FEBRUARY 2011

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CHALDEAN NEWS FEBRUARY 2011

FEBRUARY 2011 CHALDEAN NEWS

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CONTENTS FEBRUARY 2011 

THE CHALDEAN NEWS VOLUME 8 ISSUE i 

on the cover 

22 He Scores! 

By Steve Stein 

Justin Meram goes pro 

features 

24 Picked On and Persecuted 

By Vanessa Denha Garmo 

Refugees are easy targets for bullies 

28 Ancient Art 

By Joyce Wiswell 

The DIA dusts off Middle Eastern treasures 

22 

30 Chaldean on the Street 

By Anthony Samona 

What do you wish we were writing about? 

32 A Giving Performance 


Child Prodigy Ethan Bortnick headlines for refugees 

24 42 

departments 

6 From the Editor 

8 Guest Column 

By Michael Sarafa 

Beware of the broad brush 

11 Noteworthy 

13 community bulletin board 

14 Chai Time 

16 halhole 

20 Religion 

20 Ask the ECRC 

By Neran Karmo 

Embracing Fear 

33 The Counselor Is In 

By Iklas J. Bashi 

Love is a decision, not just a feeling 

34 One on One 


Mark Hackel: Leading Macomb County forward 

36 Arts and Entertainment 

By Weam Namou 

An Artist’s Agony: Life is no pretty 

picture for Sabah Yousif 

38 Kids Corner 

By Samira Yako Cholagh 

Get Baking! 

40 Classifieds 

42 Event 

Epiphany Baptisms 


from the EDITOR 

About others 

Published By 

The Chaldean News, LLC 

Editorial 

Editor in Chief 

Vanessa Denha-Garmo 

managing Editor 

Joyce Wiswell 

Contributing Writers 

Iklas Bashi 

Neran Karmo 

Weam Namou 

Anthony Samona 

Michael Sarafa 

Steve Stein 

proof reader 

Valerie Cholagh 

art & production 

creative director 

Alex Lumelsky with SKY Creative 

graphic designers 

Zina Lumelsky with SKY Creative 

Joseph Sesi with Sesi Design 

Photographer 

David Reed 

operations 

Interlink Media 

director of operations 

Paul Alraihani 

circulation 

Paul Alraihani 

CLASSIFIEDS 

Joyce Wiswell 

sales 

Interlink Media 

Jonathan Garmo 

Lisa Kalou 

Lamya Kory 

managers 


Martin Manna 

Michael Sarafa 

subscriptions: $25 per year 

The Chaldean News 

29850 Northwestern Highway, Suite 250 

Southfield, MI 48034 

www.chaldeannews.com 

Phone: (248) 996-8360 

Publication: The Chaldean News (P-6); Published 

monthly; Issue Date: February 2011 Subscriptions: 

12 months, $25. Publication Address: 29850 Northwestern 

Hwy., Suite 250, Southfield, MI 48034; Application 

to Mail at Periodicals Postage Rates is Pending at 

Farmington Hills Post Office Postmaster: Send address 

changes to “The Chaldean News 29850 Northwestern 

Highway, Suite 250, Southfield, MI 48034” 

It’s a triumph for all of us as 

a community when one of 

our own achieves greatness. 

We all should be proud 

by Justin Meram’s pro athlete 

status. It is out of the ordinary 

for us to publish two articles 

in back-to-back issues about 

the same person but this is an 

extraordinary circumstance 

that merits not only a second 

article but the cover. 

We are delighted give our 

readers the story “He Scores!” 

This is a story that reminds 

us all that it’s not always about 

us. Let’s find ways to acknowledge 

and be proud of others. 

Sometimes we are called 

to stand up and protect others. 

Bullying is the most common 

form of violence in our society. 

According to the National Association 

of School Psychologists, 

almost 30 percent of 

teens in the United States — 

more than 5.7 million this year 

— will be involved in bullying 

as a bully, a target or both. 

We feature a story on the 

abuse many of our Iraqi refugees 

are enduring due to bullies. 

The statistics about bullying 

are alarming. As a professional 

speaker, I have conducted 

several workshops 

on learning to communicate 

with difficult people and bullies. 

This is one of the issues to which 

I am emotionally tied. I was bullied 

in grade school by a very tough Irish 

girl. It happened on and off for several 

years until I headed to high school. Fortunately, 

she went to a different all-girl 

Catholic school. 

This month I will conduct my workshop 

Tongue Fu! ® Bully at The Community 

House in Birmingham, teaching 

adults skills they need to defuse and 

Vanessa 

denha-garmo 

editor in chief 

co-publisher 

disarm difficult people and 

how to stand up to bullies. 

It’s imperative that we 

teach children at a young age 

the skills they need to learn 

how to get the bully to back 

off. If they continue to be a 

victim, they will grow up being 

bullied by adults in the 

workplace or at home. What 

I have learned from research 

and experts in the field is that 

you may not be able to stop 

a bully from being a bully, but 

Vanessa Denha Garmo and Rep. Vicki Barnette at the State of 

the State address. 

you can stop a bully from bullying you. 

Sometimes we are the bystanders 

watching others get bullied. I implore 

anyone who witnesses this kind of attack 

to stand up for the victim and 

teach your children how to stand up for 

others. Bullies will not target someone 

who has a lot of friends or someone 

with confidence and self esteem. If the 

abuse escalates to physical violence, 

call the authorities. 

Someone must take the bully by 

the horns as Sam Horn, the creator of 

Tongue Fu!, has said. That someone 

might just be you. 

No one knows more than the true 

public servant that sometimes in life we 

must focus on others. I was invited to 

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder’s inaugural 

State of the State address as 

a guest of State Rep. Vicki Barnette. I 

appreciate the strong messages delivered 

by the governor and the dedication 

of Rep. Barnett and so many like 

her who are focused on improving our 

state, this region and their respective 

districts. 

This month, I also had an 

opportunity to sit down with a 

longtime public servant who 

has taken on a newly created 

elected office — the Macomb 

County executive seat. Mark 

Hackel is welcoming and engaging. 

As someone who has 

covered politics as a reporter 

and who has worked in government, 

I found Hackel’s laidback 

demeanor and honest 

responses refreshing. 

For elected officials, the 

focus should always be on the 

constituency; when it is not, 

it’s time for new leadership. 

In public service, it’s always 

about others. 

Sometimes we have to put 

aside our own agendas, interest 

and issues and put the focus 

on someone else. Remember that 

sometimes, it’s about others. 

Alaha Imid Koullen 

(God Be With Us All) 


vdenha@chaldeannews.com 

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GUEST column 

Beware of the broad brush 

Michael G. 

Sarafa 

SPECIAL TO THE 

CHALDEAN NEWS 

The constant and increased 

violence targeted at the 

Christians of Iraq is causing 

a wave of anti-Islam feelings 

in the Chaldean community. At 

the emotional level, this is easy 

to understand. While the violence 

in Iraq is clearly indiscriminate, 

its impact on the Middle 

Eastern Christian Diaspora 

wafts of genocide. 

Manifestations of these feelings 

are happening around the 

world in both big and small ways. 

Last year in France, the hijab was banned 

in public. Just recently, southern Sudan 

seceded from the north largely along religious 

lines — Christian and Muslim. 

Much of Islam and its various forms 

are absolutely foreign to our American 

heritage, to our western sensibilities 

and even to our culture, much of which 

we share in common with Muslims. As 

an example, Tehran couched in humanitarian 

terms its recent decision to hang 

a woman accused of adultery instead 

of stoning her to death. We’ve seen 

many examples of this kind of extremism 

in Afghanistan and other 

countries in that region. 

But these issues and the 

challenges they represent are 

confronting us here at home as 

well — the battle over building 

a mosque near Ground Zero, 

the talk of burning the Quran 

and the efforts to create an official 

state religion. Even closer 

to home, some Chaldean leaders 

have called for a boycott of 

Dearborn retail stores, where 

many Chaldeans shop for 

meat, produce and sweets. 

These are reactions to symptoms 

foretold in a new book called Re-United 

States, The Common Sense Guide to 

Defending America in the Age of Terror 

by Marc F. Weisman, a physician in Metro 

Detroit. First, let me say that this book has 

a decidedly anti-Islamic tilt. It’s hard to 

imagine any Muslim who wouldn’t be offended 

by its content. The best evidence 

of this is the fact that three times in the introduction 

alone, Weisman explicitly states 

that the book is not intended to foster Islamophobia 

and anti-Muslim feelings. 

Yet its thesis must be taken seriously 

if for no other reason than that it represents 

a growing trend in America. In distinguishing 

between violent jihadism and 

patient or non-violent jihadism, the book 

puts some definition on some of the instinctive 

and reactionary fears that exist in 

our country today. Whether they are well 

founded or not is a matter for debate. 

The author attempts to trace the 

appeasement of silent jihad all the way 

back to Thomas Jefferson but focuses 

more on what he views as a modern-day 

culture war. Most people would view 

his examples as ones of political correctness, 

but he views them as nothing 

short of the deliberate watering-down 

of American and Judeo-Christian values 

in an effort to somehow overtake 

the culture of the country. 

His examples include the use of 

public funds for foot baths and “reflection 

rooms” at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, 

the exclusive use of a 

gym at Harvard by Muslim women for 

several hours a week so they wouldn’t 

be seen by others in gym clothes, dropping 

pig-related mascots so as not to 

offend, and many other examples in 

government, the media and academia. 

Again, what he views as appeasement, 

others would simply argue is appropriate 

sensitivity to other cultures. 

As Chaldeans, we have even a greater 

obligation in this arena. As a people 

whose ancestors lived for centuries as 

neighbors with Muslim people, we are 

better positioned to weigh in in a more 

constructive way on these difficult issues. 

At the same time, we are right to remain 

vigilant in our defense of our Christian 

brothers and sisters in Iraq who live in 

fear every day. Further, I think it is true 

that the Iraqi government has not done 

enough in this regard. While their rhetoric 

is good, their actions fall short. 

Maliki is a weak leader and will likely 

come under the thumb of the Iranian 

mullahs, as was demonstrated by the 

hero’s welcome received by Muqtadr 

Al-Sadr upon his return to Iraq after 

three years of self exile in Iran. This 

development does not bode well for the 

future of Christianity in Iraq. 

Still, as Christians and as Americans, 

we must keep in mind the Great 

Commandment to love another no matter 

how difficult that may be. Prejudices, 

stereotyping and bigotry, we’ve all been 

taught, are sins. As we stand shoulder 

to shoulder with the worldwide Chaldean 

people, we must be careful not to 

paint others with a broad brush. 

Michael Sarafa is the president of the 

Bank of Michigan and a co-publisher 

of the Chaldean News. 

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10 CHALDEAN NEWS FEBRUARY 2011

noteworthy 

Black March 

Movement 

participants 

pose for a 

picture. 

Christian Youths Meet 

Young adults from France, Germany, Sweden, Canada 

and the United States gathered in Detroit on January 

8-9 for the First International Black March Movement 

Conference. Others conferenced in via computer from 

Russia, Holland and Australia. 

The conference was meant to reinforce Chaldean 

Assyrian Syriac unity and connect the communities in 

diaspora. Speeches addressed the current political 

situation in Iraq, the imperiled status of the nation’s 

Christians, diaspora advocacy and a possible economic 

solution. 

Five goals were agreed upon: 

• to connect and strengthen the international disposa; 

• to develop a vehicle for economic investment and 

growth in the Nineveh Plains; 

• to crease a framework to collaborate on advocacy 

efforts worldwide; 

• to preserve the culture and language in diaspora; 

• to create lasting ties in the homeland of Iraq. 

The Black March Movement was founded as a response 

to the Oct. 31 massacre at Our Lady of Deliverance 

Syriac Catholic Church in Baghdad, in which 

58 Christians were killed. On Nov. 8, more than 20 

protests called Black Marches were held around the 

world. The delegates tentatively agreed to meet in the 

late summer in Germany for a second conference. 

Refugees Needed 

for Study 

A study to identify the obstacles and 

hardships that face Iraqi refugees and 

Arab immigrants, especially those that 

impact their health, is being conducted 

by the Wayne State University School 

of Medicine, Division of Occupational 

& Environmental Health, Department of 

Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, 

in collaboration Lutheran Social 

Services, ACCESS/Community Health 

& Research Center, the Chaldean Federation 

of America and the Kurdish Human 

Right Watch. 

The study will survey a randomized 

sample from lists of Iraqi refugees and 

Arab immigrants who have recently arrived 

in the United States. Participants 

will be individually interviewed by the researchers 

and complete a questionnaire. 

The participants will be contacted for 

identical follow-up interviews a year later 

and for a third interview after two years. 

The information will assist the researchers 

in recommending policy and 

program improvements to the government 

that strengthen the health and 

well-being among refugees. 

Each participant will receive a $35 

gift certificate after each completed 

survey. To sign up or learn more, call 

(313) 577-2048. 

Militia for Iraq’s 

Christians? 

The Iraqi Ministry of Defense’s decision 

to train a Christian armed defense force 

has caused heated reaction from many 

sectors of society in northern Iraq, Rudaw 

reports. 

Iraqi security officials announced 

in January that they were working on a 

plan “to defend churches and the Christian 

population in Baghdad and other regions 

in Iraq,” and that there were currently 

600 Christians undergoing military 

training at the Ministry of Interior for the 

defense of their communities. 

Louis Sako, Archbishop of Kirkuk 

for the Chaldean Catholic Church, 

said he believed the creation of a 

military defense force for the Christian 

community would have “negative 

consequences” and would lead to the 

“forming of militias in contradiction of 

the constitution.” 

However, Johnson Syawash, deputy 

head of the Council of Chaldean 

and Assyrians in Kirkuk, said the government 

was “correct” to introduce the 

policy. 

Archbishop Sako said it was not in 

the people’s interest to assign governmental 

roles according to class, religion 

or ethnicity. 

”Iraqis must be protected by the 

state,” he said. “[However] if these 

forces are only used for the protection 

of holy places, then it is fine.” 

Several government officials in Mosul 

denied having heard of the Ministry 

of Defense decision to form a Christian 

armed force. 

“It is the duty of the Iraqi army 

and Ministry of Defense to protect everyone,” 

said Jabr Abid, head of the 

Nineveh Provincial Council. “We are 

against the idea of the formation of 

defense forces on ethnic or religious 

grounds.” 

Chaldean Cleared 

of Spy Charges 

A jury has acquitted Issam “Sam” 

Hamama of secretly working as an 

Iraqi agent in the U.S. but convicted 

him of making false statements when 

he sought a security clearance. 

The split verdict on January 14 offered 

some relief to the former military 

translator, who claimed he was only 

passing along basic information about 

Iraqis in the U.S. when he reached out 

to Iraqi officials in the 1990s during the 

regime of Saddam Hussein. 

“We’ve been vindicated. They were 

accusing him of voluntarily working as 

a spy,” defense lawyer Haytham Faraj 

said. 

Hamama, 60, of El Cajon, California, 

was found not guilty of conspiring 

to work as an unregistered Iraqi agent. 

The government said it didn’t know he 

had contacts with Iraqi officials in the 

1990s until his name was discovered in 

documents seized during the war. 

In recent years, Hamama worked 

as a translator for the U.S. military in 

Iraq. He was convicted of making false 

statements to the FBI and on his application 

for a security clearance when 

he had denied having any contact with 

a foreign government. 

Hamama said he didn’t consider 

Iraq to be foreign because he’s an Iraqi 

native. The former Detroit-area resident 

faces up to five years in federal prison. 

Hamama acknowledged he liked 

Saddam but only because the dictator 

favored Christians. He claimed he 

didn’t know that his Iraqi contacts in 

New York and Washington, D.C., were 

intelligence agents. 

Near the end of trial, Army officers 

who served with Hamama testified as 

character witnesses and praised his 

work as a translator. “We trusted him 

enough to give him a loaded weapon,” 

Sgt. Maj. Ronald Coleman told the 

jury. 

Hamama has been free on bond 

since his arrest in 2008 on a return 

trip to the United States. U.S. District 

Judge Nancy Edmunds turned down 

Martin’s request to lock up Hamama 

until he is sentenced. 

- Associated Press 

Iran Cracks Down 

on Christians 

Iran has arrested about 70 Christians 

since Christmas in a crackdown that 

demonstrates the limits of religious tolerance 

by Islamic leaders who often boast 

they provide room for other faiths. 

The latest raids have targeted 

grass-roots Christian groups Iran describes 

as “hard-liners’’ who pose a 

threat to the Islamic state. Authorities 

increasingly view them with suspicions 

that range from trying to convert Muslims 

to being possible footholds for foreign 

influence. 

Christian activists claim their Iranian 

brethren are being persecuted simply 

for worshipping outside officially sanctioned 

mainstream churches. 

Caught in the middle is the small 

community of Iranian Christians who 

get together for prayer and Bible readings 

in private residences and out of 

sight of authorities. They are part of a 

wider “house church” movement that 

NOTEWORTHY continued on page 12 

Correction 

The correct spelling of the couple 

pictured on page 23 of the January 

2011 issue, “Beyond the Honeymoon,” 

is Ryan and Natalie Stacey. 

FEBRUARY 2011 CHALDEAN NEWS 11

noteworthy 

NOTEWORTHY continued from page 11 

has taken root in other places with tight 

controls on Christian activities such as 

China and Indonesia. 

Iran’s constitution gives protected 

status to Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians, 

but many religious minorities 

sense growing pressures from the Islamic 

state as hard-edged forces such 

as the powerful Revolutionary Guard 

exert more influence. There are few 

social barriers separating Muslims and 

Iran’s religious minorities such as separate 

neighborhoods or universities. But 

they are effectively blocked from high 

government and military posts. 

Iran has claimed as a point of pride 

that it makes space for other religions. 

It reserves parliament seats for Jewish 

and Christian lawmakers and permits 

churches — Roman Catholic, Armenian 

Orthodox and others — as well as 

synagogues and Zoroastrian temples 

that are under sporadic watch by authorities. 

Religious celebrations are 

allowed, but no political messages or 

overtones are tolerated. 

In past years, authorities have 

staged arrests on Christians and other 

religious minorities, but the latest 

sweeps appears to be among the biggest 

and most coordinated. 

Tehran Governor Morteza Tamadon 

described the Christians as “hard-line” 

missionaries who have “inserted themselves 

into Islam like a parasite,” according 

to the official Islamic Republic 

News Agency. He also suggested that 

the Christians could have links to Britain 

— an accusation within Iran that refers 

to political opposition groups Tehran 

claims are backed by the West. 

Iran’s religious minorities represent 

about 2 percent of the population. 

There are no accurate figures on the 

number of Christians in the country. 

– Associated Press 

Raffle Benefits 

COACH 

Tickets are on sale for a raffle to 

benefit COACH (Chaldean Outreach 

and Community Hope). 

The grand prize is $3,500, 

second prize is $1,000 and third 

prize is $500. Tickets are $20 

each. 

The drawing will be held on 

March 6 at the Second Annual COACH 

Carnival at Shenandoah Country Club. 

Auday Arabo 

The winner need not be present. 

Tickets are available from COACH 

members, including Jovian Nafsu (jovian@coachinfo.org) 

and Silvana Gorial 

(silvana@coachinfo.org). 

Samona Takes Over 

at Shenandoah 

Najib Samona is the new president of the 

board of directors at Shenandoah Country 

Club. He replaces Neb Mekani. 

The new board also includes: Jacob 

Bacall, vice president; Bobby Hesano, 

secretary; Jason Alkamano, treasurer; 

and Rodney George, Faiq Konja, Shakib 

Halabu, Hani Mio, and Basim Shina. 

Arabo Joins 

State Board 

Auday Arabo has been appointed 

to the Michigan Food 

Policy Council for a term 

expiring October 31, 2013. 

Arabo is the president and 

CEO of the Associated Food 

& Petroleum Dealers. The 

council has a mission to cultivate 

a safe, healthy and available food 

supply for all of Michigan’s residents. 

Recent 

Community Deaths 

Sabah Hanna Kinaia 

January 19, 2011 

Hania Kachi Sitto 


Hannia M. Senawi 


Abboudi J. Shaouni 


Tawfig Habi Karana 


Naima Sesi Hakim 


Salem Hermiz Keina 


Alice Matta 


Louris Shaker Mansoor 


Walid Jalil Tobia Zeitouna 


Saad Toma Mikha 


Kamal Namo Hannawa 

December 31, 2010 

Mary Yaldo Gatta 


Naima Jemmoa Tawa 


Heilo Aiessa Khaniaro 


Marjorie Josephine Gabbara 


Jamila Ballo Kizy 

December 23 


Community Bulletin Board 

Plum Part 

Chaldean actress Sarab Kamoo of Lathrup 

Village has won a role in The Giant 

Mechanical Man, which was filmed recently 

in Metro Detroit. Her part was originally 

intended for a man but the casting director 

was so impressed with Kamoo that the 

character was rewritten. The film stars 

Jenna Fischer of television’s “The Office.” 

Cultural Adventure 

Rimando Jirges Mery read to children 

and families at West Bloomfield 

Library in English, Arabic and 

Aramaic on December 28. A certified 

Montessori teacher from Tutor 

Time in West Bloomfield, she also 

played traditional Aramaic music, 

gave a quick history lesson about 

Chaldeans, showed artifacts from 

Iraq and fed the group traditional 

Chaldean sesame and cheese pies 

called tikhratha. 

John Paul on Sainthood Track 

In a big step toward achieving sainthood, 

the late Pope John Paul II will be beatified 

by Pope Benedict XI on May 1 in a 

ceremony at the Vatican. “All of us have 

our own particular fond memories of this 

great pastor, our beloved father in Christ 

– many of them coming from his visit to 

the Archdiocese in September 1987,” 

said Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron 

in a statement. “In his days among us 

he showed us the face of Christ. As we 

venerate his memory, he still does us that 

service from the Father’s house in heaven.” 

Tasty Treats 

Members of CASA (Chaldean American 

Student Organization) at Wayne State University 

held a bake sale on January 13, to 

the delight of their fellow students. Matthew 

Acho, Alvin Zaitouna and Fadi Oraha 

show their enthusiasm while Candice 

Nofar puts the icing on the (cup)cake. 

Have an item for the Bulletin Board? Send it to 

Chaldean News, 29850 Northwestern 

Highway, Southfield, MI 48034, or e-mail 

info@chaldeannews.com. 


CHAI time 

chaldeans conNecting 

community events in and around metro detroit FEBRUARY 2011 

[Friday, February 4] 

Ladies Night: Ladies Night at Regency 

Manor in Southfield includes appetizers, 

dinner, raffle, entertainment, shopping 

and cash bar. Tickets are $40 in advance, 

$50 at the door. (248) 353-1133. 

Cultural Exchange: Free event includes 

music, entertainment, dancing, 

exhibits and food in a celebration of 

Sterling Heights’ diversity. The chairwoman 

is Susan Kattula. 6-10 p.m., 

Sterling Heights Senior Center, 40200 

Utica Road. (586) 446-2489. 

[Saturday, February 5] 

Dance: A Father-Daughter Dance begins 

at 7 p.m. Shenandoah Country 

Club. The E.C.R.C. Challenge Club 

sponsors the event for dads and girls in 

grades 5-8 only. Tickets, $35, include 

appetizers, dinner and entertainment. 

(248) 538-9903 or info@ecrc.us. 

[Sunday, February 6] 

Football: Shenandoah Bowl includes 

buffet dinner and cash bar to watch the 

Super Bowl. Open to members and 

non-members ages 15 and older. “Tailgating” 

beings at 5 p.m.; kickoff is at 

6:20. Tickets are $30 in advance, $40 

at the door. Shenandoah Country Club, 

(248) 454-1932. 

[Wednesday, February 9] 

Health: Henry Ford Health System’s 

Center for Athletic Medicine holds a 

free lecture and cooking demonstration 

about sports nutrition for the high 

school athlete. 6:30-8 p.m. in the demonstration 

kitchen at Henry Ford West 

Bloomfield Hospital, 6777 W. Maple 

Road. Register at (800) 436-9367. 


Wine: Seventh Annual Solanus Casey 

Center Wine & Food Event takes place 

from 6:30-10:30 p.m. at the Cathedral 

Cultural Center, St. George Romanian 

Orthodox Cathedral, Southfield. Includes 

wines from around the world, 

food from Tallulah’s executive chef Jake 

Abraham, and live and silent auctions. 

$60 per person; proceeds benefit the 

Solanus Casey Center. (313) 579-2100, 

ext. 153, or www.SolanusCenter.org. 

[Friday, February 11 - 

Sunday, February 13] 

Festival: Motown Winter Blast has outdoor 

music, food and family fun in and 

around Campus Martius in downtown 

Detroit. New this year is a nominal admission 

charge: an article of clothing, 

a canned food item, a book, or $1 to 

benefit Matrix Human Services and the 

Rotary Club’s Cycle of Poverty Initiative. 

www.winterblast.com. 

[Sunday, February 13] 

Art: Children ages 5-8 and parents 

are welcome at this class to create a 

memory box. 1-3 p.m., Detroit Institute 

of Art. Fee is $24 members, $28 nonmembers. 

To register, e-mail registration@dia.org 

or call (313) 833-4249. 

[Wednesday, February 16] 

Marriage: Second Time’s a Charm 

event features “Love Doctor” Dr. Terri 

Orbuch speaking on tips and strategies 

for successful second marriages, 

plus entertainment and a fashion 

show. 6-8 p.m. Free, Maria’s Bridal 

Couture, 6325 Orchard Lake Road, 

West Bloomfield. (248) 539-3090 or 

www.mariasbridal.com. 


Benefit: Red Heart Blues includes a 

strolling gourmet dinner, silent auction 

and dancing to benefit the Edith and 

Benson Ford Heart & Vascular Institute 

at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Tickets 

start at $175 for people ages 21-35, $250 

for others. The Henry Hotel in Dearborn. 

www.henryford.com/redheartblues. 

[Saturday, February 26] 

Expo: Bridal and Baby Expo features 

more than 40 vendors including photographers, 

jewelers, florists, etc. 3-10 

p.m., Regency Manor in Southfield. 

Benefit: Jewels of the Sea is the theme 

of a dinner that includes music, dancing 

and live and silent auctions to benefit 

Our Lady of Refuge Catholic School. 

Tickets are $75. 6 p.m., Shenandoah 

Country Club. (248) 682-3422. 

Providence Hospital named a Top 50 Cardiovascular 

Hospital, 

Call 866-501-DOCS (3627) 

for a Providence physician 

Providence Hospital has once again been named as a “Top 50 Hospital 

for Heart Care” through the prestigious Thomson Reuters group. We have 

won this award for the past 10 consecutive years – more than any other 

teaching hospital with a cardiovascular residency in the United States, and 

more times than any other hospital in Michigan. High quality, safe care is 

our passion. That is why patients turn to our hospitals to heal them. 

Learn more about the Thomson Reuters award attained by Providence Hospital 

and St. John Macomb Oakland Hospital at stjohnprovidence.org. 

 

 

A P A S S I O N f o r H E A L I N G 

H O S P I T A L S I N S O U T H F I E L D A N D N O V I 



HALHOLE! 

[Births] 

Blake Steve 

Steve & Vera Kassab, along 

with big brother Gabriel, are 

excited to announce an addition 

to their family, Blake Steve. 

God blessed us with Blake on 

December 1, 2010, weighing 

7 lbs., 4 oz. and measuring 

21 inches long. Blake is the 

10th grandchild to Elias & 

Hakima Kassab and the fifth 

for Shawkat & Latifa Katty. May 

God continue to bless us and 

all children. 

Addison Lilly 

So sweet and cuddly, cute and 

fun; we have been blessed with 

a precious one! Chris & Jessica 

Toma are proud to announce 

the arrival of their daughter, 

Addison Lilly. She was born 

on October 18, 2010 weighing 

9 lbs., 1 oz. and measuring 

21.75 inches long. Addison is 

the third grandchild for Najib 

& Nada Toma and Shawkat & 

Latifa Katty. Godparents are 

Peter Toma and Vera Kassab. 

Jacob Michael 

He’s sweet, he’s cute and he’s 

simply adored. He’s the new 

baby boy we’ve welcomed 

aboard! Big brothers Christian 

and Nicholas are so happy to 

introduce their baby brother, 

Jacob Michael. Rudy & Natalie 

Hajji welcomed their son into 

the world on June 30, 2010 at 

2:38 a.m. at Royal Oak Beaumont 

Hospital. Jacob weighed 

7 lbs., 2 oz. and was 20 inches 

long. He is the ninth grandchild 

for Frederick & Ikhlas Najor and 

the eleventh grandchild for Raja 

Kinaia. Godparents are Renea 

Dalloo and Austin Bell. 

Blake Steve 

Addison Lilly 

Jacob Michael 

share your joy with the community 

Announcements are offered free of charge to paid subscribers. 

Please email or mail announcements with a photo to the Chaldean 

News at halhole@chaldeannews.com or: 

Chaldean News; c/o Editor, Subject: Announcements 

29850 Northwestern, Suite 250, Southfield, MI 48034 

Please include your address and phone number to verify your paid 

subscription. Hard copies of photos can be picked up after the 

15th of the month. Photos are not mailed back. 


ANNE BARGE 

Couture Bridal Collection 

Trunk Show 

February 18 & 19 

RIVINI 

Couture Bridal Collection 

Trunk Show 


HAIR, NAIL AND ROOM 

ARE CURRENTLY 

AVAILABLE FOR RENT 

BRIDESMAIDS 

Trunk Show 


Featuring Amsale 

Badgley Mischka & Monique Lhuillier 

Ines Di Santo 

Trunk Show 

March 4 & 5 

Personal Designer Appearance 

$5 Entrance Fee to Benefit Fashion for Compassion 

708/722 N. Old Woodward, Birmingham, MI 

By Appointment • (248) 723-4300 • romasposa.com 


Golden Sun Jewelry 

 

We offer the largest selection of loose diamonds and engagement rings. 

 

 

 

 

 

www.goldensunjewelry.net 

www.stores.ebay.com/goldensunjewelers 

 

 

 

 

 

Merfit Yaldo, 

Certified PA 

“I’ve been working here 

for more than a year, and 

I love it. We all work as a 

team so patients have a real 

understanding of what is 

going on and always feel like 

they are being treated right. 

Everything is done here onsite 

and lab results come back 

in 30 minutes. It’s a lot quicker 

than going to the emergency 

room, and we go out of our 

way to follow up with each 

patient. Patients love it here – 

and I do too!” 

The situation may be URGENT 

But not a true EMERGENCY! 

You’ll receive the personal attention you deserve in timely manner. Lakes Urgent Care is a place where you can receive the same quality 

care you would receive in an Emergency Department, without the undesirable atmosphere, wait time or cost. Our physicians have 

extensive emergency medicine experience and training. 

Our most fundamental activity is the provision of personal, timely and cost effective medical care in a warm and friendly environment. 

In addition to coughs, colds and infections we commonly treat: 

 

 

Where do you go? 

Why wait? Put your mind at ease. 

Dr. Sanford Vieder, 

Medical Director 

DR. VIEDER, medical 

director at Lakes Urgent Care 

says “Lakes Urgent Care 

was created because patients 

deserve to have a cost effective, 

timely alternative, and quality 

medical care, when they are 

unable to see their own primary 

care physician.” 

www.lakesurgentcare.com 

 

 

 

 

On-Site Digital X-Ray Technology 

On-Site Stat Lab Facilities 

On-Site CT Scanning and Ultrasound 

Electronic Medical Records System 

Lakes Urgent Care 

When your health concerns can't wait. 

LAKES MEDICAL CENTER 

2300 Haggerty Road Suite 1010 

West Bloomfield, MI 48323 

(on Haggerty Road just North of Meijer) 

248-926-9111 

Monday -Friday 

5:00 pm – 10:00 pm 

Saturday, Sunday, & Holidays 

10:00 am – 6:00 pm 

Internal Medicine & Primary Care Physicians 

from 8:30 am - 5:00 pm 

Most health insurances and MC/Visa/Discover accepted 


Anthony David 

Tiny yawns and sleepy sighs, 

nursery rhymes and lullabies. 

David & Jennifer Antiwan are 

blessed to announce the birth 

of their precious bundle of 

joy, Anthony David, born on 

November, 25, 2010 at 11:43 

a.m. weighing 5 lbs., 13 oz. 

and measuring 18.5 inches. 

Anthony is the first grandchild 

for both Yousif & the late Najiba 

Maya and Mary & the late Antiwan 

Antiwan. Proud godfather 

is Jonathan Maya. May God 

bless him always. 

Anthony David 

Isabella and 

Audrianna 

Two royal additions to share 

the throne … Two new little 

princesses of our very own. 

Jason & Eileen Cholak proudly 

announce the birth of their 

twins on October 8, 2010. 

Isabella Anna was 5 lbs., 8 

oz. and was 18.5 inches long. 

Audrianna Lourdes was 5 lbs., 

13 oz. and was 18 inches long. 

Happy grandparents are Amir & 

Rafa Cholak and Naim & Intisar 

Kamma. 

Zachary Thomas 

All of God’s grace in one sweet 

little face. Nicholas & Jenna 

(Yono) Dykas are pleased to 

announce the arrival of their 

son, Zachary Thomas. He was 

born on November 30, 2010, 

weighing 10 lbs., 12 oz., and 

measuring 21.5 inches. Zachary 

is the third grandchild for 

Thomas & Donna Dykas and 

the first grandchild for Nameer 

& Nidhal Yono. Proud godparents 

are James Yono and 

Tamara Ishak. 

Isabella and Audrianna 

Zachary Thomas 

cosMetic surgery of the nose 

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Dr. Warren BranDes 

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share your joy with the community 

Announcements are offered free of charge to paid subscribers. 

Please email or mail announcements with a photo to the Chaldean 

News at halhole@chaldeannews.com or: 

Chaldean News; c/o Editor, Subject: Announcements 

29850 Northwestern, Suite 250, Southfield, MI 48034 

Please include your address and phone number to verify your paid 

subscription. Hard copies of photos can be picked up after the 

15th of the month. Photos are not mailed back. 

• Ear, Nose, Throat 

• Head & Neck Surgery 

• Facial Plastic Surgery 

• Cosmetic Surgery 

• Ear Surgery 

• Otolarynic Allergy 

• Audiology/Hearing Aids 

• Snoring/Sleep Apnea 

• Derma Fillers 

28080 Grand River, Ste 205W 

Farmington Hills, MI 48336 

248-478-8616 

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4160 John R, Ste 805 

Detroit, MI 48201 

313-831-1444 

Fax 313-831-1444 

27483 Dequindre, Ste 201 

Madison Heights, MI 48071 

248-541-0100 

Fax 248-399-3960 

1030 Harrington, Ste 105 

Mt. Clemens, MI 48043 

586-751-6990 

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Fax 586-558-5752 


ask the ECRC 

Embracing fear 

The human person is 

limited to comprehend 

the world in its 

magnitude as God created it. 

We are guided by our senses, 

which direct our lives and 

give meaning to our experiences. 

When we experience 

life within the context of 

our mere human existence 

without the experience of 

God, we may be living in 

the world only as we are able 

to perceive it with our limited 

senses. We are instructed in the 

Scriptures to “be in the world but not 

of the world.” 

Fear could be a positive thing in 

our life as we see it in the book of 

Sirach 1:12: “The beginning of wisdom 

is fear of the Lord.” This fear 

is out of reverence and love, not of 

punishment. It could help people to 

lead them in the right path of their 

journey. 

When we live in the world without 

God, there is much room for 

fear and anxiety to enter our minds, 

hearts, bodies and everyday experiences. 

Fear and anxiety can wrap 

Neran Karmo 

SPECIAL TO THE 

CHALDEAN NEWS 

themselves around our lives 

both interiorly and exteriorly. 

It may be the fear of people, 

situations or fear of the future, 

fear of rejection, fear of 

failure, fear of losing our job, 

fear for the well being of our 

children, fear of getting old 

and ultimately fear of death. 

Oftentimes fear prevents us 

from really living and celebrating 

God’s graces of the 

present moment because we 

may be stuck in the past or 

the future. 

Modern psychology and prescription 

drugs offer many treatments for 

fear and anxiety to help people discover 

and heal from their fears. Fear 

may be a form of bondage. It enslaves 

us from living in the freedom 

that God longs for us. 

How does one bring this human 

experience in the light of faith and 

learn to cut loose its grip? Without a 

doubt, our faith in God has to play a 

role in the way we deal with it. 

Christ perpetually invites us to be 

courageous and face our fears with 

His spirit of encouragement and 

hope. He reminds us (more than 300 

times in the Bible): “be not afraid,” 

“have no fear,” “fear not.” The liar, 

the devil tries always to provoke our 

minds with all kind of self-defeating 

ideas and worries. The spirit of God 

is the spirit of freedom. Think of all 

the various ways that fear can play 

out in our daily lives. Imagine for 

example, falling in the temptation 

of the worldly spirit of trying to look 

young physically at all costs and at 

all ages. If you are given to the fear 

of growing old gracefully, one can become 

enslaved to the multimilliondollar 

beauty industry. These kinds of 

thoughts can control us and prevent 

us from becoming free and authentically 

living simply and sincerely as 

God’s children. 

Jesus was born from woman and 

became human like us in everything 

but sin. He experienced our humanity 

and knew what it is like to be on 

this earth ... He faced poverty; He 

faced loneliness, betrayal, rejection 

and mocking, and was sentenced to 

be crucified as a criminal. He knows 

and feels our fears and weaknesses 

and wants us to be strong in Him. 

Our faith in the saving act of Jesus 

Christ on the cross has the power 

to free us from all sorts of fear not 

only when we go to our eternal life, 

but it helps us to live our daily life as 

people of a great witness to His spirit 

of hope, peace and joy in the world. 

We can choose to remain bonded 

to the evil spirit that robs our peace 

and hope or we can choose to hope 

in the Good News of Jesus Christ. 

Let us submit our lives to the Lord 

and believe in His mercy, love and 

power to forgive us and save us from 

fear, worry and anxiety. 

Our lives can’t be wrapped up with 

fear of the things of the past or things 

that could happen to us in the future. 

Jesus is telling us again and again, 

“Do not be afraid” (Jn: 6:20.) Listen 

to him and believe in him. “Today, 

you would hear his voice: harden not 

your heart” (Heb.3:15). Commit to 

know your Lord in a more intimate 

way (through the word of God in the 

Sacred Scriptures, the Sacraments 

and prayer life). Christ came to give 

life in abundance – a life filled with 

love, joy and peace. 

“Be strong and courageous. Do 

not be afraid or terrified because of 

them, for the LORD your God goes 

with you; He will never leave you nor 

forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:5-7) 

Neran Karmo is a coordinator with 

the E.C.R.C., the Eastern Catholic 

Re-Evangelization Center. 

Visit www.ecrc.us. 

places of prayer 

chaldean churches in and around metro detroit 

THE DIOCESE OF ST. THOMAS THE APOSTLE 

IN THE UNITED STATES 

St. Thomas Chaldean Catholic Diocese 

25603 Berg Road, Southfield, MI 48033; (248) 351-0440 

Mar (Bishop) Ibrahim N. Ibrahim 

www.chaldeandiocese.org 

HOLY MARTYRS CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

43700 Merrill, Sterling Heights, MI 48312; (586) 803-3114 

Rector: Rev. Manuel Boji 

Parochial Vicar: Rev. Ayad Khanjaro 

Mass Schedule: Weekdays, 9 a.m. in Chaldean; Saturday, 

5 p.m. in English; Sunday: 9 a.m. in Chaldean and Arabic, 

10:30 a.m. in English, morning prayer at noon, high mass at 

12:30 p.m. in Chaldean. 

MAR ADDAI CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

24010 Coolidge Highway, Oak Park, MI 48237; (248) 547-4648 

Pastor: Rev. Stephen Kallabat 

Parochial Vicars: Rev. Fadi Habib Khalaf, Rev. Suleiman Denha 

Mass Schedule: Weekdays, 12 noon; Sunday, 10 a.m. in Sourath 

and Arabic, 12:30 p.m. in Sourath 

MOTHER OF GOD CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

25585 Berg Road, Southfield, MI 48034; (248) 356-0565 

Rector: Rev. Wisam Matti 

Parochial Vicar: Rev. Anthony Kathawa 

Bible Study: 7-9 p.m. for High School Ages in English; 7-9 

p.m. College/Young Adult in English 

Mass Schedule: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 8 a.m. mass 

in English; Tuesday, 9 p.m. mass in English; Wednesday, 

noon-midnight, adoration; Saturday, 5:15 p.m. in English; 

Sunday: 8:30 a.m. in Arabic, 10 a.m. in English, noon in 

Chaldean, 7 p.m. in English 

OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP MISSION 

Located inside St. Sylvester Church 

11200 12 Mile Road, Warren, MI 48093; (586) 804-2114 

Pastors: Fr. Fadi Philip and Fr. Fawaz Kako 

Mass Schedule: Sunday 12:30 p.m. in Arabic and Chaldean 

SACRED HEART CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

310 W. Seven Mile Road, Detroit, MI 48203; (313) 368-6214 

Pastor: Fr. Sameem Belius 

Mass Schedule: Friday, 6 p.m. in Chaldean; Sunday 11 a.m. 

in Chaldean 

ST. GEORGE CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

45700 Dequindre Road, Shelby Township, MI 48317; 

(586) 254-7221 

Pastor: Msgr. Emanuel Hana Isho Shaleta 

Assistant Pastor: Rev. Basel Yaldo 

Mass Schedule: Weekdays, 10 a.m.; Saturday, 6:30 p.m.; 

Sunday: 8:30 a.m. in Chaldean, 10 a.m. in Arabic, 11:30 

a.m. in English, 1:15 p.m. in Chaldean. 

ST. JOSEPH CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

2442 E. Big Beaver Road, Troy, MI 48083; (248) 528-3676 

Pastor: Msgr. Zouhair Toma (Kejbou) 

Parochial Vicar: Fr. Rudy Zoma 

Mass Schedule: Weekdays, 10 a.m. in Chaldean; Saturday, 5 

p.m. in English and Chaldean; Sunday, 8 a.m. in Chaldean, 9:30 

a.m. in Arabic, 11 a.m. in English, 12:30 p.m. in Chaldean, 

2:15 in Chaldean and Arabic. Baptisms: 3 p.m. on Sundays. 

ST. MARY HOLY APOSTOLIC CATHOLIC 

ASSYRIAN CHURCH OF THE EAST 

4320 E. 14 Mile Road, Warren, MI 48092; (586) 825-0290 

Rector: Fr. Benjamin Benjamin 

Mass Schedule: Sunday, 9 a.m. in Assyrian; 

12 noon in Assyrian and English 

ST. THOMAS CHALDEAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

6900 Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322; 

(248) 788-2460 

Pastor: Rev. Frank Kalabat Rev. Emanuel Rayes (retired) 

Parochial Vicar: Rev. Jirgus Abrahim 

Mass Schedule: Weekdays, 10 a.m. in Sourath; Saturday, 

5 p.m. in English; 

Sunday 9 a.m. in English, 10:30 a.m. in English, 12:30 p.m. 

in Sourath, 2 p.m. in Arabic. First Thursday and Friday of 

each month, Holy Hour 10 a.m., Mass 11 a.m. in Sourath. 

Saturday 3 p.m., Night Vespers (Ramsha) in Sourath. 

Every Wednesday from midnight to Thursday midnight, 

adoration in the Baptismal Room. Grotto is open 24/7 for 

prayer and reflection. 

ST. TOMA SYRIAC CATHOLIC CHURCH 

25600 Drake Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48335; 

(248) 478-0835 

Pastor: Rev. Toma Behnama Fr. Safaa Habash 

Mass Schedule: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 6 p.m.; 

Sunday 12 p.m. All masses are in Syriac, Arabic and English 


I don’t have a problem. 

I can stop at any time. 

I’m having some bad luck now, but things will change. 

If I can just borrow 20 bucks I’ll be fine. 

I can pay it back next week. 

How am I going to make my car payment? 

What do you mean I’m going to lose my house? 

How do I break this to my family? 

I need help. 

Now that you’ve recognized you may have a gambling problem, the next step is to call 

the Michigan Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-270-7117 to speak with a counselor. 

It’s free and confidential. Isn’t it time you started beating a gambling problem? 


he scores! 

Justin Meram goes pro 

By Steve Stein 

It’s hard to believe, but 

no Division I school 

gave Justin Meram a 

serious look just a few 

years ago. Photo by 

David Reed 

photo by david reed 

Justin Meram has a firm grasp of what it means to 

be the first Chaldean to play a professional sport 

in the United States. 

“I’m proud to say who I am,” he said. “I look at 

this as a great opportunity to get our community’s 

name out there in places where they’ve never heard 

of Chaldeans.” 

Meram was selected by the Columbus Crew on 

January 13 in the first round of the Major League 

Soccer SuperDraft. The 6-foot-1, 168-pound forward 

from the University of Michigan was the 15th 

pick overall. 

He signed a contract shortly after the draft 

with the league, which is protocol for MLS 

players. While he wouldn’t reveal contract 

terms, Meram said it was for more money 

than he expected. 

The Eisenhower High School graduate 

from Shelby Township burst 

onto the national soccer scene last 

fall thanks to an outstanding senior 

season at Michigan. 

He scored 17 goals and had 

eight assists in 23 games, but 

those numbers tell only half 

his story. 

Meram scored a dozen 

goals in his last nine games, 

helping the Wolverines (17- 

5-3) win their first Big Ten 

Tournament championship 

and advance to the NCAA 

semifinals for the first time in 

team history. His five goals in 

four NCAA tourney games led 

the nation. 

Columbus traded popular forward 

Steven Lenhart to the 

San Jose Earthquakes 

to obtain the draft pick 

it used to select Meram. 

“If Meram wasn’t 

available, we wouldn’t 

have done it,” Crew coach 

Robert Warzycha told the 

Columbus Dispatch. “We like his 

determination. He can shoot and 

he’s a good finisher. He’s very active 

in front of the net, which is something 

we definitely need.” 

Meram appreciates the compliments. 

“They have confidence in me, and I won’t let 

them down,” he said. “This is a dream come true, 

but I’m not satisfied with where I’m at. I’m going to 

work harder and harder to achieve my goals.” 

Those goals include being named the MLS 

Rookie of the Year this season and someday playing 

on the U.S. national team. 

Columbus is the closest MLS team physically to 

Detroit, so Meram’s family and friends won’t have to 

travel far to watch him play there. He’s the youngest 

of Hikmat (Sam) and Lamia’s four sons. 

After opening the MLS season at 7:30 p.m. 

March 19 on the road against D.C. United at RFK 

Stadium, the Crew will take on the New York Red 

Bulls in their home opener at 4 p.m. March 26 at 

Crew Stadium. 

The Crew has made three consecutive playoff appearances 

and it won the MLS Cup in 2008, but the 

team is retooling after an early playoff exit last season 

and Meram obviously is a key part of those plans. 

It wasn’t so obvious before the draft. Meram said 

he was surprised when Columbus selected him because 

he didn’t meet with Crew officials during the 

five-day MLS combine in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., that 

preceded the draft. 

“I talked with seven or eight teams, but not Columbus,” 

he said. 

A strong showing in the combine greatly improved 

Meram’s chances of being selected in the first 

round. He played three games, and he thought he 

played well in two of them. 

So how does Meram feel about playing in Columbus, 

home of bitter Michigan rival Ohio State 

University? It’s no problem because he was recruited 

by the Buckeyes coming out of junior college and 

considered playing for them. 

Meram, 22, admits he’s been driven by a burning 

desire to prove people wrong about him as a soccer 

player ever since no Division I program gave him a 

serious look coming out of high school. 

He ended up going to Yavapai College in Arizona, 

where he was named 2008 National Junior 

College Player of the Year and led the team to backto-back 

national championships. 

Meram had to deal with more setbacks 

the summer before his senior 

season at Michigan when he was 

cut from two semi-pro teams. 

“My style is a little different. I 

guess some coaches don’t appreciate 

it,” he said. “I’m not a physical 

player. I rely more on finesse, 

quickness and footwork, on making 

eye-popping plays.” 

About the Crew 

The city of Columbus was awarded one of 

the 10 inaugural clubs in Major League Soccer 

in 1994. They played their first game on 

April 13, 1996, in front of a crowd of 25,266, 

beating D.C. United 4-0. The Crew won its 

first MLS Cup Championship in 1998. Learn 

more about the team at www.thecrew.com. 



picked 

on and 

persecuted 

If having to adjust to a new country 

and learn a new language wasn’t 

stressful enough, add being bullied to 

one of the many challenges young Iraqi 

refugees face in the United States. Being 

called “boater” is among the least offensive 

statements being made towards this 

group of kids. 

This is no surprise to the Chaldean 

American Ladies of Charity. When Iraqi 

refugees began to arrive into the United 

States, many local school districts including 

Walled Lake, Farmington, Warren, 

Madison Heights and Sterling Heights 

opened their doors to CALC. 

“These districts allowed us to come 

into their schools during school hours 

an hour per session to meet with the 

students,” said Clair Konja, facilitator. 

“Every week we asked the students 

what topics they wanted to 

discuss during the hour and unfortunately 

the most-requested 

topic was bullying.” 

Most of the children who attended 

the program were refugees 

or from low-income families. Many 

faced the same type of bullying 

such as name calling (“boater,” 

“camel,” “go back to where you 

Refugees are 

easy targets 

for bullies 



came from”) or even physical abuse such 

as being pushed in the hallway, bathroom 

or on the bus. 

“It was very difficult for the newcomer 

because of the language barrier,” said Konja. 

“Their parents couldn’t even help them. The 

students were consistently getting in trouble 

with the schools because the only way they 

could defend themselves was through physical 

violence. Meeting with the students on a 

weekly basis really helped them get through 

their frustration and anger.” 

During the CALC’s ROOTS sessions, 

each student was given an opportunity to 

speak and discuss how they were being bullied 

and what their solution was, and how 

they felt when they were bullied. It gave 

them an opportunity to express their anger. 

“We as the facilitators also spoke about our 

experience when we were at school and 

how we were once bullied,” said Konja. 

The ROOTS facilitators explained 

to the kids that they do not have to go 

through the experience alone or tolerate being bullied. They 

have been accessible to the students throughout the day by 

cell phone and engaged the schools regarding the bully issue. 

“The victims underwent group therapy and were given 

much-needed support by us and the schools,” said Konja. 

Hard Times 

As Konja noted, many recent refugees are targeted by bullies 

because of the way they speak English — broken. Many of the 

kids who attend COACH (Chaldean 

Outreach and Community 

Hope) sessions 

shared with each 

“It was very difficult 

for the newcomer 

because of the 

language barrier. 

The students were 

consistently getting 

in trouble with the 

schools because 

the only way they 

could defend 

themselves was 

through physical 

violence.” 

other similar experiences. 

Heba, 13, is an only child 

living in Madison Heights. Her 

parents couldn’t conceive so her 

aunt and uncle are her birth parents 

who gave Heba to her adopted 

parents to raise. Her father 

passed away just a few months after 

arriving to the United States. 

Her thick Chaldean accent is just 

one reason kids teased her. “They 

also made fun of me for the way I 

dressed,” she said. 

COACH has held sessions for 

school-aged children where the 

bully issue was discussed at length. 

“We also met with 63 English as a 

Second Language high school students 

at Lamphere High School 

regarding being bullied by firstgeneration 

Chaldeans,” said Kris- 

– CLAIR KoNja 

ten Sagmani, the organization’s 

president. 

Valenten, 14, from Sterling Heights, was prompted to 

help a fellow classmate after having experienced being bullied. 

“Girls were throwing food and paper and gum at this one 

girl, calling her names and taunting her,” said Sagmani. “This 

girl became depressed and shared her feelings with Valenten 

knowing she had experienced something similar. Valenten 

was able to help this girl defend herself and tell the teacher.” 

Valenten, who often serves as a translator for her parents 

who only speak Arabic, was also targeted by bullies for her 

accent and outdated clothing. “They used to call her a boater 

and made fun of her for speaking Arabic and Chaldean 

with her friends,” said Sagmani. “She used to get annoyed 

and very sad but she never did anything about it but would 

walk away and try to ignore them. She told a teacher, but 

nothing much changed.” 

Melad, 13 from Sterling Heights, came to the United 

States on asylum after his father and brother were brutally 

murdered in Iraq. Although his mother is quite ill, he remains 

optimistic about life. 

“Melad’s mother is so sweet,” said Sagmani. “They actually 

welcomed 14 Princeton students into their home 

recently to meet a refugee family. Melad shared with them 

how much he loves living in U.S. but the biggest adjustment 

was making friends.” He has been here almost two years and 

is often teased for his thick accent. Like so many kids, he 

tried to ignore them and would walk away, and he never 

told anyone. 

Thirteen-year-old Ansam left Iraq more than two 

years ago and now lives in Sterling Heights with her 

aunts and grandmother. Her mother died in Iraq 

from cancer and her father is not in her life. She too 

was called boater for her broken English and lack 

of stylish clothes and like other kids, she tried to 

ignore the name calling. 

It’s Viral 

Unfortunately, bullying has gone beyond the school 

premises and is now viral. 

“Cyber-bullying is on the rise with all our 

BULLYING continued on page 26 

Are You 

Being 

Bullied? 

What to do 

• Always tell an adult 

– your parents, teacher, 

coach, school counselor 

or priest. Most adults really 

care and will try to help. 

• Stay in a group. Bullies 

like to pick on kids who 

are by themselves. Spend 

more time with other kids 

and you’ll be less of an 

easy target. 

• Stand up to the bully – if 

it feels safe. That doesn’t 

mean to fight back. Instead, 

tell the bully you don’t like 

it and you want it to stop. 

Keep your voice calm and 

try not to show fear. 

• If you’re being bullied 

online, don’t reply. This can 

make the bullying worse. 

If possible, block communications 

from the person. 

Save evidence of bullying 

by printing the page out, 

and show it to an adult. 

• Join clubs where you’ll 

meet other kids. Think 

about joining a sports team, 

scouting or church group, 

or take a class in computers 

or art. You may make 

some good friends there. 

What not to do 

• Think it’s your fault. 

Nobody deserves to be 

bullied. 

• Fight back or bully back. 

This won’t do any good 

and may just get you in 

trouble. 

• Keep it to yourself and 

hope it just goes away. It 

often doesn’t stop until 

an adult or other kids are 

involved, so be sure to 

report bullying. 

• Skip school or activities 

because you’re afraid of 

being bullied. You have a 

right to be there! 

• Think that telling is tattling 

or snitching. It’s not 

– it’s the right thing to do. 

• Hurt yourself. You may 

feel so sad and depressed 

that you may think there 

is no way out. This is not 

true. Talk to an adult immediately. 

Source: 

StopBullyingNow.hsra.gov 


BULLYING 

continued from page 25 

Chaldean kids,” said Susan 

Kattula, president of the 

Warren Consolidated School 

District board. “Surprising to 

me was that the shy and quiet 

kids are the ones who are the 

worst bullies on the Internet 

or texts because they do not 

have to confront the person. 

Many think that no one will 

ever figure out who they are 

as they seek their revenge on 

those who are teasing them 

relentlessly.” 

The statements being 

made via text and email are 

often vulgar and include sexual 

connotations. 

As Kattula facilitates the 

“Touching Safety Program” 

to children in Catechism and 

Communion classes every 

year, she finds that she has 

to make her Internet safety 

program portion a little longer 

since the students have 

so much they want to share 

and ask about. 

Kimber Bishop Yanke has 

coached thousand of kids and 

parents about how to handle 

bullies in her Girls Empowered 

and Boys Empowered 

workshops. “Being told to 

ignore the bully has been the 

advice given to kids for years 

— but it does not work,” she 

said. “Kids have to learn how 

to stand up for themselves 

and use confident body language.” 

There are signs that a kid is 

being bullied: they refuse to go to 

school, are doing poorly in school 

work, are withdrawn, lack confidence, 

are distressed, have unexplained 

wounds, refuse to talk 

about their day, their possessions 

are missing, and they express anger, 

maybe even violence. 

Just as there are typical traits 

that bullied kids display, the bullies 

often have common characteristics. 

“They have an inflated sense 

of self esteem [thinking they are 

better than others],” said Kristina 

Kased, MA, LLPC. “They have a 

dominant personality, a positive 

attitude towards violence, were 

raised in a violent household and 

find it normal to act in a violent 

manner. Some may have fear that 

they will be picked on so they decide 

to pick on others. They have 

A Growing 

Problem 

BullyStatistics.org collected statistics from a 

variety of studies, which showed that in 1999: 

• One third of teens reported being bullied 

while at school. 

• About 20 percent of teens had been made 

fun of by a bully; 18 percent had rumors 

or gossip spread about them; 11 percent 

were physically bullied, such as being 

shoved, tripped or spit on; 6 percent were 

threatened; 5 percent were excluded from 

activities they wanted to participate in; 4 

percent were coerced into something they 

did not want to do; and 4 percent had their 

personal belongings destroyed by bullies. 

• 4 percent of teens in this study reported 

being the victims of cyber bullying. 

• Most bullying occurred inside the school, 

with smaller numbers of bullying incidents 

occurring outside on the school grounds, 

on the school bus or on the way to school. 

• Only about a third of bully victims reported 

the bullying to someone at school. 

• 44 percent of middle schools reported 

bullying problems, compared to just 

over 20 percent of both elementary 

and high schools. 

• Bully victims are between two and nine 

times more likely to consider suicide than 

non-victims, according to studies by Yale 

University. 

• A study in Britain found that at least half 

of suicides among young people are 

related to bullying. 

• 160,000 kids stay home from school 

every day because of bullying, according 

to ABC News. 

a lack of parental involvement or 

have never been given rules and 

guidelines, and they have no fear 

of punishment. These are just some 

types of kids that bully, the list can 

go on.” 

Educators and experts agree 

that keeping silent about being bullied 

is the wrong thing to do. “If a 

kid has tried to deal with the problem 

on his or her own and it has 

not worked, then they need to tell 

someone,” said Bishop Yanke. 

“There are many adults who 

are able to help in every setting 

— counselors and teachers at a 

school, parents at home, other 

friends and family members,” said 

Kased. “Many kids do not want to 

be a tattletale and fear that by telling 

they will be even more bullied. 

This is not true. The faster these 

kids express themselves, the faster 

they can get help.” 


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This bronze belt, which dates to 800–700 B.C.E., was probably mounted on leather. 

ancient 

art 

By Joyce Wiswell 

A 

jar that predates Christ by 5,000 years 

is among the highlights of the new 

Ancient Middle East gallery at the 

Detroit Institute of Art (DIA), which showcases 

pieces from what is today Iraq, Iran, Turkey, 

Yemen and Armenia. 

Upon entering the airy gallery, located 

on the museum’s first floor, Chaldean visitors 

will immediately recognize the serpent/dragon 

panel from the Ishtar Gate of Babylon. It’s the 

only piece of the gate “to have escaped” the 

Pergamon Museum in Berlin, Germany, said 

Heather Ecker, Ph.D., the DIA’s curator of Islamic 

Art. 

The German excavation at Babylon lasted 

The DIA dusts off 

Middle Eastern 

treasures 

from 1899 to 1917. Ecker said it was once common 

for museums to underwrite excavations in 

foreign lands and then keep the finds, but that 

practice has fallen out of favor. Everything the 

DIA owns was either purchased or received as 

a gift, she said. 

Dating to 604-562 BCE (before the common 

area, or Christ’s birth), the glazed brick 

panel features Marduk, the patron deity of 

ancient Babylon who has the head of a snake, 

hind feet of a bird of prey, front paws of a lion, 

tail of a scorpion and the scaly body of a dragon. 

It’s been in the DIA’s possession since 1931. 

The piece had been in storage since 2007 

and “now looks better than it has in a long 

time,” said Ecker. It’s hung at eye level so visitors 

can get a true close-up look at the relic. 

Displayed next to Marduk is a large stone 

wall carving from the Royal Palace at Nimrud, 

which Ecker called the exhibit’s most important 

piece. It’s from 745-727 BCE and was 

long in storage at the DIA, which has owned it 

since 1950. The carving depicts Assyrian ruler 

Tiglath-Pileser III receiving homage from several 

visitors. Another panel shows an Assyrian 

eagle-headed god preparing to scrap sap from a 

sacred palm tree for the king. 

Also of note are small reliefs from 500-400 

BCE from the Palace at Persepolis, Iran, and 

alabaster burial stones depicting the deceased 

from ancient Yeman. A large and intricate 

bronze belt from 800-700 BCE from Urato, a 

kingdom to which Armenians trace their ancestry, 

looks like it inspired the design of those 

won by current-day World Wrestling champs. 

The oldest piece, a collar-necked jar from 

Anatolia (Turkey) painted with a geometric 

design, dates to 5000 BCE – 7,000 years ago. 

The “newest” are coins, glassware and other 


This limestone panel 

from the Royal Place 

at Nimrud, Iraq, is 

called “Assyrian Ruler 

Tiglath–Pileser III 

Receives Homage.” 

 

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Curator Heather Ecker points out features of the iconic Ishtar Gate of Babylon. 

items from the Sasanian Empire in 

Iraq from 500 CE (Common Era, or 

the birth of Christ). 

The new gallery is in a basilicalike 

space that had been used over 

the past 30 years for everything from 

offices to storage. Its elegant marble 

and slate floor is again 

visible after being covered 

up by carpeting. 

“This was a huge 

project of rehabilitation. 

This space was 

like a dark hole,” 

said Ecker. “I’m really 

proud of how it came 

out – the art is shown 

to good advantage.” 

The DIA plans to 

add more pieces to the exhibit as 

funds become available, and Ecker 

hopes to expand the signage to further 

educate visitors. 

Ecker is the curator behind the 

DIA’s Gallery of Islamic Art, which 

opened a year ago. Among its treasures 

are sacred texts of all the religions 

of the Middle East, including 

the Quran, Armenian gospels, Hebrew 

bibles and a Lebanese prayer 

book. 

“This was a huge project of 

rehabilitation. This space was 

like a dark hole … I’m really 

proud of how it came out.” 

“We don’t have anything Chaldean,” 

Ecker said, “but I’d love to add 

something.” 

Visit www.dia.org. 

– Heather Ecker 


chaldean on the STREET 

What do you wish we were writing about? 

By Anthony Samona 

Readers share their thoughts and ideas of what 

they would like to see in the Chaldean News. 

I would love to see more articles 

about what’s going on with Chaldeans 

in public schools. There are so 

many Chaldeans who are involved in 

sports, student council and/or raising 

money for various charities. I’d love 

to hear positive things about our 

youth within the community. 

Stephanie Nafso, 40 

Farmington Hills 

I would like to see the Chaldean 

News dedicate a section for prayer 

each month depending on the 

season. You could have a novena for 

a saint or focus on a special prayer 

each month. Also, adding a charity 

section for people who want information 

on where and how to help out 

the poor in our neighboring communities 

would be nice. 

Vanessa Kashat, 25 

West Bloomfield 

I love fashion and style! The Chaldean 

News should focus on a section 

of the newest style and fashion 

trends that Chaldeans are rockin! It 

would be nice to see the new Chaldean-owned 

boutiques that opened 

up in the community. The wedding 

issues are my favorite. I would love 

to see more about weddings, brides 

and dresses. 

Agatha Shammami, 20 

Southfield 

I would like to know more about living 

a healthy lifestyle in the Chaldean 

community. Who are the Chaldean 

doctors? Who can we go to for 

medical advice? We should be 

more educated on our health, food, 

exercise, etc. It would also be nice 

to know about seasonal occupations 

such as during tax season, get to 

know what our Chaldean CPAs do 

and who they are. 

Terri Shammami, 52 

Southfield 

There are so many Chaldeans 

involved in sports. I like to see and 

know more about the Chaldean 

Church leagues. Who is in the lead? 

What are the upcoming games? I 

would like to see more involvement 

and focus on Chaldean students who 

play sports in school. 

Anthony Hwier, 17 


I love learning about our traditional 

values. There is so much to learn 

about our Chaldean heritage. Teaching 

young Chaldeans about our 

culture and what we are about is very 

important. There should be a “History 

Fact” about our culture every month. 

I used to love the section, “Nana 

Says,” which taught the young generation 

old sayings our grandparents 

always used to say. 

Evian Yelda, 22 

Wixom 

Every now and then we hear of 

a tragedy that happens at a local 

liquor store. We never ask why or 

how these acts of crime occur. I 

would like to see a column on what 

Chaldean entrepreneurs should do 

when they operate their businesses. 

What are the necessary steps and 

precautions needed to have a safe 

and successful business? 

Ryan Kallabat, 18 

Southfield 

As new technology is being released 

every day, it would be smart for the 

older generation to experience the 

technology of the current generation. 

You should have more on electronics 

and technological advances like the 

iPad, iPhone and Blackberry. If the 

older generation read more about 

the new technology in the Chaldean 

News, it would probably make them 

want to try to learn how to use them 

for entertainment, business or whatever 

suits their needs. 

Timmy Dhanka, 20 



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Photos by David Reed 

Ethan Bortnick, seen here in 2009 at Shenandoah, charms audiences. 

a giving performance 

Child Prodigy Ethan Bortnick headlines for refugees 


If it wasn’t enough making 

headlines as a child prodigy, 9- 

year-old pianist, composer and 

entertainer Ethan Bortnick is now 

lending his talent to a charitable 

cause. He is bringing his show to 

Michigan, where he will help raise 

money for the Chaldean Federation 

of America’s Adopt-a-Refugee-Family 

program – and perform a piece 

specially written for Iraq’s displaced 

Christians. 

On February 18, Ethan will perform 

in concert at the Royal Oak 

Music Theatre to raise money and 

continued awareness for displaced 

Iraq Christians. Ethan’s family understands 

well the plight of refugees; 

his parents, Gene and Hannah, were 

Jewish refugees from Russia. 

“I am so excited to be able to 

perform my concert in Detroit for 

the Adopt-a-Refugee-Family program. 

I know how important it is 

for refugees not be forgotten. My 

family came from the Ukraine and 

were refugees,” he said. “It is so important 

to help and I will do my best 

to make this an amazing concert so 

that more families can be helped.” 

The Adopt-a-Refugee-Family 

Program, launched in 2007, links 

Chaldean families in America to 

Chaldean families in dire need in 

Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. All 

monies raised by the program are 

used to support the displaced Iraqi 

Christians. Each family can pay 

about a third of their monthly expenses 

with just $100 a month. 

“In light of the continued persecution 

of Christians in Iraq and the 

fact that more than 500,000 Christians 

have been forced out of Iraq, 

we need to do all we can to help 

these people,” said Basil Bacall, 

chairman of the Adopt-a-Refugee- 

Family program. “These families live 

a squalid existence, unable to work 

legally and send their children to 

school. Food, water and other basic 

necessities have become exceedingly 

scarce. Entire families are homeless, 

hungry and desperate. Some women 

have turned to prostitution as the 

only means to feed their children.” 

Ethan Bortnick was just shy of 4 

years old when his parents noticed 

him playing Baby Einstein tunes 

on his toy piano. He is one of the 

youngest musicians to have his own 

PBS special, and is now bringing the 

show to fans across the country with 

a CD/DVD release and national 

headlining tour. The Royal Oak 

show is part of that tour. Bortnick 

will perform a piece at that concert 

that he has written and dedicated to 

the Iraqi refugees. 

Tickets are $50. To purchase, call 

Sofia at (248) 406-2052 or email 

info@adoptarefugeefamily.org. 

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the COUNSELOR is in 

Love is a decision, not just a feeling 

In honor of St. Valentine’s 

Day, I recently watched a 

movie I’ve wanted to see 

since its release a couple of 

years ago. Fireproof is based 

on the book Love Dare written 

by two brothers, Stephen 

and Alex Kendrick. The story 

has the potential and power 

not only to change marriages 

but to bring people to the 

realization of their desperate 

need for God – which is often 

unconscious. 

Fireproof is the story of a fire chief 

who is a hero to everyone except his 

wife. Caleb Holt (played by Kirk Cameron 

of “Growing Pains” and the Left 

Behind trilogy) is self-centered and addicted 

to the idea of purchasing the 

perfect boat. He spends most of his 

free time at home viewing Internet 

pornography. His wife, Catherine (Erin 

Bethea of Facing the Giants), wants a 

divorce. When Caleb confides this to 

his father, he sends him a leather journal 

book, Love Dare, that challenges 

Caleb to commit to 40 days of self-sacrifice 

and romancing his wife before he 

consents to a divorce. Caleb finally understands 

what it means to really love 

his wife through a combination of the 

journal book, a change in attitude, and 

the realization of faith. 

Although the movie had just a 

$500,000 budget and a cast made up 

of mostly volunteers with little to no 

acting experience, it delivers its message 

with beautiful drama, adventure, 

humor and raw sincerity. The movie 

is a great starting point for couples 

to discuss important issues in their 

relationship. It is a testimony that 

Christ’s power can save people and 

heal deep wounds that on a human 

Iklas J. Bashi, 

LPC, NCC 

special to the 

chaldean news 

level seem impossible to penetrate 

through and forgive. 

After watching the movie, 

I was moved with gratitude for 

our Catholic faith and for the 

living sacraments found in our 

Mother Church. It is natural 

in marriage to drift apart. It 

happens to the most wellintentioned, 

good people. 

Marriage is a constant work 

in progress, a continual journey 

toward self-discovery and 

discovery of other. Conflict in marriage 

is inevitable. However, the way 

to “fireproof” our marriage is to possess 

knowledge and understanding of God’s 

plan in the sacrament of Matrimony. 

According to Mother Angelica, 

who founded the Eternal Word Television 

Network (EWTN), once we 

realize that human frailties give us 

opportunities to choose between acting 

like ourselves or acting like Jesus 

in any given situation, we begin to see 

the necessity of responding with love 

instead of reacting with uncontrolled 

anger. The virtues of patience, love, 

gentleness, fortitude, faithfulness, 

trust and self-control are not easy to 

acquire except through the power 

of the Spirit living in us. These are 

“decision” virtues — products of our 

will choosing to be the opposite of 

any bad feeling welling up within us. 

When we must fight against the evil 

tendencies within us on a daily basis, 

our souls become weary of the effort, 

our will lags and our determination 

weakens. Perseverance becomes difficult 

and the reality of this struggle 

going on for years paralyzes our soul. 

The sacraments of Reconciliation 

and Holy Eucharist give us the 

power, through the Living Spirit, 

to be strong and persevere. Putting 

ourselves often in the real presence 

of Jesus found in the Blessed Sacrament 

is a sure way to put out any fire 

that tries to burn our marriages. 

According to Love Dare, marriage 

shows us our need to grow and deal 

with our own issues and self-centeredness 

through the help of a lifelong partner. 

If we are open, we will learn to do 

the one thing that is most important 

in marriage – to love. This powerful 

union provides the path for you to 

learn how to love another imperfect 

person unconditionally. It is wonderful. 

It is difficult. It is life changing. 

I wonder how many of us chose 

the following verse from 1 Corinthians 

13:1-3 and 1 Corinthians 13:13 

for our wedding: 

“If I speak in tongues of men 

and of angels, but do not have love, 

I have become a noisy gong or a 

clanging cymbal. If I have the gift 

of prophecy, and know all mysteries 

and all knowledge; and if I have all 

faith, so as to move mountains, but 

do not have love, I am nothing. And 

if I give my possessions to feed the 

poor, and if I surrender my body to be 

burned, but do not have love, it profits 

me nothing … Now these three 

remain: faith, hope, and love. But 

the greatest of these is love.” 

These Scriptures do not speak of 

the love found in popular songs that 

we fill our hearts, minds and iPods 

with. This is not the love we find 

portrayed in Hollywood movies, soap 

operas or magazine ads. God’s love is 

beyond our wildest imagination. It is 

the ultimate Love given freely by the 

One who loved us to His death. 

When Caleb begins to read the 

book and understands God’s ultimate 

sacrifice in sending Jesus to die on the 

cross out of love, he is transformed 

into a new husband and a new man. 

As Caleb comes to know the source 

of all love, he is able to become that 

love to his wife. 

After completing the Love Dare 

and trying to reconcile with his wife, 

Caleb delivers one of the most moving 

lines in the movie when he tells 

Catherine, “God has given me a new 

love for you.” And the tears shed 

from them both become the path to 

purification for their marriage. 

This is a must-see movie. Rent 

it to celebrate your love on St. Valentine’s 

Day. Watch it with your 

spouse, and let the dialogue begin! 

Iklas J. Bashi is a Licensed Professional 

Counselor (LPC) and National Board 

Certified Counselor (NBCC), speaker 

and writer. She is in private practice 

in West Bloomfield where she offers 

life coaching and therapy services for 

individuals, couples, and families. She 

is also available to speak on mental 

health and well-being issues. Find her 

at www.ahigherwayllc.com, www. 

psychologytoday.com and www. 

LinkedIn.com. Email questions and 

comments to ahigherwayllc@gmail.com. 

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Mark Hackel: Moving Macomb County forward 

On the last day of last year, 

Mark Hackel was sworn in 

as the first County Executive 

in Macomb County, which has a 

large and growing Chaldean community. 

Hackel’s rise to this position was 

made possible by voters who wanted 

to change the structure of county 

government to operate in a similar 

manner to Oakland and Wayne 

counties. They also reduced the 

number of Macomb County commissioners 

from 26 to 13. 

Co-Publisher and Editor in Chief 

Vanessa Denha Garmo recently sat 

down with Hackel, the county’s former 

sheriff, inside his Mt. Clemens 

office. He shares his thoughts on serious 

issues while adding levity to the 

conversation. 

“Chaldeans are very 

entrepreneurial. 

I truly believe they 

are a tremendous 

asset to this area, 

especially when it 

comes to creating 

business.” 

CN: What’s your impression of the 

Chaldean community? 

MH: They are a partner in this region. 

I don’t think of our region as 

being specific to any one area or one 

community. Chaldeans are very entrepreneurial. 

They are people who 

like to take on that challenge. They 

take chances by starting businesses. I 

truly believe they are a tremendous 

asset to this area, especially when it 

comes to creating business. 

CN: There have been so many misconceptions 

about Chaldeans over the years 

— for decades actually. Was there anything 

about Chaldeans surprising to you? 

MH: I look at it from a police officer’s 

perspective and as a person who has 

always been involved with others. I 

never look at somebody and think, 

“they are different so something must 

be wrong.” I’m always curious about 

people. One of my best friends is 

Chaldean; I actually got to stand up 

in his wedding — Jason Abro. He’s 

a deputy and he works within the 

detective bureau. He used to own a 

Power House Gym at 16 and Gratiot 

where I used to work out. We became 

friends. He had an interest in police 

work and I just thought this kid has a 

great demeanor — he has potential. 

He started taking classes, going to 

school and the next thing you know 

he became a dispatcher within our 

department. He is phenomenal. 

CN: What was it like standing up in a 

Chaldean wedding? 

MH: I don’t like going to weddings because 

they are so boring; it’s the same 

thing. You get there and see everybody 

you know. They exchange the vows. 

The bride throws the bouquet. It’s the 

same old cheesy songs that they have 

from the band or from some DJ … 

CN: And then you go to a Chaldean 

wedding … 

MH: … and it throws you right off. 

It is a lot of fun, except for the fact 

that you don’t eat until 11 o’clock 

at night. I had a great time. And to 

stand up in it was even more exciting 

because so much was happening. The 

“cackle” thing scared the living crap 

out of me the first time I heard it. 

CN: Oh, the halhole. 

MH: That scared the living daylights 

out of me. It started and I was like, 

“whoa!” Kind of caught me off guard 

but then the wedding was so much 

fun. 

CN: Did you enjoy the food and the 

music? Did you dance? 

MH: Absolutely! The one dance the 

men do in the circle [demonstrates 

the khuga] — I was so intrigued by 

that. I was determined to learn that 

dance and I would not get off the 

dance floor until I did. It was hard. 

But it was interesting. 


CN: What a great way to get an understanding 

of our culture. As residents 

of your county, how can Chaldeans get 

involved in Macomb County? 

MH: I don’t look at it as, what can 

a Chaldean do, I look at it like what 

can people do. It was the same in the 

Sheriff’s Department; we didn’t go 

out looking for somebody of a particular 

culture. Get engaged; don’t 

be afraid to go looking for something 

that you want to be a part of or get 

involved in. Chaldeans are no different 

than any other member of society. 

Sometimes people get this feeling 

that they won’t be accepted. It’s kind 

of hard for people to embrace new 

things. I’m a very receptive person. If 

people want to help or support that’d 

be great. We have a reserve organization 

in the Sheriff’s Department and 

that might be a good way to get in. 

CN: Macomb County’s population of 

Chaldeans is growing due to the many 

Iraqi Christian refugees coming in. 

What are your thoughts on this? 

MH: You know this county started 

with people coming from other 

countries. It still always has been 

open to the opportunity for people 

to find themselves, find their freedoms. 

We fear sometimes that people 

won’t accept us or are treating 

us differently. I don’t know if that’s 

true. People are so consumed by 

their own day-to-day work and business 

and lifestyle. I don’t look at it 

as there is an influx of refugees from 

Iraq coming here and they are Chaldean. 

If there are problems or there 

are impediments, people treating 

you differently, then there are issues 

that need to be addressed. 

CN: You mentioned Mr. Abro working 

with you. Are there any other 

Chaldeans in your administration? 

MH: There are in the Sheriff’s Department 

but I don’t know the extent 

of the entire county and who is 

in every department. 

CN: You are still figuring out the lay 

of the land? 

MH: I am not fluent in what goes on 

in county government yet and I’m 

working on that process. 

CN: Do you plan on engaging ethnic 

groups in some way? The county is so 


diverse. Every group has its own issues, 

its own needs, whether it be Chaldean, 

Arab, Hispanic or African American. 

MH: When I hire I look for somebody 

who’s going to be extremely 

confident in what they are doing 

and I will put anybody on the team 

that can make that happen. I don’t 

say are they black or white, male 

or female. I’m going to make sure I 

have the most competent and qualified 

person, whatever their gender or 

nationality. 

CN: Is more economic development in 

Macomb County one of your priorities? 

MH: I don’t think there is any municipality 

that doesn’t see economic 

development as a priority. It’s without 

question the biggest problem 

we are facing. Government doesn’t 

create jobs; they create an environment 

for jobs to flourish. So I want 

to remove impediments and start 

creating an environment where 

people want to bring their business 

here so they can create jobs. 

CN: What is the biggest problem this 

region is facing? 

MH: I think the bipartisan issues; in 

my opinion it’s the No. 1 area of concern. 

They polarize the public and 

even the media does this. Instead 

of addressing the real issue it’s more 

about what is the politically correct 

thing to do. Many people running 

for office are more concerned with 

being elected as opposed to doing 

the right thing for the right reasons. 

I have four years to be county executive 

and in these four years I am 

not going to worry about what I am 

going to do so I can get re-elected. I 

am not going to do what’s politically 

correct over what’s correct. People 

elected me to do the right thing, to 

set a foundation for this county. My 

job is to figure out exactly how to do 

that in the best way possible. 

CN: What do you think people have 

polarized? 

MH: Pretty much any issue you want 

to talk about is polarized. When I 

say polarized I think it’s extreme on 

either side of the party. And I don’t 

think that is how the majority of the 

population thinks any more. I think 

there is more a moderate view from 

the public’s perspective. Macomb 

County is a perfect example. Overwhelmingly, 

the support and the endorsement 

went to Rick Snyder in 

Macomb County for governor. At 

the same time, Macomb County voted 

a Democrat in for county executive. 

They looked at us as two people 

willing to come to the table and deal 

with the problems and find solutions. 

So many people look at what is going 

on as a party issue. This is anything 

but a party. What’s happening right 

now requires some serious attention. 

I’m telling everybody put your party 

hat on the table because right now 

we have a lot of work to do. 

CN: What was it that ultimately attracted 

you to the county executive seat? 

MH: It had nothing to do with politicians 

because they weren’t very 

supportive. I went out there and 

started realizing we needed a county 

executive to put us on equal footing. 

We are now going to have an equal 

voice in this region. We’re also going 

to want an equal share, making sure 

we’re not a donor county to the state 

or anywhere else. Macomb County 

hasn’t had a strong voice in Lansing. 

I saw many political people wanting 

the position but I also questioned 

why they wanted it. I was not interested 

in people in it for their special 

interests or personal agenda, but only 

in it for Macomb County. I figured if 

these people are willing to work with 

me during the process, I’ll do this job 

for the next four years. 

CN: On what issues does Macomb 

County need to have a voice on the 

state level? 

MH: Balancing our budgets and trying 

to figure out how we balance 

while we restructure. Without question, 

we need to look at shared services. 

We need to look at not only 

reorganizing and reconstructing at 

the county level but in conjunction 

with the locals. We need to figure 

out exactly how to attract reinvestment 

and how to become more competitive. 

People want to compete all 

the time in our region; we should 

not be competing. If one is successful 

then it’s a benefit to the region. 

For example, Wayne County has the 

Aerotropolis, Oakland County has 

major advancements in healthcare, 

and in Macomb we have the defense 

industry and Lake St. Clair. How 

do we revitalize our lake so people 

don’t just swim in it but also so we 

can get economic advantages from 

it? So we look at all of our advantages 

and we ask, how do we support 

each other on those instead of taking 

away from each other? 

The Royal oak Music TheaTRe 

Friday, February 18, 2011 at 8:00pm 

100% of the net proceeds will benefit the 

Adopt-A-Refugee Family Program 

S U B S C R I B E ! 

VIP Packages Available, 

Please Contact Sophia at 248-406-2052 

TICKETS only $50.00 each 

http://adoptarefugee.ticketsocket.com 

Package includes VIP seating, DVD and a Photo 

Opportunity with Ethan Bortnick. 

Visit us on 

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E-mail _____________________________ 


ARTS & entertainment 


an 

artist’s 

agony 

Life is no pretty 

picture for 

Sabah Yousif 

By Weam Namou 

Sabah Yousif works on a piece memorializing the October church massacre in Baghdad. Below: Some of the artists’ works. 

While many call him “Picasso” 

because of his cubism-style 

paintings and 

extraordinary work, Sabah Yousif’s 

lifestyle does not resemble that of 

Picasso, whose revolutionary artistic 

accomplishments brought him 

universal renown and immense fortune. 

For the past 20 years, Yousif’s 

lifestyle has been more like that of 

Vincent Van Gogh, who, unable to 

afford the use of models, purchased 

a mirror and went to work on a series 

of self-portraits. 

“A wealthy art dealer from France 

once offered to sponsor my work 

generously if I stayed in France, but 

I turned him down,” said Yousif. “I 

have no one in France. My cousins, 

whom I love dearly, all live here.” 

But staying in the United States 

has brought him much heartache 

and hardship. 

Sabah Yousif was born in 1940 in 

Basra in southern Iraq. After having 

received only an eighth-grade education, 

he was recognized locally as a 

child prodigy in the arts. He spent 38 

years in Kuwait, where his father had 

moved the family due to a job offer. 

In 1963 Yousif was given a position 

at the Free Workshop for Kuwaiti 

Artists, where he enjoyed a successful 

career until 1990. 

“That’s when I came to America 

for a visit,” he said. “Shortly afterwards, 

the Gulf War started and I 

could not return to Kuwait nor could 

I return to Iraq.” 

A relative advised him to marry a 

woman of U.S. citizenship in order to 

stay in America. He took the advice, 

only to regret it for years to come. 

“The woman ended up reporting 

me to the immigration office,” he 

said. “Ever since then, I’ve struggled 

in this country.” 

Although Yousif is eligible to remain 

in the United States, having 

been granted in 2002 “withholding 

of deportation” status, he does not 

have a Green Card and 

therefore cannot receive 

benefits such as disability 

and food stamps. 

But his difficulties have 

not prevented him from 

continuing to produce incredible 

artwork. His pieces, 

which combine modern 

Iraqi styles and motifs with 

traditional images, have 

been shown in numerous 

Arab and European capitals. 

He has been awarded several 

gold, silver and bronze 

awards in the Kuwaiti Art 

Society’s annual shows, and 

his paintings have been displayed 

in quite a few international, 

juried shows. 

“The subject of my paintings 

centers around the human 

condition,” said Yousif. 

“I’m always incorporating, 

oftentimes with the usage of 

a dove, peace in the midst of 

wrestling empires. The faces 

portrayed on my canvases reject war 

and violence in the world.” 

Yousif also incorporates a “rainbow 

of colors” that combine the 

region and culture of Iraq, Chaldeans, 

Assyrians, Syriacs and Arabs 

(even using the Arabic script) to 

illustrate love, peace and goodwill 

for everyone. 

Today he is completing a painting 

that depicts the horrific massacre 

that took place on October 31 inside 

the Lady of Salvation Church in Iraq. 

Other paintings have addressed the 

Amiriyah shelter bombing, where 

more than 408 civilians were killed 

during the Gulf War when an air-raid 

shelter in Baghdad was destroyed by 

two laser-guided “smart bombs.” 

Those in the United States have, 

to Yousif’s disappointment, little appreciation 

for his talent. 

“People here do not recognize the 

importance of art or of Iraq’s great 

civilization,” he said. 

Yousif has won numerous 

awards from around the 

world, including one from 

UNICEF in 1989. He has had 

articles written about him in 

various languages. He has sold 

countless paintings and has 

freely and insistently passed 

out dozens to those who cross 

his path. 

“If it was up to me, I’d 

throw this award in the garbage,” 

he said, pointing at a 

local award he’d received in 

the early 1990s. “It’s not worth 

anything.” 

He says these words because 

he has been hurt, and 

badly so. He has almost ended 

up on the streets and said 

that if he doesn’t receive help 

soon, he’ll throw himself out 

of his ninth-floor balcony. 

“I’ve considered it on three 

to four different occasions,” he 

said. 


CHALDEAN COMMUNITY 

FOUNDATION 

LOOKING TO HIRE? 

Empower your community. 

Help people achieve self-sufficiency. 

Employ very willing, hard-working, and dependable individuals. 

Give back, and get back. 

Hire a refugee! 

The Chaldean Community Foundation, the not-for-profit arm of the Chaldean American 

Chamber of Commerce, wants to hear from you! 

Contact our Southfield or Sterling Heights offices to speak to one of our Case Managers about being added to 

our employment bank. We will refer candidates for you to consider. There is no fee for this service. 

You can also visit our website at www.chaldeanfoundation.org to fill out an employer profile. 

CHALDEAN COMMUNITY 

FOUNDATION 

Chaldean Community Foundation 

29850 Northwestern Highway, Suite 250 

Southfield, MI 48034 

Phone (248) 996-8340 

Fax (248) 996-8342 

Chaldean Community Foundation 

4171 15 Mile Road 

Sterling Heights, MI 48310 

Phone (586) 722-7253 

Fax (586) 722-7257 

A Chaldean Chamber affiliate providing services & support to our community! 

Funding provided by the Chaldean Community Foundation through the Michigan Department of Community Health. 


KIDS corner 

Get Baking! 

Winter is starting to drag and we are all looking 

forward to warmer weather and playing outside. 

In the meantime, you can make your house feel 

– and smell – nice and cozy by baking tasty treats. 

Grab your parents and get going! 

Cookbook author Samira Yako Cholagh, who is 

soon to release a new collection called “A Baking 

Journey,” offers up these kid-friendly recipes. 

PISTACHIO CUPCAKES 

Makes 24 cupcakes 

3 cups all-purpose flour 

2 teaspoons baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 

2 cups sugar 

5 large eggs 

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

1 1/4 cups buttermilk 

1/2 cup pistachios, shelled, unsalted, chopped 

FROSTING: 

1 1/2 cups milk 

1 3.4-ounce package instant pistachio pudding mix 

1 8-ounce tub frozen whipped topping, thawed 

1/2 cup pistachios, shelled, unsalted, toasted and chopped 

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line two 12-muffin cups with paper liners. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt 

until well blended. 

2. In a large mixing bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. 

Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. 

3. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. 

Scrape sides of bowl often. Beat in vanilla. 

4. Gradually add flour mixture alternately with milk until well combined. 

Stir in pistachios. 

5. Fill each baking cup two-thirds full of batter. Bake for 25 to 30 

minutes, or until wooden skewer inserted into center comes out 

clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

6. To make the frosting: In a large mixing bowl of an electric mixer, 

combine milk and pudding. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Fold 

in the whipped topping. Spoon into pastry bag fitted with plain 

nozzle. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle with pistachios. 

PITA BREAD 

Makes 12 pitas 

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water 

1 envelope (2 1/2 teaspoons) 

dry yeast 

1 teaspoon sugar 

4 1/2 cups bread flour 

1 teaspoon salt 

Frameable Faces Photography 

1. In a large mixing bowl, pour 1/4 cup water, sprinkle 

yeast and sugar over, and let stand for 5 minutes. 

2. Gradually add flour, salt, and remaining water. Mix well 

by hand or with an electric mixer to form a smooth and 

soft dough. 

3. Turn dough out onto floured work surface and knead 

until dough is smooth and pliable. 

4. Form into a smooth ball and place in an oiled bowl. Turn 

to coat all surfaces. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and 

a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 

1/2 hours, or until doubled in size. 

5. Punch dough down, re-cover, and let rise again until 

doubled in size. 

6. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface, knead gently, 

and divide into 12 equal portions. Knead each and 

form into a small ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let 

rest for 20 to 30 minutes. 

7. Preheat oven to 500° F. Place a baking sheet or a 

baking stone on the lowest rack. 

8. On a floured work surface, roll out each portion into 

circles 1/4 inch in thickness. Arrange two to three on 

baking sheet and bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until it puffs 

up and is golden brown. 

9. Wrap with a kitchen towel to keep warm and soft. 


Shimoun, 

Yaldo, Kashat & 

Associates, P.C. 

Providing professional accounting 

and tax services to individuals 

and businesses 

Sal Shimoun, Al Yaldo and Tony Kashat 

have more than 50 years combined experience. 

 

 

• E-File your returns to eliminate errors and 

expedite your refunds. 

• Be sure to seek a licensed professional to 

prepare your tax return. The IRS now requires 

every tax return preparer to be registered with 

the IRS to legally prepare tax returns. 

• Make your IRA contribution by April 15, 2011 

to be deducted for 2010. The maximum 

contribution is $ 5,000 for 2010. For those 50 

years of age and over, the additional catch-up 

contribution is $1,000. 

• In 2011, the annual gift tax exclusion amount 

(per donee) is $13,000. 

• If you need to file an extension and you owe 

money, you must pay the amount owed or face 

penalties. An extension of time to file is NOT an 

extension of time to pay. 

• The business mileage rate for 2010 is $ .50 per 

mile. 

• When a shareholder-employee of an 

S-Corporation provides services to the 

S-Corporation, reasonable compensation 

generally needs to be paid. This compensation 

is subject to employment taxes (payroll taxes). 

• Millions of employees will see their take-home 

pay rise during 2011 because the Tax Relief, 

Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, 

and Job Creation Act of 2010 provides a 2 

percentage point payroll tax cut for employees 

(not employers), reducing their Social Security 

tax withholding rate from 6.2 percent to 4.2 

percent of wages paid. This reduced Social 

Security withholding will have no effect on the 

employee’s future Social Security benefits. 

• Worker classification as Employee or 

Independent Contractor is made under a 

Common Law Test according to Treasury 

regulations. The IRS has developed a list of 20 

factors that may be examined in determining 

whether an employer-employee relationship 

exists. 

• For payments made beginning January 1, 2011, 

real estate owners of rental properties who pay 

any amount for more than $600 during the year 

to any vendor or provider of services will have 

to file an information report (1099) with each 

provider and with the IRS. 

• For payments made beginning January 1, 2012, 

businesses that pay any amount of more than 

$600 during the year to any vendor or provider 

of services will have to file an information report 

(1099) with each provider and with the IRS. 

For some taxpayers, the 2011 tax filing season starts on 

schedule. However, tax law changes enacted by Congress 

and signed by President Obama in December 2010 mean some 

people need to wait until mid to late February 2011 to file 

their tax returns in order to give the IRS time to reprogram its 

processing systems. 

Some taxpayers, including those who itemize deductions on 

Form 1040 Schedule A, will need to wait to file. This includes 

taxpayers impacted by any of three tax provisions that expired 

at the end of 2009 and were renewed by the Tax Relief, 

Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation 

Act of 2010 enacted Dec. 17, 2010. Those who need to wait to 

file include: 

Taxpayers claiming Itemized deductions on Schedule A. 

Itemized deductions include mortgage interest, property 

taxes, charitable deductions, medical and dental expenses as 

well as state and local taxes. Because of late Congressional 

action to enact tax law changes, anyone who itemizes and 

files a Schedule A will not be able to file until mid to late 

February 2011. 

 

 

Taxpayers claiming the Higher Education Tuition and 

Fees Deduction. This deduction for parents and students 

covering up to $4,000 of tuition and fees paid to a postsecondary 

institution is claimed on Form 8917. However, 

the IRS emphasized that there will be no delays for millions 

of parents and students who claim other education credits, 

including the American Opportunity Tax Credit extended 

in December 2010 and the Lifetime Learning Credit. 

Taxpayers claiming the Educator Expense Deduction. This 

deduction is for kindergarten through grade 12 educators 

with out-of-pocket classroom expenses of up to $250. 

In addition to extending those tax deductions for 2010, the 

Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and 

Job Creation Act also extended those deductions for 2011 and 

a number of other tax deductions and credits for 2011 and 

2012 such as the American Opportunity Tax Credit and the 

modified Child Tax Credit, which help families pay for college 

and other child-related expenses. The Act also provides various 

job creation and investment incentives including 100 percent 

expensing of newly purchased assets and a 2-percent payroll tax 

reduction for 2011. Those changes have no effect on the 2011 

filing season. 

“We strive to provide the proper 

guidance and professional advice...” 

The IRS will announce a specific date in the near future when 

it can start processing tax returns impacted by the recent tax 

law changes. In the interim, taxpayers affected by these tax law 

changes can start working on their tax returns, but they should 

not submit their returns until IRS systems are ready to process 

the new tax law changes. 

The continuing changes in the Federal Tax Code require many 

individuals and businesses to seek the professional expertise of 

accounting firms such as Shimoun, Yaldo, Kashat & Associates 

to guide them through these continuous changes. 

“We at Shimoun, Yaldo, Kashat & Associates have put together 

a team of accounting professionals who are qualified to provide 

our clients with the most up-to-date professional advice,” said 

Sal Shimoun. 

“We go through continuing education each year to remain 

current with the ongoing tax law changes in order to help clients 

take advantage of all of the tax deductions available to minimize 

their tax liabilities,” said Al Yaldo. 

Together, Sal Shimoun, Al Yaldo and Tony Kashat offer more 

than 50 years of professional experience in accounting and 

taxation. Their knowledge and expertise, along with their 

strong supporting professional staff, has made the firm become 

very reputable amongst the many Certified Public Accounting 

firms in the region. 

“We strive to provide the proper guidance and professional 

advice to assist our clients with their accounting and tax needs 

utilizing the most current software and technology,” said Tony 

Kashat. 

Shimoun, Yaldo, Kashat & Associates also offers: accounting 

and compilation services, real estate and business investment 

analysis, payroll check preparation and services, financial 

projections and forecasts, personal financial statements, 

QuickBooks setup and support and assistance with processing 

business loan applications. They also provide support in Federal 

and State Audits for businesses and individuals. The firm also 

prepares Anti Money Laundering Programs and handles 

Compliance Audits for businesses that are classified as Money 

Services Business. 

 

 

 

 

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classified listings 

HELP WANTED 

OPPORTUNITY FOR A STYLIST 

Looking for experienced & 

talented stylist w/clientele. 

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248-752-7543. 

HAIR CARE 

KERATIN SPECIAL 

SALON TREATMENT 

Includes 10 oz. shampoo, starts 

@ $225. Call Valerie Kasgorges 

or Michael M. @ 248-203-2460, 

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GUITAR LESSONS 

BERKLEE COLLEGE 

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FREE consultation/evaluation 

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RIK JONNA, (248) 808-5757. 

SERVICES OFFERED 

IT’S THE PERFECT 

TIME OF YEAR 

to get your air ducts cleaned 

out! Call Running Right for a 

professional, reasonably priced 

job. (248) 884-1704. 

BEAT THE WINTER BLAHS 

with freshly painted walls. 

All work done on time and 

on budget by a seasoned 

professional. It costs a lot less 

than you think! (248) 542-1033. 

Offices in: 

California • Michigan • Missouri 

FEBRUARY PREVIEW TOURS 

Learn about the academic advantages and unequaled choice of a 

Bloomfield Hills Schools education during a preview tour. Out-of-district 

tuition students are welcome. 

Kindergarten and Preschool 

Bloomin’ Tots Fox Hills 

(6 weeks - 5 years) 

Feb. 1 or Feb. 2 

For times and to RSVP (248) 341-7950 

Conant Kindergarten & 

Bloomin Kids (2½ - 5 years) 



Eastover Elementary School 



Lone Pine Kindergarten & 

Bloomin Kids and Tots 

(6 weeks - 5 years) 



Way Elementary School 



Middle Grades 

 

 

(Parents of incoming 5 th graders) 

Feb 10. or Feb. 15 


 




 




If you are unable to attend a preview tour but are interested in learning more about 

Bloomfield Hills Schools, please call (248) 341-6328. 

http://PreviewTours.Bloomfield.org

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syaldo@fbinsmi.com 

A New Policy for Michigan… 

Protect your family with life insurance… and 

get back all your premium dollars if you live. 

We can’t wait to tell you more about our new 

return-of-premium policy. 

Call today. 

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• Worldwide Merchant Services • 

Credit Card Processing 

Check Processing with 

Guarantee 

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and Recurring Payments 

Business Cash Advance 

ATM Sales and Leasing 

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Credit Card Terminals 

POS Systems 

Web store Design and 

Processing 

Online Processing 

Agent Programs 

(248) 855-9099 

7011 Orchard Lake Road 

Servicing all your Auto, Home, Life & health Insurance needs! 

Jennifer Abbo 

Nora Toma-Kirma 

Vision 

Mike Bahry 

REALTOR ® 

Residential/Commercial 

26075 Woodward, Suite 200 

Huntington Woods, MI 48070 

Office: (248) 548-4400 Ext. 208 

Fax: (248) 548-8775 

Cell Phone: (248) 790-9366 

E-mail: mikebahry@remax.net 

SHORT SALE SPECIALIST 

Everything I touch Turns to Sold 

Each Office independently Owned and Operated 

Accredited Buyer Representative 

Certified Luxury Home Marketing 

Specialist 

Certified Residential Specialist 

Internet Professional 

Graduate REALTORS Institute 

Quality Service Certified 

Seniors Real Estate Specialist 

Brian S. Yaldoo 

Classic - Associate Broker 

29630 Orchard Lake Road 

Farmington Hills, Michigan 48334 

Office: 1-248-737-6800 

Fax: 1-248-539-0904 

Pager/VM: 1-248-806-9100 

E-Mail: brianyaldoo@remax.net 

Websites: www.brianyaldoo.com 

brianyaldoo.realtor.com 

BuyingOrSellingRealEstate.com 

Individually Owned and Operated 

RON GARMO 

Licensed and Insured Contractor 

248.884.1704 

runningright@gmail.com 

“We’re working to keep your systems Running Right!” 

Now offeriNg Duct 

> HEATING 

cleaNiNg ServiceS 

StartiNg at 

$300 per SyStem 

> VENTILATION 

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Office Buildings 

Shopping Centers 

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Construction Sites 

Catch Basin Repair 

Asphalt Millings 

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Pot Hole Repair 

Line Jetting 

Gum Removal 

“Over 25 years of Service” 

2200 E. Ten Mile Road, • Warren, Michigan 48091 

P: (586) 759-3668 • Fax: (586) 759-0858 


events 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

1. Baby parade 

2. Arij Shaaia 

holds Renalda 

Francy. 

3. Atef and Sasha 

Yousif present 

baby Aiden 

Asmaro. 

4. Little Mariano 

Israeel pays 

close attention. 

5. Jihan Mati and 

Samanta Khalid 

6. Msgr. Zuhair 

Toma (Kejbou) 

annoints a baby. 

7. The Israeel 

family celebrates. 

epiphany baptisms 

Photos by David Reed 

Many parents choose January 6, the Epiphany, as the day to 

get their children baptized, and this year was no exception. 

St. Joseph Chaldean Catholic Church in Troy held three 

christening ceremonies that day, including the evening mass 

seen here. The Epiphany celebrates the baptism of Jesus Christ. 



Everlasting Moments Photography 

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248.818.0262 

Pure Heart Productions Presents 

 

Sponsored by: MyChaldeanwedding.com, 

Rock & Rich Baby, and Treasure Your Invites 

Saturday, February 26, 2011 

3pm-10pm @ Regency Manor in Southfield 

Contact: Brian Bajoka bbajoka@MyChaldeanWedding.com

FEBRUARY 2011

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