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Today we interview much respected UFC light weight contender Beneil Dariush. ...And we take a look at Beneil's UFC career and who Beneil Dariush is as an Assyrian. Sometimes people might think, when Assyrians do well, they tend to not show recognition to their own people. I personally don't see it as true, especially in Beneil's case. After every fight, Beneil waves his flag and shows how proud he is as an Assyrian. That has had such an impact the even the commentator Brian Stann actually had something to say about that. He said "Beneil spends a lot of his time doing charity work for Assyrians", and also commented how the Assyrians are getting persecuted in Iraq. I don't know what made Brian Stann say that but that was really nice of him to mention that while commentating on Beneil's fight. So how did Beneil get involved in fighting? Like many Assyrian parents, they are not into the whole thing about their kids fighting or risking injury. So when Beneil turned 18, he was able to go to training on his own accord. After training for a bit Beneil started to compete in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournaments and had won multiple titles in the Gi and No Gi competitions. Soon after he joined Kings MMA with his coach Rafael Cordeiro, competed in MMA and hasn't looked back. Right now Beneil holds an MMA record of 9 wins and 1 loss Keep up to date with Beneil's latest MMA record in Sherdog. What charity work does Beneil Dariush get involved in? The charity work that got my attention was that he uses his success to sell sweaters. With that money made, all the proceeds go to ACERO and The Assyrian Aid Society. Amazing right? Take a look and click links to take a closer look at the cool sweaters. Click here to check out the sweat shirts and support these 2 great charities. Beneil also gets involved in telethons and attends regular Assyrian meetings. He does what ever he can to help and keep up to date what is going on with Assyrians in North Iraq. I believe it is a great way to see where he can further apply his talents. For someone that is training 6 times a week, 3 times per day, fighting in the most stacked weight division and to apply his time just goes to show what kind of character Beneil upholds. To find out more, listen to the podcast, post your comments and please share. Warmly, Ray Kanoon

Does it bother you not knowing what is happening to your Assyrians in north Iraq? Do you sometimes think, hmm... I wonder if they are ok. Are the real stories being masked by the media? I ask the same questions every day and that is why I am writing the questions on this blog. Fortunately we have a gentlemen here by the name of Mr. David William Lazar who is the founder of the Assyrian Aid Society and he is going to share with you the latest and most up to date information on what is happening to Assyrians in north Iraq. Let me tell you something, this issue that is happening to your people in north Iraq is not going away any time soon. In fact, your Assyrian people are still living in very bad conditions and the risk of disease is getting quite high. Winter is approaching in north Iraq and something has to be done before the weather gets harsh. Mr. Lazar talks about how temporary housing solutions are extremely necessary and how there is a plan being put in place in order for Assyrians to have proper shelter, heating and electricity. Why does Mr. Lazar think that this is going to be a long problem? Mr. Lazar says that "isis thugs are well funded, well trained, they are willing to die for their cause and will kill anyone in their way that is stopping them from reaching their goal". hmmm. they sound pretty determined to me."The only thing they don't have is air strikes.: This is the reality of what is going on to Assyrians in north Iraq. I have also heard rumours that Assyrians in north Iraq have an Assyrian army called "Dwakh Nawsheh" and that they have over 1000 people fighting. Yes there is an Assyrian army but what are the real numbers, how equipped are they and who are they really fighting for? David and I talk about this in the interview After all the reality you must be asking, what's the good news Ray, is there any? Ever since I was a child, not being able to tell my friends that I have a country, really burnt me. Yes my country is Australia, but telling people that I have a nationality but there is no country associated with the Assyrians. That really hurt. What if I were to tell you that an Assyrian province could be a big possibility within your life time? For all the people that say Assyrians will never have a country, you must think again. This is the time where we must stick together, follow one goal in securing a homeland and making my childhood dream and every other Assyrians dream into a reality. My job here doing these p

How can you be so sure that the ancient Assyrians are ancestors of todays Assyrians. Many times we look at ourselves and say we are proud to have direct lineage with the ancient Assyrians. So you should be. How would you feel if you were told that you are not Assyrian and there is no solid evidence that you are from the ancient Assyrian bloodline? You would feel pretty insulted, right? In this podcast we interview archaeologist and Assyrian activist Nineveh Yakou. Nineveh gives you great explanations on the direct relations we have with the ancient Assyrians and how they are your forefathers, the cradle of civilisation and of the same bloodline. After you read this blog and listen to the podcast. No one should tell you that you have no direct ties with the Ancient Assyrians.  Why is it important to produce overwhelming evidence that we are the people of Nineveh which are the ancient Assyrians? The UN states that we are not the direct ancestors of the ancient Assyrians, we are not the indigenous people of Iraq therefore we don't directly fall under the UN Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples: But I'm here to tell you that there is overwhelming evidence and it is our duty as Assyrians to learn and educate ourselves and others about the truth. Let me just show you 1 piece of evidence which displays the similarities between the Ancient Assyrians (Akkadian) and the modern day Assyrians. Here's the link where you could get more information about the history of your language:  http://www.aina.org/articles/akkadianwords.pdf By reading this document I'm sure many of you will be very surprised of the similarities between the old and the new language. I do encourage you to read more into your history and you will be pleasantly surprised what you will learn. I'm sure you would also appreciate many modern day Assyrians look very similar to our Ancient forefathers. As you might be having a chuckle with the similarities, this just goes to show that nothing much has changed in terms of the appearance between the ancient and the modern day Assyrians. Want to know more? Simply listen to this podcast interview with Nineveh Yakou as she shares her expertise and knowledge on this topic. Warmly, Ray Kanoon PS: If you would like to donate to the Assyrian cause and help your brothers and sisters that are going through hard times, please go to: www.theacero.org www.assyrianaidsociety.org

Assyrian Music has started to make a turn for the better. How many times have you wanted to listen to Assyrian music but have told yourself, I really don't want to hear the same old Assyrian rhythm with the irritating horn and that overpowering drum, with the lyrics of someone walking up a mountain killing a bear with his rifle. Does that Assyrian music have it's time and place? Yes I believe it does. Do I still listen to that kind of Assyrian Music? Yes I do Do you remember the times when you used to go to an Assyrian weddings and the band used to consist of a real drummer, bass player, guitar player, real percussion player, 2 keyboard players and possibly even a saxophone? Now I realise that the bands are getting smaller and louder. To all the 2 - 3 piece Assyrian bands out there: Turn it down PLEASE, my ears are still ringing! :) No it doesn't sound better when it's louder and no, people don't shake their shoulder more. By the way that was a joke. In this podcast we interview creative Assyrian Musician from the band Azadoota Robin Zarwanda. Would you like to see an Assyrian band that has 3 piece horn section, bongoes, timbales, bass guitar, solid drums, guitar with awesome patriotic Assyrian lyrics, playing funky, afro cuban, brazilian with a twist of salsa? Then look no further because Azadoota will get you excited and once again enjoy listening to  Assyrian music. Youtube has been a great place for Robin to get his name and band out there and he has been quite savvy when it comes to getting his music out there over the internet. Check out Azadoota's YouTube channel:  Azadoota's web page: How does Azadoota create awareness through their Assyrian music? Robin has been doing his activism in another way and the thing is, he just does it without even realising. He has such a passion and love for Assyrians that he will go to extremes to educate people not only Assyrians but other nationalities on Assyrians, Assyrian music and other Assyrian cultures. In one instance he was on a television segment showing the public how to cook Shirwa ooRizza. Although I couldn't find the footage but here's the blog written by Adelaide Independent News, http://indaily.com.au/food-and-wine/2014/02/25/taste-world-shirwa-oorizza-lamb-stew/  

Have you ever wondered, how does Mass Media work? I'm talking about media on a big scale and when I refer to mass media, I think of organisations like Fox news, NBC and CNN. Who approves the news and who say's yes to one story but no to another? You may have noticed that not all news channels are covering what is happening to Assyrians in our homeland. You might be asking why? You have heard the saying, 'Stories Sell', right? Well it seems to be a hot topic right now amongst Assyrians and other Christians, don't you think? I was speaking to a friend of mine today and she had been working in the Australian media for over 30 years. As I was explaining to her what is going on with Assyrians in Iraq, she actually told me that she hasn't even heard about this issue. I was surprised, she actually said, that when it comes to issues like this, Australian news organisations might be scared and tentative that if they mention any of these issues, that type of group, (ISIS & extremists), might take it the wrong way and retaliate. I thought it was ridiculous but that's just the way it is, right? Mass media is a great way to create more awareness for Assyrians, so that international help is obtained and Assyrians will get their safe haven, which is an autonomous home land with in Iraq. There is one major News channel talking about the atrosoties that are happening to Assyrians & Christian groups and that is FOX. So we decided to ask Nineveh Dinha, a FOX affiliate Reporter some questions. You will be surprised what you will discover. One of the questions many Assyrians ask Nineveh Dinha is, why aren't you helping more? Although she might be limited to what she can say on FOX news, you'll be glad & surprised to hear Nineveh is responsible for contacting her colleagues from other FOX branches and she puts forward the questions. Why aren't the killings of Assyrians and Christians in Iraq being covered on the news? Because of her actions, FOX is is now the major news organisation covering these criminal activities. So, how can you as an individual use mass media to build more awareness for your Assyrian people? Nineveh say's, people can write press releases, contact their local news, build relationships with local reporters, be active and eventually it will be broadcasted or printed, depending on the media. I found an article that teaches you how to write a press release in 5 easy steps. If you feel that you want something covered use thi

The Assyrian genocide has been perpetuating over 100 years, will it ever stop? What is the Assyrian genocide and how did it come about? The Assyrian's have had 3 genocides over the last 100 years. Why do we continue to be a target from the islamic world? We now commemorate the perpetual Assyrian Genocide every year on the 7th of August. Why? The 7th of August is a date picked because of the Simele massacre carried through by the Iraq government, where 15,000 Assyrians were slaughtered and massacred and now refereed to by Assyrians as Shawap Dabakh.  Prior to that in 1915 - 1925 The great genocide commonly known as Seyso took place where 750,000 to 1 million Assyrians were brutally massacred by the Ottoman Turkish empire. What Assyrian genocide do we see today? After the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime we see the same thing happening all over again.  Assyrians are once again targeted for their religious beliefs, churches burnt down & Assyrian people killed and persecuted.  Recently, about 2 weeks ago, Assyrians were given an ultimatum by the gangsters and thugs that call themselves I.S.I.S. Pay an islamic tax, convert to islam, get out of the area or be killed. Let me try to paint a clear picture for you.  Imagine if you were at the comfort of your own home, you wake up one morning without having anything to eat or drink and these I.S.I.S thugs break into your house, asking you to pay ridiculous tax that you can't afford, convert to islam which we would never do, get out of the area or be killed. Meanwhile you take the 3rd option which is to get out of the area. They won't allow you to even take your clothes, money or even drinking water. You leave all of your belongings in their hands, including the jewellery that you are wearing. You are now in your pyjamas, forced to walk 12 to 24 hours in 50 degree Celsius weather without water, food or money.  What do you do? One has to ask the question, where is the UN, where is our protection and where is Justice? Time and time again we are being ignored and this has to stop. Assyrians are the Indigenous people of Iraq. If you read the UN Declaration on rights of the Indigenous peoples, none of the articles are met for the Assyrian people. One example is: Article 10: Indigenous peoples shall not be forcibly removed from their lands or territories. No relocation shall take place without the free, prior and informed consent of the indigenous peoples concerned and after agreement on ju

Would you travel to Assyria if it existed? If you are thinking that this is far fetched you might want to think again. There has never been a better time for Assyrians to regain their rightful homeland. Why? Well first you must look at what is happening in Iraq to realise that different groups of people are trying to claim what is not there's in the first place. Let me ask you a question. Where is the historical evidence that there has ever been a Kurdistan in todays Iraq? Where has there ever been a group called ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq In Syria)? If you look throughout history, Assyria has always been and has been in the region or Iraq. You see, we have always been there and if you read the Bible you would see that the word Assyria has been mentioned over 150 times. It is historical fact. The Assyrian people still live in the same region as they lived 6000 years ago and still speak their own ancestral Assyrian language. This is the truth and nothing anyone say's or does can change that truth. If you as an Assyrian can help fight this fight of regaining our homeland, not with the sword but by the  might of the pen, there is no reason why you won't be able to travel to Assyria in the near future. Let's take a look at some countries that have taken control of land and now call their country. Armenia: Became independent in 1918. Were without a state for over 600 years http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenia South Sudan: Gained independence from Sudan in 2011 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Sudan Israel: In 1947 United Nations General Assembly recommended a partition plan and in 1948 Israel was declared a state. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel In this podcast we interview Ninos Aaron and he states, "We need all hands on deck, If you are Assyrian we need your help. Our people are experiencing murder, persecution and deletion from their homeland. An autonomous homeland (Assyria) is needed'. Justice is not something we will come across, it needs to be taken". I would like to add, President Kennedy said, "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country". Please listen, subscribe and share on social media the interview's that The Young Assyrian's produce so we can get the word out and you can help your brothers and sisters that are suffering right now. God Bless You and God Bless Assyria. Warmly, Ray Kanoon PS: Every little thing that you can do, contribute would be gr