09/27/2020
PRESS RELEASE
It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of Dr. Ashur Moradkhan, a true Assyrian patriot, and a world-renowned leader in the field of Assyrian Nationalism.
Dr. Moradkhan was a visionary who never stopped dreaming, planning, and implementing fundamental building blocks for the survival and revival of the struggling Assyrian people.
He is a founder, co-founder, and major contributor to many Assyrian national, political, humanitarian, social and educational organizations. He touched the lives of nearly every Assyrian activist during his lifetime. An exemplary patriot who brought thought provoking energy, and enthusiasm to everyone he encountered regardless of their age, background, or affiliation.
The impacts of his patriotic activism were echoed all through lands of Assyria from Iran to Lebanon and wherever Assyrians migrated, the seeds of his activism were planted to bear fruit of knowledge, pride and sustainable activism.
He led by example. His life was a testimony to what he believed in: “Serving your nation is not a matter of choice, it is a matter of duty”, and, “A soldier does not sacrifice his life to honor himself but to hold his nation in pride.”
As a young leader in Iran, after the 1933 Assyrian Simele Massacre followed by World War II, he co-founded the Assyrian Literary Society or Seeta Sapreta in Tehran where he helped establish the Assyrian press. He was an integral member of the group that established the Assyrian printing press. This major step made possible the creation and printing of the great Assyrian publications among which for the first time was “Kateeny Gabbarra”, an epic story masterpiece by rabi William Daniel, and in 1954 the first Assyrian Calendar.
Dr. Moradkhan’s patriotic and visionary leadership led to the creation of many organizations among them the “Assyrian National Relief” with the mission to educate and empower Assyrian activists. The mission was successful, and many members became the future leaders, thinkers, and educators all through the Middle East as well as in Europe and USA. He was also an integral member in the founding of Assyrian Universal Alliance with the vision and mission of an Assyrian nation alliance through Assyrian organizations worldwide. He introduced the motto “one name, one language, and one country for one nation”
In 1980’s as he migrated to the United States, together with his friends, Dr. Moradkhan established the Assyrian American Association of San Jose. A year later, with the help of an Assyrian software engineer at IBM, they developed the first set of Assyrian fonts for computers. This was truly a major breakthrough for this organization and the Assyrian nation at large.
His love to teach the Assyrian language and history was never-ending. He devoted many years of his life, to compile all his knowledge and create his final masterpiece the “Assyrian dictionary”. The grand project is promised to be completed by his son, Doctor Ashur-Bel Moradkhan.
Dr. Ashur Moradkhan’s “The Assyrian Manifesto” is a thorough, profound, and practical program and political agenda that institutes a socio-political path for the Assyrian nation.
His “Village Reconstruction Project” or “Atra Project” is yet another one of his visionary plans in renovation of the Assyrian villages in our ancestral homeland. In the year 2000, he donated 81,000 fruit trees to be planted through 41 villages in northern Iraq. A well thought out program in order to reverse the trend of Assyrian migration to the West, and to create sustainability and pride of ownership for local Assyrian landowners to be economically efficient. Within this master project many other well planned and executed initiatives have also been created to empower the Assyrian nation as the indigenous people of Iraq.
As our nation mourns the loss of a man of great visions, determination and dedication, let us hope that all second and third generation of young people who were trained by him keep his legacy and patriotism alive by continued service to their Assyrian nation.
Dr. Moradkhan was born on March 23, 1926 in Urmi, and passed away on Thursday, Sep 24, 2020 in Pleasanton, California. His final resting place will be in Turlock memorial park cemetery.
His legacy will live on forever in our hearts, and the fruits of his labor will always be respectfully remembered as one of the founding fathers of the Assyrian American Association of San Jose.
