Ankara -- The Assyrian civilization recorded its history on clay tablets. Ancient Assyrian merchants, for example, documented their commercial and economic activities on these tablets. However, they also preserved other aspects of life, most notably the practice of blood money.
Although the Assyrian population of Iraq has declined dramatically this century, to below one per cent of the population, five of the 26-member national football squad that qualified for the soccer-mad country's first World Cup since 1986 are Assyrian Christians.
(AINA) -- The poetry of prominent Assyrian writer and nationalist Naum Faiq has been translated to English and published under the title Poetry of The Assyrian Awakening: the Poems of Naum Faiq. The book was written by Yosef Bahdi, who translated all poems into English.
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.
Karm El Tin, Metn District, Mount Lebanon -- The Monastery of Saints Peter and Paul, Karm El Tin stands as a witness to long centuries of faith and heritage. Bearing the names of the great apostles, Saint Peter and Saint Paul, the monastery is not merely a place of worship, but a deeply rooted spiritual and cultural landmark in the history of the region.
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.
Christian communities throughout Syria limited or canceled Holy Week festivities, including Palm Sunday observances, after mobs of Muslim attackers targeted Christian communities this weekend, destroying Christian symbols and looting shops.
The Patriarchs of the Christian Churches in Syria issued a joint statement on March 29, 2026, condemning recent events in Al-Suqaylabiyah (story) and calling for peace and stability across the country. The meeting took place at the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch in Damascus, bringing together John X of Antioch, Ignatius Aphrem II, and Youssef Absi.
As Suqaylabiyah, Syria (AINA) -- Tensions broke out in an Christian village in Syria when a young Assyrian woman was harassed by Muslim men from a neighboring village. After Assyrian villagers confronted the men and forced them to leave, the Muslim men returned in large numbers, riding motorcycles and firing guns and vandalizing property.
(AINA) -- The poetry of prominent Assyrian writer and nationalist Naum Faiq has been translated to English and published under the title Poetry of The Assyrian Awakening: the Poems of Naum Faiq. The book was written by Yosef Bahdi, who translated all poems into English.
As Suqaylabiyah, Syria (AINA) -- Tensions broke out in an Christian village in Syria when a young Assyrian woman was harassed by Muslim men from a neighboring village. After Assyrian villagers confronted the men and forced them to leave, the Muslim men returned in large numbers, riding motorcycles and firing guns and vandalizing property.
(AINA) -- The Assyrian Arts Institute (AAI) is an organization founded by Nora Betyousef Lacey in 2017 and claims to support Assyrian arts. AAI has sponsored a few events since its founding, including an Assyrian women's choir.
(AINA) -- On July 12 Iraqi president Abdul Latif Rashid repealed the decree recognizing the appointment of Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako as head of the Chaldean Catholic Church and which appointed him to the office of the waqf (وقف), the endowment which oversees all church property. The details of the events leading up to this action are exhaustively covered in this report by MEMRI.
(AINA) -- The security situation in northern Syria has reached a critical stage. What was previously described as allegations is now substantiated by multiple field reports and security assessments confirming the existence of established tunnel networks linking Syrian territory with both Iraq and Turkey.
(AINA) -- Iraq is being dismantled deliberately. This destruction is not the result of fate, historical inevitability, or the diversity of its people. It is the outcome of calculated decisions made by political elites who chose loyalty to power, parties, and foreign patrons over loyalty to the Iraqi nation.
Ankara -- The Assyrian civilization recorded its history on clay tablets. Ancient Assyrian merchants, for example, documented their commercial and economic activities on these tablets. However, they also preserved other aspects of life, most notably the practice of blood money.
Although the Assyrian population of Iraq has declined dramatically this century, to below one per cent of the population, five of the 26-member national football squad that qualified for the soccer-mad country's first World Cup since 1986 are Assyrian Christians.