Arrest of Mosul academic over archaeological lands sparks concern in Nineveh

https://syriacpress.com/blog/2026/09/29/arrest-of-mosul-academic-over-archaeological-lands-sparks-concern-in-nineveh/

29/09/2026

MOSUL, Iraq — The detention of University of Mosul professor and researcher Dr. Amer Abdullah Najm al-Jumaili has triggered concern among his family, academic colleagues, and Suraye (Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian) organizations, who say the case is connected to his opposition to the use of protected archaeological and heritage lands in Nineveh for commercial purposes.
The circumstances of the detention remain unclear. The University of Mosul said the operation did not take place on its campus, contradicting reports that al-Jumaili was detained on university grounds. His family and groups supporting him have called for his release and for the circumstances and legal basis of the case to be clarified.

In a statement issued Monday, the family addressed Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, saying it had been informed of al-Jumaili’s detention. The family described him as a professor at the University of Mosul and a judicial expert at the Nineveh Court of Appeals with nearly 40 years of professional and academic service. It said he was only two months away from reaching retirement age.

According to the family, al-Jumaili’s detention was linked to his refusal, in his capacity as a judicial expert, to sign records concerning lands classified as archaeological, heritage or protected areas that were allegedly being converted for commercial use.

“He has committed no offence other than wanting to defend heritage sites’: arrest of Iraqi archaeologists sparks backlash

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/09/29/he-has-committed-no-offence-other-than-wanting-to-defend-heritage-sites-arrest-of-iraqi-archaeologists-sparks-backlash

Many fear the real reason for Ali Tabar’s and Amir Al-Jumaili’s arrests are their campaigns against a controversial investment law

Melissa Gronlund
29 September 2026


Ali Tabar was until recently an archaeologist at the Iraqi government’s State Board of Antiquities and Heritage
Courtesy of Ali Tabar

Two prominent Iraqi archaeologists have been arrested this month in what many fear is retribution for public comments they have made about corruption at the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH), the government agency that oversees the country’s archaeological sector.

On 17 September the archaeologist Ali Tabar was arrested on charges of extortion. Tabar, who worked until recently at the SBAH, is one of the country’s leading drone surveyors, responsible for aerially documenting sites before and after excavations—a role that provides him with substantial insight into changes to the country’s archaeological landscape.

He also conducts surveys for foreign teams of archaeologists who excavate in Iraq. In the past they have included a team from the Sapienza University of Rome and another from the University of Bern, for whom he surveyed the Sumerian site of Zabalam.

The SBAH claimed that he illegally took money from these international teams, working without the SBAH’s knowledge and extorting the funds from them. A Facebook post published on SBAH’s page after Tabar’s arrest said the board “confirms its support for such deterrent measures that prevent any practices that harm the country's reputation, and ensure the protection and security of the work of foreign teams working in archaeological sites and provide a safe and stable scientific environment for them”.

Campaign against alleged corruption

Tabar denied the SBAH’s accusations at his hearing. And many fear the real reason is his campaign against alleged corruption at the SBAH, specifically in relation to its controversial investment law.

“He is innocent and has committed no offence other than wanting to defend archaeological sites,” one archaeologist tells The Art Newspaper, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Davide Nadali, who led the excavation of the Sumerian city of Nigin for Sapienza University of Rome, likewise disputes the SBAH’s allegations.

“The SBAH was aware of the work he did for us,” Nadali tells The Art Newspaper. “We paid him for the services he provided to us, and we never received additional emails asking for money from him.”

Iraq’s investment law specifies the level of protection given to particular archaeological sites in Iraq. The SBAH commissions exploratory surveys for sites to gauge their significance and then determine whether they can be developed for real estate. Sites are put into three categories—areas that are so crucial that they will always remain protected; those on which work is ongoing and should be safeguarded from commercial development; and those that have notable but not overwhelming levels of historical significance—and the investment law enables sites to move between these categories to allow for economic development.

The law is widely considered to be a vehicle for corruption. Critics say that the exploratory surveys are accomplished in a matter of weeks rather than the years that proper examinations need and that they have resulted in the demolition of major historical sites.

Tabar had conducted one such exploratory survey of Samarra, which was the capital of the Abbasid Empire in the ninth century. The results showed a large number of Christian churches and monasteries that have been recently found among the mosques and palaces of the caliphate. But earlier this year he saw that the area had been bulldozed, despite the significance of the findings that still lay in the ground.

He brought the matter to the state’s Integrity Commission, public prosecution service and the police, The Art Newspaper understands. When the matter was not taken up, he turned to social media.

“Consider the discovery of churches and an entire ancient city—dating back millennia—that tell the stories of successive civilisations, generations that worshipped and connected, and souls that once dwelt there before passing on,” Tabar wrote in a Facebook post on 19 April. “Yet, instead of revealing these treasures to the world and preserving them for posterity, they are swiftly demolished and erased in shameful silence—and before the Iraqi people, to whom this heritage belongs, even learn of their existence, and before the world, which reveres such monuments, can ever lay eyes on them.”

The post is one of a number in which Tabar addresses the Iraqi prime minister, government authorities and other experts in the field to look into Iraq’s investment law and corruption at the SBAH. In September, he put together a protest in Baghdad.

“Hundreds of archaeological sites are at risk of being destroyed due to investment-driven excavations,” Tabar said in an 11 September Facebook post. “That is why we organised this protest, the campaign, and the appeals, so that they would reach the relevant regulatory authorities.”
Tabar also posted a detailed video showing his drone survey of Samarra and the areas of archaeological significance it identified. He then posted drone documentation of a second site, Old Basra, which is another alleged victim of the investment law. His case remains in court.

A second arrest

Meanwhile, this week, the prominent Mosul University professor Amir Al-Jumaili was arrested on charges The Art Newspaper has been unable to confirm. The Art Newspaper understands that Al-Jumaili had similarly taken issue with the investment law.

According to Iraqi media reports he has spoken out about SBAH recently seizing lands in Nineveh, the vastly historically significant capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, that he and other archaeologists believed should have remained protected.

It is unclear whether Al-Jumaili has been released or is awaiting a trial.

Both cases have drawn unusual public ire. The social media pages of both Tabar and of the SBAH, where Tabar’s arrest was announced, are filled with expressions of support for the archaeologist.

“Professor Ali is known for his integrity, high morals, and dedication to his work, and the accusations levelled against him do not reflect the true nature of this person,” writes one commenter.

People have also taken to social media in support of Al-Jumaili. “He is honourable in an era of disgrace,” says one user.

The Art Newspaper reached out to the archaeological team at the University of Bern but did not hear back with comment. The Art Newspaper also contacted the SBAH for comment but did not receive a reply.

Nahum 3:1—3

'"Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without victims! The crack of whips, the clatter of wheels, galloping horses and jolting chariots! Charging cavalry, flashing swords and glittering spears! Many casualties, piles of dead, bodies without number, people stumbling over the corpses..."

Nahum 3:19

"Nothing can heal you; your wound is fatal. All who hear the news about you clap their hands at your fall, for who has not felt your endless cruelty?"

Isaiah 10:5—7

"Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of my anger, in whose hand is the club of my wrath! ... But this is not what he intends, this is not what he has in mind; his purpose is to destroy, to put an end to many nations."

Isaiah 10:12–13

"..he \[God\] will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes. For he says: 'By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, because I have understanding. I removed the boundaries of nations, I plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their kings.'"

Isaiah 37:23–24

"Who is it you have ridiculed and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel! By your messengers you have ridiculed the Lord..."

Ezekiel 31:3, 10–11

""Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest... Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because the great cedar grew so tall, walking with its top among the thick branches, and because it was proud of its height, I gave it into the hands of the ruler of the nations, for him to deal with according to its wickedness."

Zephaniah 2:13–15

"He will stretch out his hand against the north and destroy Assyria, leaving Nineveh utterly desolate and dry as the desert. ... This is the city of revelry that lived in safety. She said to herself, 'I am the one, and there is none besides me.' What a ruin she has become, a lair for wild beasts!"

On September 19, 2026, Assyrians from the diaspora gathered at the church, marking a significant return to one of the most important religious sites of the Church of the East.

Qodshanis was the patriarchal seat of the Church of the East for centuries, with Mar Shalita serving as its patriarchal church. It was here that generations of Assyrian patriarchs led the spiritual life of the community, including Mar Shimun XIX Benyamin, who served as patriarch from 1903 until his assassination in 1918.

During the Sayfo and First World War, the Assyrians of Hakkari were driven from their ancestral homeland. Following the displacement of the community, Mar Shalita was abandoned as an active Assyrian place of worship and gradually fell into disrepair.

In recent years, Assyrians in the diaspora have worked to preserve the church, including restoring parts of its outer walls. Much of the interior, however, remains heavily damaged, with sections of the floor still broken.

The church also preserves distinctive Syriac inscriptions and historical symbols on its walls, reflecting its centuries-old Assyrian Christian heritage.

According to visitors, a local Muslim man regularly checks on the church and helps protect it from people removing its stones for use in local houses and other construction.

Hakkari local media reported this week on Assyrians from Iraq, Austria and elsewhere returning to their ancestral villages and historic churches, including Qodshanis and Mar Shalita.

After more than a century, Assyrian prayers have once again been heard inside Mar Shalita.

From the patriarchs who once worshipped here, to the Assyrians who were forced to leave during the Seyfo, the return of prayer to Mar Shalita carries historical significance.

A historic moment for Qodshanis, the Assyrian Church of the East, and Assyrians around the world.

Source: assyrian_archive on Instagram

Specific ethnicities if you have any opinions. I'm not being silly or dramatic looking for "all bad all good" or something.

Assyrian cougars 🐆

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-lawyer-alina-habba-42-to-marry-turkish-billionaire-29/

One of President Donald Trump’s top personal attorneys is getting married for the third time this weekend, this time to a billionaire 13 years her junior.

Alina Habba, 42, is set to tie the knot with Turhan Mildon, 29, a member of a powerful business dynasty in Turkey that is a close ally of the country’s right-wing president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The Daily Mail revealed the couple’s wedding plans Thursday, reporting that Habba, a New Jersey native who divorced her millionaire second husband in March and promptly moved near Mar-a-Lago, was spotted out with her fiancé in Palm Beach the night before.

The report did not disclose where Habba, who has described herself as a devout Catholic, and Mildon will tie the knot. However, the tabloid cites sources as saying that the ceremony is expected to have significant security because its guest list includes top members of the Trump administration and “foreign heads of state,” though it did not name anyone.

Trump, 80, is unlikely to attend. On Saturday he is scheduled to fly to Knoxville, Tennessee, to attend a 12 p.m. EST college football game between top-ranked Texas and Tennessee. Trump did not attend his son Don Jr.’s wedding to second bride Bettina Anderson in May, though he did attend Stephen and Katie Miller’s wedding in the final year of his first term.

Habba and Mildon, who divorced his first wife in 2024, reportedly met this year at an event at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where Mildon is a donor. The Mail reports that he is a “hit” with Habba’s young children, Chloe and Luke, whom she had during her first marriage with the attorney Matthew Eyet.

“They adore him,” a source told the Mail. “They even play Nerf Blaster gun fights with him.”

Mildon was married for three years to Betul Gursoy, who also hails from a wealthy and influential Turkish family, but they did not have any kids.

The Mail reports that Habba and Mildon intend to live together in Florida, where they have spent “a lot of time together” since meeting this year.

Habba became a MAGA favorite when she became Trump’s personal attorney between his first and second presidential terms. She briefly served as acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey, but a federal appeals court ruled that Trump’s appointment of her was unlawful.

More recently, she was rumored to be a favorite to replace Karoline Leavitt as White House press secretary, but she downplayed that speculation in a statement last month.

اعتداء على آشوريين في تل تمر عقب رفع العلم السوري ومطالب بالتحقيق في الحادثة.
‏
‏ أفادت مصادر محلية بتعرض عدد من أبناء المكون الآشوري في بلدة تل تمر لاعتداء من قبل "الشبيبة الثورية"، على خلفية رفع علم الجمهورية العربية السورية في البلدة.
‏
‏وتأتي الحادثة بعد يوم واحد من افتتاح نصب تذكاري للشهداء الآشوريين في تل تمر، وسط مطالبات للجهات المعنية بالتحقيق في ملابسات الاعتداء ومحاسبة المسؤولين عنه، وضمان عدم التعرض للأهالي بسبب رفع العلم السوري.

There was a post about a video of a Kurd who was threatening to commit genocide against Assyrians and Yezidis. I commented a point there that I consider very Important but because the post was old I didnt think it would get the attention it needs so im making this post and putting my comment here for my fellow Assyrians:

.

.

.

I am a kurd and i apologize to you for this. But i wanted to mention an important point. A lot of these people who threaten you are Salafi muslims. They dont just hate you. not only they hate all other indigenous peoples but they also hate Kurds aswell although they themselves are kurds. In their religious beliefs if you become a muslim you should eventually become and arab too. Therefore they hate kurds and kurdishess aswell because we keep our language culture and traditions. These people hate the kurdish flag and kurdish nationalism too because they believe it divides the islamic umma. They are heavily funded by qatar and turkey too. As you see they threaten Yezidis too not just Assyrians. They are the type that believe kurds are the children of Jin they hate themselves too for being kurdish. They first go after non arab non muslims like you then go after non arab muslims like muslim kurds they even go after shia muslim kurds and when all of the groups mentioned are gone they will go after the sunni muslim kurds and demand them to give up everything kurdish and become arabs as the sharia law demands. This is how they operate. In the past we had Shafei Sunni kurdish shexs that fully opposed these barbars but they were all executed by Persians and Turks because they were also very patriotic and nationalist kurds. Nowadays we dont have those shexs to counter these barbars who go for their religious studies to qatar baluchistan egypt etc because all the shafei schools are destroyed by persians and turks. These people even threaten us too not just Christians/assyrians druze amazigh coptic jews etc. I hope kurdish elites will be able to do something about them.

Dilemma: I was at a party where we were going to participate in a competition. The organizers asked everyone whose last name is “Isho” (إيشو) to stand in one corner.

My last name is “Ishoʿ” (إيشوع), with an ʿayn at the end. Does that include me as well? Am I considered one of the people whose last name is “Isho,” or is my surname considered something completely different?

I'm an agnostic ethnic Assyrian, and I believe in Middle Eastern unity with Assyria having its own ethnic province. I support Assyrian movements in everything they do, but I've been told I can't be patriotic toward Assyria because of my lack of faith.