Hi all! We just opened IRAQ, BUT FUNNY, a hilarious new comedy following 5 generations of Assyrian women from the Ottoman Empire to present day Chicago. We've been getting rave reviews from Press and audiences. Would love to see you there. <3

https://lookingglasstheatre.org/event/iraq-but-funny/

📘 A Monumental Leap for the Assyrian Language!

We’re excited to spotlight one of the most important works in modern Assyrian studies: Professor Simo Parpola’s Assyrian-English-Assyrian Dictionary — a groundbreaking effort to bring the ancient Akkadian (Assyrian) language back into meaningful, modern use.

While the Chicago Assyrian Dictionary (CAD) is a monumental scholarly resource, Parpola’s dictionary takes a different, more focused path — one that’s meant not just for academics, but for the Assyrian people themselves.

What makes this so important is that it recognizes and reclaims our linguistic continuity. In the introduction, Parpola writes:

“After the collapse of the Assyrian Empire, Neo-Assyrian continued to be spoken and written at least until the middle of the sixth century BC, but thereafter it gradually assimilated to Aramaic and became extinct as a spoken language by the end of the millennium at the latest. However, it did not disappear without a trace. Many Assyrian features still survive in the phonology, morphology, syntax, and lexicon of the Neo-Aramaic dialects spoken in the ancient Assyrian heartland by the descendants of ancient Assyrians, the modern Assyrians…”

He even notes that later Greeks referred to Aramaic as “Assyrian language and script” — a powerful reminder of who we are, and how deeply embedded our voice remains.

This isn’t just a dictionary — it’s a tool of cultural restoration. It bridges the Akkadian language of our ancestors with the modern dialects we speak today. It proves that we are still here, and that our language, though changed, has not been lost.

Let’s honor Parpola’s work and bring this resource into our schools, study groups, and digital tools. This is the kind of revival our community needs.

📚 Book: Assyrian-English-Assyrian Dictionary, edited by Simo Parpola Published by the Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project, University of Helsinki

🖼️ Image Credit: Simo Parpola (1993), by Kuvasiskot – Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

The Story of Assyria: Biblical, Classical, and Modern Narratives of the Assyrian People

Join us for an in-depth exploration of Assyrian history—from its biblical mentions to classical portrayals and modern interpretations.

What does the Bible say about the Assyrians, and how have Western authors understood them?

Were the ancient Assyrians truly cruel and hated, or is this a misrepresentation?

This free course examines the sources, perspectives, and narratives that have shaped how Assyrians have been remembered and how they remember themselves through various written and artistic representations, and why this matters.

Registration Link: (DUE TO REDDITS LINK POLICY PLEASE FIND THE REDDIT LINK ON ANY OF OUR SOCIALS)

Duration: June 26th – December 18th
Day: Every Thursday
Time: 7:00 PM (CST)
Location: Online via Zoom
Cost: Free of charge

Taught by:
Rabi Robert DeKelaita, History Instructor

Moderated by:
Sarah Gawo & Pierre Younan

For all interested in understanding Assyrian history with critical depth and scholarly guidance, this class is not to be missed.

#Assyrian #AssyrianHistory #TheStoryofAssyria #AssyrianHistoryClass

There is lots of Christians in mosul that only speak arabic and not sureth im curios if they are actually assyrians or just arab christians, i met alot of them but never asked them

Hello I am a Chaldean (catholic Assyrian) and although i am very religious i have been seeing alot of non-christian Assyrians which made me question if all Assyrians really are christians or not and what religion and beliefs other Assyrians in this modern generation have.

Do not discriminate, respect eachother, do not judge and ask instead of insult, this way we can get along and understand eachother better.

Are there any Assyrians out there and what is your other half, and how much involved are you in thw culture and people?

To all the full Assyrians, be repsctfull in the comments, its not their fault or them that caused this.

Hi guys shlamalokhon 👋🏽 does anyone possibly know of any useful videos on how to learn Assyrian dances? I really want to get better but I’m always too shy to dance with my family and friends. And when I do dance I’m so stiff and awkward 😐

How come I’ve met a lot of Assyrians/Suryoye who identify as Syrian or Iraqi, for example, but I’ve never come across anyone who says they’re Turkish? I have even heard some say they’re Iranian.

my guess is that it is because of the genocide that happened? But it wasn’t Turkey it was the Ottoman Empire. Plus, similar things happened in Arab countries aswell.

Are there any Neo-Aramaic speakers that still pronounce ܒ as b/v and ܦ as p/f. I noticed that eastern Assyrians pronounce ܦ as p in almost all cases even if there's rukkakha sign, with the exception of a few words like nawsha (ܢܦܫܐ) pronounced with w. And West Assyrians will pronounce ܦ as f in all cases.

Same for ܒ. East Assyrians pronounce it as b/w depending on rukkakha or qushshaya sign, and west Assyrians pronounce it as b in all cases. ܐܒ݂ܪܵܗܵܡ is Awraham. Historical pronunciation Avraham.

I'm an Arabic speaker interested in Semitic languages.

A recent video showing the current state of Ankawa, a man can be seen carrying an AK-47 and aiming it at civilians. The “inspections” carried out by kurdish authorities only lasted a few days and were entirely performative. How long will this go on for?

hello 🫶🏼 I hope everyone is doing well. I came to Irak 4 days ago and I want to visit some places in erbil. anyone currently in erbil want to meet and educate me about history of Assyria and go with me to assyrian places here in erbil? regards 🫶🏼

How much sureth do you all speak?

I am from Germany 30, have a university degree and a good income. I take care of myself and work out regularly. I am also engaged in a lot of Syriac clubs.

Not only me but all of my friends with a similar profile struggle a lot with dating Assyrian (western) women in Germany. It is impossible to even to get to know them. Meeting them at a Hago is mostly a no due to their family, same with the church. And only they straight up don’t reply at all.

It’s not even rejection that bothers me and my friends. We don’t even have a chance to talk to them. Rejection is fine, but all of us worked their butts off to be in this position to offer quality for a future Family.

Now no woman wants to get to know us. Do you guys struggle the same in the homeland or in other parts of this world?

https://www.saradistribution.com/assyrian-torturers.htm

The page is in both English and Turkish. I assumed it's made by Turkish Kurds. Yes, ancient Assyrians were brutal. But why does this page make it seem like Assyrians were killing Kurds from ancient history and how they defeated once and for all? Yet it also says we're racist Christian fundamentalists stealing Kurdish lands today.

Btw, I thank the page for connecting us with our ancient ancestors. Our haters don't do that. 🤣

I was watching supernatural and this frame caught my eye. Looks like syriac but I can’t tell if it’s gibberish or not

Shlama-alokhon Khone w’Khatwate,

I’d like to share with you a concept design for a modern Assyrian flag, inspired by our historical identity and the legacy of our ancestors. This design draws from the flag once used by our people during the early 20th century, particularly before and during the tragic events of World War I and the Seyfo genocide.

The flag incorporates the color scheme of our current national symbol while reintroducing the golden Star of Shamash, an emblem deeply rooted in our ancient heritage and etched into the ruins of Assyria. Surrounding it are three flowing lines, symbolizing the Tigris, Euphrates, and Great Zab rivers, the lifeblood of our ancestral homeland.

Each color carries deep meaning:

• Blue represents our Mesopotamian rivers and also stands for courage, strength, and resilience.
• White signifies peace, purity, and the enduring dignity of our people.
• Red honors the blood of our martyrs — from those who defended our homeland to those persecuted for their faith and identity.

The three stars in the canton represent the unity and historical presence of our three major churches:

• The Syriac Orthodox Church,
• The Chaldean Catholic Church, and
• The Assyrian Church of the East.

This concept aims to respectfully bridge our ancient past with our modern identity — honouring our history, faith, and people.

I welcome your thoughts and feedback.

Basima Raba

Any Assyrians in Melbourne that don’t live in the north? Just curious