Meltha Magazine Online

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Meltha 2000, No 10 page 21

PART II. OPINIONS:

A RELAPSE OF THE "UMBRELLA SYNDROME" OR A CONVALESCENCE?

About the situation in the scattered allover the world Assyrian communities one can judge by the drop of the national mass media activity. Some of them vanish, another continue their being in a dosing appeased condition. Against the background of universal appeasement and pessimistic attitude to the own national problems it is observed a traditional mild squabble between a series of national organizations having a claim on the world leadership. And it looks as if this squabble is continued mechanically, only in order finally not to lose face of these organizations.

In this connection willy-nilly it comes back to memory the brilliant pamphlet of Mr. Youel A. Baaba "The Umbrella Syndrome" ("Nineveh", 1992, vol. 15, No.3). We venture to remind to you only a few phrases from this pamphlet:

"... From the unique symptoms that characterize this particular Assyrian aberration, I have identified it as the "Umbre//a Syndrome". This aberration is not physical in nature. I mean you cannot .find it in the body or blood of Assyrians. Actually it is a behavioral abnormality and of recent evolution. It manifests itself more clearly among those individuals who aspire to the national leadership.

...Those who are afflicted with this syndrome seem to be driven to making umbrellas, not the kind that protect people from rain or heat. These are very unique umbrellas, they exist only in the cerebral segments of their maker~'. These invisible umbrellas are designed to protect the Assyrians in accordance with their makers' specifications.

...With the passing of time a new generation of umbrella makers appeared on the scene. These people appeared to be more ambitious and determined to finally build the one universal umbrella that would shelter the Assyrians for good.

...Alas. this universal umbrella proved to be much weaker than its predecessors.

...Now Assyrians are cursed with this behavioral abnormality, umbrella syndrome. We have so many umbrellas, that we are totally confused as to the ranking of these umbrellas. and the areas they encompass. Rumors have it that symptoms of this aberration have been detected among Assyrians in Western Europe, Russia and even far away Australia ".

The prognosis of Mr. Baaba was absolutely exact. These umbrellas go to pieces catastrophically fast. It looks as if we entered the phase of remission. Some of the "universal" umbrellas are gone to pieces, another are not yet designed. What should we expect in the near future: a relapse or full convalescence?

For the present it is clear: one should throwaway the remainder of the gone to pieces umbrellas or (upon the recommendation of Mr. Baaba) to disassemble these remainder and from their parts to design a new, strong and optimized umbrella for all.

In the course of the two last years we received two noteworthy proposals. The first from the " Assyrian Society of United Kingdom" pertaining to an idea of creation of " Assyrian Federation of Europe". The second from the " Association Assyrophile de France" pertaining to the idea of the " Assyrian Parliament in Exile" election.

The initiators of these proposals do not take upon themselves the responsibility and do not form these organizations themselves. They only propose all together to talk over these ideas. All this gives us a great hope of the convalescence from that pathological form of the ambitious "umbrellas building" one observes the last decades. The leaders who stubborn hold on their old worn through umbrellas, should in dead earnest to think about their image as leaders and urgently to give up this lumber. It is time for all to sit down at a common table under the common stable and unshakeable national marquee. .

Are we ready?

Editorial