"For we will know that salvation lies in our own hands"
By Naum Faik, Beth-Nahrin Newspaper, June 1917
As the Assyrian people, we have long been thinking about why we are unable to make progress, and why we have fallen behind in useful endeavors. We feel deep sorrow in the face of the poverty and helplessness we live in. We often ask ourselves these questions:
What will become of us? How long will we remain distant from knowledge, education, and development? Who will help us?
It is not easy to find answers to these questions. Yet, when we look at America, which today stands as an example to many nations, we see that it shows us the path to success. This gives us hope.
America teaches us how to rise through work, effort, and determination. It shows us how we must care for our people, and how we can serve our nation and homeland in unity. It reminds us that we must be skilled and responsible in our actions and in our work. Only in this way can our people be enlightened by the light of virtue.
For this reason, we must first turn toward knowledge and learning. We must listen to the writings left to us by our teachers, elders, and ancestors, and recognize our roots. As the great Prophet Isaiah said: “We must know from which mountain we were hewn.”
When the desire for progress is born within us, we will no longer wait for help from others. For we will know that salvation lies in our own hands. No nation lacking in virtue can ever achieve true success.
Some people believe that if help comes from outside, we can survive. But this is not true. If a household cannot establish its own order, no one from outside can provide lasting help.
Therefore, the more we work, the more successful we will be. The more effort we give, the more peacefully we shall live. If we trust in ourselves, we can overcome every difficulty that stands before us.
Naum Faik Palak
The Assyria Post
