another distinction can be made: unlike the assyrians, who emphasize their non-arab ethnicity and have historically sought a state of their own, some urban chaldean catholics are more likely to assimilate into arab identity. other chaldeans, particularly in america, identify with the ancient chaldeans of chaldea rather than the assyrians. in addition, while assyrians self-define as a strictly christian nation, aramaic organizations generally accept that islamic arameans exist and that many muslims in historic aramea were converts (forced or voluntary) from christianity to islam. an exception to the near-extinction of western aramaic are the lebanese maronite speakers of western neo-aramaic, however, they largely identify with the phoenicians (the ancient people of lebanon) and not arameans. some muslim lebanese nationalists espouse phoenician identity as well.