FEATURED– Former President Trump didn’t pronounce ‘Assyrians’ correctly while giving a shout-out at an Arizona rally. The Assyrian community responded with dire concerns for their endangered identity, persecuted faith, and some aren’t giving up. Assyrians want Americans to know who they are, learn about the genocide of their people, and realize there is an unfulfilled prophecy.
The Assyrian community is growing in population throughout the United States and other parts of the world. We noticed people continuing to ask, “Who are the Assyrians?”
After the rally where Trump called Assyrians, “Azur-Asians,” he was interviewed by Assyrian/Armenian podcaster Patrick Bet-David, and said ‘Assyrians’ correctly.
“You know why they were there?” Trump said. “They were so nice. I met them, the Assyrians. They said, ‘Could you give us a shout out?’ I said, ‘Who are you?’ I didn’t know. They said, ‘We’re Assyrians.’ I said, ‘What’s that mean?’ But they were really nice people. I think I mispronounced it.”
Mona K Oshana, chairwoman of the Assyrian American Republican Patriots of Arizona and host of The Mona K Show, said, “One of the most unfortunate questions the Assyrians are continuously asked is, who are the Assyrians?”
“History books vastly record the many inventions that came from Mesopotamia, the cradle of all civilizations. Inventions, such as the wheel and the chariot, were used for hunting at first, then for battles and wars by nations against their enemies. The Assyrians’ achievements include the world’s first written language, the 360° circle, the Hammurabi code of law, and the first to brew and produce beer. Assyrian political activism in the diaspora began when we realized that we were a nation in plain sight but invisible at the same time. We, as a community, have been making every effort to remind the world who the Assyrians are. We became unofficial global ambassadors to inform people of our continued existence, struggle, and miraculous survival,” said Oshana.
Arizona’s Assyrian (Ah-Syrian) people have been working with the Arizona House and Senate since 2019. Their mission is to raise awareness of their struggles, which began thousands of years ago and continues today. The Assyrian culture, traditions, and language have been preserved for the past 6,774 years of existence despite their ongoing persecution following their Christian conversion, more aggressively after the rise of Islam in 650 AD.
The Assyrians were the first converts to Christianity outside the Apostles and Disciples of Jesus Christ. Their conversion happened in 30 AD after St. Thomas evangelized the Gospel to the Assyrians from the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ.
Due to the Assyrians’ religious beliefs, they suffered numerous atrocities over the following centuries. The ethnic cleansing perpetuated for centuries is based on their beliefs in Christianity.
The Assyrian people were butchered for seeking their independence and hated by anti-Christians. The Assyrian people are the indigenous Aramaic-speaking Christian people of the Middle East, the indigenous people of Mesopotamia. Aramaic was the language Jesus Christ and his disciples spoke.
The Assyrians are an immigrant community coming from Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Iran, and even Kuwait, escaping totalitarian governments that have been the perpetrators of ethnic cleansing by way of genocides, massacres, and systematic purging. Specifically, in 1933, the Semele Assyrian Massacre, 6,000 unsuspecting defenseless Assyrians, mostly women, children, and seniors, were butchered in cold blood from over 55 villages.
The 1915-1920 genocide, where over 3 million were killed from three Christian Nations: 1.5 million Armenians, over 750,000 Assyrians, and over 400,000 Greeks were brutally massacred by the Ottoman Empire controlled by the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), also notoriously known as “The Young Turks” formed to strengthen Muslim Turkish dominance over all ethnicities, in the regions.
Arizona has received many Assyrian immigrants who resettled in Arizona after the 2003 toppling of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
“When the Assyrians could no longer fight we were purged and banished from our ancestral homeland, we had hoped that we would come to our Christian family in the West, that would hear our testimony, and be strengthened to witness God’s promise demonstrated when Christ said, “He will never leave us, nor forsake us,” said Oshana.
“Following the fall of the Assyrian Empire and with it the most feared Assyrian Army of warriors, the vulnerable, stateless Assyrian Nation survived, continued its existence, still doing battle, but it was a spiritual battle between good and evil, Oshana continued.
The Assyrians believe for centuries, they have been the first line of defense, the infantry on the front line, fighting head-on against the enemy of humanity on behalf of all Christendom.
Dr. Ron Susek, Author of “The Assyrian Prophecy,” said, “The Assyrians are our spiritual parents and the original voice of the Gospel. They will be the mighty voice of the Gospel for all Christians and are the righteous people for God’s prophecy.”
The Arizona community also consists of Assyrian Americans from other States and a growing number of first and second-generation Assyrian Americans.
“In 2003, when Saddam Hussein, the butcher of Baghdad, was finally toppled, many of us living in the U.S. found our voice. We started screaming and shouting for the world to save the remnants of one of the greatest empires that was about to be annihilated,” said Oshana.
Arizona Representative Walt Blackman (R) was among the leading legislators who acknowledged the Assyrian people’s struggle.
“If America denies the Semele Assyrian Massacre, it is the same as America denying slavery,” said Representative Walter Blackman.
Rep Blackman created and passed HR2002 in 2001. The resolution passed with 59 ayes and recognizes the Semele Assyrian Massacre of 1933 as a crime against humanity, honors the memory of the thousands of unarmed men, women, and children who were murdered during the Semele Assyrian Massacre of 1933. The Members of the Arizona House and Senate proclaim August 7, 2021, as Assyrian Martyrs Day in the State of Arizona. SR 1001 is a memorial that accompanies HR2002.
In 2021, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey issued a proclamation for the celebration of the Assyrian New Year, celebrated on April 1 annually. It was read by Director Mr. Barry Wong, Executive Director Governor’s Office of Equal Opportunity “GOEO,” in St. Peter Cathedral, Assyrian Church of the East in Glendale, Arizona.
The saving grace of the Assyrians has been their hierarchical church.
“We remain under the wings of the church, its our safe haven, where we gather and speak our native language, Aramaic, and where we practice our faith, our culture, and our traditions,” said Oshana.
Many Assyrians believe Americans have forgotten their roots of Christianity, and the foundational consequential fight against evil that produced the Constitution of the United States of America, transforming the world. Oshana believes it should really be called the Constitution of the world since there is no nation fighting for democracy that does not look to the U.S. Constitution as the most perfect blueprint on earth. The Assyrians often said, “We were Americans before coming to America, because we believed in democracy and the pursuit of individual happiness, we came to America to join forces with the greatest advocates of human rights and freedom.”
For the most part, the Assyrians remained isolated as they went about their everyday life, enjoying their newfound freedom to worship, work, and build new roots. They were not very active in politics or desired to be noticed until now.
The Assyrians for Trump started their political involvement and many choose the Republican Party due to their conservative values.
In 2020, Oshana and a colleague attended an Arizona Trump rally as a VIP with the Assyrian Republican Coalition of Arizona. They brought the Assyrian flag with them and proudly displayed it behind Trump.
“In between raising the campaign slogan cards that we were instructed to raise, we would take turns raising the Assyrian flag, hoping the enemy who tried to eradicate us would see the Assyrian flag that was forbidden from being raised in our ancestral homeland, is now being raised behind the most powerful man in the world. It was almost like saying, if you want to continue the destruction of my people, you will now need to go through America and President Trump,” said Oshana.
Then, in 2020, Oshana and the Arizona-based Assyrians for Trump held a town hall meeting with Eric Trump.
“When Eric Trump came into the venue where over 250 Assyrians were present, including church leaders, military veterans, and the general Assyrian community of Arizona, it was a celebration of joy, happiness, and triumph. It was a phenomenally emotional encounter not experienced by the Assyrians for centuries,” said Oshana.
Oshana said she supports President Trump as the 47th President of America; she wants Trump to recognize the Assyrian people and the apparent blood they shed as they carried Christianity through wars and Genocides for centuries.
Oshana said, “Our Nation has survived almost 7000 years of existence, one mispronunciation will not end the continued legacy. However, the Assyrians being among his strongest supporters, we would have appreciated the president’s recognition.”
Since leaving their ancestral homeland, their Christian faith has remained their source of hope and unity. The Church of the East, established by Jesus through His holy Disciples, encapsulates the Spiritual Assyrian Empire that lives uninterrupted in the hearts of its people.
The once great empire was conquered and divided on earth; however, it lives spiritually in America and across the world.
You can follow Mona K Oshana at: YouTube, Twitter, Rumble, Instagram and Facebook.
Isaiah 19:23-25: In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.”
Journalists at Mountain Daily Star are proud to bring the story of the Assyrian people to the world. We thank Mona K Oshana for her dedication and contribution to this story. Her commitment to her people is remarkable and must be celebrated, recognized, and protected by the Christian community and the United States. “The Assyrian people are the forgotten Martyrs for Christianity,”