Meltha Magazine Online

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1997, Volume 3, No.1(7) pages 35-37

How to Build up Intolerance

Just on the first day of the new Assyrian year of 6747 which is 1st of April on the Assyrian time calendar and which is celebrated in the Moscow Palace of Youth, the popular Moscow evening newspaper 'Vechernaya Moskva' came out with a page- long story 'The double shadow of Zero' by G.Beltadze. By the use of deliberately false accusations the author tried to prove to the public at large the existence of the Assyrian organized criminal group (OCG). In his exceptionally cynical allegations based on street talk and rumors he just accuses the entire Assyrian community in Moscow without a cause. G. Beltadze stated particularly,

ŤIn terms of the Assyrian criminal cause even in the Ministry of Internal Affairs they have too different opinions about it. Some believe that Assyrian mafia is one of the most powerful criminal groups in Moscow. Others assert that this problem does not exists at all. As a matter of fact, the assumed Assyrian OCG has no definite structure or armed groups...

And yet Assyrian crime groups have long been known in Moscow. Back in the time of societal stagnation Assyrian criminal authorities used to stuff shoe parlors or shops as well as to put up funds for the needs of community or to settle conflicts between Assyrians. Besides, they were in control of Moscow butcheries as it always has been a traditional trade for them. The unofficial leader at the time was the director of a tailor and shoe repair shop. He was very instrumental in helping the Assyrian committee in so many ways. For example, he was allowed into the USSR Internal Affairs minister's office of general Scholokov. He is said to have done it just free and easy...

Assyrian criminals are supposedly very crafty swindlers and thieves, but their main 'specialty' has always been assault and robbery. In the police archives of 1970s and 1980s one can find an unofficial police term 'the Assyrian method of robbery'. This method was usually performed after some preliminary work including preparation of a potential victim through his psychological portraying, personal inquiry, ferocity of execution and very skilled searching...

Police tell of Assyrian criminal world in terms of the shady economy. In words, Assyrian criminals are the people on the crest of the wave. It means they are every- where but nowhere indeed. They furnish expertise to every other criminal group around. They can be go-betweens or money lenders as well. They are like one more shadow cast by the shady economy. This is the mastermind of all criminal groups. If these people are criminals, then they are something special for they wear white collars and white silk gloves instead...

In their long history Assyrians have gone through many trials and tribulations but have outlived many authorities like the Assyrian king Sargon, the Persian king Darius and even both of Alexander Macedonian (besides the famous warrior and king alike, here is meant a Russian killer nick- named Alexander Macedonian that was murdered in Greece recently -editor). Assyrians have gained in only one basic art of making moneyť. r The Assyrian community of Moscow applied to the Moscow Evening Newspaper editorial staff with a claim to publish might : be in focus for you as well.

The 'Double Shadow' of Genocide

The article by G. Beltadze 'The double shadow of Zero' published in the Moscow Evening Newspaper as of 1 April seems to , have been designed to make another contribution to the whole conception of the author, namely to bring to the attention of all Muscovites the peculiarities of so called 'ethnic' criminal groups which operate in Moscow and beyond. Now there is much talk of the' Assyrian trail' as they did a lot j of talking of the 'Tchetchen' , 'Georgian' , , Azherbaidjan ' or other trails. But this time a 20 000 strong Assyrian Community of Russia is held responsible for every crime that was just recently incriminated to Tchetchens mainly. This way Assyrians are being charged for forged bank advice operations, big money swindle, gambling control as well as drug traffic in Moscow, the so-called 'dirty money wash-off' (critics claim it is almost half of it allegedly in Moscow!), etc.

It is no doubt a very 'tough' publication, , but not very original indeed. Especially if one bears in mind the thesis that has been popular recently in inter ethnical conflicts in the time of feuds and general turmoil. Ac- cording to this thesis what is ethnic is presumably criminal or half criminal. And the authors develop it in a fashion of a very banal detective story .

Objection arises naturally because this publication once claimed to be a sensation actually lacked in well consistent facts, otherwise it looks like a compilation of out- dated scraps of rumors (supported by 20 year old photo pictures in hand), or false convictions.

But the main reason or motivation to have this letter published in the newspaper in response was that Mr .Beltadze creates a breathtaking myth to tell the narrow minds about the oldest nation on the planet, the people that came to settle down in Russia, as early as in the late 1911 century but who remain virtually unknown in the land of their habitation. This is a nation that has repeatedly been closed to mass media centers, but then suddenly being brought into highlight in a page long story full of insinuations or ill thought generalization. Therefore it hits home all the same. Now the word' Assyrian' sounds like it contains some abuse really. Mr. Beltadze's insinuations have already been broadcast as he presumably meant it for ordinary people who have been driven to despair by crime rise and corruption at the top power level as well. It admits no doubt that these masses will probably respond to this information most equally. Moreover, this publication might as well be used by police as another good excuse just to hold up someone with a nose shaped unlike Slavic without even asking him to produce ID or any paper. As it happens, creation of one more public enemy from one nation will be continued most successfully.

The historical review by the author apparently was made from unknown and probably strictly confidential archives of the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs making a complete revision of the Ancient Assyria' s history. According to the author, the 'terrible Assyrians' were destroyed by Aramaics (?) in the late 7111 century BC. The classical history has .it that Nineveh was destroyed by the army from Midia, Babylonia and nomadic tribes, but thanks to the author the history itself was reviewed. Using ethnic names so strange to the author he evidently makes a mess of it. As he mistakenly refers to Babylonians, Syrians or Chaldeans, he just seems simply ignorant of what Assyrians are like today. Without any investigation he describes them just as a bunch of' Aissors' who live in the Middle East and in the Caucasus ignoring or not knowing hundred thousands of Assyrians in the United States, Western Europe and Australia.

Focusing on the 'criminal underground' in his publication the author brings out a charge on the whole nation making no exception to the cobbler or butcher. This publication will obviously remain in the history in its unprecedented concept ional meaning as an explicit example of ethnocide ideology.

Anyway the author promptly transforms all the cobblers and shoe polishers into somewhat a 'mastermind center for criminal groups' , the so-called 'criminals in white collars and gloves' .For this purpose he simply picks up a few elementary Assyrian criminals and adds to them some well- known authorities such as Russian Vjacheslav Ivankov, Jew Mark Milgotin, Georgian Otari K vantrishvili, Armenian David Khachaturov. But he tries to build a link with the whole Diaspora highlighting , Aissors who have reached highs in the art of making money only' , though there certainly might be some single criminals among them indeed. Formerly, accusations made against some national criminal groups were obviously predicted by certain political circles, and as a rule, they were part of military conflicts (for example, in Abkhasia and Tchetchnja, some attempts at sovereignty in Tatarstan, etc.). But then nobody thought of a little nation which never claimed its own statehood or autonomy by this analogy.

Therefore, the question is who is interested in such a dirty heavy-handed propaganda of ethnocide'? Apparently those who want to distract public attention from them. We mean the circles that actually hold ownership of banks, gambling houses, oil industry and mass media as well.

During the cease-fire in Tchetchnja the 'Tchetchen trail' has been dropped. At the top political level in Russian Federation they repeatedly raised the question of some CIS countries moral infringement focusing on the use of 'Caucasian nationals' term. Therefore it became unwise to build a public enemy image from 'Georgian' or , Azerbaidjan' mafia. At this point innocent Assyrians came just on time to be victimized. For nobody seems to care too much for them as well as to come and protect them. Over 2600 years Assyrians have known no statehood, and 'all that they did for mankind was forgotten but never was forgotten the myth of brutal and terrible Assyrians. So nobody seems to remember that they spread Christianity in the lands from Pirreneus to Japanese islands in the first centuries AD, while they joined Russia in its struggle with Osman empire and Kurdish tribes during the first world war and defended the Russian army's retreat after the collapse of the Russian empire. In the end they lost their own lands to be scattered far and wide in the world.

The hard-working Assyrian nation has proved all down in its history to be faithful to their native land. Thousands of Assyrians perished in the Great Patriotic war (the 2nd world war). Three of them were decorated with National Hero honors in the Soviet Union. And now Assyrians are building no financial pyramids but churches in Moscow and Kiev with their own funds only.

This nation presumably has been on its way to the Church of Jesus Christ as they have always in their history believed in the future for it is said in the Bible, ŤIn that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land; whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritanceť (Isaiah, 19:24,25).

Davitashvili, Dj/'ma -professor, president of Association 'League of Russian Assyrians'.

Chougianov, Peter -chairman of Moscow Assyrian Association 'Khayadta'.

losifov, William -chairman, Charity Foundation for Assyrian orphan children, disabled and old-aged.

Gewargisov, Mikhail -head of Assyrian Youth Cultural Center 'Shamiram'.

Arsanis, Marona -chief editor of the radio program ' Kala Atturaya '.

Zia, Vladimir- deputy chief editor of 'The Assyrian newspaper'.

Bet-Tamraz, Tamara -deputy chief editor of the Assyrian public-political bulletin 'Meltha'.

Aslanov, Yuri -chairman of Moscow City community of the Assyrian Church of the East.

Arsanis, Gewargis -docent, Moscow Diplomatic Academy.

Babylayev, Alexander -doctor of philosophy, Moscow State University.

Gewargisov, Evgeny -professor, doctor of Physics and Chemistry, Scientific Research Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences.

Osipov, Sargis -doctor of Medicine, Ph.D., vice-president of Assyrian National Congress. lvanov, Alexander -candidate of Chemistry.

Zia, Joseph -postgraduate student, Moscow State University.

P.S. Till now the Evening Newspaper of Moscow has not found an occasion to publish the answer of the Assyrian Public of Moscow presumably thinking that only one who enjoys more rights is always right in the society which knows no justice.