"Hezbollah or Allah?" -- "God or his party?"-- someone from Dilan Adamat's group joked as a violent storm broke over a place where rain is rare. The thunder was so loud it could easily have been mistaken for a ballistic missile or drone strike -- like the hundreds that have hit Erbil, the capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region of northern Iraq. Adamat's group did not flinch.
Baghdede, Iraq -- At a time when members of Iraq's Assyrian community continue to express concerns over marginalization in public life, the appointment of an experienced engineer to a key government post is being viewed by many as both a recognition of merit and a quiet assertion of presence.
Niles, Illinois -- After Assyrian families in Skokie, Niles, Morton Grove and Lincolnwood spent nearly a decade advocating for an Assyrian language program at Niles Township High School District 219, the program, the first of its kind in the nation, is enjoying robust enrollment and has received a regional award.
Melbourne -- The Victoria government has pledged 10 million Australian dollars to help build the "Mar Yusuf Assyrian School" in Melbourne, a long-awaited project that the local Assyrian community sees as essential for preserving their language and culture in the diaspora. The announcement was made by Premier Jacinta Allan during the Kha Nisan-Akitu celebrations in Melbourne.
Akitu is the traditional New Year of ancient Mesopotamia and has been celebrated by Assyrians and Babylonians for over 4,000 years. The festival marks the arrival of spring, the renewal of life, and a strong cultural identity that has endured throughout history. The modern date, 1 April, was chosen because it is close to the vernal equinox in the ancient Mesopotamian calendar.
Christians in Syria are once again under attack by Islamic groups affiliated with the country's jihadist regime, headed by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda leader also known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani.