reasons why I left my good life and relatives in Germany. The first reason is totally political. This is my land. MY LAND. If people want to claim a piece of homeland for themselves, they must live on this ground first. The other reason is that most of us did not leave their homeland because of jobs and money. We were afraid. We were afraid of a second Seyfo genocide that could happen to us. So about 20 years ago, I told my family that I want to return to Kafro and see how life changed here. I wanted to see if the life was equally hard as before or if it became better. My wife cried. She didn’t want me to leave. Something could happen to me. But I told her that I don’t care. If they kill me or let me live, I don’t care. So I left and lived awhile here. When I returned back to Germany, I told everyone that we can come back and live here as humans with dignity and maybe we will have a better life in the homeland than in Germany.”
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This series is by @theassyrianjournal . Special thanks to @jessybethzabday for taking this picture and gathering this story. .
#assyrianstories

“I’ve been trying to cook a lot more. I’m no

“I’ve been trying to cook a lot more. I’m not very domesticated. Like, I’m not a big fan of cooking; I’ve never really tried to get into it. But now I’m kind of forced to do that. It’s mostly Assyrian dishes honestly, like a lot of sherwa and rizza, and potatoes and rice. That was what we made two days ago. Then we made—I think it’s an Iraqi dish—we made masgouf. It’s one of my favorite dishes, but I’d never known how to make it. My dad—he loves cooking, on the other hand—he taught me how to make it and had me write down the ingredients so I can keep that for myself.” #quarantinestories

“I usually see my grandparents once or twice a w

“I usually see my grandparents once or twice a week. The quarantine is the longest we’ve gone without seeing each other. I dropped a care package off at my Nana and Grandpa’s house with just some snacks and Emergen-C, just a few things to let them know I miss them. The next day, my Nana calls me and said she can’t wait for the quarantine to be over so she can hit me for spending so much money.” #quarantinestories

Nohadra (Dohuk) - “I grew up in Ashita (village

Nohadra (Dohuk) - “I grew up in Ashita (village in Hakkari) and in 1961 I came to Dohuk. There was no Kha b'Nissan parade, we were scared. Today, Dohuk is four or five times bigger. I'm really happy now. Recently I went to Australia and then Lebanon, Syria and Iran but Iraq is the best place for me. Our Atra is good and you can't find this love in Australia. Every rock is in its place and is good."
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Series by @theassyrianjournal .
Thanks to @iraqichristianrelief , @injurylawyersofillinois , and @gishru for making stories from Iraq possible.
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Special thanks to @doris_zaia for help translating
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#assyrianstories

Irbil - “In 2017, I started prepping my mind and

Irbil - “In 2017, I started prepping my mind and asking, 'Can I live here? How is it going to work out?' I was applying but I wasn't really putting my whole heart into it.
In 2018, I went on the GISHRU trip again and came back to California and was very, very depressed. I wasn't happy with my work in America. I prayed and said, 'I've been holding on to this for five years. I need to either try it one more time or give up and focus on my life in America.' I applied, applied, applied, got a job and that was it. I knew in my heart that's what I needed to do.” This series is by @theassyrianjournal
Special thanks to @iraqichristianrelief , @injurylawyersofillinois , and @gishru for making stories from Iraq possible.

#assyrianstories

Assyrian Stories will be showcasing new photos fro

Assyrian Stories will be showcasing new photos from Northern Iraq on Wednesday, Aug. 7 as part of @aaaofsc‘s annual #Assyrian Memorial Day Commemoration — Remember the Fallen, Empower the Future. Come honor those we’ve lost and praise the strength of those that continue to fight.
Thank you @iraqichristianrelief , @injurylawyersofillinois , and @gishru for making these photos possible

Ankawa - “I grew up nearby Stockholm in Sweden.

Ankawa - “I grew up nearby Stockholm in Sweden. I worked in an Italian restaurant when I was young. I started to visit my cousins in Iraq and I loved the environment and how people are more alive. I saw opportunities to come back to my heritage, to my home country, and to do something different with what I learned in Europe, so I started a pizza restaurant.
I had very little money, enough to buy a pizza oven and a cooler and a table. In the beginning it was just me. I bought 3 or 4 cubic meters of wood and made the design. I used to work alone for ten hours a day until we could hire some people.
People don't believe that you can create things without money. A lot of people will tell you that you cannot do it. Just relax, don't think big, think small. Just create something and make a name for yourself and then slowly, slowly you can grow. There is no need to spend a lot of money to do big things. If people really want to do something here and want to move back, it's very easy.”
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This series is by @theassyrianjournal .
Special thanks to @iraqichristianrelief , @gishru , and @injurylawyersofillinois for making stories from Iraq possible
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And @meli_curls thank you for helping us capture this story!

Tesqopa - "I joined the NPU (Nineveh Plain Protect

Tesqopa - "I joined the NPU (Nineveh Plain Protection Units) in 2014. I was one of five that established the units. We brought in 25 more soldiers that were trained by U.S. personnel. In a month, we were able to gather 450 more soldiers. The Americans were with us at the time when there was an engagement with ISIS at Tesqopa (Assyrian town in Northern Iraq). For about 25 minutes, we were shooting at them until we ran out of ammunition. Then me and two other soldiers were wounded. I gave the order for my team to withdraw from the engagement while I stayed, but my soldiers said no and ended up dragging me out. After the engagement, the US asked again for the NPU's help and the NPU stayed with the US in the fight with ISIS."
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This series is by @theassyrianjournal .
Special thanks to @iraqichristianrelief , @gishru , and @injurylawyersofillinois for making stories from Iraq possible
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@n_p_u

Dooreh (a village in Barwar) - “We used to have

Dooreh (a village in Barwar) - “We used to have a really nice, comfortable life. We had apples and fruits we could grow. We used to travel on donkey and farm wheat and rice. The neighbors would help each other farm.
Now, because we don't have proper water access, our apple orchards are barren. The problem started occurring this year. Our water comes from pipes in the mountains but our access to the pipes were cut off. We put in a formal request between the villagers outlining our grievances and delivered it to the party responsible for reviewing them but nothing has happened.
A lot of people have been forced to leave these areas because we're not able to farm. If we don't get water then we can't water our plants. That's our livelihood.”
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This series is by @theassyrianjournal .
Special thanks to @iraqichristianrelief , @gishru , and @injurylawyersofillinois for making stories from Iraq possible.

Dohuk - “In 2015 when this kindergarten started,

Dohuk - “In 2015 when this kindergarten started, there were six students but there was a lot we couldn't afford so I had to send out word to all of the families saying that we were going to close down the school.
I didn't want to close the school so I sat down and created a business plan. I got the families together whose kids were coming to the school and told them that the tuition had to be increased slightly. I also gathered the employees and said their paychecks had to be reduced a little so we could survive. I was the principal but I was doing other work like cleaning, cooking, and taking care of the children. With that business plan, we were able to keep the kindergarten going and now this month we have 30 students and we're doing well.
We have a community now and I have many roles in the community. I am a principal for the kindergarten. I also work full time for the government. I am a volunteer with the community and the Assyrian Women's Union. I am finishing school and in my last year to get my degree. And I am a mother.” **This month, Youlejan graduated from the Duhok Technical Institute Department of Business Administration
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This series is by @theassyrianjournal .
Special thanks to @iraqichristianrelief , @gishru , and @injurylawyersofillinois for making stories from Iraq possible

Nohadra - “I was born in Nahla and then moved to

Nohadra - “I was born in Nahla and then moved to Kirkuk. My sons were in the Army. One son was murdered and my husband later died. Then my sons moved to Australia. They call me all of the time to say please come to Australia but I will never leave Iraq, I love it here. This place is precious to me. Now I live with my daughter in Karanjo and we are happy.”
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Series by @theassyrianjournal .
Special thanks to @iraqichristianrelief , @gishru , and @injurylawyersofillinois for making the stories from Iraq possible

Irbil - "My father was a photographer. He supporte

Irbil - "My father was a photographer. He supported me all of the time. Two years ago when I lost him, I just wanted to leave Iraq. I thought my life would end. Then I decided no, instead I'll be stronger. I have so many pictures of my dad and those memories are really important to me. They make me happy. It then became a dream of mine to own my own photography business to show that an Iraqi girl can start her own business and especially in photography. Now, I want to live here forever." .
Series by @theassyrianjournal .
Special thanks to @iraqichristianrelief @gishru @injurylawyersofillinois for making stories from Iraq possible
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#assyrianstories

Nohadra (Dohuk) - “I was born in Frankfurt. My w

Nohadra (Dohuk) - “I was born in Frankfurt. My whole life was surrounded by the Assyrian community and youth work and church service. In 2015, I had an emotional breakdown because I became disappointed in leaders we look up to. It took away my foundation because my whole identity was built on being Assyrian. I decided to get away to fix myself. Nature and different cultures healed me to look at my nation again in a positive way. I remember texting a friend in a huge forest in China saying, ‘I think I'm falling in love with myself again.’ Since then, I've built my life on different foundations. Now I just want to work in the background because that is where the real stuff is happening.”
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#assyrianstories

Irbil - “Three years ago, there was a bomb explo

Irbil - “Three years ago, there was a bomb explosion in front of the American Embassy in Irbil. I was walking and the car exploded. I got burned over 45% of my body. I have always been positive but since then, I realized that you need to live positive. If not, what do you have? Nothing. When you get close to death, you realize that you can die at any moment and so it's not worth it. There's something inside me that keeps me motivated for life. Just live and love everyone and be happy.”
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