On the authority of the General Directorate of Syriac Culture and Arts in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, the new issue of Banipal magazine (Summer 2022), in hard and electronic versions, was released after a hiatus of more than ten years. This first issue came after the leading magazine’s reissue, carrying the sequence number 46, to complete its journey in excellence and brilliance.
The issue began with an introduction by the editor-in-chief. In it, he said: “Today, as we launch a new issue of our solid magazine Banipal, we are fully aware of the size of our responsibility – whether in terms of reissuing it at the present time, or of maintaining its continuity of publication into the future, as well as committing to the quality of its content and striving to advance it, to preserve its usual standard in form and content, and even upgrading these in line with the developments of the times, despite the great challenges facing us.”
He added: “We have repeatedly emphasized that the General Directorate of Syriac Culture and Arts stands at the same distance from everyone, and that all cultural, literary, heritage, artistic and other activities and events receive the same amount of attention. We place them all on the same level in our priorities, our doors are open to everyone without exception and we are ready to cooperate with everyone. So, the birth of this issue comes as the beginning of a new stage of openness to the different other and acceptance of diversity, which we consider a precious treasure that enriches our culture and enhances its productivity.”
The new issue was filled with serious studies and valuable research, as well as interviews and various cultural topics by elite academics, researchers and writers, especially the distinguished participation of His Holiness Mar Awa III Royel, Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East.
It is worth mentioning that Banipal is a quarterly cultural magazine issued by the General Directorate of Syriac Culture and Arts in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region in four languages: Syriac, Arabic, Kurdish and English.
Concessioner: Minister of Culture and Youth, Editor-in-Chief: Kaldo Ramzi Oghanna, and Editorial Secretary: Georgina Behnam Hababa.