JULY 2022

METRO DETROIT CHALDEAN COMMUNITY VOL. 19 ISSUE VI JULY 2022 

New 

Americans 

THE JOURNEY TO 

U.S. CITIZENSHIP 

PLUS 

Deciding the 10th District 

Nahla In the Frame 

Building on History

CONTACT 

ELIE MALOUF 

LINCOLN 

PRODUCT 

SPECIALIST 

248-530-4710 

DISCOVER THE POWER OF 

SANCTUARY 

www.lincolnoftroy.com 

248-643-6600 

1950 W Maple Rd. 

Troy, MI 48084

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For Your Best Health. 

Therapy can be a big step toward being the healthiest version of yourself and living the best life possible—our 

professional therapists are here for you to access. Through therapy, you can change self-destructive behaviors and 

habits, resolve painful feelings, improve your relationships, and share your feelings and experiences. Individuals often 

seek therapy for help with issues that may be hard to face alone. 

In therapy your trilingual therapist will help you to establish person centered goals and determine the steps you will take 

to reach those goals. Your relationship with your therapist is confidential and our common therapeutic goal for those we 

engage is to inspire healthy change to improve quality of life — no matter the challenge. 

We invite you seek out the Light of Project Light! Serving individuals ages 13 years and up. Please call to request a 

Project Light Intake at (586) 722-7253. 

CHALDEAN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 3601 15 MILE ROAD STERLING HEIGHTS, MI 48310 

WWW.CHALDEANFOUNDATION.ORG (586) 722-7253 

CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY: The CCF and Project Light is committed to your privacy and confidentiality and are sensitive to the stigma and stress that come with seeking mental health support. Therefore, all counseling records 

are kept strictly confidential. Information is not shared without client’s written consent. Exceptions to confidentiality are rare and include persons who threaten safety of themselves others or in circumstances of a court order. 

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4 CHALDEAN NEWS JULY 2022

METRO DETROIT CHALDEAN COMMUNITY | JULY 2022 | VOL. 19 ISSUE VI 

ON THE COVER 

18 New Americans 

The journey to U.S. citizenship 

By Sarah Kittle 

FEATURES 

19 Blazing the Trail 

Atheer Istifan leads the way 

By Cal Abbo 

20 In the Frame 

Nahla Valley photo essay 

By Wilson Sarkis and Alan Mansour 

18 

24 Building on History 

LTU educates for the future 


DEPARTMENTS 

6 From the Editor 

Celebrating diversity 


8 Guest Column 

A hand up 

By N. Peter Antone 

10 Foundation Update 

Bishop visits, Little Scholars, Voting 101 

12 Noteworthy 

Novi heroes, Governor’s commission 

14 Iraq Today 

Lake Sawa dries up, Lawmakers resign 

16 In Memoriam 

17 Obituaries 

Bahjat Shamoun Isshak 

Clarence Michael Dass 

34 Economics & Enterprise 

Chaos begets opportunity 

By Valene Ayar 

36 Arts & Entertainment 

Making Middle Eastern music 

By John Secor 

38 Dr. Is In 

Avoiding summer hazards 

By Dr. Rena Daiza 

40 Events 

Chaldean Sisters 100 years 

CACC PAC Scotch & Cigars 

42 From the Archive 

First American school 

for boys in Baghdad 

26 Deciding the 10th 

Marlinga and James square off 

By Paul Natinsky 

28 Heating up in West Bloomfield 

20th district race candidates 

By Paul Natinsky 

30 Coming Home 

New Oak Park superintendent 

By Crystal Kassab Jabiro 

32 The Gishru Experience 

By Fayth Kakos 

20 


FROM THE EDITOR 

PUBLISHED BY 

Chaldean News, LLC 

Chaldean Community Foundation 

Martin Manna 

EDITORIAL 

EDITOR 

Sarah Kittle 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Cal Abbo 

N. Peter Antone 

Valene Ayar 

Dr. Rena Daiza 

Crystal Kassab Jabiro 

Fayth Kakos 

Sarah Kittle 

Alan Mansour 

Paul Natinsky 

John Secor 

ART & PRODUCTION 

CREATIVE DIRECTOR 

Alex Lumelsky with SKY Creative 

GRAPHIC DESIGNER 

Zina Lumelsky with SKY Creative 

PHOTOGRAPHERS 

Dany Ashaka 

Nico Salgado 

Wilson Sarkis 

Andria Watha 

SALES 

Interlink Media 

Sana Navarrette 

CLASSIFIEDS 

Sana Navarrette 

Subscriptions: $35 per year 

CONTACT INFORMATION 

Story ideas: edit@chaldeannews.com 

Advertisements: ads@chaldeannews.com 

Subscription and all other inquiries: 

info@chaldeannews.com 

Chaldean News 

30095 Northwestern Hwy, Suite 101 

Farmington Hills, MI 48334 

www.chaldeannews.com 

Phone: (248) 851-8600 

Publication: The Chaldean News (P-6); 

Published monthly; Issue Date: April 2022 

Subscriptions: 12 months, $35. 

Publication Address: 

30095 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 101, 

Farmington Hills, MI 48334; 

Permit to mail at periodicals postage rates 

is on file at Farmington Hills Post Office 

Postmaster: Send address changes to 

“The Chaldean News 30095 Northwestern 

Hwy., Suite 101, Farmington Hills, MI 48334” 

Celebrating diversity 

Summer is here and it’s going to be a hot one. 

While we enjoy our warm weather activities, 

our lakes and beaches and pools, we need 

to keep in mind the dangers that come with the 

season. Dr. Rena Daiza reminds us of the perils of 

sunstroke and heat exposure among other summer 

threats in this month’s Dr. Is In column. 

Things are also heating up politically, with more 

than one hotly contested election happening in our 

region. Writer Paul Natinsky spoke with the candidates 

and has given us a clear and concise outline 

of the issues each candidate will focus on in the races 

for the newly drawn 10th and the 20th Michigan districts. In 

this era of political unrest, it’s more important than ever that 

we choose wisely when electing our representatives. 

The Chaldean community has much to celebrate, with a 

member playing for the National Arab Orchestra in the upcoming 

Concert of Colors, a new Chaldean school superintendent 

in Oak Park, more members running for office, and 

others being recognized for heroism and appointed to commissions, 

as reported in this month’s Noteworthy section. 

We are pleased to reprise In the Frame, the Iraqi photo 

essay featuring photos from Wilson Sarkis and captions by 

Alan Mansour. July spotlights Nahla Valley, a small, hardworking, 

mountainous region populated by families determined 

to live on their ancestral land. Their children learn 

Sureth in school and families work together to farm and use 

the natural landscape to produce sesame products. It is our 

hope that these articles will be inspirational and will motivate 

the Michigan Chaldean community to get more involved 

with helping those who still live in Iraq. 

The community mourns its dearly departed, including 

Bahjat Isshak and Clarence Dass. Dass has a lot of name recognition 

as a stellar lawyer, but you may have also seen his 

name on lawn signs because he ran for office a few times. 

SARAH KITTLE 

EDITOR 

IN CHIEF 

history come through strongly as she describes the 

experience. Valene Ayar shares her knowledge of finance 

and has some suggestions for capitalizing on 

the current interest rates. 

We love the CCF updates which let us know 

what the Chaldean Community Foundation has 

been working on. New and needed resources are 

always being added, and the organization figures 

prominently in the July issue as we honor New 

Americans, those who have went through or are 

now going through the U.S. citizenship application 

process. Many immigrants have fled hostile environments 

only to be put through the rigors of assimilation and acculturation; 

the CCF guides them through the process. Cal Abbo 

profiles one of their clients, Atheer Istifan. 

As we observe Independence Day on July 4, it is worth remembering 

and honoring all the immigrants that made this 

country great and celebrating all the accomplishments this 

community has contributed to the ‘Great Melting Pot’ that is 

called the United States of America. 

Blessings, 

Cancer claimed another victim way too young. 

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GUEST COLUMN 

A Hand Up 

Building a dream one success story at a time 

BY N. PETER ANTONE 

Jamal Kalabat had been 

attending engineering 

school for three years in 

Baghdad when the opportunity 

came for him to move to 

the United States. Arriving in 

America in 1976, he knew his 

engineering education must 

continue and he enrolled at 

Lawrence Technological University 

(then Institute). He obtained 

a Bachelor’s degree in 

Construction Engineering in 

1978, with highest distinction 

in Business Administration studies. 

Upon graduation, Jamal started 

a construction firm that within a few 

years grew to include 50 direct employees 

and hundreds of subcontractors. 

As Chairman of the Board and 

Chief Executive Officer of Kalabat 

Companies, Jamal was responsible for 

building and developing commercial, 

residential, and municipal construction 

projects. 

His success branched into architectural, 

engineering, and construction 

services in the medical and dental 

field, into hotel construction and 

portfolio management, and into international 

commerce in global architectural, 

engineering, and construction 

program management. 

Kalabat has since become a leading 

provider of structured businesses in engineering, 

development, construction, 

real estate, and financing solutions to 

high-end private and corporate real estate 

investors in Southeast Michigan. 

His companies, which include many 

subsidiaries specializing in various design, 

construction, and real estate development 

services, have quickly become 

some of the most resourceful and innovative 

local real estate developments 

and construction and property management 

companies in Metro Detroit. 

Yet despite all his success, Jamal 

did not forget his roots in the community 

he left behind in Baghdad. When 

the Iran-Iraq War was at its peak, Jamal 

began thinking of the bright Iraqi 

N. PETER 

ANTONE 

SPECIAL 

TO THE 

CHALDEAN 

NEWS 

engineers like himself who 

were stuck in a country riddled 

with war. Jamal realized 

that his thriving engineering 

business would authorize his 

company to legally petition 

for and obtain the services of 

qualified Iraqi engineers, allowing 

them to get work permit 

visas to come to America 

and work in the construction 

field. For nearly twenty years, 

Jamal worked very hard to 

seek, find, and assist a yearly 

average of four to five Iraqi engineers 

in obtaining proper work permits from 

the U.S. Consulate in Baghdad. 

Within a few years, many of these 

engineers had obtained green cards 

and some of them went on to establish 

businesses, becoming very successful 

on their own merit. Kalabat helped 

over one hundred Iraqi engineers in 

total obtain work visas, enabling them 

Frank Konja (in cart) and Jamal Kalabat at the 2020 CACC Golf Outing benefiting the CCF. 

to legally come to the United States 

and work at his company. Almost all of 

these Iraqi engineers either had families 

previously or established families 

during their time in the U.S., and many 

now are proud parents or grandparents 

of American citizens. 

There are literally hundreds of people 

living in this country achieving remarkable 

success who, without Jamal’s 

help, might have not been able to come 

here. In a worst-case scenario, some 

of the parents and grandparents for 

whom he petitioned may have otherwise 

been killed in the numerous wars 

and troubles that have besieged Iraq for 

decades. 

The process of helping so many 

Iraqi engineers obtain work permits 

and immigrate to the U.S. was neither 

easy nor straightforward. On numerous 

occasions, Jamal had to submit 

extensive documents of the processes 

he was involved in to the U.S. government, 

and he had to prove the bona 

fide qualifications of those whom he 

was assisting and for whom his company 

was petitioning. 

Yet, throughout this entire process, 

Jamal remained calm and quiet, never 

bragging or showing any sense of entitlement 

to praise. In fact, I only know 

about this because I was involved in 

the legal processes for several of those 

whom Jamal assisted. He is clearly one 

of the unsung heroes in our community 

and it is about time that this story 

be told. I am honored to tell it to the 

readers of the Chaldean News. 

N. Peter Antone is a lawyer with 

Immigration Law firm of Antone, 

Casagrande & Adwers, P.C. in 

Farmington Hills. Jamal Kalabat 

has many different companies 

including Kalabat Engineering, ICON 

Global Architecture, and K4 General 

Contractors, a Design-Build firm. 


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FOUNDATION UPDATE 

First Class Graduation 

Our Little Scholars program held its first school graduation on 

June 15 at Nelson Park in Sterling Heights. The Little Scholars 

Program is an early childhood development program designed 

to assist kids 3-5 years of age prepare for kindergarten and future 

educational opportunities. 

The program saw its first four 5-year-olds graduate in its inaugural 

year. Many in the program will continue to attend Little Scholars 

next year. The students in the program have grown in their math, 

reading, and comprehension skills. The 2022-2023 school year will 

start after Labor Day. Spots are still available. 

For more information on the Little Scholars program, contact 

the Chaldean Community Foundation at 586-722-7253. 

Archbishop Najeeb Michaeel Moussa pictured by a painting of the Pope bearing the same cross. 

Archbishop Najeeb Michaeel Moussa 

The Chaldean Community Foundation (CCF) was visited by Archbishop Najeeb Michaeel Moussa, 

Bishop of Mosul. As part of a trip to visit the Chaldean churches in the area, the archbishop had the 

opportunity to tour the Chaldean Community Foundation and learn more about the services offered. 

Archbishop Najeeb Michaeel Moussa was the recipient of the CCF’s 2019 Community Service 

Award, not only for saving lives, but for almost single-handedly saving precious artifacts and manuscripts 

that are sacred to our faith and our community. 

The Little Scholars students performing in front of their 

parents at their graduation ceremony. 

Learning the Election Process 

The Chaldean Community Foundation (CCF) hosted a Voting 101 event on June 13. The learning event was in partnership 

with the City of Sterling Heights City Clerk’s office and Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA) Vote. Many 

future U.S. citizens from the CCF’s Citizenship Preparation classes attended to learn more about the election process. 

The participants also experienced a mock precinct vote, which included filling out a sample ballot and putting it 

through a tabulator. For many participants, this was their introduction to the voting process and the beginning of a 

journey towards becoming future voters in city, state, and federal elections. 

The Chaldean Community Foundation offers voter registration assistance through Hey U Vote, which started at 

the CCF in 2017 to aid individuals with voter registration. If you are interested in registering to vote, visit the Chaldean 

Community Foundation during business hours to start the voter registration process. 

Bishop Basilio Yaldo pictured with CCF and 

CACC President Martin Manna and Dave Nona. 

Chaldean Auxiliary 

Bishop of Baghdad 

Visits the CCF 

Bishop Basilio Yaldo of Baghdad visited the 

CCF recently and took the time to discuss the 

latest news in Iraq with CCF staff. 

The bishop last visited the CCF in 2021 and 

toured the expanded center to learn more about 

the work that is being done. He also paid a visit 

to the CCF’s Little Scholars, English as a Second 

Language, and Breaking Barriers programs. 

The CCF has launched an initiative to better 

support and serve the community in Iraq. 

The CCF’s evening citizenship Preparation Class, led by Salam Sesi, holding their new American flags. 


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NOTEWORTHY 

Novi heroes earn lifesaving award, family’s 

eternal gratitude after rescuing drowning boy 

One moment, Marvin Petrous was just 

a dad watching his kids and others 

play in a Novi pool. Seconds later, he 

and Kailyn Alton were heroes, saving 

7-year-old Ian Cho from drowning and 

his family from a lifetime of sorrow. 

Petrous and Alton were recently 

honored with Civilian Lifesaving citations 

during the Novi Police and Fire 

Awards Ceremony. 

“It’s a true honor,” Alton said. “I 

think Marvin and I both stepped up 

to something that needed to be done, 

and fortunately, there is a great outcome 

from it. We can still see the child 

living a happy, healthy life.” 

The entire episode, which happened 

a year ago, still feels unreal to 

Cho, as well as to his son’s saviors, all 

of whom were strangers to each other 

at the time. “For the first few months, 

I thought, ‘Did this really happen and 

why did I see it?’” Petrous recounted. 

“I felt it was my time to do something, 

God wanted me to do it. To me, that’s 

winning the lottery.” 

Petrous and Alton were at the Liberty 

Park community pool enjoying 

the day when 7 year-old Ian Cho went 

under and never resurfaced. Petrous 

jumped in to pull Cho out. His voice 

breaks now as he remembers: “He was 

lifeless, gone, blue in the face… It was 

so hard, so hard. He was just gone.” 

Petrous began cardio-pulmonary 

resuscitation. Alton, who had been on 

the other side of the pool, arrived at the 

side of Petrous, seemingly “out of nowhere.” 

The off-duty ER nurse took over 

CPR on Ian, who didn’t have a pulse. 

“Time goes by so slow and so fast at 

the same,” recalled Alton. “It was maybe 

a minute or so. He started coughing 

up pool water and regained color. He 

Kailyn Alton (formerly Kailyn Gasso) 

and Marvin Petrous with Ian Cho, days 

after the strangers saved the 7-yearold 

from drowning in a Novi pool. 

was confused; a lot had just happened 

to him… The whole pool, all the moms 

and dads were very emotional.” 

– Hometownlife.com 

PHOTO BY YOUNGJOO CHO 

Community 

members 

appointed to 

Governor’s 

commission 

Ms. Haley A. Jonna, a 

Keego Harbor resident 

and member of the 

Board of Directors of 

the Chaldean American 

Chamber of Commerce, 

has been appointed 

to serve on the 

Commission on Middle Eastern Affairs. 

Her term began June 21, 2022 

and will expire on April 19, 2026. 

Dr. Adhid Y. Miri of Bloomfield 

Hills was also appointed 

to the commission. 

He is a Project Director 

at the Chaldean Community 

Foundation 

and takes over the role 

from Mr. Martin Manna, 

president of the 

Foundation. Dr. Miri’s term is also 

June 21, 2022, until April 19, 2026. 


ATTENTION STUDENTS! 

2022 

Academic 

Scholarship 

Program 

DEADLINE: 

Friday, July 15th, 2022 at 5:00pm 

w3r Consulting STEM Scholarship 

Two (2) $5,000 scholarships offered to current undergraduate 

(sophomores, juniors, & seniors) Chaldean students at a 

Michigan college or university enrolled in a program in the 

fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics. 

Drs. Nathima and Peter Atchoo Family 

Foundation Scholarship Fund 

Six (6) $2,000 scholarships offered to Chaldean students 

pursuing higher education, including Michigan community 

college, university, or graduate program in preparation for a 

career in the field of their choice. 

Yvonne Nona Memorial Scholarship Fund 

Four (4) $2,500 scholarships offered to Chaldean women 

pursuing higher education at a Michigan community 

college, university or graduate program. Open to current 

undergraduate or graduate students. 

The Abdul Karim and Jameela Sesi 

Memorial Scholarship Fund 

Four (4) $2,500 scholarships offered to Chaldean students 

pursuing higher education, including community college, 

university, and graduate studies in preparation for a career in 

the field of their choice. 

DA Advisory Group Scholarship Fund 

Two (2) $5,000 scholarships offered to current undergraduate 

(sophomores, juniors or seniors only) Chaldean students at a 

Michigan college or university pursuing degrees focused on 

the field of accounting. 

CCF General Scholarship Fund 

Offers a minimum of $2,500 scholarship(s) for Chaldean 

students pursuing a higher education, including community 

college, university, and graduate studies in preparation for a 

career in the field of their choice. 

*Emphasis will be placed on supporting colleges/universities 

with matching funds. 

Scan here to apply beginning 

June 13, 2022 

For more information, contact (586) 722-7253 

or visit chaldeanfoundation.org/scholarship-program/ to apply. 


IRAQ TODAY 

Iraq’s ‘pearl of the south’ Lake 

Sawa dry amid water crisis 

LAKE SAWA, Iraq (AP) — This year, 

for the first time in its centuries-long 

history, the lake dried up. A combination 

of mismanagement by local investors, 

government neglect and climate 

change has ground down its azure 

shores to chunks of salt. 

Lake Sawa is only the latest casualty 

in this broad country-wide struggle 

with water shortages that experts 

say is induced by climate change, including 

record low rainfall and backto-back 

drought. The stress on water 

resources is driving up competition 

for the precious resource among businessmen, 

farmers and herders, with 

the poorest Iraqis counting among the 

worst hit amid the disaster. 

“This lake was known as the pearl 

of the south,” said Hussam al-Aqouli, 

35, a native of the nearby city of Samawa, 

looking out onto the dry cavernous 

emptiness. “Now it is our tragedy.” 

Between the capital Baghdad and 

the oil-rich heartland of Basra, Muthanna 

is among Iraq’s poorest provinces. 

The number of those living under 

the poverty line in the province is almost 

three times the national average. 

Locals call the area surrounding 

Lake Sawa “atshan” — or simply 

“thirsty” in Arabic. 

Experts said the lake has not dried 

up for good but its disappearance this 

year is a concerning consequence of 

the thousands of illegal wells dug by 

businessmen in nearby cement factories 

and manufacturing zones, a result 

of drought and decreasing waters 

along the nearby Euphrates. 

Locals say the drying up of the waters 

of Lake Sawa presages the return 

of the Imam al-Mahdi, a revered figure 

in Shiite Islam and a descendent of the 

prophet. 

“It means the end of days is near,” 

said al-Aqouli, in jest. 

For environmentalists, the doomsday 

predictions may not be far off. 

Studies have shown the lake is fed 

by underground water sources through 

a system of cracks and fissures. It can 

also receive rainwater from surrounding 

valleys and heavy rainfall in past 

years has caused flash floods. 

Species of fish, unfit for human 

consumption, were food for various 

vulnerable migratory birds that sojourned 

along its banks. With the fish 

gone, the birds too will have to reroute 

their seasonal passage or perish, said 

al-Obeidi. 

And the future is poised to bring 

more hardship, with alarming predictions 

of more water stress. The Water 

Resources Ministry has said water 

levels decreased by 60% in 2022 compared 

to last year. 

Lawmakers from Iraq’s biggest bloc 

resign amid impasse 

BAGHDAD (AP) — Dozens of lawmakers 

who make up the biggest bloc in 

Iraq’s parliament resigned on Sunday 

amid a prolonged political impasse, 

plunging the divided nation into political 

uncertainty. 

The 73 lawmakers from powerful 

Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s bloc 

submitted their resignation based on 

his request, to protest a persisting 

political deadlock eight months after 

general elections were held. 

Parliament Speaker Mohammed 

Halbousi accepted their resignation. 

Al-Sadr, a maverick leader remembered 

for leading an insurgency 

against U.S. forces after the 2003 invasion, 

emerged as the winner in the 

election held in October. 

The election was held several 

months earlier than expected, in response 

to mass protests that broke out 

in late 2019, and saw tens of thousands 

rally against endemic corruption, poor 

services and unemployment. 

The vote brought victory for powerful 

Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr who 

won 73 out of Parliament’s 329 seats, 

and was a blow for his Iran-backed 

Shiite rivals, who lost about two-thirds 

of their seats and have rejected the results. 

Al-Sadr has been intent on forming, 

along with his allies, a majority 

government that excludes them. But 

he has not been able to corral enough 

lawmakers to parliament to get the 

two-thirds majority needed to elect 

Iraq’s next president — a necessary 

step ahead of naming the next prime 

minister and selecting a Cabinet. 

It was not immediately clear how 

the resignation of the biggest bloc in 

parliament would play out. A veteran 

Iraqi politician expressed concern that 

the resignations could lead to chaos in 

the country. 

According to Iraqi laws, if any seat 

in parliament becomes vacant, the 

candidate who obtains the second 

highest number votes in their electoral 

district would replace them. 

This would benefit al-Sadr’s opponents 

from the so-called Coordination 

Framework, a coalition led by Iranbacked 

Shiite parties, and their allies 

- something al-Sadr would be unlikely 

to accept. 

There are already concerns that the 

stalemate and tension could boil over 

and lead to street protests by supporters 

of al-Sadr, turning into violence between 

them and rival armed Shiite militias. 

Al-Sadr, one of Iraq’s most influential 

political leaders with a large 

following, has repeatedly alluded to 

the capabilities of his militia, Saraya 

Salam, which recently opened the 

doors for recruits in Babylon and Diyala 

provinces. 


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IN MEMORIAM 

Sabhan Hader 

Jarbo 

Jul 25, 1952 – 

May 1, 2022 

Margaret Ann 

Atto 

Jun 15, 1930 – 


Sister Josephine 

Toma Semaan 

July 1, 1930 – 


Paul Ramzi 

Hami 

Aug 29, 1976 – 


Fawzi G. 

Masboob 

July 20, 1959 – 


Rahel Hermis 

Danyal (Sana) 

July 1, 1910 – 


Marta Warda 

David 

July 1, 1928 – 


Gorjia Thomas 

Shathaia Zora 

June 15, 1940 – 


Victoria Nafsu 

July 1, 1933 – 


Munim 

Faraj Kajy 

May 5, 1949 – 


Salwan 

Hamama 

Aug 5, 1956 – 


Dhekra Gabraael 

Qaryaqos 

May 2, 1972 – 


Michael Jarjis 

Ammori 

Feb 1, 1945 – 


Najiba Seman 

Hodi 

Oct 20, 1935 – 


Shafek Shamo 

Bashi 

July 1, 1957 – 


Majda Jirjes 

Hana Barish 

Jan 1, 1933 – 


Margaret Butrus 

July 1, 1939 – 


Matti Askander 

Yacoub 

July 1, 1930 – 


Thomas K. 

Farida 

Feb 15, 1934 – 


Riadh Jamil 

Mikhail 

Jan 8, 1955 – 


Saad Hermez 

Dawood 

Nov 6, 1948 – 


Ieliya Ibrahim 

Bitris Halak 

Jan 6, 1930 – 


Kiryakos 

Shamoun Hanna 

July 1, 1934 – 


Hazim Habib 

Younan 

Feb 14, 1946 – 


Thamer Khanwa 

July 1, 1948 – 


Shamooni 

Jibrael Gorgees 

July 1, 1932 – 


Sabri Shamoon 

Salmu 

April 12, 1938 – 


Salam Shawkat 

Yousif 

Aug 12, 1958 – 


Mary Georgis 

Sharak 

Oct 21, 1941 – 


Shamasha Sabri 

(Robert) Romaya 

Sept 3, 1947 – 


Zaya Ashkarya 

Tooma 

July 1, 1942 – 


Jeanluc Urban 

April 17, 1959 – 


Gorgia Hanna 

Saffar Jindo 

Dec 1, 1932 – 


Nuhad Mansy 

July 1, 1946 – 


Habib Yousif 

Jarbo 

July 1, 1942 – 


Nateq Dawad 

Hanna Abro 

July 1, 1938 – 


Nori Mansour 

July 1, 1934 – 


Gulnazer S. 

Youkhana 

July 1, 1933 – 


Haitham Jabroo 

Oraha 

Nov 12, 1971 – 


Ramzi Hanna 

Toma 

July 1, 1957 – 



OBITUARY 

Bahjat Shamoun Isshak 

Bahjat Shamoun Isshak was born on September 3, 1943 

and passed away on May 12, 2022. He was preceded in 

death by his parents, Shamoun Isshak and Ghazala Nofaly 

as well as three sisters Falam, Farida, and Najiba. 

He is survived by his wife of 49 Years, Aida; three children 

Andrew Bahjat Isshak, Zena Isshak Michael, Esq. 

(Dr. Ronald Michael), Judge Yasmine Isshak Poles (Paul 

Poles, Esq.); loving grandchildren Anabella and Paul 

Joseph, two brothers Hikmat and Talat, and two sisters 

Beheeja and Janark. A Requiem Mass was held at Holy 

Name Catholic Church, Birmingham, Michigan, and he 

was laid to rest at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, surrounded 

by his loved ones. 

Clarence Michael Dass 

Clarence Michael Dass, born September 22, 1985, passed 

away on May 29, 2022 after a years-long battle with cancer. 

Dass was an award-winning attorney with a servant’s heart 

who ran for public office more than once, even after being 

diagnosed with stage four colon cancer in 2017. He kept his 

cancer treatment private and continued to work. Clarence, 

36, was the devoted son of Dr. Ramsay and Mrs. Nidhal (Natalie) 

Dass, the brother of Drs. Kathleen and Clarissa Dass, and 

the beloved husband of Dr. Renee Dhar Dass, who is expecting 

twins. He received many accolades for his work as assistant 

prosecutor in Oakland County and at his law firm, Dass 

Law. He was a community leader and an outspoken advocate 

for colon cancer screening. 

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COVER STORY 

From left: Elham Nooraldeen with Salam Sesi; Laith Amanoel with his diploma; and Basim Lami with his oud. 

New Americans 

The journey to U.S. citizenship 

BY SARAH KITTLE 

The Chaldean Community Foundation 

(CCF) in Sterling Heights, 

Michigan holds classes for those 

hoping to become naturalized citizens 

of the United States. Most but not all 

of the students are Iraqi immigrants 

who fled persecution and the threat of 

death because they are Christian. 

Some have waited years to enter 

the country, traveling across continents 

and oceans with their hopes and 

dreams. Dreams of a better life, or in 

some cases, simply life. Hopes for a future, 

for themselves and their children 

and their children’s children. These 

brave souls left their homes, villages, 

and sometimes even family members 

behind to finally arrive in America, but 

their struggle doesn’t end there. 

Do you know what it takes to become 

a citizen of the USA if you weren’t 

born here? Through the naturalization 

process, applicants must have a Permanent 

Resident (formerly Alien Registration) 

card and have lived in the 

U.S. for at least three years. With some 

exceptions, applicants must know 

how to read, write, and speak basic 

English, demonstrate that they know 

the fundamentals of U.S. history and 

show a basic understanding of how 

the U.S. government works. 

Applicants must also certify that 

they are “a person of good moral character.” 

I wonder how many people 

born in the states could pass that test? 

The CCF, in operation since 2006, 

is a godsend to those aspiring Americans. 

It helps them understand the 

process and complete each requirement, 

filling in forms and educating 

the applicants on what they must 

know, including enough English to 

be understood. It’s reassuring to receive 

advice from someone who 

speaks your native language. 

Many Chaldeans arriving in 

Michigan over the years have 

been helped by the community 

that had already been established 

here. A study done in 

2016 by the University of Michigan 

calculated that 160,000 

Chaldeans lived in southeast 

Michigan and they collectively 

added 11 billion dollars to the 

local economy with their successful 

business ownership. Evidence 

shows without a doubt 

that immigration is good for 

the country. It leads to more innovation, 

greater occupational 

specialization, and a better educated 

workforce. 

There have been many success 

stories from the CCF courses, including 

Laith Amanoel, now Systems 

Administrator for the Foundation. 

Laith was born in Iraq and lived there 

until one day in 2008 when his father 

received a phone call from the Islamic 

State. The family was to pay a fine or 

face beheading. Laith’s parents knew 

it would never end so long as they 

stayed because they were Christians, 

so they packed him and his siblings 

and made the 300 mile drive to Turkey, 

where family awaited them. 

Laith came to the U.S. at the age of 

A citizenship class student practices marking a mock 

ballot inside a voting booth. 

10, eventually earning his degree in 

IT. Would he have had the same opportunity 

in Iraq, even if the threat of 

death were extinguished? “I am just so 

grateful that I am in the United States, 

where I can do anything I want and 

pursue my own story and path,” says 

Amanoel, who became a U.S. citizen 

in 2016. 

Atheer Istifan’s journey has been a 

long one, with many twists, turns, and 

quite a few classes. He is fluent in no 

less than four languages, including 

Sureth, Arabic, Spanish, and English. 

A good student, when Istifan 

went to start his own hair salon 

a few years ago he took classes 

to learn about business management 

and taxes. 

Istifan’s family has been 

here for decades. He has had 

a green card since he first arrived 

as a refugee, but wanted 

to become a naturalized citizen 

to fully participate in civic life. 

In April of this year, he came to 

the CCF for help. “I had no idea 

what they do here,” he said. 

“My friend and (hair salon) client 

Dan works here and told me 

they have classes for citizenship.” 

He joined a class late, after a 

session had already started, and 

quickly learned the material. He 

even came in to study during another 

class period. After six short weeks, Istifan 

passed the citizenship exam. Now, 

he’s only waiting to make it official 

with an oath ceremony. Then he can 


cast his vote along with other citizens. 

Elham Nooraldeen recently took 

the citizenship preparation course 

taught by Salam Sesi. Elham is bright 

and friendly and she excelled in the 

class. “She was so determined and 

such a pleasure to work with as a 

teacher,” Sesi remarked. 

Elham, who gives her all to every 

situation, was so honored by the support 

and the opportunity provided by 

the CCF that she prepared a speech to 

read for the class. She’s ready for her 

USCIS interview and oath ceremony, 

and she credits the CCF for her confidence. 

Statistics about individuals applying 

for U.S. citizenship show that 

those applying without a lawyer’s 

help are treated like second-class 

citizens—or rather, non-citizens. According 

to a 2018 CBS News report, 

only 3% of applicants without lawyers 

won their cases, as opposed to 

70% with lawyers. Yet lawyers are 

not provided by the court in an immigration 

case as in a criminal case. 

It’s easy to get railroaded if you 

aren’t familiar with the tracks. In an 

immigration case, confidence and 

knowledge are key. 

Nowadays, it is difficult to be confident 

about political things, including 

the election process. The CCF recently 

partnered with Asian Pacific Islander 

American (APIA) Vote and the City of 

Sterling Heights City Clerk’s office to 

host Voting 101, an educational event 

held in the Johny and Leila Kello 

Courtyard at the Foundation to teach 

individuals about the voter registration 

process. Students filled out ballots 

and used a voting booth. They 

even got to see how a tabulator processes 

the ballots. 

Basim Lami is another client of the 

CCF. A man with enormous passion 

and a great love for music, he was an 

orchestral composer and has been performing 

for over 20 years. Basim plays 

the oud, a stringed instrument similar 

to a violin. Most people aren’t familiar 

with the oud outside of the Middle 

East, and Basim wants to change that. 

Creating a musical group that merges 

Chaldean music with American music 

is his first goal upon graduation. 

“When I pass the Citizenship exam, I 

will be happy to be an American,” said 

Basim. 

PROFILE 

Blazing the Trail 

Atheer Istifan leads the way for 

Chaldean-American immigrants 

BY CAL ABBO 

When Atheer Istifan arrived in the United States 

more than 20 years ago, above all, he felt safe. 

Before coming to the U.S., Istifan spent five 

years in Spain with a few of his siblings. He attended cosmetology 

school and even perfected his Spanish – his third fluent 

language – but his journey was not yet finished. Although 

Spain was beautiful, it was not a place he could call home. 

This feeling brought Istifan to America. He is blessed to 

have his whole family and the support of the Chaldean community 

in Detroit. That’s why he feels 

safe, and why he chose to settle here. 

Though Detroit is his home, Istifan 

regularly travels for his work. He is a 

hair stylist who has been called into 

action by countless celebrities. Istifan 

attributes his success to the grace of 

God, his own hard work, the community 

that supports him, and what he 

calls the “land of opportunity.” 

An Immigrant’s Story 

Istifan’s resume already extends beyond 

what many consider possible for 

a Chaldean born in Baghdad. As he 

was coming upon military age, he didn’t want to fight in the 

wars brewing in the Middle East. 

His family suffered through a particularly tragic time 

when they lived in Baghdad. “I lost a brother when I was 

12. He drowned,” Istifan said. A year later, his biological 

mother passed away. 

“Thankfully, my dad remarried. I love my mom; I was so 

lucky. I would die for her,” he said, thanking God for giving 

him another mother at the age of 14. “She made me who I am.” 

Growing up, Istifan found a hobby in styling his sister’s 

hair and chose to pursue that as his life’s work. 

Istifan’s time in Spain only solidified his desire to come 

to the United States, train as a hair stylist, and become the 

best. “You can be anything you want in this country,” he 

said. “It’s up to you, it’s up to me, it’s up to everybody. You 

can follow your dream.” 

Once in the U.S., Istifan had to learn English from 

scratch, which amounts to his fourth fluent language. 

“It’s not similar,” he said, comparing the U.S. to Spain. 

“You feel safe here, you feel established. You feel settled 

down. In Spain, it was beautiful, a great experience, but I 

was always looking forward to my destination.” 

Istifan spent his first 20 years here with a green card, 

but he wanted the full experience and benefits of citizenship. 

He got an attorney to help him through the process. 

He completed the required paperwork but didn’t hear back 

for a year and a half. One day, his attorney called him and 

said he got his interview, but Istifan didn’t have long to prepare, 

and he didn’t feel ready. 

Dan Moen, one of his clients, 

works at the Chaldean Community 

Foundation as the brand coordinator. 

Istifan said he drove by the CCF 

many times but had no idea what 

went on inside until he asked Dan, 

who told him they run citizenship classes, among many 

other programs. 

Istifan joined a class in April taught by Salam Sesi, 

who manages the citizenship program at the CCF. For 

six weeks, he came morning and night to finish the class 

and learn all the relevant content for his exam. “Salam is 

very professional,” he said. “She taught me the details of 

the language as it relates to the test. Words, letters, the 

rhythm of how to speak in the interview.” 

Last month, Istifan passed his citizenship exam. Now, 

he waits for an opportunity to take his oath and become a 

new American citizen. 

A World-Class Hair Stylist 

Istifan worked in various salons for over ten years once he 

came to the United States. Five years ago, he opened his 

own salon in Rochester Hills. Last year, he moved his location 

to Troy. Since then, he’s been very busy, and sees clients 

from around the world. “My community built me up,” 

he said. “They gave me the foundation I needed.” 

Istifan’s clients include local professional athletes, models, 

fashion show and pageant contestants, and much more. 

He stays heavily involved with the Chaldean community, 

working a mother-daughter fashion show at Shenandoah 

Country Club, as well as his Detroit community, where he 

did hair for a fashion show at the Charles H. Wright Museum. 

For the last seven years, Istifan has done hair for Miss 

Michigan. While a lot of his work with high-end clients is 

very serious, he remains a bright and funny personality. “I 

ATHEER continued on page 41 

Above: Istifan styling hair 

for a fashion show at the 

Charles H. Wright Museum 

in Detroit. 

Left: Istifan poses with 

his client, Miss Michigan. 


COVER STORY 

Nahla 

in the 

Frame 

A photo essay of 

Nahla Valley 

Nahla Valley is comprised of eight Christian villages located behind Akra Mountain. It is a remote 

and isolated area, two hours of mountainous driving from the suburbs of Duhok. Despite the 

difficulties, there are 196 families who are still struggling to live in their ancestral lands in Nahla 

Valley. A school was established in the region that provides education from first to tenth grade. 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILSON SARKIS 

CAPTIONS BY ALAN MANSOUR 

Students attending this school read and write four languages: Sureth, English, Arabic, and Kurdish. Class sizes are small, and the entire curriculum is taught in the 

Sureth language. The schoolrooms are basic and some lack heat. Some funding is provided from the local government but it’s not enough to meet the school’s needs. 


Above, from left: After the waterfall creates its hydropower to fuel the plant, 

the water is directed toward a farming area. The locals have paved the water 

channels and redirected the water to help in irrigating crops. The abundance 

of water in Nahla Valley is in contrast to the rest of the country; however, it is 

only available for eight months of the year. The rest is dry season. 

Above left: 

Students and staff at 

the school make do 

with what they have, 

including old and 

outdated equipment. 

Above right: 

Roosters and chickens 

are everywhere in 

Nahla; they could be 

the official bird of the 

region. Here is a cock 

calling his flock home. 

Right: 

Volleyball tournaments 

allow students and 

staff to blow off steam 

and get in some 

physical exercise. 

It adds up to a fun 

day for players and 

observers alike. 


COVER STORY 

Below: Fresh sesame butter is part of a daily diet that 

includes rice, beans, pickles, greens, and chicken, all of 

which are locally grown. This is a common Iraqi lunch at 

a friend’s house. 

Top of page: This man is working an oven, roasting sesame seeds at a fire fueled by 

fallen trees. This makes the mill self-sufficient energy-wise. Clockwise from top left: The 

sesame butter mill is in the village of Julieh. The mill gets its seeds from locals who walk 

20 minutes bringing the seeds in to be processed, first by roasting. The seeds are milled 

through a hopper; and then it is shipped away in 5 gal containers to be packaged in 

another facility. A warm sesame butter that was milled minutes before, with freshly baked 

bread from a brick oven. This is a signature food in Iraq. 


Above from left: Iraqi architecture is a mix of old and new. These ruins may someday be made livable again; Enwiya Pethyo is a known farmer in the Nahla Valley. 

He had many opportunities to leave Nahla but refused, saying when you leave your land you lose your culture. 

Above clockwise from left: The great Kasrani (Ashur Kasrani), a native of Nahla Valley, had been living in the diaspora 

until he decided to move back to Nahla and start Awahathan Village, which means “ancestral village.” The circular 

reed gazebo was created to replicate south America’s traditions to bond tourists to the valley. Below: Kasrani kept it 

authentic with one exception, using solar power to keep the valley free from pollution. 


FEATURE 

Lawrence Technological 

University campus in 

Southfield, Michigan. 

Building on History 


is educating for the future 

BY SARAH KITTLE 

Ancient cultures of the Middle 

East are well known for their 

architectural marvels. The 

Great Pyramids at Giza, the Lighthouse 

of Alexandria, and the Hanging 

Gardens of Babylon are three of the 

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. 

The first permanent structures in 

Mesopotamia go back as far as the 10th 

Millennium BC, and although they had 

no profession of architecture, studies 

based on available architectural, artistic, 

and written evidence shows they developed 

the concept of urban planning. 

Sumerians recorded real estate transactions 

and invented the courtyard. 

It’s no wonder that the Middle East 

is often called the cradle of civilization; 

however, it is and has always been a 

place of innovative modern construction 

and thinking as well. Which is why 


(LTU) has a partner school there. 

University of the future 

Established in 1932 by Russell and 

George Lawrence, Michigan’s LTU was 

originally called Lawrence Technological 

Institute and enrollment was based 

on qualifications, with no restrictions 

on race, sex, or creed. The founding 

brothers were forward-thinkers who 

prioritized preparing students for 

leadership in the technological era, offering 

both day and evening classes so 

that working students could expand 

their knowledge and skills. 

Offering only engineering degrees 

to start, programs in business and IT, 

architecture and design, and arts and 

science were added over the years. 

LTU was Michigan’s first completely 

wireless campus and is one of the few 

universities in the country, private or 

public, that focuses on STEM education 

(science, technology, engineering, 

and mathematics) across multiple 

disciplines. That’s what drew Dr. Tarek 

Sobh, who was looking for a leadership 

position in exactly that kind of 

program and took over as president in 

January of 2022. 

The CN recently had an opportunity 

to sit down with him and discuss 

the future. 

Leadership material 

Armed with an undergraduate degree 

in engineering from Alexandria University 

in Sobh’s homeland of Egypt, 

and a Masters and PhD in Computers 

and Information Services from the 

University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Sobh 

is extremely educated. You realize this 

within seconds of speaking with him. 

A roboticist by training, Sobh’s blend 

of education and experience make 

him uniquely equipped to lead a cutting-edge 

technological university in 

southeast Michigan. 

“Theory and practice.” That’s the 

way instructors teach at LTU. Keeping in 

mind that everybody learns differently, 

hands-on opportunities such as co-ops 

and internships allow students to work 

closely with industry experts and finely 

hone their skills, even at the freshman 

level. The hire rate for LTU graduates is 

at the very top, with offers coming in at 

the underclassmen level. “I don’t worry 

Dr. Tarek Sobh 

about finding jobs for my graduating 

students,” says Sobh. “I worry about 

keeping them until they graduate!” 

Sobh says the opportunities at 

LTU make the private tuition much 

more competitive; the work resources 

and scholarships offered are a value 

proposition, and students may pay 

most of their tuition from their own 

efforts. That’s the reason he is looking 

to recruit more Middle Eastern, including 

Chaldean, students. An immigrant 

himself, he knows the emphasis that 

immigrant parents place on education. 

A new way to learn 

The ‘interdisciplinary’ part of LTU’s description 

is important. When Dr. Sobh 

was looking to relocate and was scouting 

possible schools, he was “stunned” 

to discover that of the almost 6,000 universities 

and colleges across the country, 

less than one percent were focused 

on technology. Less than half of those 

remaining, less than half a percent, 

were comprehensive, meaning offering 

degrees in all majors. LTU, having both 

requirements, is on a short list that includes 

MIT and CalTech. 

In the 21st century, the classic higher 

education path is no longer sustainable. 

College graduates are obtaining their 

degrees and still living in their parents’ 

basements. According to Dr. Sobh, the 

future is to graduate professionals with 

technological skills that apply across 

disciplines. “It’s not really about degrees 

anymore; it’s about the skills acquired 

during your educational journey,” he 

states. “We are preparing students for 

job titles that don’t even exist.” 

The LTU president also wants his 

graduates to earn a living wage right 

away. The current job shortage, he asserts, 

is not from lack of workers but 

from lack of skills. “Applicants are not 

qualified for the jobs we need,” says 

Sobh. “We have a STEM professional 

shortage.” 

Lawrence Tech is poised to meet 

that need. With tech-savvy courses 

that span disciplines, LTU focuses on 

individual and hybrid learning. An 

interdisciplinary STEM education is 

essential to tomorrow’s workforce. “If 

you’re not technology-trained, you’re 

lost,” opines Sobh. 

Say ‘goodbye’ to manual labor 

Dr. Sobh is eager to face the future, 

and some of his predictions have us 

excited to see what comes next. Physically 

strenuous jobs will go away, he 

says, replaced by robotics and artificial 

intelligence (AI). He adds that this 

won’t put people out of work but will 

instead create more jobs, and more positions 

to program the computers and 

develop new applications. 

All of the technology we are currently 

developing is designed to improve 

the human condition. As far 

as vehicles, Sobh predicts that soon 

everything will become autonomous. 


Maybe not in our lifetime, but certainly 

in our children’s and their children’s 

lifetimes. We may not be jetting 

around Jetsons-style, but a little help 

with parallel parking will be nice. 

All fields of study will be affected 

The Pyramids of Giza are among the 

Seven Wonders of the World. 

by technology, but maybe none more 

so than the discipline of medicine. It 

is truly a transformative field. With the 

current work on coding the genome, 

personalized medicine is part of our 

future. “The advances just within the 

health sciences field, clinically and 

from the point of view of understanding 

the human body and the brain, 

we’re doing it right now,” says Sobh. 

Robotic surgery and 3D design may 

sound futuristic, but as Sobh states, 

we are already there. 

The Middle Eastern edge 

Many great architectural and engineering 

heights were reached throughout 

history by those living in the Middle 

East. Some of the most modern and 

high-tech buildings in the world today 

may be seen in Dubai, in the 

United Arab Emirates. One 

might say engineering is in 

the blood. 

LTU has some notable 

alumni that come from the 

Chaldean community, including 

Jamal Kalabat, who 

owns Kalabat Engineering 

(among other engineering 

and design companies), and 

Victor Saroki of Saroki Architecture. 

Saroki is an LTU 

trustee and led the committee 

to find a new president. He was 

instrumental in recruiting Dr. Tarek 

Sobh, and in fact, Sobh says, “If anything 

goes wrong, it’s Victor’s fault.” 

In all seriousness, Sobh is honored 

to be serving in this position and 

in this region and hopes to see an increase 

in the number of students who 

are descendants of Iraqi immigrants. 

Those of us who live in southeastern 

Michigan are fortunate to have such 

an elite school right in our own backyard. 

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FEATURE 

Carl Marlinga walks away from the Federal Courthouse with his wife Barbara in 2006. On March 7, 2022, Marlinga, a 

former Macomb County judge and prosecutor, announced his campaign for a new House seat in suburban Detroit. 

Deciding the 10th 

Marlinga, James Square Off in 

Congressional Barn Burner 

BY PAUL NATINSKY 

The warming temperatures are in 

sync with hot political races in 

Southeast Michigan. One such 

race is the newly redrawn 10th Congressional 

District, which hosts parts 

of Macomb and Oakland counties. 

Michigan’s new citizen-led redistricting 

commission redrew all of the 

state’s federal and state election districts 

for the next 10 years. Historically, 

the districts were drawn by whichever 

party controlled the state legislature. 

The new map and Michigan’s loss 

of one congressional seat, from 14 

to 13, have created some unfamiliar 

matchups featuring household names. 

While incumbents Andy Levin and 

Haley Stevens square off in a Democratic 

primary in the redrawn 11th 

District, Michigan Circuit Court Judge 

and former Macomb County Prosecutor 

Carl Marlinga faces Republican star 

candidate John James in the neighboring 

10th. Both candidates are expected 

to emerge from the August 2 primaries. 

The 10th District is truly up for 

grabs. It’s a newly drawn district with 

no incumbent. Recent polls indicate 

no clear advantage, although both 

camps believe they hold the lead. 

“With the Trump influence able to 

increase the Republican vote and with 

this being the year in which Democrats 

are going to be tested up and down the 

ballot…the wisest thing to do is to just 

say that this is a tossup and wait to see 

who does the better job in getting out 

their vote,” Marlinga told the Chaldean 

News. 

Marlinga has a long history in the 

district, having served 20 years as 

prosecutor in Macomb County before 

his decade on the bench. James has 

strong statewide name recognition 

and is a West Point and University of 

Michigan graduate who served in the 

Iraq war. 

Marlinga is 75 and didn’t take the 

decision to throw his hat in the ring 

lightly. “My fear is that if we don’t have 

the right people in the House of Representatives, 

something terrible could 

happen,” said Marlinga. He said the 

January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol 

in 2021 was the strongest motivator 

in his decision to run, citing concern 

about the use of intimidation and violence 

to overturn an election. 

James is concerned about trust issues 

as well. “I am confident we have 

the resources and the leadership to 

win, but most important to me is earning 

the trust of 10th district voters,” 

said James. “I will outwork and outraise 

anyone who runs against me. I 

will note that both Haley Stevens and 

Andy Levin chose to run against each 

other rather than run against me.” 

James has been seeking office 

since 2018, when he lost a Senate race 

to Debbie Stabenow. He came close to 

earning a seat in 2020 when he lost a 

close contest with incumbent Gary 

Peters. The opening in the 10th gave 

James another bite at the apple in his 

quest to represent Michigan in Washington. 

James told the Chaldean News that 

PHOTO BY BRANDY BAKER, AP/THE DETROIT NEWS 

his experience as the son of a man who 

came to Detroit from Mississippi in 

search of a better life helps him identify 

with the district’s large immigrant 

population who followed a similar 

path. 

“Like Macomb’s defense industry, 

my life experiences straddle the intersection 

between business, supply 

chain management and national defense,” 

said James. “That’s the experience 

our state and our district needs 

in Washington, because bringing this 

vital work home isn’t only good for us, 

it helps to make our entire nation more 

secure.” 

Both candidates cite increased jobs 

for Michigan residents as a key campaign 

issue. 

Marlinga says his focus will be 

to bring manufacturing jobs back to 

Michigan. He thinks domestic manufacturing 

can help alleviate the current 

microchip shortage and stimulate 

auto production. He also emphasized 

making fast charging stations and 

heat pumps in state for use domestically 

and for sale abroad. 

More generally, Marlinga told the 

Chaldean News, “Make manufacturing 

your goal, because if all of us are 

poets and doctors and lawyers and entertainers, 

there is a lot of money being 

exchanged but there is no wealth being 

created. Wealth only gets created 

when you have something that is taken 

out of the ground, manufactured, 

and turned into a product.” 

When James announced his candidacy 

in January, he said, “Michigan’s 

10th, I believe, is the home to 

the American dream, the birthplace 

of the middle class, and when you 

take a look at the manufacturing opportunity, 

repatriating manufacturing 

back from Mexico and China, I believe 

that’s best done here. 

“I have repeatedly said that Michigan 

needs to be the place that makes 

stuff here and sells it to the world, not 

the other way around,” said James. 

“There is real potential for that right 

at our fingertips. Not only will smart, 

aggressive investment in manufacturing 

and defense make us safer here at 

home, it will make us more prosperous. 

We will be able to build products 

we sell to the rest of the world — creating 

more and more high-quality, longlasting 

and good-paying careers for 

Michigan families.” 


PHOTO BY JENNIFER MAYO / JENNIFER MAYO STUDIOS VIA AP 

In a past campaign handout photo, Republican John James poses with his family. 

The candidates shake out roughly 

along party lines on other issues, with 

Marlinga placing increased federal 

funding for education high on his priority 

list. He pairs his belief in prioritizing 

education with a strong interest 

in providing scientific education, 

particularly teaching the scientific 

method. He also marries an emphasis 

on technology with manufacturing, 

supporting initiatives that reduce 

the cost of heating by converting heat 

from the earth, for example. 

Marlinga said if elected he would 

seek an education committee assignment, 

but not a judiciary committee 

spot, perhaps surprisingly given his 

legal background. He said he would 

be active in debates on legal matters 

regardless of his committee assignments. 

James named inflation, education, 

and national security as his top campaign 

issues. 

“The liberal left is tearing us apart, 

and we need relevant leadership that 

can unify us and tackle the problems 

facing us right now without taking our 

eye off the future,” said James. “Look 

no further than a federal government 

that would rather fight culture wars 

than fight for us at home while families 

suffer with skyrocketing inflation 

and energy prices. 

“We are ‘led’ by leftist talking heads 

who use today’s crises to push radical 

pipe dreams like the Green New Deal, 

rather than practical solutions, and 

who have walked in lockstep with a 

party that all but abandoned our allies 

in Afghanistan and Ukraine and who 

have left us vulnerable to the flow of illegal 

drugs from Mexico by neglecting 

our border,” he continued. 

James received former President 

Trump’s endorsement in late March, 

about which he tweeted, “Excited 

and grateful for President Donald 

Trump’s endorsement! Michigan’s 

10th congressional district needs to 

help lead our Country back to safety 

and prosperity.” 

James lives in Farmington Hills, 

which is outside the 10th District. He 

told the Chaldean News that he is looking 

for a home in the 10th, but wanted 

to give his kids a “complete, normal 

school year” before his family moves. 

Regardless of the 10th District 

election outcome, Marlinga is supportive 

of the new district drawing 

process. “You don’t want either party 

to draw the districts in a way that 

makes it impossible for the other party 

to ever be competitive. Republicans 

were doing that to us and, quite honestly, 

I’m sure that we have done it to 

the Republicans. So, it’s nice to take it 

out of the hands of partisans and put 

it into the hands of citizens who are 

looking for fairness…for a chance for 

both parties.” 

Commenting on the redistricting, 

James said, “For the new 10th congressional 

district, we have a watershed 

moment. For the first time ever virtually 

all of Michigan’s aerospace and 

defense assets will be under one congressional 

district. That is a powerful 

bargaining position for residents here, 

if they have the representation with 

the experience to leverage it.” 

Of Michigan’s new districts, the 

10th might be the most competitive 

and unpredictable. In a rare circumstance 

Marlinga said the presidential 

election could come down to each 

state casting one vote for president, in 

which case Michigan’s 10th could decide 

the state’s vote. 

However it shakes out, it is going to 

be an exciting election season. 


Heating Up in West Bloomfield 

Local area House race features five candidates 

BY PAUL NATINSKY 

Albert Mansour 

Diana Mohyi James Sklar Ken Ferguson Noah Arbit 

In what has become a Wild West political environment, 

the newly drawn 20th state House District 

features a diverse mix of candidates trying to fill 

the void left by incumbent Matt Koliszar’s abdication 

to the new 22nd District. 

The reconstituted 20th loses parts of conservative 

Commerce Township and adds all of West Bloomfield, 

a mixed bag that includes a large Chaldean population, 

a sizable Jewish population as well as many 

young voters and female professionals, according to 

Ed Sarpolus, Founder and Executive Director of Target 

Insyght, a political consulting firm based in Lansing. 

The resulting mashup makes the 20th a Democratic 

district—53 to 55 percent—depending on the election 

year, says Sarpolus. 

Sarpolus says community organizer and former 

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer staffer Noah Arbit is the frontrunner, 

with substantial contacts within the community 

and a track record as an effective fundraiser. 

The candidate agrees. “I am the only Democratic 

candidate who is actually from this community, who 

grew up in West Bloomfield, who has lived here my entire 

life. My communal roots in West Bloomfield are unimpeachable, 

and my record of service and leadership 

has always focused on my home. My Democratic opponents 

have argued that they are more experienced 

or credentialed. There is a reason that I have earned 

a lopsided majority of endorsements, more than any 

candidate—Democratic or Republican—in this race.” 

And indeed, he has. “I am incredibly proud to have 

earned the support of our Congresswoman Brenda 

Lawrence, Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter, 

a majority of the West Bloomfield Township Board of 

Trustees - including Steve Kaplan, Teri Weingarden, 

and Jim Manna, Oakland County Commissioners Marcia 

Gershenson and Kristen Nelson, a majority of the 

Keego Harbor City Council, the UAW, the AFL-CIO, 

AFSCME - the government workers union, the Jewish 

Democrats, the Hispanic Democrats [and] countless 

LGBTQ+ organizations.” 

But despite Arbit’s advantages the 20th could be a 

competitive race. Diana Mohyi, a family law attorney, 

has strong ties within the community and could have 

a powerful appeal to professional women who will 

make up a sizable chunk of the voter pool, particularly 

if conservative female gubernatorial candidate Tudor 

Dixon is at the top of the ballot, said Sarpolus. 

Conservative real estate professional Albert Mansour 

is also in the race. He has strong ties within the 

district’s Chaldean community and a job that gives 

him a strong presence there. Much of his success will 

depend on how much of a factor conservative men are 

in the race. And that is largely a function of voter turnout, 

said Sarpolus. The lower, the better for Mansour. 

The Democratic side of the equation features two 

other candidates. One is West Bloomfield Board of 

Education Treasurer Ken Ferguson, a Desert Storm veteran 

who eventually found his mission teaching blind 

and low vision children. 

Ferguson says he wanted to serve his community 

after the 2016 elections and settled on the school board 

because it was a natural fit with his educational background. 

His school board involvement gave him an upclose 

view of state and federal government and whetted 

his appetite to be a positive force in a larger arena. 

Ferguson points out that he is the only elected official 

in the race and as school board treasurer is the 

only one with big budget and policymaking experience 

from within the government. 

Still, he will be facing a steep climb against a candidate 

with strong relationships with the community 

and substantial fundraising experience in Arbit. 

James Sklar rounds out the field. An attorney and 

former legislative staffer, he also spent three years 

working in the auto industry. With Arbit and Ferguson 

in the race on the Democratic side, Sklar will be challenged 

to establish the name recognition, relationships, 

and funding to be competitive. 

According to his website, environmental issues 

and fixing Michigan’s roads are at the top of Sklar’s 

agenda. 

Arbit intends to focus on hate crimes and mental 

health, which he says are “very personal” to him. 

“Working at the prosecutor’s office, I learned just 

how inadequate and deficient Michigan’s treatment of 

hate crimes is. I will work relentlessly to transform Michigan 

from national laggard to national leader in hate 

crimes prevention, intervention, and prosecution. I will 

introduce a comprehensive bill package to reinvent the 

way Michigan contends with hate crimes, to overhaul 

the antiquated and insufficient 1960s-era ethnic intimidation 

statute, and will build a multi-ethnic, multi-faith, 

bicameral, bipartisan coalition of stakeholders, supporters, 

and legislators in support of this effort.” 

Ferguson says he will work on establishing respect 

and increasing funding for public education. Other issues 

in which he has an interest include “sensible gun 

legislation, women’s reproductive rights, and environmental 

issues.” 

Mohyi feels a responsibility to protect the citizens 

in the 20th from “bad policy from the other side of the 

political spectrum.” 

She says people are tired of having their children 

“brainwashed in the schools,” where value-based 

education is displacing the reading and writing skills 

that are valuable in the job market. 

She applies the same logic to Critical Race Theory, 

an academic doctrine that in part holds that many 

American institutions operate under inherently racist 

policies. “These are values that have no place in 

the school. The school is where you are taught to be 

a viable member of society and be able to gain skills 

to earn a living, support your family and be a viable 

member of society.” 

Mohyi is concerned that the very leaders who closed 

schools and shuttered businesses will make the same 

decisions if similar conditions reemerge in the future. 

She feels strongly that “it’s not natural for people to be 

isolated from each other,” particularly children. 

Mansour feels like he represents the district. He 

thinks his status as a father, husband and small business 

owner will resonate with voters. 

He also thinks the government’s response to CO- 

VID was a harmful overreach and supports “parental 

rights at school.” Mansour thinks his ability to “stand 

his ground” will be an asset as a legislator. 

He feels that Chaldeans are underrepresented in 

state politics and views a win in the 20th as a chance to 

do something about that. In his mind, the large number 

of Chaldeans living in the district will play a huge 

role in the election. 

Like many state and federal races in Michigan 

this election cycle, the new 20th District looks like a 

challenging and unpredictable contest. It also looks 

like a race that the Chaldean community will help 

decide with an outcome that could have long-term 

implications. 


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Coming Home 

New Oak Park superintendent 

returns to his roots 

BY CRYSTAL KASSAB JABIRO 

According to Angel Abdulahad, 

EdS, it is every superintendent’s 

dream to go back to his 

or her hometown. 

Last month, his dream came true 

when the Oak Park Board of Education 

selected him as their new superintendent, 

28 years after he graduated from 

Oak Park High School. The former 

Spanish and English as a 

Second Language (ESL) 

teacher grew up in Oak 

Park in the 1980s and 90s 

when it had a large Chaldean 

population. 

“My dad said he 

brought us to America to 

give us a good education,” 

Abdulahad recalled. “It 

was Oak Park Schools that 

taught me how to read 

and write. They gave me 

the skills I needed to flourish, and my 

family is blessed tremendously because 

of it.” 

The Abdulahad family attempted to 

flee to America as political refugees and 

were denied, so they moved to Spain after 

the European country granted them 

clearance. Less than five years later in 

1986, the family emigrated to the United 

States and settled in Oak Park. 

Abdulahad attended Key Elementary, 

Roosevelt Middle School, and 

Oak Park High School, where he wrestled 

and played baseball. He received 

mentoring from Oak Park Youth Assistance 

and got his first job as a stock 

boy at Arabic Town Market when he 

was 12. He later worked at Beeper Express, 

activating accounts, taking payments, 

and fixing pagers. It is what he 

did in Oak Park every day after school. 

After graduating from OPHS in 

1994, Abdulahad attended Oakland 

Community College (OCC) and then 

Wayne State University while working 

50-60 hours a week. He graduated 

with a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Language 

- Spanish and got his first job as 

a Spanish teacher at Pontiac Northern 

Angel Abdulahad, EdS 

High School in 2002. Two years later, 

he obtained a Master of Education in 

Bilingual Education and ESL. In 2009, 

he acquired an Education Specialist 

(EdS) degree. 

Abdulahad moved on to Madison 

Public Schools in 2013 where he taught 

Spanish and ESL, mostly at Wilkinson 

Middle School. Two years later, he became 

the principal there. 

“I wanted to have a 

bigger footprint on the 

influence of students,” remarked 

Abdulahad. “It’s a 

joy to serve kids and be a 

role model, especially for 

those like me, the immigrant 

kids who came with 

nothing.” 

In 2019, the Madison 

Board of Education asked 

him to be the interim superintendent 

for a month and then just 

appointed him to the position. He has 

had a highly effective rating every year 

since. Though he enjoyed Madison, he 

is ecstatic to return to his roots. 

“I want to go back home as living 

proof of the education you get at Oak 

Park,” he beamed. 

In the meantime, Abdulahad, 45, 

got married and had four kids who 

now range from six to 16. He is excited 

for this new school year to return to 

some sense of normalcy that was, according 

to him, very visible in the faces 

of children this past year. He wants 

nothing to slow them down. 

He encourages parents to keep 

their kids reading this summer and to 

enroll them in summer programs to 

bridge learning gaps because of CO- 

VID. Many of these programs are free 

and provide breakfast and lunch. Parents 

can check their local school districts 

and libraries and even places of 

worship. 

Abdulahad is ecstatic to be home. 

“Everything I am is because of the 

education I received in America, specifically 

Oak Park. I am Oak Park!” 


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FEATURE 

The Gishru Experience 

BY FAYTH KAKOS 

The land remembers us. On the 

streets of Ankawa, from the 

moment your feet touch the 

ground, you are instantly transported 

to an alternate reality. In this reality, 

this little pocket of northern Iraq, 

there exists a church on every corner, 

stores and restaurants with signs written 

in Sureth, and the humdrum of a 

vibrant daily life that persists in spite 

of all the hardship and pressure, both 

internal and external. 

For me, Ankawa was a microcosm 

of what a country with freedom, representation 

and acknowledgment for 

our people could look like. That isn’t to 

say hardships do not exist in Ankawa; 

in fact, there are many, and most especially 

at the hands of a government 

that does not wish for the people to 

truly thrive there. Much of these optics 

are a veneer, but what a perfect 

picture it was in contrast to the Iraq of 

my imagination, one filled with bombs 

and war and endless despair. Ankawa 

is the resilient flower that blooms in an 

environment, an ecosystem, actively 

working to destroy it. For that, it was 

the perfect place to start this journey 

home, to see a version of Iraq outside 

of the stories of relatives and to forge 

a connection with the homeland that 

only exists within me. 

With the help of Gishru, a nonprofit 

organization established in 2012 

to connect the worldwide Assyrian diaspora 

with the homeland, I was able 

to travel with a group to Iraq this past 

March. We traveled to Erbil, Dohuk, 

Ankawa, Sapna Valley, Nahla, Tesqopa, 

Alqosh, Tel Keppe, and so many 

other places along the way. On Facetime 

with my mom back home in Michigan, 

she exclaimed that I had now 

seen more of the country of her birth 

than she had. And I truly saw it all. 

I drank coffee in chaikhanas, 

danced bagiyeh in nadis, spent the 

night in the beautiful mountains in 

Nahla, wandered the streets of Alqosh, 

traversed the mountain to reach the 

magnificent Rabban Hormizd — no 

church will ever compare after you 

see the breathtaking monastery built 

From left: The author sits in front of the Rabban Hormizd Monastery. The Kakos Family home in Tel Keppe, with the 

Arabic “noon” on the door. 

into the mountain. We visited Assyrian 

schools with curriculum taught 

entirely in Sureth. Not only were the 

children fluent in Sureth, but also English, 

Arabic, and Kurdish. And though 

the sites were beautiful, the people are 

what made the experience. From the 

woman in Alqosh who eagerly invited 

me into her house to show off all the 

traditional clothes and dolls she made 

by hand, to the pickup volleyball 

games with the kids in Komaneh (they 

won), it was very easy to slide into local 

life. Our group was greeted with a 

level of hospitality perfected in the region, 

from the food to the music to the 

dancing to the conversation. We were 

welcomed home with open arms. 

Our visit coincided with Akitu, the 

Assyrian Babylonian New Year. We 

paraded through the streets of Dohuk 

in traditional clothes representing the 

different villages that we all hailed 

from, creating a rich mosaic of our 

varying subcultures. The parade culminated 

with a picnic in the mountains, 

where live music played and 

people danced, or sat together eating 

falafel or shawarma sandwiches; if I 

closed my eyes, I could just as easily be 

6,000 miles away, spending a lazy afternoon 

on Cass Lake with my family. 

My trip was incomplete until I 

stepped foot in Tel Keppe. It’s the village 

that much of our Michigan diaspora 

hails from and a point of immense 

pride and adoration. But after 

ISIS captured the village in 2014, it was 

emptied of its Christian population. 

Even after its liberation in 2017, less 

than 5% have returned. Most of the 

houses of the old Tel Keppe families 

were reduced to rubble, destroyed by 

airstrikes, desecrated by ISIS. Many of 

the houses are still stamped with the 

Arabic character “noon” on the front 

doors, even my own family’s ancestral 

home. It wasn’t a pretty picture, 

but a decidedly realistic one. Yes, it 

was heartbreaking, to walk the streets 

that countless generations of my family 

had before me and see it so altered 

but there was also a peace in returning 

home, in setting my feet upon hallowed 

ground. 

Nineveh is our birthright. In this 

land of our ancestors, I never felt closer 

to my family, to my roots. It was a 

new intimacy with the land and its history, 

with the express knowledge that 

the things that I was seeing and loving 

here were not the same as they were 

before. The Tel Keppe - the Iraq - that 

I was coming to know was not the one 

preserved in my relative’s memories. 

It was irrevocably changed post-2003, 

post-2014, and that was a reality that 

could not be divorced from my own 

personal feelings. But that doesn’t 

mean the connection is any less valuable. 

It is from rubble and ash that a 

future must be rebuilt there, but in order 

for that future to exist, the diaspora 

has to be reinvigorated. We have to 

invest in programs to improve quality 

of life, to give people reasons to stay. 

There is no point in rebuilding, funding 

the creation of monuments, to a 

community that no longer exists. 

Our people have found much success 

in the diaspora, most especially 

in America. Our mark on Michigan is 

indisputable. Though we have planted 

roots here, we must not forget our 

people back home. Resiliency has defined 

us for several millennia, and it 

will continue to do so, as long as we 

don’t give up on that potential future. 

We are a nation of survivors, navigating 

a difficult and complex political 

and social landscape. I hope that all 

Suraye, especially our Chaldean Assyrian 

population in Michigan, take 

the time to familiarize themselves with 

the legacy enshrined by thousands of 

years of perseverance and endurance. 

There is no better way to do that 

then to look into Gishru for an unforgettable, 

life-changing two weeks of 

reconnection. The land remembers 

us - and now, I too will remember the 

land. 


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A BRIGHTER FUTURE 

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environment and a clearly brighter future for generations 

to come. It means even more than doubling renewables 

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the smallest things. Because little things really matter. 

Creative Files: Creative/22-DTE-1738 - Buzz Print> 


ECONOMICS & ENTERPRISE 

Chaos Begets Opportunity 

Capitalizing on the current housing and financial market 

BY VALENE AYAR 

With all the mayhem going on 

in the world, it can be very 

easy to fall into a negative 

thinking loophole. And the more we 

focus on negativity, the more we attract. 

The new negativity we attract 

leaves us feeling even more pessimistic, 

causing us to draw in even more 

negativity, and so on. I think you know 

where I am going with this. It becomes 

a never-ending cycle, a downward spiral 

into a bottomless abyss. 

The reason I am mentioning any 

of this is to break you out of this pattern 

and point out an overlooked advantage 

happening amidst the current 

chaos; an advantage that most people 

are unaware of. 

The Housing Market 

It is a seller’s market. Due to a severe 

shortage in inventory (available 

homes), houses are being sold in days, 

rather than weeks or even months – 

and often well above asking prices. 

Even if your career is not in this 

realm, you have undoubtedly heard 

talk of this or read about it somewhere. 

Unfortunately, though, if you are 

unfamiliar with the ins and outs of the 

housing and finance industries, you 

are only hearing half the story – and of 

course, it’s all the ugly parts. Allow me 

to introduce you to the “Ugly Truth’s” 

beautiful twin sister – the very pretty, 

yet mostly overlooked, “Opportunity.” 

The Silver Lining 

Because of the inventory shortage, the 

value of your home has gone up – a lot. 

Do you remember me mentioning 

the shortage of available homes? And 

the part about people paying more - 

even tens to hundreds of thousands 

of dollars above asking price? Well, 

guess what? If you own your home, 

this is fantastic news for you! 

You don’t need to be selling your 

home to capitalize on this seller’s 

market. Why? Because of the inventory 

shortage, values are appreciating 

at an astronomical rate. This is the 

result of the perfect storm that is our 

current social, political, and economic 

state-of-affairs – both nationally 

and globally. 

Your home equity in a nutshell 

To put it simply, home equity is the 

amount of the home you actually own 

– that is, the amount of the home (expressed 

in dollars), that is not owned 

by the lender or bank you got the 

mortgage through. It is the difference 

between the current value of the home 

minus the remaining balance on your 

mortgage. 

For example, let’s say you purchased 

a home years back at $250,000. 

You put $50,000 down, leaving you 

with a $200,000 mortgage; this is 

your principal loan amount – the loan 

amount not including interest. Now, 

let’s say, you have paid off $100,000 

of the mortgage, leaving you with a 

$100,000 principal balance. If your 

home was still valued at what you paid 

for it - $250,000 – this would mean 

you have $150,000 in equity ($50,000 

down payment + $100,000 paid off 

principal amount). 

However, your home is not worth 

$250,000 anymore. It is probably 

worth more – possibly, a great deal 

more. For argument’s sake, let’s say 

the home is now valued at $450,000 

(not unheard of in this market). That 

gives you an extra $200,000 in equity, 

totaling $350,000. 

So what does this all mean? 

This is where you win...big. You 

are essentially sitting on a piggy bank 

with $350,000 in it. If you decide to 

tap into this equity, and take some of 

it out, you can use that money for any 

(legal) reason. Some of the most common 

are: 

Renovate or Remodel 

This is especially a great idea if you 

would like to buy a new home but 

don’t want to do so in this market. You 

can use the equity in your home to 

remodel it, add an extension, or even 

put in that swimming pool you have 

always wanted. The possibilities are 

endless. Plus, these changes and updates 

to your home will also, in turn, 

increase the resale value for when you 

do decide to put it on the market. 

Debt consolidation 

Do you have any other debts besides 

your home mortgage? Perhaps, credit 

card debt or student loans; maybe an 

auto loan you need to pay off? Well, 

you can use the equity to pay off those 

debts, which most likely have higher 

interest rates on them. Isn’t paying 5% 

interest much more appealing than 

paying the 16% interest – for instance 

- that you are currently paying? 

College Tuition 

If you have kids, or would like to go to 

college yourself, using the equity to 

pay for it is much better than taking 

out student loans, which are frustrating 

to deal with in the long run. It is 

estimated that by 2036, a four-year 

degree will cost upwards of $200,000. 

The good news about this is that even 

if your kids are still young and not going 

off to college any time soon, you 

can (and should) still take the money 

out now, and put it into a savings 

bond, tax advantaged 529 college savings 

plan, or even a ROTH IRA, for instance, 

until the time comes. 

Investment Opportunities 

You can also use the equity as proceeds 

for an investment. This is especially 

ideal if you don’t want to go 

through the hassle of securing a business 

loan or are looking to expand or 

improve your current business, or to 

expand your portfolio by investing in 

a different business. 

How to access this sweet, sweet cash 

As I have illustrated above, there are a 

variety of ways to use the money from 

your home’s equity. And those are just 

a few examples - there are countless 

others. And you have a few different 

options as to how you access the equity, 

such as Cash-Out Refinance, Home 

Equity Loan (or Second Mortgage), or 

a HELOC (Home Equity Line of Credit). 

Each of these options have different 

requirements and benefits. Talk 

to a licensed mortgage professional for 

more information. 

Valene Ayar is a licensed Mortgage 

Loan Originator with a background in 

psychology and a lifelong passion for 

reading and writing. Feel free to email 

her at valene@thelendingwarrior.com 

or call/text her at 248.320.2622. 


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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 

Making Middle Eastern Music 

National Arab Orchestra lands spot at Concert of Colors 

BY JOHN SECOR 

The National Arab Orchestra (NAO) gears up for 

the 30th Annual Concert of Colors next month; 

a free, nine-day global music festival that’s 

family friendly indoors and outdoors. The concert 

takes place near the Detroit Institute of Arts, The Arab 

American National Museum, Orchestra Hall and other 

Detroit cultural gems. Arab orchestra founder and 

conductor Michael Ibrahim aims to bridge the Arab 

and non-Arab world through music. 

The NAO does this by speaking to the diversity 

that lives within the Arab world, a fact that is often 

glazed over in favor of the stereotypical soundbites 

one might find when talking about the Arab world. 

“Being Arab isn’t an ethnicity, it’s a cultural mindset, 

making a strong case for the Arab world existing as 

the original melting pot,” said Ibrahim. 

For example, within the modern state of Iraq one 

can find a tremendous amount of diversity exists 

today, including the Assyrian and Chaldean population 

that have existed in that region for centuries. 

This type of diversity adds so much beauty that 

makes up much of what we know about Iraq today, 

and the NAO reflects this diversity in its programming 

throughout the year. 

For Ibrahim, his musical journey started when he 

began taking oud lessons at the age of 10. 

Ibrahim founded the orchestra in 2009; it started 

as a student ensemble at the University of Michigan. 

After the first concert, the orchestra doubled in size. 

After a couple of successful performances, Ibrahim 

started the nonprofit in the spring of 2010 under 

the name of the Michigan Arab Orchestra. In 2014, 

the MAO changed its name after winning a grant from 

Knight Foundation and became the National Arab 

Orchestra, making its debut at the Woodruff Arts 

Center (the symphony hall for the Atlanta orchestra). 

Since then, the orchestra has grown and while 

many of its musicians may be based in Southeastern 

Michigan, the NAO’s reach is truly national with performances 

all over the country. 

In Southeastern Michigan, Ibrahim points out 

how well Chaldeans have assimilated into American 

society. They are business owners, elected officials 

and, yes, members of the NAO! In fact, the NAO features 

oudist, Nashwan Fadhel, a Chaldean that lives 

in Sterling Heights. 

The NAO isn’t just enjoying success on the national 

stage. Its social media presence has been growing 

at phenomenal rate since the pandemic began, with 

its YouTube channel garnering over 3 million views a 

month and with over 350,000 subscribers across all 

its online platforms. 

A milestone in the NAO’s growth is its upcoming 

collaboration with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra 

at the Concert of Colors. The NAO will perform July 21 

at 6 PM at the DSO Sosnick Courtyard and there are 

talks of future collaborative projects. 

It all comes back to the orchestra working with 

communities across the country to provide a platform 

for cultural expression and exchange for the Middle 

Eastern community while providing opportunities that 

bridge social and cultural barriers through music. 

The 30th Annual Concert of Colors is a free, indoor 

and outdoor world music festival founded by National 

Arab National Museum co-founder Ismael Ahmed. It 

celebrates music from around the world and is held 

at Detroit’s most prestigious cultural locations. The 

National Arab Orchestra, presented by the Detroit 

Symphony Orchestra, performs free outdoors at 6 

p.m., Thursday, July 21 at the Sosnick Courtyard at 

the DSO/Orchestra Hall: 51 Parsons St, Detroit, MI 

48201. For details visit www.concertofcolors.com 


ENGLISH AS A 

SECOND LANGUAGE 

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Intermediate / 

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T/TH 9:00 -11:30AM or 

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ASSESSMENT AND REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! 

ASSESSMENT AND REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! 

To register please call CCF at 586-722-7253 

To register please call CCF at 586-722-7253 

$40 registration fee 

$40 registration fee 

CHALDEAN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 3601 15 MILE ROAD, STERLING HEIGHTS, MI 48310 586-722-7253 CHALDEANFOUNDATION.ORG 




DOCTOR IS IN 

Avoiding Summer Hazards 

BY DR. RENA DAIZA 

Beautiful Michigan 

summer is finally 

upon us. Summer is 

typically a relaxed time to 

enjoy the outdoors and catch 

up on that vitamin D we were 

missing all winter long. But 

with the change in weather 

and increased outdoor activity 

comes certain hazards to 

be aware of. This can include 

heat-related illnesses, sunburns, 

and water accidents. 

Heat exhaustion is when 

your body is literally overheating. If you 

are ever in the unfortunate situation 

where you have been exposed to high 

heat for a time and notice heavy sweating 

accompanied by a rapid heart rate, 

it’s important to immediately stop all 

physical activity and seek cooling shelter. 

Your body needs rest and hydration. 

If you fail to pay attention to the 

warning signs, you could find yourself 

having a heat stroke – the most serious 

of heat-related illnesses. Heat stroke 

occurs when the body can no longer 

control its temperature. The sweating 

mechanism fails, and the body 

just can’t cool down. This is a medical 

emergency requiring an immediate 

trip to the Emergency Room. 

You can still have fun in the sun 

but should know your risk level. Children 

and older adults who are not 

used to high temperatures are more 

susceptible to heat-related illness. To 

avoid succumbing to the heat, reserve 

outdoor physical activities for mornings 

or evenings when the weather is 

coolest, wear flowy, lightweight clothing 

as opposed to tight and heavy outfits, 

and stay adequately hydrated. 

We all love being out in the sun, 

but too much exposure can cause 

long-term health risks. Being in direct 

sunlight for prolonged periods of time 

can cause skin cells to die, damage, or 

develop cancer. Sunburn causes your 

skin to turn red but often we don’t notice 

until after the fact. Even if you are 

dark complected with tons of melatonin 

in your skin, you can still sustain 

sun damage. 

DR. RENA 

DAIZA 

SPECIAL TO 

THE CHALDEAN 

NEWS 

Sun damage includes 

skin changes such as moles, 

wrinkles, and age spots. Ultraviolet 

(UV) rays from the 

sun that cause sunburn can 

also lower our immune system 

when white blood cells 

are busy trying to repair the 

damage. UV rays can also 

cause damage to the retina 

of your eye; avoid looking directly 

at bright sunlight. 

To avoid overexposure to 

sunlight, apply sunscreen 

with at least 30 SPF (sun protection 

factor) regularly and generously – 

even on cloudy days, and avoid midday 

sun exposure when possible. You 

can also wear clothing such as hats or 

long sleeve cover-ups. It’s much easier 

to avoid sunburn than to treat it; you 

usually have to wait until the burn 

peels to shed the damaged skin. Wear 

sunglasses to protect your eyes. 

We love our summer gatherings 

– especially barbecues, lake parties, 

and picnics – but food left out sitting 

in the sun too long can harm us. If certain 

foods such as meat or dairy are left 

unrefrigerated for any length of time, 

bacterial growth can make them unsafe 

for consumption, sometimes leading to 

food poisoning. To avoid that risk, follow 

a few simple guidelines like using a 

cooler to hold perishable items and keep 

them from heat, and disposing of food 

that has been out in the heat for more 

than an hour or two. It’s also important 

when grilling to use a meat thermometer 

to make sure food (especially chicken 

and pork) are cooked thoroughly. 

With fun and sun, you sometimes 

get wet. Swimming is definitely a summertime 

pursuit here in Michigan with 

our abundant lakes and pools; the 

state is surrounded on three sides by 

water! Water sports are some of the 

most fun summer activities but also 

can be the most dangerous if precautions 

are not taken. Boating mishaps 

Water sports are incredibly fun but can turn deadly in the blink of an eye. 

are unfortunately all too common but 

so are swimming accidents. 

Some swimming safety tips include 

not leaving children unsupervised 

near water, avoiding excessive alcohol 

consumption (which leads to poor 

judgement), staying out of the water 

during thunderstorms with lightning, 

knowing where to dive safely (NOT in 

shallow water), and having at least 

one responsible adult who knows CPR 

present. God forbid you should have to 

use it; it just might save a life. 

With sensible precautions, there is 

no reason why you and your family can’t 

enjoy all that sunshine has to offer while 

avoiding health hazards. After all, we’ve 

been waiting for summer all year! 

Dr. Rena Daiza is a family care 

practitioner at Henry Ford Health. She 

is a proud member of the Chaldean 

American Chamber of Commerce 

and is the founder of their Chaldean 

Women’s Committee. 



FOUNDATION 

Thinking about babies 

In partnership with Think Babies Michigan and the Early Childhood Investment Corporation (ECIC), the 

Chaldean Community Foundation [CCF] will be offering education and identifying resources for prenatal 

moms, new moms, and their babies. Pre & post-natal yoga, lactation, and nutritional classes are just 

a handful of classes moms can attend to support their health and nurture their babies. Watch for our 

community event on August 3, 2022, from 3:00pm – 6:00pm to include - Home Safety; Preparing Healthy 

Meals; Wellness; How to Stay Healthy During Pregnancy; Caring for Your Newborn; Proper car seat fitting 

and a Touch a Truck experience for children. 



EVENTS 

3 

1. Left to right, back row: Sr. Faustina, Sr. Bernadette, Sr. Immaculata, Veronica, Sr. Nada, Basma, Sr. Angela, Sr. Hiba, 

Sophia, Sr. Mesknta, and Sr. Amanda. L to r, front row: Sr. Margaret, Sr. Ibtihaj, Sr. Bahia, Sr. Lillian, and Sr. Treiza. 

2. Left to right: Sophia Elias, Sr. Bernadette Setto, Sr. Angela Morkos, Sr. Immaculata Kassab, Veronica Pacho, and 

Basma Younis. 3. Sr. Bernadette and Sr. Immaculata emceed the program. 4. Sr. Angela, Sr. Ibtihaj and Sr. Amanda 

having fun at the event. 5. Bishop Ibrahim N. Ibrahim addresses the crowd. 

1 

4 5 

2 

Chaldean Sisters 

Celebrate 

100 years 

PHOTOS BY ANDRIA WATHA 

On June 7, The Chaldean Sisters, 

Daughters of Mary Immaculate, 

celebrated their 100-year anniversary 

with a dinner at Shenandoah Country 

Club. Hosted by Sisters Bernadette 

and Immaculata, the program injected 

good-natured humor and featured a 

video showing “A Day in the Life” of a 

Chaldean sister. Bishop Francis Kalabat 

and Bishop Ibrahim Ibrahim made 

remarks to the crowd of around 700. 

3 

CACC Scotch 

& Cigars 

PAC Event 

PHOTOS BY 

NICO SALGADO 

1 

2 

4 

The PAC summer event, Scotch & 

Cigars, was hosted at the home of 

Johny and Leila Kello on Wing Lake 

June 21, 2022. Temperatures were in 

the 90s but a nice breeze off the lake 

kept things cool. Approximately 75 

attendees enjoyed the excellent food 

and refreshing bar. 

5 6 

1. Lining up for a photo op, Left to right: Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel, Catherine Kochanski and Ken Gutman from Walled Lake Consolidated Schools, 

Wayne County Undersheriff Mike Jafaar and Wayne County Sheriff Raphael “Ray” Washington, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, Macomb County Sheriff 

Anthony Wickersham, and Jason Abro from the Macomb County Sheriff’s office. 2. Kevin Denha, Tom Haji, and Jeff Denha share a laugh. 3. Ladies of the PAC. 4. 

Left to right: Chris Yatooma, Dan Fischer, Martin Manna, Bloomfield Township Treasurer Brian Kepes, and Greg Yatooma. 5. Hosts Johny & Leila Kello. 6. The crowd of 

around 70 enjoyed remarks by dignitaries. 


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Jaguar Land Rover Troy 

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CHALDEAN 

AMERICAN 

CHAMBER OF 

COMMERCE 


FOUNDATION 

CARLEEN JARBO-DANIAL 

ATTORNEY AT LAW 

248-808-1109 / CARLEEN@CARLEENJDLAW.COM 

1441 E. MAPLE ROAD / SUITE 304 / TROY MI 48083 

www.carleenjdlaw.com 

Angela Kakos 

Producing Branch Manager - VP of Mortgage Lending 

o: (248) 622-0704 

rate.com/angelakakos 

angela.kakos@rate.com 

2456 Metropolitan Parkway, Sterling Heights, MI 48310 

Guaranteed Rate Inc.; NMLS #2611; For licensing information visit 

nmlsconsumeraccess.org. Equal Housing Lender. Conditions may apply • Angela Kakos 

NMLS ID: 166374 

CHALDEAN 

AMERICAN 

CHAMBER OF 

COMMERCE 


FOUNDATION 

SANA NAVARRETTE 

DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT 

30095 Northwestern Highway, Suite 101 


CELL (248) 925-7773 

TEL (248) 851-1200 

FAX (248) 851-1348 

snavarrette@chaldeanchamber.com 

www.chaldeanchamber.com 

www.chaldeanfoundation.org 

ELIAS KATTOULA 

CAREER SERVICES MANAGER 

3601 15 Mile Road 

Sterling Heights, MI 48310 

TEL: (586) 722-7253 

FAX: (586) 722-7257 

elias.kattoula@chaldeanfoundation.org 


SANA NAVARRETTE 

MEMBERSHIP MANAGER 

ATHEER continued from page 19 

30850 TELEGRAPH ROAD, SUITE 200 

BINGHAM FARMS, MI 48025 

TEL: (248) 996-8340 CELL: (248) 925-7773 

FAX: (248) 996-8342 

snavarrette@chaldeanchamber.com 

www.chaldeanchamber.com 


Twitter: @ChaldeanChamber 

even have a Ph.D.,” he says. “Professional 

Hair Dresser.” 

His success with Miss Michigan 

brought him lots of opportunities. He 

started doing hair for Mrs. Michigan, a 

similar pageant but for married women, 

and finally advanced to styling for 

the Miss USA pageant. 

This month, in July, he’s going to 

Omaha, Nebraska to style hair for five 

candidates for Miss World. “I’m very 

happy about it,” he said. “It’s like a 

dream to me.” 

In addition to celebrities, Istifan 

also does hair for lower-profile clients 

as well. He does virtually every type 

of hairstyle on the planet, and he invites 

anyone who wants to know more 

about him to come sit in his chair and 

experience his creativity and passion. 

Instagram: @ChaldeanAmericanChamber 

Like many Chaldeans and immigrants, 

Istifan places heavy importance 

on education. He travels regularly to 

other states and countries to learn about 

new styles, colors, and techniques. Before 

COVID-19, he also taught his own 

class. One of his long-term goals is to 

open his own school, teach the next 

generation of stylists, and leave a legacy. 

Although Istifan is a humble man, 

he won’t hesitate to list his own accomplishments, 

magazine features, 

and celebrity clients. It comes off as 

pure excitement and joy. “Some people 

call me the hair whisperer. Some 

people call me a superstar.” 

Even superstars have dreams. 

Istifan’s dream is to dress the hair 

of the first lady. “Any first lady,” he 

said. “That’s my dream. I’m going to 

get there. But it will take time.” Istifan 

has been spreading the word and 

getting his name out there, hoping the 

right person will read his story. 

So far, Istifan has put his life into 

his career, but he does enjoy himself 

outside of work. His family and community 

are very important to him, so 

he regularly volunteers his time. At 

some local high schools, he styles hair 

for plays at no charge and volunteers 

elsewhere with his family. 

In his free time, he watches movies, 

goes shopping, and eats at nice 

restaurants. His favorite movie is The 

Great Gatsby (2013), though he might 

be a little biased, as he played a part in 

making the film. Istifan was one of the 

movie’s hair stylists. 

That opportunity propelled him into 

the spotlight and he got noticed by some 

of the right people. Just three years later, 

he was called on to represent the U.S. in 

the world hair competition, which he 

described as the “world cup for hair stylists.” 

He traveled to South Korea for the 

competition and received third place. 

For other immigrants or Americans 

in general, Istifan’s advice is to stay 

positive and focused. “Follow your 

dream, believe in yourself, be humble, 

be creative, be happy every single 

day,” he said. “You’ll get to your goals. 

There’s so much for everyone here.” 


FROM THE ARCHIVE 

The First American 

School For Boys 

In Baghdad 

In 1924, an adventurous young couple accepted 

a commission to open an American school for 

boys in Baghdad. Setting foot on Iraqi soil the 

very day that the Constituent Assembly convened 

in Baghdad to frame a constitution for the new nation, 

Ida Staudt and her husband Calvin witnessed 

the birth of this fledgling country. For the next 

twenty-three years, they taught hundreds of young 

boys whose ethnicity, religious background, and 

economic status were as varied as the region itself. 

Above: The pictures of yesterday speak to us today. This photo of students, teachers, and administrators of the American Elementary School in the Baghdad district of 

Sayied Sultan Ali was taken in 1930. Seated in the middle is the first principal of the school, Yousif Mary (Miri). On his right with the striped tie is the founder of the school, 

Reverend Calvin Staudt, PhD. Top of page: Yousif Mary/Miri (back row, second from left) stands behind the school’s founder, Dr. Staudt.

JULY 2022

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