Farid Nazha

Farid Elias Nazha ܦܪܝܕ ܐܠܝܐܣ ܢܙܗܝ
Born	(1894-01-10)10 January 1894 Hama, Ottoman Empire
Died	19 October 1970(1970-10-19) (aged 76) Madrid, Spanish State
Occupation	Journalist
Movement	Assyrian nationalism

Farid Elias Nazha (Syriac: ܦܪܝܕ ܐܠܝܐܣ ܢܙܗܝ, pronounced [fɑriːd nɑzhe]; 10 January 1894 in Hama, Syria – 19 October 1970) was an Assyrian Nationalist and a journalist. He was known for his criticism of Syriac Christian Clergy, which led to his excommunication by Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius Afram I Barsoum. Nazha is considered one of founders of modern Assyrian nationalism.

Early life

Farid was born on 10 January 1894 to a family that traces its roots back to Kharput in modern-day Turkey. In 1911 a number of Syriac Orthodox members of his family converted to Syriac Catholicism, which initiated a bitter conflict between the Assyrians of Hama. Farid's father decided to send his son to Argentina to prevent him from getting involved in the conflict.

In August 1911 Nazha arrived in Buenos Aires, where he studied Mathematics and Economy. He got married and moved in March 1920 to Santiago del Estero, where he worked. After 11 years he went back to Buenos Aires.

Journalism and activism

Influenced by Naum Faiq's writing, Nazha established a Syriac cultural club, the "Ephremic Society", in 1934. It included Assyrian/Syriac immigrants in Argentina. A newspaper, "Syriac University" (Syriac: ܚܕܥܝܘܬܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܬܐ Ḥdoʻyauṯo Suryoyṯo, Spanish: Asociacion Asiria), was published by the society in September of the same year.

The newspaper was initially aimed at the Assyrian/Syriac immigrants in Argentina, but its popularity grew as Assyrian journalists from other parts of the world started contributing to it. Nazha himself had a permanent column in the newspaper and he often attacked the clergy in what he saw as "consecration of separation" of different Syriac Churches. For him nationality was above religion, and archbishops should not have a leading role in the Assyrian/Syriac society. His views about the church worsened as the latter started adopting Arabic in its liturgies. The clash with the clergy reached its peak when the Syriac Orthodox patriarch Ignatius Afram I Barsoum formally excommunicated him, although Barsoum's successor Ignatius Ya`qub III retracted this decision in the late 1950s.

Farid Nazha continued publishing his newspaper until his death in Spain on 19 October 1970.

References

• هوزايا, يونان. "فريد نزها القومي الغيور والصحفي الجريء". Zowaa. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2011.