Chicago Receives Khabour.com

On Sunday, July 5th, 2009, the Assyrian community in Chicago hosted Khabour.com to commemorate its second annual anniversary since the inception of its website.

History and Forecast
Khabour.com stands for community, humanity, and academy, serving the Assyrian community in the Mid-East, Americas, Europe and Australia. What started as an educational and literacy exchange has quickly risen to include humanitarian projects to serve the Assyrian community of the Khabour region in homeland Syria, and in Diaspora.

In addition to advocating literacy, Khabour.com has been instrumental in raising awareness on health topics, their risks, and early detection, such as heart disease, stroke and cancer.

Issues concerning the equality of women in the Assyrian community have put a notch in the pages of Khabour.com as the Assyrian woman continuously struggles to find her own identity in a culture that is historically dominated by men. Today, women are some of the most celebrated and respected writers in Khabour.com.

This year, Khabour.com will award 200,000 Syrian Liras, slightly under $5,000 U.S. Dollars. Recipient of this grant will be the highest earning grade point average (GPA) High School student to enter a university. This grant has been made possible by the generosity of its founding members.

Memory Lane
In an evening that honored fallen heroes of the Assyrian community, Khabour.com remembers Dr. Hirmis Abona, Soccer (Football) Legend Mr. Ammo Baba, Dr. Youkhanna Hirmis, and Shamasha Youaresh D’Bet-Qashesha Matti ~ angles ascending.

In The Arms of Khabour
Following Khabour.com’s anthem, several guest speakers, educators, writers and poets took stage ~ Mr. Atalla Giwargis, Ms. Helen Talia, Mr. Younan Homeh, Ms. Marina Benjamin, Mr. Youarish Haido, Mr. Nashaat Younan, and Mr. Hirmis Yousip.

Chicago, the largest Assyrian populated city in Diaspora, (preceded by Dohuk, Erbil, and Baghdad ~ Iraq) where in the latter years its community has been united by national holidays, but torn by religious and political views. On this evening, Khabour.com brought an approximate 250 spectators to one common denominator by honoring five heavy-weight members of its community in the academia, literature and art genres. These distinguished gentlemen were presented by the master-of-ceremonies to the audience as the five flowing rivers in Beth-Nahrain, from Urmi to the Mediterranean Sea (Beth-Nahrain, a.k.a. Baita D’Nahrawateh, The Land of Rivers, Assyrian) ~ Assyrian calligrapher and “Nahra D’Urmi” (Urmi River, Assyrian), Mr. Issa Benyamin from Illinois, “Nahra D’Diglat” (Tigris River, Assyrian) Mr. Daniel Benjamin from Arizona (received by his long-time colleague Mr. Oraham Yacoub from Chicago), “Nahra D’Furat” (Euphrates River, Assyrian) Mr. Ninos Aho from California, “Nahra D’Khabour” (Khabour River, Assyrian) Mr. Adam Daniel Homeh from Australia (received by Mr. Younan Homeh), and “Zawa Goura” (The Great Zaab River, Assyrian) Mr. Mikhail Marogel Mammo from Sweden. Model citizens, men of honor, Assyrian nationalists, published authors, public speakers and Assyrian human rights activists find origins in Iran, Syria, and Iraq, what once made up the Assyrian Empire.

Complimenting the evening was master-of-ceremonies Assyrian writer and poet Mr. Ninos Nirari who graced the podium with his charming presence, with Issa Benyamin bestowing Nirari an icon of pubic speaking, “Alaha D’Hamzamta” in the Assyrian language.

The evening was concluded as the five-star guests celebrated the advancement and steadfastness of Khabour.com by lighting its third birthday candle and the cutting of the cake to symbolize the fertile life and culture of the inhabitants of Khabour.

Finishing touches of an art exhibit featuring paintings, sculptors, and calligraphy of ancient and modern Assyrian history were displayed at the locale of the event, The Hanging Gardens Banquets in River Grove, Illinois.

Preceding this event, Khabour.com celebrated its second anniversary in Hasaka, Syria on Saturday, July 4, 2009.

Special thanks: The Assyrian community of Chicago, Dr. and Mrs. Daniel Mammo for their generosity, Mr. Iskhaq Bazi for his sources, Mr. Hani Youkhanna and Ashur TV for photographing and filming the event, art exhibit participants: Mr. Hanna Malak, Mr. Odisho Giwargis, Mr. Steve Cannon, Mr. William Younadam, and Mr. Banipal Giwargis, Mr. Yousep Kambar for lending his banquet facilities and their services, Mr. Atalla Giwargis and Ms. Shamiram Isaac from Canada for orchestrating the event , and all Khabour.com volunteers.

Note: Khabour.com’s anthem was filmed in Syria and presented by Mr. Abd Alahhad Neesan and Mr. Emmanuel Iskander via a film directed by Mr. Isaac Abraham.

~ Helen Talia, Chicago
www.helentalia.com