Christians in Iraq are trying to preserve the Syriac language, the dialect of Aramaic that was spoken by Jesus, with the government helping by launching a dedicated television station. "It's important to learn and preserve the Syriac language, to preserve our heritage and our identity", says Salah Sarkis Bakos, who teaches at a school in the town of Qaraqosh, where learning the language became part of the curriculum 18 years ago. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES