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By focusing on the Assyrian Christians scattered around Urmia in the north-western part of Iran during World War I, the article analyzes the processes and changes that occurred in the religious life of the population under the circumstances of depravity, trauma and migration. The migrations, as it is suggested, caused two opposing tendencies among Assyrians strengthening individualization and ethnicization of the religious matters. The migratory experience played a crucial role in transforming the Church institutions as it might be seen in reference to the Assyrian Church of the East and shifting the focus away from religious authority while giving space to more emotional, private, and finally Pentecostal religiosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Islamic Revolution had a great impact on defining the position of religious minorities in Iran. Christians belonging to ethnic churches – Armenians and Assyrians – obtained constitutional rights. Others, especially Anglicans, conducting missionary activity, faced restrictions and persecution such as confiscation of property and arrests caused by the revolutionary authorities. The article presents Anglicans’ attitudes toward the Islamic Revolution, taking into account the international context of events related to the imprisonment of British citizens in 1980 – employees of the Anglican Diocese of Iran. It tries to prove, in fact, profound changes, both quantitative and qualitative, within Christianity in the Islamic Republic of Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the end of the eighth century, Cyprus came under Assyrian control. For the following four centuries, the Cypriot monarchs were confronted with the power of the Near Eastern empires. This essay focuses on the relations between the Cypriot kings and the Near Eastern Great Kings from the eighth to the fourth century BC. To understand these relations, two theoretical concepts are applied: the centre-periphery model and the concept of suzerainty. From the central perspective of the Assyrian and Persian empires, Cyprus was situated on the western periphery. Therefore, the local governing traditions were respected by the Assyrian and Persian masters, as long as the petty kings fulfilled their duties by paying tributes and providing military support when requested to do so. The personal relationship between the Cypriot kings and their masters can best be described as one of suzerainty, where the rulers submitted to a superior ruler, but still retained some autonomy. This relationship was far from being stable, which could lead to manifold misunderstandings between centre and periphery. In this essay, the ways in which suzerainty worked are discussed using several examples of the relations between Cypriot kings and their masters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although Assyrian archives and reliefs in neo-Assyrian palaces in northern Mesopotamia provide major information about their fights, campaigns and triumphs, so far little evidence has been found in W-Iran about Assyrian campaigns against native residents of the Zagros. During visits of two mountaineers in 2009 an unknown rock-relief was discovered to the southeast of Ilam, picturing a person in Assyrian outfit and gesture. Since there is no inscription it is difficult to date it, but due to the very close similarity with the nearby relief at Shikafl-i Gulgul it is likely that the same person is depicted. It could be that it illustrates one of the latest powerful 7th century Assyrian kings, i.e. Sennacherib, Esarhaddon or Ashurbanipal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Iran is ethnically, linguistically and religiously diverse. However, little is known about the population genetics of Iranian religious communities. Aim: This study was performed in order to define the different paternal components of the Iranian gene pool. Subjects and methods: Fourteen Y chromosome bi-allelic markers were analysed in 130 male subjects from Assyrian, Armenian and Zoroastrian groups in comparison with 208 male subjects from three Iranian Muslim groups. Results: Among the three Iranian Muslim groups, the Uromian people possessed a particularly close genetic relationship to the Armenian, whereas the Zoroastrian group was different from the Uromian, but had a close genetic relationship to the two other Muslim groups (Kermanian and Shirazian). The genetic results indicate a relationship between Armenian and Assyrian groups in Iran and a clear distinction of the former from the Zoroastrian group. However, Assyrians had elevated frequency (40%) of R**(xR1a) and low frequency (11%) of J. Conclusion: The results of this study may suggest that the Assyrian population either experienced Eurasian gene flow (possibly from Armenia) or that enforced relocations and expulsion of conquered people with different origin led to the integration of descendants with R haplogroup. This could also be due to genetic drift due to small population size and endogamy resulting from religious barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article discusses the history and development of Kurdish periodical press. It focuses on Assyrian periodicals with the goal of retrieving the four Assyrian language newspapers published in Urmia (Rizaiyeh), Iran. It also reports on what is known about the first Kurdish periodicals in Iran and resolve the confusion that surrounds one periodical that lasted from 1910 to 1928. The article offers information on the accomplishments of the Lutheran Orient Mission, especially in Soujbulak where helped in the advancement of education in Kurdish and medical work among local people.

Discusses the role of women missionaries in mid-nineteenth century Iran. Information on Fidelia Fiske, a former teacher, and the Nestorian Mission; Themes of a text written by early Assyrian converts; Perception of Assyrians to the missionaries.