The Assyrian-Speaking Community in Australia
Assyrians are the indigenous people of the land historically known as
Mesopotamia, an area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The area forms
what is now central Iraq. However, traditionally, the Assyrians knew their
country by the name Bet Nahrain.
Their language is a dialect of Aramaic
and is spoken in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Iran. The Assyrians were early
converts to Christianity and their church, known as the Church of the East,
holds a special place in the modern community.
Arrival
Assyrian migration to Australia began in
the late 1930s. In her article, "Assyrians in Australia", author Susan Isho
notes the 1980s saw the largest surge in arrivals under the special Humanitarian
or Family Reunion program.
Contemporary Assyrian migration to Western
countries increased dramatically during the Iran-Iraq war 1980-1988 and
continued to grow with the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and the Gulf War in early
1991.
Many of these migrants were war refugees, stranded in neighbouring
countries such as Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Greece.
Settlement
Assyrians in Australia have come from
many different countries, including Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Greece and Syria.
They're multi-lingual, commonly speaking Arabic or Persian as well as their own
tongue. New arrivals of Assyrian migrants continue from Turkey, Jordan, Syria
and Greece.
Many members of the Australian community support relatives
living as refugees in Jordan while awaiting resettlement in other countries.
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