Aprim Shapera spoke with SBS Assyrian's Ninos Kako to talk about his experiences through the decades with the late Wilson Younan.
Shapera spoke about the sorrow and disappointment he felt due to COVID-19 travelling restrictions that prevented him from visiting Australia to farewell Wilson. He took a moment of silence to pray for his departed soul.
Aprim describes the annual get togethers between himself and Wilson at the US Assyrian convention and their travels to Chicago to present lectures discussing various issues that concern our nation.
Aprim says that for years, when he wanted to write something, first he would discuss it with Wilson over the phone. Then after writing it and before publishing, he would discuss it again with Wilson who often suggested to tackle the issue he is writing about with a different angle. "This is how much trust and belief I had in Wilson." Mr Shapera says.
As for their personal friendship, Aprim has known Wilson from the early 80s whilst Wilson performed as a musician at the Assyrian Cultural Association in Baghdad. After leaving Iraq, Wilson and Aprim would occasionally visit the US.
Mr. Shapera remembers his visit to Australia where he interviewed Wilson about the concept of "plasha brish kursi," or the fight for the chair.
Aprim spoke of his respect for Wilson's dose of healthy criticism. Mr Shapera believes that friendship does not mean that we have to agree on everything. Constructive criticism is a true sign of healthy friendship.
About his philosophy in regards to the compounded name of our nation, Mr Shapera believes that we can call our selves any thing we want to, as long as we believe we are one. If a Chaldean wins a land, Syriacs and Assyrians are winning and vice versa.
Mr Shapera offers his deepest condolences to the family of Wilson and specially his wife Asmer, who Wilson always considered her as a friend more than a wife.
Click on the video below to watch the interview in full:
ܪܥܝܘܬܐ ܕܫܒ݂ܪܹ̈ܐ
ܩܘܪܒܐ ܕܚܕ ܡܠܝܘܢܐ ܒܝܬܘܝܵܬܵܐ ܒܩܲܒܠܝܼ ܪܵܥܝܘܬܐ ܕܫܲܒ݂ܪܹ̈ܐ ܡܲܓܵܢ ܒܥܸܕܵܢܵܐ ܕܟܘܪܗܵܢܵܐ ܕܟܘܪܘܢܐ ܦܝܪܸܣ. ܓܘ ܐܘܐ ܕܘܒܵܪܵܐ، ܚܘܟܡܐ ܒܦܲܪܸܥ 50 ܐܲܡܘܿܢܹܐ ܡܢ ܕܲܚܠܵܐ ܕܪܘܼܫܡܹܐ ܕܐܲܘܵܐ ܚܲܩܠܵܐ ܗܠ ܬܚܘܡܵܐ ܥܠܵܝܵܐ ܕܛܝܼܡܵܐ ܕܚܕܐ ܫܵܥܬܵܐ ܗܵܫܵܐܝܼܬ، ܡܢ ܚܕ ܢܘܩܙܐ ܙܲܒ݂ܢܵܝܵܐ ܩܕܡ ܡܐ ܕܡܫܵܪܝܼ ܐܵܒ݂ܵܗܹ̈ܐ ܕܓܲܪܫܝܼ ܝܵܠܕܲܝܗܝ ܒܡܸܢܝܵܢܵܐ ܓܘܿܒ݂ܪܵܐ.
ܩܐ ܕܝܕܥܸܬ ܕܵܟ݂ܝܼ ܚܘܟܡܵܐ ܐܣܬܪܵܠܵܝܵܐ ܝܠܹܗ ܦܠܵܚܵܐ ܥܲܡ COVID-19 ܐ݇ܙܸܠ݇ܝܼ Government response to the outbreak .
ܩܵܐ ܙܲܘܕܵܐ ܡܣܘܕܥܵܢܘܼܬܵܐ ܒܠܸܫܵܢܵܐ ܐܸܢܓܠܹܫܵܝܵܐ ܣܵܚܒܸܪ ܠܫܵܘܦܵܐ
Australian Government Department of Health.
ܡܘܕܥܢܘܵܬܵܐ ܕܘܙܝܼܪܘܬܐ ܕܣܘܥܪ̈ܵܢܹܐ ܓܲܘܵܝܹܐ ܩܐ ܟܢܘܫܝܹܐ ܐܣܪܬܪ̈ܵܠܵܝܹܐ ܒܠܸܫܵܢܘܿܟ݂ in your language.
ܐܢܵܫܹ̈ܐ ܓܵܘ ܐܣܬܪܠܝܐ ܘܵܠܹܐ ܕܗܵܘܝܼ ܪܸܚܩܵܐ ܡܸܚܕ݂ܵܕܹ̈ܐ ܡܝܼܬܪܵܐ ܘܦܲܠܓܹܐ 1.5 . ܘܚܙܝܼ ܓܘ ܐܘܼܚܕܵܢܘܿܟ݂ ܟܡܵܐ ܝܠܹܗ ܡܸܢܝܵܢܵܐ ܕ ܟܦܲܫܝܵܬ݂ܵܐ. https://www.sbs.com.au/language/english/how-australia-s-states-and-territories-are-relaxing-coronavirus-restrictions
ܐܸܢ ܪܓ݂ܵܫܵܐ ܗ݇ܘܸܬ ܒܩܲܪܬܵܐ ܐܵܘ ܬܲܚܘ̈ܝܵܬܵܐ ܕܐܸܢܦܠܵܘܲܢܙܵܐ، ܡܲܪܝܸܙ ܠܨܲܚܨܲܝܬܵܐ ܒܲܡܚܲܝܬܵܐ ܬܠܝܦܘܿܢ ܠܐܵܣܝܵܐ ܕܝܼܠܘܿܟ݂، ܐܵܘ ܩܪܝܼ ܠܪܘܩܡܐ ܕܡܲܘܕܥܵܢܘܼܬ݂ܵܐ ܚܘܼܠܡܵܢܲܝܬܵܐ ܕܟܘܪܘܢܐ ܦܵܝܪܸܣ ܐܲܬ݂ܪܵܝܵܐ ܥܲܠ 1800020080.
ܛܸܒܹܐ ܘܡܵܘܕܥܵܢܘܵܬ݂ܵܐ ܦܸܪܝܹܐ ܠܲܝܗܝ ܒ 63 ܠܸܫܵܢܹ̈ܐ ܓܵܘ ܫܵܘܦܵܐ http://www.sbs.com.au/coronavirus
