MARCH 2004

AN ARAMAIC VOICE
continued from page 23
in Washington. We were very serious
about this issue.” Saddam
backed off after all the controversy
he had caused, and the policy
never took effect. Chaldeans in
Iraq continued to name their children
after other Christians.
In 1985, they formed a corporation
called The Chaldean
Communication Network.
Under the network, the team
puts on several events, including
the Chaldean Arts
Festival. They are also on
hand to videotape and audio
record several church events they
eventually broadcast during the
show, including seminars organized
and lectured by Mar Ibrahim and
Mar Sarhad.
“Mar Sarhad was in town doing a
lecture and we hooked up to the
Internet and people were able to ask
questions from all over the word,”
said Saher Yaldo. “It was amazing.”
In 1998, they touted “The
Chaldean Voice” as being the only
Chaldean broadcast radio show
heard around the globe. “The bishop
(His Excellency Ibrahim) used to
say that he wished for the day we
could be heard from all over the
world,” recalled Yaldo. “The
Internet came into play and we did
research on how to broadcast to
more than just our current listeners.”
Yaldo and the team found a
company in Texas that hosted the
program on their website. Because
they had to record in real time, it
took them several hours just to
download onto the site. They
eventually built their own website
in 2000.
“Our site became very popular,”
said Yaldo. “We do live shows and
interview people from Baghdad
and Europe.” All you need on the
other end of your computer is a
microphone, and once you log on
to the site, you can talk to the
hosts of “The Chaldean Voice.”
To have even more of an
“One listener, a woman on welfare, is
so dedicated to ‘The Chaldean Voice’
that she has been sending a $10 check
every month for the past three years,”
said Konja.
impact on listeners, the team has
taken the show on the road. This
past summer, Konja, along with a
producer, broadcasted from
Baghdad during the U.S. Iraqi
Freedom mission. Listeners heard,
live on-the-air, gunshots in the
background while Konja described
the war scene on the streets of the
Iraqi capitol.
They have come a long way in
the past 24 years, but the team is
not settling on what they have now.
They are dreaming of owning their
own radio station and broadcasting
in Aramaic 24 hours a day, seven
days a week. They also want to produce
more television shows in
Aramaic and air them on cable TV.
The team on The Chaldean
Voice share a bond and camaraderie
that expands beyond the commonality
of being Chaldean. They share
a dedication for the betterment of
the community. They share a love
for creativity. They share a true
friendship with each other. They
may forgo monetary gain, but they
don’t forgo talent. They produce
quality shows worthy of being heard
all over the world.
“The Chaldean Voice” can be
heard every Saturday from 1 to 5
p.m. on AM 690 WNZK. You can
also log on to www.chaldeanvoice.org
at any time and catch
the latest show.
24 CHALDEAN NEWS MARCH 2004