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Poetry Evening at
Mor Malke Church, Sydney
On Friday December 12 a poetry evening was held by the Babylon Cultural
Association at the Mor Malke Syrian Orthodox church Hall in Greenacre.
It was attended by more than 75 people, mostly members of the western
Assyrian community.
The program lasted two hours (from 8:30pm to 10:30pm),
and began with poetry, mostly in Classical Syriac (kthobonoyo) read by
young boys and girls from the Saturday language school run by the
association. Malfono Tammuz Tammuz also read a humorous poem in the
colorful Turoyo dialect.
The highlight of the evening were poems recited by
Malfono Ninos Aho, songs sung by Rabi Yosip Bet-Yosip, as well as
speeches by the two concerning their recent participation in the World
Congress of Poets in Taiwan.
Presentations of engraved pens were made to the poets
by former association presidents. Also many CDs were sold as mementos of
the occasion. Everyone left the warm gathering content and full of love
and respect for the poets.
Special thanks to everyone from the Babylon Cultural
Association for their hard efforts in making the evening a success.
“Assyrian Poetic
Vision” at the Assyrian Sports and Cultural Club, Sydney
On Saturday December 13 a poetry
night and party called “Assyrian Poetic Vision” was held by a group of
Assyrian Associations in Sydney at the Assyrian Sports and Cultural Club
in Fairfield Heights.
Among the organizers of the night were the Assyrian
Universal Alliance (AUA-Australia Chapter), the Assyrian National
Organization (ANO), the Assyrian Liberation Party (GFA), and the
Gilgamesh Cultural Centre. The event was attended by more than 300
people.
The poetry program began at 8pm and lasted until 10:30
pm, and was followed by a party that finished at 2:30am. The poetry
program showcased two guest poets, Malfono Ninos Aho and Rabi Yosip Bet-Yosip
who not only spoke of their experiences at the World Congress of Poets
in Tawian, but also read some of their best poems. Rabi Yosip also sang
a song by William Daniel. Background music was supplied by Ninos Toma (tamboura)
and Brian Berro (flute and duduk).
There were two performances by the Assyrian Folkloric
Dance Group, under the management of Joseph Dadisho. Prolific Iraqi
writer Ghaylan also participated by reading work by prominent
Iraqi-Assyrian poet Sargon Paulus. The Masters of Ceremonies were
Nicholas Al-Jeloo and Margo Hawel.
Presentations of certificates to the two guest poets
were made by former mayor Anwar Khoshaba and Assyrian Sports and
Cultural Club president Diryawish Shlemon. After the end of the official
program, the party began with performances by Sargon Gabriel and local
singer Ninos Toma.
House of Iraqi Poets
at the Assyrian Sports and Cultural Club, Sydney
On Sunday December 14 a poetry
afternoon was held by the House of Iraqi Poets, in conjunction with the
Gilgamesh Cultural Centre at the Assyrian Sports and Cultural Club in
Fairfield Heights. It was attended by more than 150 people from the
Iraqi community, many of them Assyrians.
The program lasted four hours (from 2pm to 6pm), and
showcased local Iraqi and Assyrian poets, as well as Malfono Ninos Aho
and Rabi Yosip Bet-Yosip. Most of them showed their love for their
Mesopotamian ancestors, and emphasized the safeguarding of Iraq’s
antiquities and reviving our past glory. A play about Iraq was also
staged.
Malfono Ninos read one poem in Arabic, as well as one
the eastern dialect “Aturaya Khata” (the New Assyrian), and one in the
western dialect “Habtho d-Heto” (Grain of Wheat), and Rabi Yosip also
read a poem in the eastern dialect “Ganta d-Alaha, Atri Bet-Nahrain”
(The Garden of God, my Land Mesopotamia). An Arabic translation was read
by Dr. William Eshaya Warda. Among the other Assyrian participants was
local poet Margo Hawel, and among the more prolific Iraqi writers that
participated was Ghaylan.
The event was followed by an information night by the
Assyrian Aid Society of Australia, detailing the present developments in
Iraq and our people after the Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian General
Conference. This was held from 6pm-9pm and included exclusive video
footage of the conference.
Political Rally at
the Assyrian Charity and Educational Community, Sydney
On Monday December 15 a
Political Rally was hosted by Poets Ninos Aho and Yosip Bet-Yosip at the
Ashur Club in Horsley Park. It was attended by about 70 people from all
the different political parties and local associations.
The program lasted from 8pm to 11pm and in it the two
poets presented a short history of the Assyrian nationalist movement and
their perspectives on its future. Their conclusion dwelt on the
formation of a network of pure nationalists that would achieve Assyrian
national rights by 2050. The other alternative to this being either
assimilated in the west or pushed out of the Middle East.
After a prolonged question time, with heated discussion
on different current issues, Malfono Ninos concluded the evening with a
reading of “Aturaya Khata” (the New Assyrian). This was their final
event together in Australia.
Many CDs were sold as mementos of the occasion. Special
thanks to Lenny Paul for his hard efforts in making more copies of the
CDs for sale on such short notice. Special thanks also to everyone from
the Assyrian associations and political organizations in Sydney for
their hard efforts in making the tour of Malfono Ninos and Rabi Yosip a
success. |
