Lebanon the Heart of the Syriacs

    In the span of four days from Friday the 28th until Monday the 31st of July that passed, the University of the Holy Spirit in the Kaslik held the convention of "Lebanon the Heart of the Syriacs" by an invitation from the Syriac Universal Alliance.

    This invitation to the convention was given for the commemoration of the 2000 millennium. The convention included a variety of political, educational, cultural, ideological and humanitarian activities and meetings with the participation of the presidents of associations, organizations and unions from all over the world. A handful of significant leaders in the countries that contain a Syriac population participated in the convention.

    The convention opened on Friday August 28th [A Typing error by the writer who meant July 28th] at six o'clock at night in the Pope John Paul II Hall at the University of the Holy Spirit in the Kaslik, with the attendance of the representative of the President of Lebanon, the Lieutenant General Emil Lahoud. During the opening ceremony speeches were given by:

    The President of the University of the Kaslik, Dr. Fr. Yousif Mounis.
The head of the Syrian government's delegation, the Vice Minister of Endowment, Mr. Muhammad Ghassan Jairoudi.
The Minister of Finance of Jordan, Mr. Michel Marto.
The President of the Assyrian Universal Alliance, Senator John Nimrod
The President of the Chaldean American National Federation, Mr. Sam Yawno. The
President of the Syriac Universal Alliance, Mr. Habib Afram.

    At 9:00 PM, a party was held for the youth at St. George Hotel.

    On Saturday July 29th, an extensive meeting was held for the Syriac Associations and Organizations. At the end of the meeting, the final statement was announced. In addition to the opening of the Syriac art exhibit in the UNESCO under the auspices and attendance of the Minister of Education, Mr. Muhammad Yousif Baidoun, which included beautiful paintings and sculptures.

    At 9:00 PM, a dinner was held in Casino Lebanon under the auspices of the Lebanese Prime Minister, Dr. Salim Al-Huss.

    On Sunday July 30th, a Mass was conducted under the auspices of the Patriarch Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas in the Church of St. Ephrem in the Ashrefieh [Beirut], which was succeeded with a meeting in the hall of Mor. Aphrem. At noon a ceremonial lunch was held under the Auspices of the Vice President of the Country, Mr. Michel Al-Murr, at Muntazah Al-Yanabee' in Zaghreen, Duhour Al-Shwair. At 6:00 PM, a Syriac book exhibit was opened in the Kaslik University under the auspices of the Minister Michel Adde, joint with the Association of the Friends of the Syriac Language.

    At 9:00 PM, a musical night was held with Eli Gabriel under the auspices of the previous presidents of the SUA.

    On Monday July 31st at 9:00 PM, the convention's final ceremony was held under the auspices of the first lady of Lebanon, Mrs. Andrea Lahoud in the Kaslik with a concert by the world-renowned pianist Mr. George Badro.

    The convention had also held meetings, which it designated to research recommendations and suggestions, as well as to study reports that were given to the members. These are the results:

    1) To adopt the recommendation of the idealist Farid Salman asking the government to include the Syriac language in the official educational programs and regarding the language as at least one of the additional options that are given to other languages in the country. The Syriac Universal Alliance had raised this suggestion to the Lebanese Ministry of Education regarding this issue.

    2) To adopt the recommendation of the idealist Farid Salman to establish a national committee, not a denominational one, to pursue this duty and to introduce it to the Lebanese public opinion. The Alliance has placed the Friends of the Syriac Language Association in Lebanon in charge of following up on this issue.

    3) To adopt the recommendation of the idealist Farid Salman, with all due honor and respect, to create "The Syriac Museum" in Lebanon. This idea has been submitted to the SUA for years and has a special committee working on it.

    4) To adopt a recommendation raised by the Youth Group of the Syriac Union and signed by hundreds of families, demanding to create a housing project to aid the people in order not to migrate. The SUA has placed a special committee from the leaders among the Syriac Union with the leadership of George Asyo to study this issue.

    5) To adopt the recommendation of Mr. Hanna Na'muj, a member of the main committee of the Aramaic American Association, to send a thank you letter to His Holiness the Patriarch for the Synod's decision to create a universal board of directors for the community that agrees with the recommendation of the SUA in 1997, which strengthens the role of the learned in the administrative affairs of the Church and the People.

    6) To adopt a recommendation from the director of media of the Syrian Nationalist and Social Party, asking all the regimes to create the laws that make it easier for the immigrant to return to his/her homeland and that abolish all the obstacles that are hindering this return.

    7) To adopt a recommendation from the President of the Alliance to create a Syriac Studies Center in the University if the Holy Spirit and giving two grants to two students with a thanks to the administration of the University for the opening of a section for Syriac Studies as a language and a culture in the University.

    8) The Alliance studied the file of the activities of its representatives in the United Nations among the Non-Governmental organizations, and it praised the exhausted endeavors especially by Mr. Gabriel Gabour, its representative in Vienna. Considering that the UN's role in the nearness and understanding between all peoples, nations, ethnicities and nationalities is positive and important.

    9) Studied the last progress of the documentary on the Syriacs, which is being prepared by the Alliance with a specialized Italian company, as well as its release date with the documentations.

    10) Accepting the recommendation of Mr. Hanna Na'muj, to send a thank you letter to the Holy Synod for adopting the official name for the Church in English as "Syriac Orthodox Church" which was a suggestion from the first convention for the SUA in New Jersey in 1983, with our gratitude to Mr. Na'muj's role in the ideologies and the Syriac Media.

    The Alliance thanks the Syriac Union of Lebanon's leadership, committees, and each and every single member for the endeavors they sustained, and thanks all who joined in reviving the Alliance's activities. The Alliance also cannot attempt but to offer to all the Lebanese people with its love and gratitude, for the SUA always feels that it is in the heart of this country.

    The convention had received hundreds of support letters and calls from many different leaderships of different calibers such as:

• Former Lebanese President, Charl Hilou.
• Dr. Danho Dawoud, former Minister of Tourism of Syria and an honorary member in the Syriac Universal Alliance.
• Bishop Cyril Afram Barsom, the Bishop of Eastern USA.
• Bishop Betros Al-Na'me, the Bishop of Homs and Hama and surroundings.
• Archdeacon Slaiman Ghrer, the Patriarchal Vicar for the Syriac Orthodox in Argentina.
• Nouran Tashji, President of the Syriac American Alliance.
• Antoine Gharib, the director of Media and Television in the Syrian Nationalist and Social Party.
• Mr. Hanna Na'muj, a member of the board of directors in the Syriac American Association.
• Elias Afram, the Secretary of the Syriac Alliance in California.
• George Hazzo, the President of the Syriac Association in Jordan.
• Fuad Al-Turk, the former Lebanese Ambassador to the United Nations.
• Aboud Haddad, a former member of the Syrian Parliament and an honorary member in the SUA.
• William Warda of the Assyrian Democratic Movement, Damascus Branch.
• Dr. Isa Ibrahim Yousif, the Vice Minister of Petrol of Syria.
• The idealist Farid Salman, the Lebanese Writer.
• Fr. Hans Hollerweger, the writer and the President of the Friends of Tur Abdin Association.
• Aboud Adamo, the President of the Aramaic American Association.
• Dr. Sami Sim'ani, the Honorary President for the SUA - USA.
• Dr. Aho Hadodo, the Honorary President for the SUA - Switzerland.
• Gabriel Gabour, the official representative for the SUA in the UN - Vienna.
• Habib Afram, the President of the Syriac Universal Alliance.

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