As part of the activities of the Assyrian Australian Association, a lecture was organized by Father Shlimon Isho, The President of the Oriental Cultural Center ( Beth Mardootha d Mathenha) in Dohuk, on February 16, 2020, attended by a crowd of intellectuals. Mrs. Sanaa Gorgis presented a brief biography of the lecturer and then Mr Isho began his lecture with a historical interpretation of the relationship of language and nationalism, saying :” We have different names as Chaldean Syriac Assyrians
Rev. Isho said If we go back to history after the fall of Nineveh and Babylon, there were many languages, the last of which spread was Ancient Assyrian language.”
He stressed that the mixing of peoples was influenced by their languages because of the domination of the Persians. And we were called Syrians because Persian language does not has letter "Th".
He explained that our fathers accepted the name “Syrians” because they knew the basis and reasons behind this name and did not separated it from their name.
He stressed during his lecture that the spread of Aramaic as a language was due to its simplicity and fewer letters and our fathers wrote many books that became a heritage and treasure that academics at various international universities respect.
He also said that we do not have measurements and rules for writing in the new language so far, but we always return to compare it to the original language.
He concluded his speech by saying that it is important for us to learn the original language because it is one language and it has one grammar for all our people as Assyrian Chaldean Syriac.
