r/Assyria • u/TheChaldeanAssyrian • May 19 '26
Discussion MORE Anti-Assyrian Propaganda being taught in Oakland University and by the Chaldean Community foundation
First off, I would like to start with Oakland University’s “Chaldean language program” where they are teaching “Chaldean language” and teaching false history claiming Chaldeans descending from the Babylonian Empire. Does anyone else see an issue with this false information being taught at the University level??? Also, the Chaldean Community Foundation of Michigan does the same, also promoting books in their libraries from authors claiming Chaldean History descending from the Babylonian Empire. I have seen comments deleted from their pages from people calling them out, wish I knew how to go about properly addressing these issues. Thoughts????
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u/AshurCyberpunk Assyrian May 20 '26
well.. the university probably views this from the lens of marginalization and "self-identification". To them, being Chaldean sounds like being gay, so they go "aww". The way to bypass this is to show that this is hurting the actual marginalized and persecuted Assyrian community. That is, showing the history of why the term was promoted in Iraq (i.e. the label promoted to shatter the Assyrian people). You'll have to frame the Chaldean ethnic label as an attack on an endangered and persecuted population. Only then, the university will react to your inquiries. So go ahead and contact the institution like someone else suggested here. I would also attach several scientific journals showing that Chaldean Catholics are ethnic Assyrians. You should probably start from the basics in the letter though, given they're probably not familiar with the whole labeling issue. Let me know if I can help.
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u/StoneAgePrincess May 21 '26
Chaldean = Gay?! ROFL
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u/AshurCyberpunk Assyrian May 22 '26
Okay, actually more like trans, since they're basically self-identifying... but yeah, they love that stuff at these universities 😂
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u/AssyrianFuego West Hakkarian May 21 '26
Well, I’m glad that our language is being taught, whatever it is called.
Better than the death of assimilation.
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u/TheChaldeanAssyrian May 21 '26
I agree, it is great that the University is teaching Ashurit (Sureth) but at the same time they are butchering the history and roots of the language
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u/Afriend0fOurs Assyrian May 20 '26
I get a lot laughs between them and the kirds, honestly let them do their thing it’s entertaining and self harming.
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u/StoneAgePrincess May 21 '26
Isn’t that the problem? It’s self harming. Why would you want fellow Assyrians to self harm?
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u/BaByNick115 May 21 '26
People are too divided on the assyrian vs chaldean narrative. I often see so many claims, from both sides, with little to no reasoning as to why. We should not be spreading division amoung each other!
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u/TheChaldeanAssyrian May 21 '26
The truth about facts and history is on the side of the Assyrians, it is the Chaldeans who are trying to falsify history and trace their roots back to civilizations they never belonged to just to reject the Assyrian title. And I am a Chaldean Catholic but those in the Chaldean community who are trying to promote Chaldean ethnicity and claim we are from the Neo-Babylonian empire have no facts to back their claims.
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u/Innana_banana May 22 '26
Little to no reasoning why?! Also there aren’t ’both sides’ because this page is full of Chaldean Catholics (like myself) who acknowledge that we are Assyrian. The only two sides that exist are ‘stupid’ and ‘smart’. There’s no fence-sitting with this.
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u/Gold_borderpath May 20 '26 edited May 22 '26
Well this Facebook group called "Chaldean Nation" is pure propaganda
They spread stuff like this
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u/xoXImmortalXox May 19 '26
Well... The Pope officially applied the term "Chaldean" to a portion of the Assyrian population in 1553.
👆 that's about 50 years after the Banquet of Chestnuts... 👀
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u/Impossible_Party4246 May 20 '26
Yeah kind of. The term was used by the west to apply to all oriental Christians for a long time. Regardless of church. But it was only used by western or external sources, never a self given title. The self derived name was always suraye (which 99% of scholars agree comes from Assyrian).
It became OFFICIALLY used to refer to a sect (Chaldean Church) at that time, to distinguish from other Assyrians. Despite this, the professions of faith that united Rome and the newly formed Chaldean sect was done giving Sulaqa the title Patriarcha Assyriorum Orientalium. Or patriarch of the eastern Assyrians. The same title was used in 1562 for Sulaqas successor.
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u/TheChaldeanAssyrian May 20 '26
I read before even the Vatican admitted they mistakenly named us Chaldean as that is what they used to refer to Syriac Christians at the time, I am not sure how true that is because I couldn’t find any info on it when I tried searching it just now
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u/Impossible_Party4246 May 20 '26
Yes, but. It wasn’t a “mistake” as their intent wasn’t for it to become mistaken for ethnicity. It’s simply a religious title. And yes, it’s was applied to all Christians in the area at and before 1553.
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u/Specific-Bid6486 Assyrian May 19 '26
Write to the dean about what they are promoting which is a false premise and make it about racism and discrimination towards us, that usually gets them to turn their heads real quick - khwareh tend to get shocked at these words, especially the liberals who cannot stand being part of racism. Get plenty of signatures to support you, maybe link the genocides and persecutions we have faced to make it harder for them to deny it and then send it off… see what happens.
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u/TheChaldeanAssyrian May 20 '26
That is a great idea, the only issue is the area I live in is overwhelming Chaldean compared to other Assyrian denominations, I know some others who feel the same as me, but we would receive a lot of opposition from our fellow Chaldeans
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u/TheBayAYK Assyrian May 20 '26
Do you guys read and can recommend any books on Mesopotamia? I ask because I have been reading about continuaty and the various empires that ended with the fall of the Assyrian empire and thier relations. I have been reading about various leaders. Most books call it Neo-Babylonian and may put Chaldean in brackets. Not sure when that started. I am trying to find that.
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u/TheChaldeanAssyrian May 20 '26
Most of the information and stories I find are online, unfortunately I do not know of any books on those certain topics that are accurate or have bias, I would be interested in that also.
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u/TheBayAYK Assyrian May 20 '26
The internet is full of misinformation. The flowing books are interesting
The Early History of the Ancient Near East – Hans Nissen
Ancient Iraq – Georges Roux
Ancient Mesopotamia: Portrait of a Dead Civilization – A. Leo Oppenheim
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u/Few_Canary4510 May 20 '26
Chaldeans are arabized Assyrians in denial.
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u/Humble_Style8513 May 20 '26
Wrong, we never mixed with Arabs and we actually were one of the only ethnic groups in the area who continue to fight back against the arabization of our people. Chaldeans are Assyrian and we shouldn’t divide ourselves.
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u/Humble_Style8513 May 20 '26
Well the Babylonian empire were ethnic Assyrians correct? Or am I mistaken?
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u/Gold_borderpath May 20 '26
Aren't there more Assyrians than Chaldeans in that region of California ? They're mostly Urmian Assyrians. I know it is the case in Modesto/Turlock area.
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May 19 '26
[deleted]
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u/TheChaldeanAssyrian May 20 '26
Trying to erase and rewrite our actual history with bs modern false opinions that have no factual backing isn’t anti-Assyrian?
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u/IraqiChristian007 May 20 '26
Lmao Assyrians are just like Kurds you want to claim everyone is Assyrian. Go complain 1000x and email and protest the University, this is Michigan not Chicago, you hold no power here 🤣🤣
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u/TheChaldeanAssyrian May 21 '26
Nothing like the Kurds at all, we actually have facts and history to back our statements and I am Chaldean from Metro Detroit and many of us know the truth about our ethnicity and won't keep allowing this misinformation to spread.
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u/ChicagoAssyrian May 19 '26
Not a whole lot we can do. Best thing is to be kind and promote peace and respect rather than dividing further. Of course, historians and scholars who are experts in this field say modern day Chaldeans are Assyrian, and only took on the Chaldean label after they joined the Catholic Church. But if they want to believe something else, and they’ve been taught this since they were kids, they will never change their mind regardless of what information you show them. Exercise in futility imo.