27 Facts About Rosie Malek-Yonan

Rosie Malek-Yonan was born on July 4,1965 and is an Assyrian-American actress, author, director, public figure and activist.

Rosie Malek-Yonan authored The Crimson Field, a historical novel set in the times of the Assyrian genocide during World War I; the book is one of the most popular pieces of prose among modern Assyrians.

Rosie Malek-Yonan's mother, Lida Rosie Malek-Yonan was an activist who launched and presided over the Assyrian Women's Organization which was the only officially recognized charter member of the Iranian Women's Association until the end of the Pahlavi dynasty.

Rosie Malek-Yonan is a classically trained pianist, composer, actress, director, writer, documentary filmmaker and activist.

Rosie Malek-Yonan began studying piano at the age of four and while still in her teens, competed in and won many national piano competitions in Iran and attended the Tehran Conservatory of Music.

Rosie Malek-Yonan's plays have been produced and performed on stage.

Rosie Malek-Yonan which was filled with many emotional attendees who were struck by her performance of "An Assyrian Exodus" a dramatic staged reading based on Rosie's Family Diaries.

Director Rosie Malek-Yonan honed the works to perfection, even down to the fitting choice of songs for transitions and intermission.

Rosie Malek-Yonan has since appeared in numerous notable television shows, films and plays, acting in a wide range of roles opposite many of Hollywood's leading actors.

Rosie Malek-Yonan has had recurring roles on Days of Our Lives, Chicago Hope, Beverly Hills, 90210, The Young and the Restless and in 2008 she joined the cast of ABC's General Hospital as Farah Mir.

Rosie Malek-Yonan has guest starred on such shows as Generations, Seinfeld, Life and JAG.

Rosie Malek-Yonan played the role of Nuru Il-Ebrahimi, opposite Reese Witherspoon in New Line Cinema's Rendition, directed by Oscar-winning director Gavin Hood.

In 2015 Rosie Malek-Yonan joined the executive board of the Beverly Hills Film Festival as a consultant.

Rosie Malek-Yonan is an outspoken advocate of issues concerning her people, in particular bringing attention to the Assyrian genocide as well as the plight of today's Assyrians in the Middle-East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq by the United States and its Coalition Forces.

Rosie Malek-Yonan has candidly criticized the US for failure to protect the Christians in Iraq since the beginning of the 2003 Invasion of Iraq.

On June 30,2006, Rosie Malek-Yonan, was invited to testify on Capitol Hill before a Congressional Committee of the 109th Congress on religious freedom regarding the genocide, massacres and persecution of Assyrians in Iraq since the beginning of the 2003 Iraq War.

In 2008, Rosie Malek-Yonan addressed the topics of genocide, world peace and in particular the Assyrian genocide in statements presented at the British House of Lords on 12 March and on 24 April at the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.

On October 5,2008, Rosie Malek-Yonan spoke on behalf of the Assyrian nation in Iraq at a Los Angeles rally held in front of the Federal Building to oppose the Iraq Election Law.

Rosie Malek-Yonan addressed the crowd of demonstrators and the media voicing her opposition at the removal of article 50 and its consequences for the minorities in Iraq in particular the Assyrians.

Rosie Malek-Yonan is a public speaker and is often invited to lecture about the Assyrian genocide.

On 24 February 2007, Rosie Malek-Yonan was a keynote speaker at an open forum in Anaheim, California, discussing the persecution of the Copts and the plight of Christians in the Middle East.

Rosie Malek-Yonan has lectured at University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Merced, and Woodbury University among others.

On December 20,2010, Rosie Malek-Yonan, was invited by the Simon Wiesenthal Center Museum of Tolerance to speak at a press conference to address the escalating crisis and the deadly attacks on the Assyrians in Iraq.

Later in an interview with Fox News, Rosie Malek-Yonan described how going to church is a game of Russian Roulette for the Assyrian Christians in Iraq.

At the Assyrian Universal Alliance 26th World Conference in Sydney, Australia, Rosie Malek-Yonan was awarded "2009 Assyrian Woman of the Year" in recognition of her substantial contribution to advance the Assyrian national cause by promoting international recognition of the Assyrian genocide, her extensive efforts in conveying the needs of the Assyrians to the United States government, and achievements in providing individual service to the Assyrian community worldwide.

Rosie Malek-Yonan is a founding member of the Assyrian Cultural and Arts Society that has provided scholarships since 2005 to students at Woodbury University's Design School through an annual Assyrian Design Competition.

In 2009 Rosie Malek-Yonan became an ambassador for the Swedish-based organization, Assyrians Without Borders.