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METRO DETROIT CHALDEAN COMMUNITY VOL. 19 ISSUE VIII <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />
On the Run<br />
in America<br />
The true story of<br />
an Iraqi Christian’s<br />
struggle to stay one<br />
step ahead of ICE<br />
PLUS<br />
Mar Matti<br />
Iraq’s Political Crisis<br />
St. Thomas in India
CONTACT<br />
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<strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 3
4 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong>
METRO DETROIT CHALDEAN COMMUNITY | <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong> | VOL. 19 ISSUE VIII<br />
ON THE COVER<br />
20 On the Run in America<br />
One man’s story to evade ICE<br />
By Amanda Uhle<br />
FEATURES<br />
26 Mar Matti in the Frame<br />
Photo essay of the famous monastery<br />
By Wilson Sarkis and Alan Mansour<br />
28 St. Thomas Basilica<br />
Spotlight on St. Thomas’ final resting place<br />
By Weam Namou<br />
DEPARTMENTS<br />
6 From the Editor<br />
Looking to the Future<br />
By Sarah Kittle<br />
7 Opinion<br />
Insuring Middle Easterners<br />
By Dawud Walid<br />
8 Foundation Update<br />
Breaking Barriers Field Trip,<br />
Back to School<br />
10 Noteworthy<br />
Annette Tomina, Rony Foumia<br />
12 Iraq Today<br />
Political Unrest in Iraq<br />
14 Unease in the Middle East<br />
By Cal Abbo<br />
16 Chaldean Digest<br />
Iraqi Kurdistan, Chaldean Patriarch<br />
18 In Memoriam<br />
18 Obituaries<br />
Suad Zia Dawod<br />
Nuha Mansour Yousif<br />
34 Sports<br />
Dominic “The Dominator” Gasso<br />
By Cal Abbo<br />
36 Culture & History<br />
Hands Clasped<br />
By Dr. Adhid Miri<br />
38 Family Time<br />
Krav Maga: A family sport<br />
By Valene Ayar<br />
40 Events<br />
The 3rd Annual Chaldean Cup Golf Outing<br />
42 From the Archive<br />
Dressing the Part:<br />
Village and city dress<br />
26<br />
30 Giving Parents a Voice<br />
Vincent Sitto runs for office<br />
By Paul Natinsky<br />
32 Profile: Chris George<br />
The branding guru<br />
By Cal Abbo<br />
28<br />
<strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 5
FROM THE EDITOR<br />
PUBLISHED BY<br />
Chaldean News, LLC<br />
Chaldean Community Foundation<br />
Martin Manna<br />
EDITORIAL<br />
EDITOR IN CHIEF<br />
Sarah Kittle<br />
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS<br />
Cal Abbo<br />
Valene Ayar<br />
Sarah Kittle<br />
Dr. Adhid Miri<br />
Alan Mansour<br />
Weam Namou<br />
Paul Natinsky<br />
Amanda Uhle<br />
Dawud Walid<br />
ART & PRODUCTION<br />
CREATIVE DIRECTOR<br />
Alex Lumelsky with SKY Creative<br />
GRAPHIC DESIGNER<br />
Zina Lumelsky with SKY Creative<br />
PHOTOGRAPHERS<br />
Dany Ashaka<br />
Wilson Sarkis<br />
SALES<br />
Interlink Media<br />
Sana Navarrette<br />
CLASSIFIEDS<br />
Sana Navarrette<br />
Subscriptions: $35 per year<br />
CONTACT INFORMATION<br />
Story ideas: edit@chaldeannews.com<br />
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Subscription and all other inquiries:<br />
info@chaldeannews.com<br />
Chaldean News<br />
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Farmington Hills, MI 48334<br />
www.chaldeannews.com<br />
Phone: (248) 851-8600<br />
Publication: The Chaldean News (P-6);<br />
Published monthly; Issue Date:<br />
September <strong>2022</strong><br />
Subscriptions: 12 months, $35.<br />
Publication Address:<br />
30095 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 101,<br />
Farmington Hills, MI 48334;<br />
Permit to mail at periodicals postage rates<br />
is on file at Farmington Hills Post Office<br />
Postmaster: Send address changes to<br />
“The Chaldean News 30095 Northwestern<br />
Hwy., Suite 101, Farmington Hills, MI 48334”<br />
Looking to the Future<br />
In today’s restless political climate, it is all too<br />
easy to be swept away with righteous anger and<br />
indignation when others do not see things the<br />
same way that we do. We ask ourselves, “How can<br />
they think like that?” while shaking our heads (and<br />
even sometimes our fists). Dinner table conversation<br />
has become much more heated and families and/or<br />
relationships have been split apart by the topic.<br />
In Iraq, recent elections have fractured the<br />
community. Rallies, protests, and demonstrations<br />
have sprung up all over Baghdad demanding the<br />
dissolution of parliament. The followers of one<br />
leader, a cleric named Muqtada al-Sadr, have declared the<br />
most recent election corrupt. He won the largest share of<br />
seats in October but failed to form a majority<br />
government. Does any of this sound familiar?<br />
Our cover story tells the tale of an Iraqi<br />
man who followed all the rules and still ended<br />
up on the run, facing deportation to Iraq and<br />
separation from his family here in the U.S. It<br />
was first printed in The Delacorte Review, part<br />
of the Columbia Journalism School, and was<br />
sent to us by the publisher. Any opinions,<br />
comments, or letters in response to the article<br />
should be sent to edit@chaldeannews.com.<br />
September also brings us an article written by Weam<br />
Namou about the St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica in India.<br />
As you may know, St. Thomas is typically credited with the<br />
conversion of certain Mesopotamians to Christianity. His<br />
journey ended on the Indian subcontinent with his death by<br />
piercing with a lance. His bones are buried at the Basilica<br />
there, and it is considered a most holy place.<br />
In a continuation of our Iraqi photo essay, we focus the<br />
frame on Mar Matti, the monastery located in the mountains<br />
of northern Iraq and named for St. Matthew. Reportedly, the<br />
bones of the saint are buried there along with the remains of<br />
many other monks and priests.<br />
We profile a couple members of the community this<br />
month, including Vincent Sitto, who is running for a seat on<br />
SARAH KITTLE<br />
EDITOR<br />
IN CHIEF<br />
the Oakland County Commission. Like many who get<br />
into politics, Sitto is concerned for the future of his<br />
children. He won the primary unopposed but will<br />
have a tough race against incumbent Kristen Nelson<br />
in the November general election.<br />
Cal Abbo also interviewed and profiled Chris<br />
George, an entrepreneur who has made a name<br />
for himself with subscription services including<br />
“The Gentlemen’s Box.” Chris has gone on to become<br />
a branding expert and ultimately feels like<br />
he found his calling.<br />
You may recall an earlier story about Al Jamoua<br />
and his fight against Michigan Farm Bureau, a business he<br />
claims has discriminatory practices. Special writer Dawud<br />
In Iraq, recent elections have fractured the<br />
community. Rallies, protests, and demonstrations<br />
have sprung up all over Baghdad<br />
demanding the dissolution of parliament.<br />
Walid expounds on the issue in an opinion piece. Dawud is<br />
the executive director of the Michigan chapter of the Council<br />
on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI).<br />
We have many reasons to celebrate this month as well,<br />
with the rise of football star Dominic Gasso, the appointment<br />
of Rony Foumia, and the acknowledgement of Annette<br />
Tomina’s success with Aqua-Tots, a swim school franchise.<br />
As we head into the last quarter of <strong>2022</strong>, let’s look to the<br />
future for inspiration and to the past for guidance.<br />
Sarah Kittle<br />
Editor in Chief<br />
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6 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong>
OPINION<br />
The perils of insurance<br />
while Middle Eastern<br />
The problems of racial<br />
and religious animus<br />
are unfortunately ongoing<br />
challenges for Michiganders<br />
with ancestry from<br />
the Middle East or who adhere<br />
to the Islamic faith.<br />
These challenges exist despite<br />
the density of Arab<br />
and Chaldean Americans<br />
and American Muslims<br />
who reside in Southeastern<br />
Michigan.<br />
Although issues such as<br />
hate crimes against persons within<br />
these demographics are not common<br />
in our region, what is an ongoing<br />
problem is the issue of discrimination<br />
that takes place from the private<br />
sector. To be more specific, there<br />
are growing concerns about unfair<br />
treatment from insurance companies<br />
against Arab and Chaldean Americans,<br />
be they Christians or Muslims.<br />
Discriminatory practices by insurance<br />
companies against racial and<br />
ethnic minorities is not a new phenomenon<br />
in America. Systematic racism<br />
against African Americans as it relates<br />
to increased rates to denial of automobile<br />
and life insurance is a phenomenon<br />
that is as American as cherry pie.<br />
In May of this year, a federal<br />
judge in Michigan denied an appeal<br />
for summary judgment by Michigan<br />
Farm Bureau, which will send to<br />
trial a lawsuit filed by Al Jamoua, a<br />
Chaldean American who claims discrimination<br />
by the insurance company<br />
against Arabs and Chaldeans.<br />
The plaintiff, who is a former agent<br />
of Michigan Farm Bureau, claims<br />
with corroborating evidence that<br />
the insurance company systemically<br />
discriminates against both Arab and<br />
Chaldean agents and customers.<br />
From claims that Jamoua sold too<br />
many policies to “his own people,”<br />
to the company setting purportedly<br />
higher rates for customers in Dearborn,<br />
Oak Park, Sterling Heights<br />
and Warren, areas with large concentrations<br />
of Arabs, Chaldeans and<br />
Muslims, Michigan Farm Bureau has<br />
much to answer for. Hence based<br />
DAWUD WALID<br />
SPECIAL TO<br />
THE CHALDEAN<br />
NEWS<br />
There are growing<br />
concerns about unfair<br />
treatment from<br />
insurance companies<br />
against Arab and<br />
Chaldean Americans.<br />
upon these claims and other<br />
reported facts as well as concerns<br />
voiced to CAIR-MI, it<br />
is highly probable that the<br />
macro issue of insurance<br />
discrimination that negatively<br />
impacts African Americans<br />
also effects Arab and<br />
Chaldean Americans in our<br />
region.<br />
As we are assisting legal<br />
counsel in this case, CAIR-<br />
MI is concerned about insurance<br />
discrimination being a<br />
broader constituent problem. Hence,<br />
we are releasing an online Insured<br />
While Muslim Survey to gauge this issue<br />
and to potentially take further action<br />
against the insurance industry in<br />
Michigan. Whether there is a broader<br />
industry issue or just a problem with<br />
a particular company, we have to play<br />
our part to hold those accountable<br />
who mock our communities and discriminate<br />
against and overcharge us<br />
based upon our ethnicities and religious<br />
backgrounds.<br />
Dawud Walid is currently the executive<br />
director of the Michigan chapter of the<br />
Council on American-Islamic Relations<br />
(CAIR-MI) based in Canton, Michigan<br />
and is a member of the Imams Council<br />
of Michigan.<br />
Drinking sugar-sweetened beverages can<br />
increase your risk for cavities. Try to limit<br />
how much pop, juice, fruit drinks, sweetened<br />
teas, or sports drinks you have. Instead, try<br />
different types of fruit in your water for a<br />
smile-friendly drink.<br />
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<strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 7
FOUNDATION UPDATE<br />
A Trip to Candyland<br />
On August 4, the Chaldean Community Foundation’s<br />
Breaking Barriers Academy students visited<br />
Sanders Chocolate Factory in Clinton Township,<br />
Michigan.<br />
The students had the opportunity to tour the<br />
shop, see how the chocolate at Sanders is made,<br />
and purchase chocolate to bring home to their<br />
families. The field trip is a regular tradition that<br />
the program uses to help acculturate the participants<br />
into the community.<br />
For more information on Breaking Barriers<br />
Academy, visit www.chaldeanfoundation.org or<br />
call 586-722-7253.<br />
Project Light<br />
Receives<br />
Accreditation<br />
The Chaldean Community<br />
Foundation’s Project<br />
Light program recently<br />
received a CARF Accreditation,<br />
which will<br />
go through September 30,<br />
2023. Through Project Light,<br />
licensed professionals provide mental health<br />
services including individual, group, and family<br />
therapy based on individual needs to Michigan<br />
residents ages 13 years and up, regardless of insurance<br />
status.<br />
CARF accreditation distinguishes a provider’s<br />
service delivery and signals to the public<br />
that the provider is committed to continuous<br />
performance improvement, responsive to feedback,<br />
and accountable to the community and its<br />
other stakeholders.<br />
Breaking Barriers Academy students touring the Sanders Chocolate Factory<br />
Summer’s Almost Over<br />
The Chaldean Community Foundation hosted the annual Warren Consolidated Schools (WCS) Back-to-School<br />
Open House on August 11. The event was attended by nearly 300 people and offered information on WCS transportation,<br />
technology support, K-12, athletics, nutrition services, and much more. Each student in attendance also<br />
received a backpack courtesy of Warren Consolidated Schools and Stellantis.<br />
For more information regarding the upcoming Warren Consolidated Schools <strong>2022</strong>-2023 school year, visit<br />
wcskids.net.<br />
Spotlight On…<br />
4TH ANNUAL AWARDS GALA<br />
Presented by Ronnisch Construction with support<br />
provided by United Wireless<br />
When: Thursday, September 29, <strong>2022</strong> starting<br />
at 6:00 pm.<br />
Where: The Palazzo Grande, 54660 Van Dyke<br />
Avenue, Shelby Twp, MI 48316<br />
Lifetime Humanitarian Awardee:<br />
Akram Kareem<br />
A lifelong entrepreneur, Akram Kareem has<br />
been involved in major philanthropic efforts for<br />
the Chaldean Churches in Southeast Michigan<br />
and internationally.<br />
For more information on sponsorship, contact<br />
Jubilee Jackson at jubilee.jackson@chaldeanfoundation.org<br />
or call us at 586-722-7253.<br />
Upcoming Events<br />
September 7 – Community Job Fair <strong>2022</strong> Time:<br />
3:00pm-6:00pm.<br />
September 8 – Emergency Preparedness Town<br />
Hall Time: 6:00pm-7:00pm.<br />
September 20 – National Voter Registration<br />
Day Time: 6:00pm-7:30pm.<br />
September 22 – Henry Ford Diabetes Prevention<br />
Town Hall Time: 6:00pm-7:30 pm.<br />
From left: Families from all across Macomb County came to the Warren Consolidated Schools Back to School<br />
Open House on August 11. Each student received a backpack at the conclusion of the Open House<br />
8 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong>
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<strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 9
NOTEWORTHY<br />
Dbusiness<br />
Powered by<br />
Women <strong>2022</strong><br />
Annette Tomina, co-owner of an Aqua-<br />
Tots Swim Schools franchise, was recognized<br />
by Dbusiness as one of the<br />
“Powered by Women” class of <strong>2022</strong>. It’s a<br />
family business, and since they opened<br />
their first school in Troy, the family has<br />
added outlets in Farmington Hills, Sterling<br />
Heights, Novi, Auburn Hills, Canton<br />
Township, Woodhaven, and Dearborn.<br />
An Aqua-Tots opened in Berkley in August<br />
and is scheduled to open in Grand<br />
Rapids late this year or early next year.<br />
Tomina and her family also have five<br />
schools in California and one in Florida.<br />
Tomina came across the Aqua-Tots<br />
franchise while on a trip to Arizona.<br />
She filled out the franchisee form online<br />
and one of the owners called her<br />
within 20 minutes. A lunch meeting followed,<br />
and Michigan’s first Aqua-Tots<br />
Swim School opened in Troy in 2011.<br />
“I came home (from Arizona) and<br />
Annette Tomina<br />
told my siblings, this is what we’re<br />
opening,” says Tomina, who owns the<br />
local franchise with her brothers Patrick,<br />
Brian, and Faraj Tomina, and a<br />
cousin, Chris Jaboro.<br />
Aqua-Tots is a swim school for<br />
children ages 6 months to 12 years.<br />
It’s based in Arizona and has more<br />
than 130 locations across the United<br />
States and around the world. The pool<br />
at Aqua-Tots is always a comfortable<br />
90 degrees, and instructors have 40<br />
hours of classroom and in-pool training<br />
based on a proven curriculum.<br />
Although Tomina says the Grand<br />
Rapids school likely will be her last<br />
Aqua-Tots in Michigan, she expects to<br />
expand further in California and Florida.<br />
She also has Waxing the City hair<br />
removal franchises in Canton Township<br />
and West Bloomfield Township,<br />
and is opening a Vio Med Spa franchise<br />
concept, where customers can<br />
get Botox and other appearance treatments,<br />
in West Bloomfield Township.<br />
Michigan Board<br />
of Pharmacy<br />
Appointment<br />
Rony Foumia of Commerce Township,<br />
the Michigan pharmacy area director<br />
for Ascension Health, was appointed to<br />
represent pharmacists for a term commencing<br />
August 11, <strong>2022</strong>, and expiring<br />
June 30, 2026. He succeeds Charles Mollien,<br />
whose term expired June 30, <strong>2022</strong>.<br />
The Michigan Board of Pharmacy<br />
was enacted as part of the Public Health<br />
Rony Foumina<br />
Code to oversee the practice of pharmacy<br />
as a health service, the clinical application<br />
of which includes the encouragement<br />
of safety and efficacy in the<br />
prescribing, dispensing, administering<br />
and use of drugs and related articles for<br />
the prevention of illness and the maintenance<br />
and management of health. The<br />
Public Health Code mandates certain<br />
responsibilities and duties for a health<br />
professional licensing board including<br />
promoting and protecting the public’s<br />
health, safety, and welfare.<br />
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10 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong>
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<strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 11
IRAQ TODAY<br />
Iraq Shiite cleric’s supporters demand<br />
assembly be dissolved<br />
BY QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA<br />
BAGHDAD (AP) — Hundreds of supporters<br />
of an influential Shiite cleric in<br />
Iraq rallied on August 23 in Baghdad’s<br />
heavily fortified Green Zone, demanding<br />
the dissolution of parliament and<br />
early elections.<br />
The demonstration outside the<br />
Supreme Judicial Council and parliament<br />
buildings in the Iraqi capital underscored<br />
how intractable Iraq’s latest<br />
political crisis has become.<br />
The followers of the cleric, Muqtada<br />
al-Sadr and his political rivals, the<br />
Iran-backed Shiite groups, have been<br />
at odds since after last year’s parliamentary<br />
elections.<br />
Al-Sadr won the largest share of<br />
seats in the October vote but failed to<br />
form a majority government, leading<br />
to what has become one of the worst<br />
political crises in Iraq in recent years.<br />
His supporters in late July stormed the<br />
parliament and have held frequent<br />
protests there.<br />
Caretaker Prime Minister Mustafa<br />
Al-Kadhimi called a meeting of senior<br />
political leaders and party representatives<br />
to find a solution — but al-Sadr’s<br />
party did not attend.<br />
The firebrand cleric’s supporters<br />
pitched tents outside of the Supreme<br />
Judicial Council and carried banners<br />
calling for the authorities to dissolve<br />
parliament, schedule early parliamentary<br />
elections, and combat corruption.<br />
They decried what they say is the politicization<br />
of the judiciary in favor of the<br />
Coordination Framework, an alliance<br />
of Iran-backed parties and al-Sadr’s<br />
Shiite rivals.<br />
The Supreme Judicial Council and<br />
Federal Supreme Court in a statement<br />
said they have suspended court sessions<br />
after receiving “threats over the phone”<br />
to pressure them to dissolve parliament.<br />
That step would leave Iraq with both a<br />
paralyzed parliament and judiciary, and<br />
a caretaker government that can only<br />
perform some of its duties.<br />
Al-Sadr’s Baghdad office in a statement<br />
called for the resignation of the<br />
PHOTO BY HADI MIZBAN/AP<br />
Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr protest in front the Supreme Judicial Council, in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday,<br />
Aug. 23, <strong>2022</strong>. Dozens of supporters of al-Sadr, an influential Shiite cleric in Iraq, rallied on Tuesday in Baghdad’s<br />
heavily fortified Green Zone, demanding the dissolution of parliament and early elections. The demonstration underscored<br />
how intractable Iraq’s latest political crisis has become.<br />
chief of the Supreme Judicial Council,<br />
which has issued arrest warrants for<br />
three members of al-Sadr’s party, accused<br />
of threatening the judiciary.<br />
The Coordination Framework has<br />
said that parliament would have to<br />
convene to dissolve itself. It urged al-<br />
Sadr’s camp to “retreat from occupying<br />
constitutional state institutions<br />
and return to the forces that believe in<br />
peaceful and democratic solutions.”<br />
On the day of the protests, al-Kadhimi<br />
left a regional meeting of leaders<br />
in Egypt to return to Baghdad following<br />
the developments. A statement<br />
from his office warned that suspending<br />
the judiciary could push the country<br />
into “grave dangers” and called for<br />
calm and resumption of political talks.<br />
Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammed<br />
al-Halboosi tweeted appeals to<br />
protesters not to quarrel with the judiciary,<br />
which he said was crucial at a<br />
time of crisis.<br />
The United Nations also sounded<br />
the alarm on further political paralysis<br />
in Iraq.<br />
“The right to peaceful protest is an<br />
essential element of democracy. Equally<br />
important is the assertion of constitutional<br />
compliance and respect for state<br />
institutions,” it said in a statement.<br />
“State institutions must operate unimpeded<br />
in service of the Iraqi people, including<br />
the (Supreme Judicial Council).”<br />
Al-Sadr on August 17 gave the judiciary<br />
a week to dissolve parliament,<br />
to which it responded saying it has<br />
no authority to do so. His supporters<br />
stormed parliament in late July.<br />
On August 20, he called on his followers<br />
to be ready to hold massive protests<br />
all over Iraq but then indefinitely<br />
postponed them after Iran-backed<br />
groups called for similar rallies the<br />
same day, saying he wants to preserve<br />
peace and that “Iraqi blood is invaluable”<br />
to him.<br />
12 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong>
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<strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 13
IRAQ TODAY<br />
Unease in the Middle East:<br />
Iraq’s political crisis explained<br />
BY CAL ABBO<br />
Muqtada al-Sadr<br />
Iraq is in the midst of its worst political<br />
crisis since the U.S. invasion in<br />
2003 and the execution of Saddam<br />
Hussein in 2006.<br />
The famous cleric and political figure<br />
Muqtada al-Sadr has disrupted the<br />
government for months now. It all began<br />
ten months ago, when Iraq elected<br />
a new parliament that was supposed<br />
to form a government. Al-Sadr’s bloc<br />
won a strong plurality of votes, but his<br />
political rivals refused to acknowledge<br />
his win and participate.<br />
In June, al-Sadr directed his entire<br />
bloc to resign from parliament, which<br />
resulted in 73 vacant seats that were<br />
filled in the interim mostly by an alliance<br />
of Iran-backed parties. Since the<br />
resignation and subsequent appointments,<br />
the country has been rocked<br />
by popular protests and calls for a new<br />
election by many in the Sadrist camp.<br />
This year in Iraq has been a particularly<br />
bad one with regard to the<br />
economy and standard of living. Iraq’s<br />
water supply, which is affected by the<br />
third consecutive year of drought, has<br />
also suffered at the hands of countries<br />
reducing water flow in the Tigris and<br />
Euphrates.<br />
Its power supply, which is notoriously<br />
problematic, has been affected<br />
by the intense summer heat and excessive<br />
demand. This summer is one of<br />
Iraq’s hottest on record.<br />
These issues are difficult to address<br />
for an interim parliament that<br />
is without an official government. In<br />
this political crisis, the parliament<br />
is limited in what it can do because<br />
Corruption is an<br />
extraordinary issue<br />
in Iraq. Almost daily<br />
it seems there is<br />
news about another<br />
corruption scandal<br />
having to do with the<br />
government.<br />
it first has to solve months-old disputes<br />
over the election.<br />
Protests have also penetrated<br />
inside the Green Zone, the district<br />
where most government business<br />
PHOTO BY THOMAS KOCH<br />
in Baghdad is conducted. The protestors,<br />
who are part of the Sadrist<br />
movement, continue to emphasize<br />
they are fighting against corruption<br />
and to help the poorer districts in<br />
Iraq that are struggling with food<br />
and water.<br />
Corruption is an extraordinary issue<br />
in Iraq. Almost daily it seems there<br />
is news about another corruption<br />
scandal having to do with the government.<br />
Those in al-Sadr’s camp claim<br />
to be firmly opposed to corruption and<br />
there are some reforms in the movement’s<br />
platform that would reduce it.<br />
On the other hand, while many political<br />
figures have promised to remedy<br />
the problem, little has changed in the<br />
last two decades.<br />
The former president of Iraq, Barham<br />
Salih, said in 2021 that $150 billion<br />
of oil money had been stolen<br />
and smuggled out of Iraq since the<br />
U.S. invasion in 2003. Among political<br />
analysts, Iraq is surely considered<br />
one of the most corrupt countries on<br />
the planet. Petty corruption, which<br />
involves low-level administrators taking<br />
small bribes, is almost expected<br />
in certain aspects of the public-facing<br />
government.<br />
In June, Iraq’s anti-corruption<br />
commission exposed a massive scandal<br />
in which 41 people misappropriated<br />
nearly $700 million in public<br />
funds through forgery, embezzlement,<br />
manipulation, and money laundering.<br />
Iraq’s economy relies heavily on cash,<br />
which has made this type of corruption<br />
simple and low risk.<br />
In addition, earlier in August,<br />
Iraq’s finance minister Ali Allawi announced<br />
his resignation from political<br />
office. This decision, he said in a letter,<br />
is the direct result of the political<br />
crisis. The government, his letter said,<br />
has made exceptional achievements<br />
regarding development and progress.<br />
The current situation, however, leaves<br />
the government “shackled by a power<br />
struggle.”<br />
14 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong>
Help your loved one<br />
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<strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 15
CHALDEAN DIGEST<br />
Salah Hadi is determined to rebuild his home in the town where his family has lived for generations.<br />
Pope Francis’ visit brings Iraqi Kurdistan’s<br />
safe-haven status into sharp focus<br />
On a recent afternoon, Salah Hadi applied a coat of cement<br />
on a large ceramic tile and carefully pressed it into<br />
place. The 51-year-old’s home in the northern Iraqi town<br />
of Qaraqosh is still blackened with soot after Daesh militants<br />
set it ablaze in 2014. But with long ancestral ties<br />
to the town, Hadi is determined to repair the damage.<br />
“I came back to Qaraqosh in 2017 after the war was<br />
over,” Hadi told Arab News as he stepped back to check<br />
that the new tiles were level. “The town was full of rubble<br />
and destruction. There were war remnants. Most of<br />
the houses were burned.”<br />
The arrival of Pope Francis has offered the Nineveh<br />
governorate’s Christian population a keen sense of spiritual<br />
renewal, but also a moment for sad reflection on<br />
its traumatic recent experiences.<br />
“The Daesh period was a time of pain and hardship,”<br />
said Hadi. “Every community in Iraq was hurt<br />
by Daesh’s attack. What happened during the time of<br />
Daesh was hard, but it has to be told.”<br />
Hadi’s neighbor, Sharabil Noah, also fled to Irbil<br />
to escape the Daesh invasion. There he and his family<br />
rented a house until they felt it was safe enough to return.<br />
“We didn’t take our belongings when we left. We<br />
thought it would be only a few days and we would be<br />
back home,” the 52-year-old told Arab News, a large<br />
cross hanging on the living room wall above his head.<br />
“When we came back, the town was destroyed. It<br />
was a ghost town full of stray dogs. There was no water,<br />
no electricity, no infrastructure. All of it was gone.”<br />
Although he has struggled to find work, Noah is<br />
determined to rebuild his life in Qaraqosh. “This is the<br />
land of our ancestors. We will not leave it,” he said.<br />
Noah wants security guarantees to prevent further<br />
persecution. “I would like to have international protection<br />
for us here that can assure the Christians that they<br />
can stay here, where their rights will be given and the<br />
Christians who left are allowed to return,” he said.<br />
“The pope’s visit raises the spirits of Christians in<br />
Iraq and tells them there are people who care for them<br />
out there. I hope this visit will strengthen relations between<br />
the communities here.”<br />
With help from aid agencies, life is gradually returning<br />
to normal in Qaraqosh. Hadi, for one, is confident better<br />
times lie ahead. “It is sad what has happened to Iraq,” he<br />
said as he scooped up more cement using a trowel to install<br />
another tile. “We have to stand together and be united<br />
in this country, so we can rebuild it over again.”<br />
“Daesh feels like a far-off memory that is long gone<br />
now,” Hadi said, dusting off his hands. “We forgot<br />
about them. It’s over.”<br />
– Arab News<br />
PHOTO BY MAHAMAD AMEEN ABDUL AL-JAWAD<br />
Chaldean<br />
Patriarch Sako<br />
Confirms His<br />
Intention to<br />
Resign<br />
Baghdad — The intention announced<br />
by Chaldean Patriarch<br />
Louis Raphael Sako to present his<br />
resignation to the Pope from the<br />
patriarchal office at the age of 75<br />
continues to be discussed.<br />
This intention had been expressed<br />
by the Iraqi Cardinal in the<br />
course of a television interview by<br />
Jordanian priest Nabil Haddad and<br />
broadcast by Nour Sat TV. Over<br />
the past few weeks, the Patriarch’s<br />
words have aroused controversy<br />
and comments on social networks,<br />
prompting the Patriarch to draw<br />
up a clarification note, released in<br />
recent days by the official media<br />
of the Chaldean Patriarchate. The<br />
note clarifies that Patriarch Sako<br />
had also mentioned in the past his<br />
intention to resign from the patriarchal<br />
office when he reaches the<br />
threshold of 75 years of age.<br />
According to the canonical provisions<br />
in force, all Catholic Bishops<br />
are required to present their<br />
own letter of resignation to the Pope<br />
when they reach the age of 75. This<br />
rule does not apply to the Patriarchs<br />
of the Eastern Catholic Churches,<br />
for whom there is no ‘retirement’<br />
age. “But it is a pity” reads the clarification<br />
note issued by the Chaldean<br />
Patriarchate “that among the<br />
Orientals, both in the institutions<br />
and in the political parties and in<br />
the Churches, an appropriate ‘culture<br />
of retiring’ is not widespread in<br />
due course.” The role of Patriarch -<br />
the patriarchal text points out - “is a<br />
role of service that does not depend<br />
on the individual person who holds<br />
it, however charismatic he is.”<br />
– Fides.org<br />
16 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong>
<strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 17
OBITUARIES<br />
Suad Zia Dawod<br />
Nov 18, 1948 – July 19, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Suad Zia Dawod was born on Thursday,<br />
November 18, 1948, and passed<br />
away on Tuesday, July 19, <strong>2022</strong>.<br />
Bebe’s life in five simple words:<br />
Love. Faith. Education. Family. Sacrifice.<br />
In the beginning, Bebe was love. What<br />
a funny word, love. What does it mean?<br />
There are so many ways to describe it, so<br />
many ways to express it. But everyone<br />
knows love when they feel it. And when<br />
people were with Bebe, they felt love.<br />
From the time she could remember,<br />
Bebe’s guiding light was faith. Her<br />
faith in people. Her faith in justice. Her<br />
faith in learning. And, of course, her<br />
faith in God. Bebe’s faith was singular<br />
and complete. Unwavering and direct.<br />
This could be no other way because<br />
Bebe’s faith was built on love.<br />
Growing up in Baghdad, the youngest<br />
of nine children, Bebe found her<br />
calling in education. First she educated<br />
herself. Later, as a primary school<br />
teacher, she educated others. Bebe<br />
listened, Bebe mentored. She thought<br />
broadly and she thought deeply. Bebe<br />
never tired of teaching and she never<br />
tired of learning. Bebe’s mind was always<br />
open. She embraced her world<br />
completely and accepted it with love.<br />
And Bebe gave all of her love, all of<br />
her faith and all of her knowledge back<br />
to her family. Bebe’s days began and<br />
ended with the dreams, aspirations and<br />
care for her loved ones — especially for<br />
her children and her grandchildren. For<br />
her family, Bebe cooked. For her family,<br />
Bebe baked. For her family Bebe smiled.<br />
And for her family, Bebe sacrificed.<br />
In her final years, Bebe sacrificed her<br />
comfort, hosting frequent sleepovers<br />
for her many grandkids — staying up<br />
as late as they did — though, at times,<br />
she could barely stand. In her final<br />
months, following a series of debilitating<br />
strokes, Bebe sacrificed her peace,<br />
undergoing painful physical therapy,<br />
all to grant her family the gift of hope.<br />
After many years of illness, Bebe’s<br />
body had grown tired but her spirit<br />
never wavered. All through her life,<br />
Bebe gave love. Bebe was love. Bebe is<br />
love. And, in the end, only love endures.<br />
IN MEMORIAM<br />
Ammar Al<br />
Dawoody<br />
July 12, 1975 –<br />
July 14, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Aseet Ramo<br />
Yaqo Buni<br />
July 1, 1943 –<br />
July 15, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Lazar Damerci<br />
Sept 14, 1958 –<br />
July 16, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Jeffrey George<br />
Najor<br />
Feb 15, 1983 –<br />
July 18, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Maryam Hanna<br />
Odeesh<br />
July 1, 1933 –<br />
July 18, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Bianca Mary<br />
Kashat<br />
Aug 11, 1983 –<br />
July 21, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Dhaher Gorguis<br />
Allos<br />
Jan 7, 1946 –<br />
July 21, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Saad Sarhan<br />
July 1, 1940 –<br />
July 22, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Lamees Korkis<br />
Jindo Bakos<br />
July 4, 1962 –<br />
July 23, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Nimat “Nina”<br />
Kallabat<br />
April 19, 1948 –<br />
July 24, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Mary Salmo<br />
Abbo<br />
July 1, 1937 –<br />
July 24, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Mendo Mendo<br />
July 1, 1951 –<br />
July 25, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Najah Petros<br />
Mansoor<br />
July 22, 1946 –<br />
July 26, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Manoel Jamil<br />
Attisha<br />
Jan 1, 1952 –<br />
July 27, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Saleemah<br />
Oraha Hanna<br />
July 1, 1943 –<br />
July 28, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Kamel Tobia<br />
Kirma<br />
Aug 31, 1950 –<br />
July 29, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Talal Matlob<br />
July 1, 1944 –<br />
July 30, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Korkis M Mansor<br />
July 1, 1933 –<br />
July 31, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Nabil Zaref<br />
Ghatas<br />
Sept 8, 1943 –<br />
July 31, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Wadou Sevany<br />
Zaitouna<br />
July 1, 1929 –<br />
Aug 2, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Johnny Zia<br />
Attisha<br />
May 6, 1963 –<br />
Aug 5, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Khudhur Bahnam-<br />
Afram Afram<br />
July 1, 1944 –<br />
Aug 6, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Hanni Jajju<br />
Yawer<br />
July 1, 1944 –<br />
Aug 6, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Najiba “Jeeba”<br />
Ayar Shouneyia<br />
Aug 30, 1935 –<br />
Aug 7, <strong>2022</strong><br />
18 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong>
Nuha Mansour Yousif<br />
Aug 26, 1957 – July 13, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Nuha Mansour Yousif was born in<br />
Baghdad, Iraq on August 26, 1957.<br />
She passed away peacefully surrounded<br />
by loved ones in Michigan<br />
on July 13, <strong>2022</strong>. She joins her parents<br />
Mansour and Aida Mansour in<br />
Eternal Rest. She is survived by her<br />
husband of 31 years, Wilson Yousif.<br />
Nuha was a loving mother to two<br />
boys, Lawrance and George. She was<br />
also a dear sister to May Mansour,<br />
Nazar (Nadia) Mansour, Nabeel Mansour,<br />
and Souha (Robert) Maltese.<br />
Nuha was the best aunt ever to Chantel<br />
(Alan) Shamoun, Steve Oram Jr.,<br />
Audrina Maltese, Nathan Mansour,<br />
Natalia Mansour, great-nieces Elise<br />
and Caroline Shamoun, and greatnephew<br />
Noah Shamoun.<br />
Nuha moved to the United States<br />
in 1973 with her parents and siblings.<br />
In 1988, she took a trip to Fatima,<br />
Portugal, which reinvigorated her<br />
faith and had an impact on her<br />
through the day of her passing. Nuha<br />
was fortunate enough to experience<br />
Fatima first-hand at the same place<br />
where the Virgin Mary appeared to<br />
three children. Nuha’s connection<br />
to Fatima was evident as she passed<br />
away on the Feast Day of the third<br />
apparition, July 13.<br />
Throughout her life, Nuha always<br />
gave to others before she thought of<br />
herself. She was compassionate and<br />
caring and many sought her advice<br />
and friendship. Nuha made each holiday<br />
special with her thoughtful gifts<br />
and delicious dishes. Graceful and<br />
elegant, she had a presence about<br />
her that seemed special in a way<br />
no words could describe. Incredibly<br />
stylish, she stood out in any photo<br />
she was in. She had a reserved, quiet<br />
demeanor but a giant, lovable laugh.<br />
Nuha would have not wanted us to<br />
remember her with sadness. She<br />
would have wanted us to think of her<br />
and smile.<br />
Michael Odisho<br />
Hermiz<br />
May 15, 1936 –<br />
Aug 7, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Essa (Isaac) Jalal<br />
Essa Koja<br />
Aug 7, 1985 –<br />
Aug 7, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Najiba “Jeeba”<br />
Ayar Shouneyia<br />
Aug 30, 1935 –<br />
Aug 7, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Nahida Yalda<br />
Dabish<br />
May 5, 1945 –<br />
Aug 8, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Sabah Salem<br />
July 1, 1939 –<br />
Aug 8, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Omar Nabil Issa<br />
Sept 16, 1982 –<br />
Aug 10, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Shamoon<br />
Sumoo Sada<br />
Dec 20, 1989 –<br />
Aug 10, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Kinar Sarkees<br />
William<br />
July 1, 1947 –<br />
Aug 11, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Juliet Esho Sawa<br />
Sulaqa<br />
Feb 15, 1957 –<br />
Aug 12, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Anthony Paul<br />
Orow<br />
Jan 29, 1998 –<br />
Aug 13, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Riad Faraj<br />
Yatooma<br />
May 1, 1968 –<br />
Aug 15, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Ryath Jamil<br />
Lousia<br />
Sept 28, 1950<br />
– Aug 16, <strong>2022</strong><br />
<strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 19
COVER STORY<br />
On the Run in America<br />
An Iraqi Christian’s struggle to stay<br />
one step ahead of ICE<br />
BY AMANDA UHLE<br />
Originally printed in The Delacorte<br />
Review August 15, <strong>2022</strong>.<br />
ILLUSTRATION BY LÉO HAMELIN<br />
In winter, the four-hour drive from<br />
Detroit to Youngstown is particularly<br />
bleak. One February 2018 day<br />
I couldn’t discern any contrast between<br />
the snow on the farm fields, the faded<br />
white of gambrel-roofed barns, and the<br />
dove-gray sky behind them. The landscape<br />
alternates between fast food and<br />
agriculture, the flat road stretching on<br />
and on. Drive the length of Ohio and<br />
you’ll pay more than $15 in tolls.<br />
For more than a year at that time,<br />
dozens of Detroit families made this drive<br />
often to see detained fathers, husbands,<br />
brothers, and uncles, all held by ICE at<br />
the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center.<br />
I joined them, and on one of my visits, I<br />
was scheduled to meet two men for backto-back<br />
interviews. Instead, prison staff<br />
decided we could all talk together.<br />
So Peter Abbo—a name I’m using<br />
for this story to protect his anonymity—<br />
pushed another man’s wheelchair into a<br />
tiny metal room, the two of them sharing<br />
a single phone on their side of the plexiglass.<br />
Peter was bald and pale, a red-orange<br />
beard on his chin but no mustache<br />
above it. The man in the wheelchair fit a<br />
more expected version of “Middle Eastern,”<br />
with olive skin and graying black<br />
hair. They looked nothing alike but had<br />
established a brotherly rhythm, telling<br />
each other’s stories, passing the plastic<br />
phone between them. Neither man’s<br />
family had visited yet. Peter’s wife had<br />
breast cancer, I learned, and the other<br />
man had a first-grade son.<br />
The man in the wheelchair dominated<br />
the phone but if Peter was annoyed,<br />
he didn’t betray it. When I indicated<br />
that Peter should speak he did<br />
so with equal urgency, but also with a<br />
self-effacing demeanor. Repeatedly he<br />
said, “I take responsibility” or “I did it.<br />
I own that,” in explaining his crimes<br />
and circumstances.<br />
Peter pressed a family photo and a<br />
Xerox of a handwritten letter against the<br />
plexiglass for me to read. The judge at<br />
his recent hearing had ignored the letter,<br />
and Peter wanted me to see the injustice<br />
of it, to understand his situation.<br />
These were two of more than 300<br />
Iraqi-born Detroit-area men arrested<br />
in a surprise ICE raid back on Sunday<br />
morning, June 11, 2017. They both have<br />
criminal records, for which they’ve<br />
served time. In 2010, the man in the<br />
wheelchair worked in a liquor store that<br />
sold fake Nike shoes. He was charged<br />
with a counterfeiting felony and went<br />
to prison. Seven years later, shoeless<br />
and in his underwear at six in the<br />
morning, he was handcuffed and taken<br />
out of his home and into one of the<br />
SWAT vehicles idling on his suburban<br />
street. More quietly, in the weeks before<br />
and after, others were arrested in Michigan<br />
and beyond. At the time there were<br />
just over 1,300 men in the U.S. who fell<br />
into a narrow category of immigration<br />
law—Iraqi-born people who had “final<br />
orders of deportation.” A few had been<br />
convicted of serious crimes. Many more<br />
were guilty of non-violent offenses or<br />
even simple lapses in paperwork. In the<br />
summer of 2017, the Trump administration<br />
planned to deport them all.<br />
This was a hard turn in policy. For<br />
decades, the U.S. did not deport Iraqis.<br />
The situation in that nation was deemed<br />
so dangerous that even the George W.<br />
Bush administration had understood it<br />
to be inhumane to deport Iraqis to Iraq.<br />
People who had been “Americanized”<br />
by spending time in the U.S. would be in<br />
extreme danger there, and their presence<br />
was considered a risk to Iraq’s precarious<br />
security situation. Citing logistical and<br />
humanitarian reasons, the Iraqi government<br />
refused to repatriate them anyway.<br />
Under current immigration law, felons<br />
generally cannot remain in the U.S.<br />
But when an Iraqi-born person was<br />
convicted of a felony, he or she would<br />
be sentenced according to the courts<br />
and then, instead of being deported,<br />
as other foreign-born felons might be,<br />
they were assigned supervision from<br />
ICE—usually monthly or annual checkins.<br />
Officially their status included the<br />
designation “under final orders of deportation,”<br />
even though the deportation<br />
aspect hadn’t happened in a generation.<br />
Sending someone back to Iraq<br />
was all but unimaginable.<br />
Until it wasn’t.<br />
ON THE RUN continued on page 22<br />
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<strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 21
COVER STORY<br />
ON THE RUN continued from page 20<br />
By mid-afternoon on June 11, 2017,<br />
the Detroit ICE office was filled with<br />
recently-arrested men. Detroit-area<br />
Iraqi families were urgently trying<br />
to reach one another and warn them<br />
about the surprise raid. Peter Abbo<br />
was out on an errand when his wife<br />
Mimi answered their door. She called<br />
him. According to a letter she sent immigration<br />
count, he “…turned himself<br />
in within ten minutes of getting my<br />
phone call. [He] would never run away<br />
from his situation and never has.” Peter<br />
and Mimi were both aware of the<br />
other Detroit arrests that day. “I knew<br />
what was happening. I could have<br />
run,” he said. “I faced up to it.”<br />
He came home and ICE agents<br />
waiting there arrested him.<br />
It seemed reasonable to Peter Abbo<br />
that his situation could be sorted out.<br />
He did not have a violent past. He was<br />
involved in a weird and spontaneous<br />
armed robbery in 1990 and a cocaine<br />
deal in 2009, but had served time years<br />
ago for both. He had scrupulously kept<br />
up with ICE check-in appointments, even<br />
as the appointments had become more<br />
tense and punitive since Donald Trump<br />
had taken office six months before.<br />
The day after the 2016 election that<br />
brought Trump the presidency, Peter<br />
remembers, he had a scheduled meeting<br />
with his immigration officer. He<br />
was in the waiting room with several<br />
other people when his officer called<br />
out across the room: “Hey Peter, did<br />
you hear Trump won? All you guys are<br />
going to get deported now.”<br />
Peter chose not to answer. He<br />
looked down and shook his head.<br />
With a thick Michigan accent, elongating<br />
the first “a” in “Arabs,” the officer<br />
said, “All you A-rabs. Wait and<br />
see.”<br />
More than half of the Iraqis arrested<br />
and threatened with deportation<br />
in 2017 are neither Arab nor Muslim.<br />
Peter is Chaldean, a sect of Catholicism.<br />
He grew up speaking Aramaic,<br />
not Arabic. A minority group in Iraq,<br />
the Chaldean community has endured<br />
an epic list of injustices through history,<br />
from its formation in the Mesopotamian<br />
era to the present. Ostracized<br />
and in danger in Iraq, Chaldeans are<br />
the primary subset of all Iraqi immigrants<br />
to the U.S. The first influx<br />
began around 1914 when Henry Ford<br />
offered appealing wages of $5 a day<br />
for autoworkers. As generations of suffering<br />
followed for Chaldeans in Iraq,<br />
they continued to slowly immigrate<br />
to the Detroit area. At least 250,000<br />
Iraqis are known to have died at the<br />
hand of their own government during<br />
Saddam Hussein’s brutal twenty-fouryear<br />
reign. And Chaldeans’ suffering<br />
didn’t end with Saddam’s death in<br />
2006. Thirteen years later, in 2019, the<br />
Chaldean archbishop announced that<br />
Iraqi Christians faced “extinction” unless<br />
there was a change in the political<br />
situation.<br />
Peter and his twin brother were<br />
born in 1969 in Baghdad. The Abbos<br />
had come from a village in northernmost<br />
Iraq, near the borders of Iran<br />
and Turkey. Red-headed, fair-skinned<br />
people—like Peter and his twin—are<br />
common there, and Chaldean culture<br />
is dominant. Peter tells me that during<br />
World War I his family and his village<br />
helped the Russians and, as a result,<br />
“The rest of Iraq has always treated us<br />
as traitors.” His parents were forced to<br />
move south when the violence against<br />
Christians became intolerable. “Kidnapping<br />
and killing Christians happened<br />
so much,” he said.<br />
His parents thought they’d be safer<br />
in the city, but living there was substantially<br />
worse. In the north, the Abbos<br />
had been almost exclusively among<br />
Chaldeans, but in Baghdad they were<br />
a minority. The family spoke Aramaic<br />
at home. Everyone around them spoke<br />
Arabic, and most were Muslim. Peter<br />
couldn’t get his footing in school because<br />
of the language difference. His<br />
sister was harassed because she didn’t<br />
wear a hijab. The children were bullied,<br />
and Peter has a bright white scar<br />
on his forehead from an injury sustained<br />
during that time. He touches<br />
it when he talks about those years in<br />
Baghdad. “They jumped me,” he says<br />
quietly. “They threw rocks.”<br />
In 1980 the Iran-Iraq War began.<br />
The same year, doctors told Peter’s father<br />
that he needed a pacemaker. Fortunately<br />
for the family, his father became<br />
eligible for a visa to have surgery<br />
in the U.S. It would also allow his wife<br />
and children a respite from the day-today<br />
brutality they were facing.<br />
Peter and his twin brother were<br />
both given traditional Chaldean<br />
names when they were born, but when<br />
they moved to America, they took<br />
their baptismal names. They learned<br />
English. Their father recovered, then<br />
began working as a cook for a suburban<br />
Detroit banquet hall. Peter’s older<br />
sister married and had children. Four<br />
years passed. The Abbos overstayed<br />
their visitor visa, and, in 1984, left the<br />
country in order to re-enter later using<br />
proper immigration channels.<br />
Returning to Iraq in the interim was<br />
not possible. Peter’s oldest brother<br />
– the only immediate family member<br />
to have stayed behind – was by 1984<br />
in his fourth year as a soldier in the<br />
Iran-Iraq War. It became known in his<br />
army unit that his family had moved to<br />
the U.S.—an unforgivable stain on his<br />
name. Anyone traveling to America,<br />
and especially coming back to Iraq after<br />
living in America, was assumed to<br />
be involved in espionage. His brother<br />
learned of a secret and credible plan<br />
for his fellow soldiers to torture and<br />
kill him; he absconded instead, running<br />
into the mountainous wilderness<br />
near their home village and surviving<br />
on little until he arrived in an Iranian<br />
refugee camp.<br />
To avoid endangering other family<br />
members or risk torture and death<br />
themselves, Peter and his family<br />
moved to Casablanca in 1984, living<br />
off of their small savings. His now-naturalized<br />
adult sister sponsored their<br />
re-entry to the U.S. in 1986, when Peter<br />
was seventeen.<br />
The Abbos moved to Detroit’s Chaldean<br />
Town, near 7 Mile and Woodward<br />
Avenue, a neighborhood of densely<br />
packed single-family houses without<br />
driveways—built before cars—and a<br />
small strip of Iraqi bakeries and meat<br />
markets. Of the roughly 640,000 Chaldeans<br />
worldwide, about 120,000 reside<br />
in Metro Detroit. Saddam’s rule<br />
had prompted thousands of Chaldean<br />
families to flee persecution in Iraq beginning<br />
in the late 1970s. Many went<br />
to Detroit, and a large number of them<br />
settled into jobs operating corner convenience<br />
stores as family businesses,<br />
as they had done in Iraq. Living in a<br />
contemporary food desert, many Detroit<br />
residents rely on corner stores<br />
for nutrition. The Chaldean Chamber<br />
of Commerce says that nine out of ten<br />
food stores in the city are owned by<br />
Chaldeans. Muslims are forbidden to<br />
buy and sell alcohol, creating a business<br />
niche for Chaldeans both in Iraq<br />
More than half of the Iraqis arrested and threatened with deportation<br />
in 2017 are neither Arab nor Muslim… the Chaldean community has<br />
endured an epic list of injustices through history, from its formation<br />
in the Mesopotamian era to the present.<br />
and in the U.S. Chaldeans and their<br />
late-night liquor stores, called party<br />
stores here, are stalwarts of Detroit<br />
culture. Like bodegas in New York,<br />
party stores in Detroit are handy for<br />
beer or milk or toiletries, and a reliable<br />
source of friendly conversation. I spent<br />
an afternoon in a West Side Detroit<br />
party store in 2019 and its Chaldean<br />
owner, who himself spent ten months<br />
detained in 2017-18, greeted everyone<br />
who entered by name, usually referencing<br />
their family. “Terry, we got diapers<br />
in for your sister’s baby,” he told<br />
one visitor.<br />
In the mid-80s, when Peter was a<br />
teenager, Pershing High School, on<br />
Detroit’s West Side, proved even less<br />
welcoming than Baghdad had been.<br />
Detroit is a majority Black city. Most<br />
other Middle Eastern kids—who were<br />
generally Muslim and had immigrated<br />
to Dearborn, adjacent to Detroit—had<br />
olive skin and dark hair. Peter was<br />
freckled and pale, ginger-haired. Peter<br />
said he tried at school and tried not to<br />
get distracted by various criminal activities<br />
in his neighborhood. “But my<br />
head wasn’t in place.”<br />
He was working after school and at<br />
ON THE RUN continued on page 24<br />
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STORY continued from page XX<br />
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<strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 23
COVER STORY<br />
ON THE RUN continued from page 22<br />
night, at a liquor store on 6 Mile and<br />
Telegraph. That neighborhood was<br />
also a hub for drugs. “I used to look at<br />
the dope dealers and think, well, what<br />
a life. I mean that’s what you saw,” he<br />
said. “Starting in mid-’80s, mid-’90s,<br />
there was nothing but cocaine, hard<br />
drugs, fighting, robbing, killing.”<br />
On Mother’s Day 1990, when Peter<br />
had just turned twenty-one, he<br />
was hanging out with several high<br />
school friends near a party store. One<br />
of them, he says, spontaneously decided<br />
to rob someone coming out. The<br />
man was holding a bouquet of flowers,<br />
presumably for a mother in his<br />
life. As he opened the door of his car,<br />
a red Corvette, Peter’s friend pulled<br />
a gun on the man, took his keys, and<br />
got in the car, yelling at Peter to hop<br />
in. This had not been Peter’s idea. He<br />
says he felt almost as confused as the<br />
Corvette owner. But Peter opened the<br />
passenger door, grabbed the flowers<br />
from the front seat, handed them to<br />
the man who’d bought them, and got<br />
in the back seat.<br />
“Stupid, stupid,” Peter says, recalling<br />
the incident. “Me and another guy<br />
jumped in the car and took off.” They<br />
drove the Corvette for ten minutes<br />
around Chaldean Town. The police<br />
asked the victim who stole the car, and<br />
the owner reported that one of them<br />
was a redhead. “Everyone else with me<br />
was African-American. So the police<br />
knew exactly who it was,” Peter said.<br />
“I am the only red-haired guy in that<br />
neighborhood. When they came to<br />
me, they asked me whether I was the<br />
guy with a gun. I said I was. I couldn’t<br />
snitch. In that neighborhood, in that<br />
time, you can’t do that. They would<br />
have burned my house.”<br />
Peter says he never held the gun. He<br />
was holding the bouquet during most<br />
of the frenzied interaction. The victim<br />
agreed and told law enforcement so at<br />
a hearing—that Peter was an accessory<br />
and bystander, but not the gunman.<br />
“He said that I had nothing to do with<br />
it,” Peter said, that he had been “nice<br />
enough to give him his flowers back because<br />
it was Mother’s Day.”<br />
Peter was offered a plea bargain for<br />
a lower charge, unarmed robbery, but<br />
when he got the paperwork it was for<br />
the original charge, armed robbery. But<br />
Peter still agreed to protect his friends,<br />
and to protect himself from retribution.<br />
“I was young and stupid,” Peter said.<br />
He served one year and three months<br />
in a state prison. He’d understood that<br />
the plea meant his record would be<br />
clean, but he was wrong—those ten minutes<br />
in 1990 are indelibly marked on his<br />
record as “armed robbery.” His family<br />
paid $1,000 for the lawyer who urged<br />
him to take the plea deal. It’s unclear<br />
whether this lawyer considered the consequences<br />
of adding a felony to an immigrant’s<br />
record, or if he did understand<br />
but assumed that it was irrelevant, since<br />
Iraqis were never deported anyway.<br />
Peter spent his twenties back in<br />
the same Detroit neighborhood. His<br />
girlfriend got pregnant and then left,<br />
shortly after their son was born. Peter<br />
and his mother raised the boy together.<br />
There was never enough money.<br />
“It’s so stupid to even say it now,” he<br />
tells me, “but I wanted to be a drug<br />
dealer. They had money, friends. They<br />
were the only ones who didn’t have to<br />
worry. I should have wanted to be a<br />
doctor, but I didn’t know to want that.”<br />
In 2009, at age thirty-nine, he was<br />
arrested for selling cocaine. He hired<br />
a friend of a friend’s lawyer, who was<br />
Yemeni.<br />
But at the time neither Peter nor<br />
his attorney knew that something important<br />
had changed in the nineteen<br />
years since his 1990 felony for armed<br />
robbery. “Janet Reno changed the law<br />
back in ’98,” he says. “If you’re not<br />
a citizen and catch a felony, you are<br />
deportable.” He felt a rush of fear as<br />
this fact emerged during the prosecution’s<br />
remarks at the hearing. Serving<br />
more time in a U.S. prison was a very<br />
unpleasant prospect but was nothing<br />
compared to being deported to<br />
Iraq as a fair-skinned Chaldean who’d<br />
spent decades steeped in U.S. culture.<br />
He didn’t know Arabic, and he didn’t<br />
know anyone in Iraq. Deportation was<br />
effectively a death sentence. Even if<br />
actually being deported was unheard<br />
of, he didn’t want to be put on that list.<br />
During the court recess, Peter sat at<br />
the wooden defendant’s table next to<br />
his Yemini attorney, who raised his eyebrows<br />
and leaned toward Peter’s ear.<br />
Get out, he said.<br />
“He looked at me. He told me,<br />
‘They’re going to lock you up. Send<br />
you back.’ I remember that day. Wow.<br />
How he looked at me. He said ‘Run.’<br />
And with my, with my dumbness, I believed<br />
him. I hate to admit it. It’s nuts.<br />
I got up and left. My lawyer said to run,<br />
and my dumb ass ran.”<br />
When the court recessed, Peter just<br />
walked out and went home. Not for<br />
long, though. “It took them a month or<br />
two to come get me. ICE came, and I<br />
was in for three months, but then the<br />
policy with Iraq was that they wouldn’t<br />
deport me.” That would change.<br />
Immigration and Naturalization<br />
Services arrested Peter in 2009, and<br />
he served three months in the Calhoun<br />
County Jail in Battle Creek. His trial<br />
for the drug charge proceeded – this<br />
time with a public defender after he<br />
parted ways with the Yemini attorney.<br />
In January of 2011, he was sentenced to<br />
thirty-two months in prison and four<br />
years of probation. He served about<br />
thirty months in state prison. After<br />
his release, he reported to ICE every<br />
six months. Like all Iraqi immigrants<br />
with final orders of deportation, he<br />
was assigned an immigration officer<br />
whose job was to check up with an<br />
individuals’ employment and housing<br />
situations and monitor them to be<br />
sure they were accountable, with no<br />
criminal activity. They could be hard.<br />
“The ICE people, I’ve never seen anything<br />
like it,” Peter says. “A few are<br />
okay, normal. Most of them, it seems<br />
like they’re there because they want<br />
to show you their power, to disrespect<br />
you. They call you liar, call you piece<br />
of shit, Arab.”<br />
Peter worked for a disaster cleanup<br />
company at the time, entering homes<br />
and businesses after destructive<br />
events such as fires and floods, and<br />
even crimes. “We would go to burnt,<br />
damaged properties, water-damaged<br />
properties, and we’d tear them down<br />
and rebuild them,” he says.<br />
His boss would put him on the<br />
phone or in front of customers whenever<br />
possible because, he says, he was<br />
the friendliest, most outgoing man on<br />
the crew. His boss wrote a letter in support<br />
of his release in 2018, telling the<br />
immigration court that Peter is “hardworking,<br />
trustworthy, a team player,<br />
and a huge asset to our organization.<br />
He has always been reliable…we continually<br />
receive positive comments<br />
about his work ethic and personality<br />
from many of our clients.”<br />
Because of his light skin and red<br />
hair, Peter says, co-workers often took<br />
“The ICE people, I’ve never seen anything like it,” Peter says. “A few<br />
are okay, normal. Most of them, it seems like they’re there because<br />
they want to show you their power, to disrespect you.”<br />
it for granted he was white. A surprising<br />
number of them, he says, were allied<br />
with white supremacy groups and<br />
assumed that he’d be sympathetic. He<br />
wasn’t. “They thought I was thinking<br />
the same way, so they’d say things<br />
about the Hispanic people, about Jewish<br />
people. They hate Jewish people<br />
more than anything.”<br />
“They’re all thinking it’s going to<br />
be a race war,” Peter said. He makes an<br />
upside-down “okay” hand gesture, now<br />
associated with white supremacists,<br />
and says, “This is how they identify<br />
each other, how they say white power.<br />
They’re signaling.” They sometimes signaled<br />
him that way, Peter said, because<br />
of his looks. “I’m thinking, Honest to<br />
God, this is everywhere. This is ugly.”<br />
Peter has been married to Mimi<br />
since 1999. (For her privacy and Peter’s,<br />
Mimi is not her real name.) She’s<br />
also from a Chaldean family, though<br />
she was born in Detroit, and she is<br />
kind and beautiful, with long hair and<br />
a wide-open smile. The couple tried<br />
for a baby, and she miscarried several<br />
times. Years passed. They adopted<br />
dogs. Mimi worked in a hair salon and<br />
started a cookie business. In 2015, a<br />
ON THE RUN continued on page 41<br />
24 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong>
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<strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 25
PHOTO ESSAY<br />
Mar Matti<br />
in the<br />
Frame<br />
A photo essay of<br />
the homeland<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILSON SARKIS<br />
CAPTIONS BY ALAN MANSOUR<br />
Top of page: The monastery now serves the small farming villages located at the foot of the mountain. Above: Mar Matti or Mattai (St. Matthew) is the name<br />
of a Syriac Orthodox (Jacobite) monastery that sits atop Mount Maqlub (also known as Alphaph or Alfaf Mountain) at the height of 2,010 feet above sea level.<br />
It is located 15 miles from Nineveh and just under 13 miles northwest of Mosul.<br />
26 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong>
Left: Seated on the shelf of a<br />
rocky peak, the monastery offers<br />
an exceptional double view. As<br />
seen from the valley, it appears<br />
as being suspended between<br />
the earth and the sky and leads<br />
us to meditation. On the other<br />
side, from its terrace, it offers a<br />
180° panorama and seems to be<br />
keeping a watchful eye on the<br />
world below, the world of the<br />
people of Nineveh.<br />
Below: Mar Matti was buried<br />
among many bishops, monks,<br />
and priests in this monastery.<br />
It was well known for its large<br />
library and Syriac Christian<br />
manuscripts. Also buried in Mar<br />
Matti Monastery is one of the<br />
great scholars at that time, Ibn<br />
Al Ibry. Many caves and silos remain<br />
around the monastery; they<br />
used to house all the people that<br />
lived there.<br />
Above: Mar Matti<br />
Monastery is only the<br />
mere shadow of its<br />
former magnificence.<br />
The small monastic<br />
community which still<br />
lives there watches over<br />
an immemorial heritage.<br />
It is recognized as<br />
one of the oldest<br />
monasteries, dating<br />
back to 363 AD. King<br />
Sennacherib built it<br />
during the reign of the<br />
Prussian King Shaboor<br />
(Shapur).<br />
Right: The last attack,<br />
by ISIS in 2014, was<br />
stopped down in<br />
the valley, just a few<br />
kilometers away from<br />
the monastery. At<br />
that time, some of the<br />
villages below had<br />
been evacuated and<br />
their inhabitants were<br />
temporarily transferred<br />
to Mar Matti.<br />
<strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 27
FEATURE<br />
Celebrating<br />
1,950 Years<br />
The year <strong>2022</strong> marked 1,950 years of service,<br />
with a jubilee and various projects<br />
launched, including:<br />
• 1,950 hours of continuous Eucharistic<br />
Adoration performed where people<br />
come in groups and pray in front of the<br />
Blessed Sacrament.<br />
• 1,950 rosaries prayed at the altar of<br />
Our Lady of Little Mount, conducted by<br />
Marian Legionaries.<br />
• 1,950 Bibles given to catechism children<br />
who do not own a Bible.<br />
• Distribution of 1,950 rosaries to children<br />
in rural villages.<br />
• 1,950 poor families selected and distributed<br />
with dry rations.<br />
• Planting of 1,950 saplings throughout<br />
the Diocese starting from rural to city<br />
parishes.<br />
• Distribution of food to 1,950 prisoners.<br />
• Distribution of 1,950 dress materials to<br />
the poor and needy.<br />
St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica in India<br />
BY WEAM NAMOU<br />
Apostle means “one who is sent<br />
off.” It was the name Jesus<br />
gave to the twelve disciples he<br />
chose to go into the world and preach<br />
the kingdom of God and heal the sick.<br />
While eleven of the apostles preached<br />
mostly within the limits of the Roman<br />
Empire, the twelfth, St. Thomas,<br />
was assigned to preach in faraway<br />
lands, including India. It was during<br />
this missionary journey that his caravan<br />
passed through Mesopotamia,<br />
spreading the good news of Jesus to<br />
the people there.<br />
St. Thomas is said to have arrived<br />
in the Malabar coast in 52 A.D. The<br />
primary religions of India at that time<br />
were Brahmanical Hinduism, ancestral<br />
devotion of the common folk,<br />
Buddhism, and Jainism.<br />
“St. Thomas influenced the people<br />
in India spiritually, culturally, and socially,”<br />
said Rev. Fr. H. Joe Bala Ph.D.,<br />
the Rector and parish priest of the<br />
Holy Shrine of Our Lady of Health and<br />
St. Thomas the Apostle in Chennai,<br />
India. “In short, the local culture and<br />
the folk traditions of the people got<br />
soaked in the Apostle. It’s our pride<br />
that we have the tomb here.”<br />
St. Thomas originally built the<br />
church in Chennai which later housed<br />
his tomb.<br />
San Thome Church, officially<br />
known as St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica<br />
and National Shrine of Saint<br />
Thomas, was built in the 16th century<br />
and it was rebuilt in 1893 by the British<br />
in neo-gothic style. The British<br />
version still stands today and attracts<br />
many pilgrims each year. This is one<br />
of only three known churches in the<br />
world built over the tomb of an apostle<br />
of Jesus, the other two being St.<br />
Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City (St. Peter)<br />
and Santiago de Compostela Cathedral<br />
in Galicia, Spain (St. James).<br />
The Death of St. Thomas<br />
St. Thomas was seen as a threat because<br />
people started believing him.<br />
More importantly, they started believing<br />
in Jesus and they began to dislike<br />
the Brahmanical cast-oriented religion.<br />
When Thomas converted his wife<br />
and son to Christianity, Raja Mahadevan,<br />
then king of Mylapore, ordered<br />
the disciple killed. Brahmin enemies<br />
pursued him from the cave of Little<br />
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Top of page: San Thome Church was renovated in 1896 according to neo-<br />
Gothic designs, as was favored by British architects in the late 19th century.<br />
Above: Thomas Cathedral, Mumbai, is the 300-year old cathedral church of<br />
the Diocese of Mumbai of the Church of North India.<br />
Mount and pierced him with a lance<br />
when he reached the Big Mount.<br />
At around 1551, Little Mount,<br />
which until then was only a steep<br />
rocky elevation, began to be cleared<br />
and levelled for the convenience of<br />
the pilgrims of his devotees. Today<br />
it’s called the Shrine of Our Lady of<br />
Health and St. Thomas the Apostle.<br />
The Cathedral is presently monitored<br />
and maintained by His Grace<br />
the Most Rev. Dr. George Antonysamy,<br />
the Archbishop of Madras – Mylapore.<br />
On July 1, <strong>2022</strong>, his Grace solemnly<br />
inaugurated the “Jubilee Year”<br />
in Little Mount Shrine, celebrating St.<br />
Thomas’ martyrdom.<br />
Under his guidance and encouragement,<br />
a lot of initiatives were taken<br />
by Rev. Fr. H. Joe Bala, who said,<br />
“This special celebration is to cherish<br />
the faith and history of our place.”<br />
The Chaldean Connection<br />
Few Chaldeans are aware of St. Thomas’<br />
Cathedral in India. But Asmaa<br />
Jamil worked in India for over two<br />
years and at one point lived only 10<br />
minutes away from it; she attended its<br />
service every Sunday. Jamil, author of<br />
the Kingdom of Treasures series, is<br />
from Tel Keppe and came to the United<br />
States in 1977. She currently lives<br />
in Michigan.<br />
At the Little Mount, where St.<br />
Thomas was martyred, Jamil was<br />
amazed by the number of people<br />
visiting the small church and kept<br />
thanking God for giving her this great<br />
opportunity.<br />
When she visited the St. Thomas<br />
Cathedral Basilica during Mass, she<br />
saw many tourists and people of different<br />
faiths walk in, pray, then leave.<br />
“But the faithful focused on the Mass<br />
which impressed me,” she said. “After<br />
the Mass, I walked towards the altar<br />
and noticed glass on the floor. When<br />
I looked down, it was the Tomb of St.<br />
Thomas.”<br />
Jamil visited the museum devoted<br />
to St. Thomas at the back of the Basilica.<br />
Below the museum is a small<br />
chapel which had a family preparing<br />
for baptism. “I remember hearing<br />
Aramaic words and felt connected<br />
to St. Thomas, the people that were<br />
there, and our Lord Jesus,” she recalled.<br />
<strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 29
FEATURE<br />
ALL GIRL …All In<br />
Giving Parents a Voice<br />
Vincent Sitto Makes County<br />
Commission Run<br />
BY PAUL NATINSKY<br />
FALL INFORMATION NIGHT<br />
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For information on shadow visits, tours and tuition<br />
assistance, visit www.marian-hs.org/#admission or<br />
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For Vincent Sitto, politics is not<br />
a career choice. The Oakland<br />
County businessman and father<br />
just wants people like himself to be<br />
heard and to have a voice — something<br />
he is not finding within the Oakland<br />
County Commission.<br />
Because of that, Sitto<br />
is running as a Republican<br />
for the 10th District seat<br />
on the Oakland County<br />
Commission. The district<br />
includes northwest West<br />
Bloomfield, southern Waterford,<br />
western Pontiac,<br />
and a smattering of other<br />
area towns.<br />
“Long story short, I<br />
went to a few county commission<br />
meetings, didn’t like what I saw.<br />
I felt like as a parent and a taxpayer, my<br />
voice wasn’t being heard. I was getting<br />
the nod from everybody like they heard<br />
me and then they went on their merry<br />
way and still did what they want. At the<br />
end of the day, they’ve got to remember<br />
that they represent us, the taxpayers,<br />
and they weren’t doing that.”<br />
The 10th District used to be a tossup<br />
with Republicans and Democrats alternating<br />
election wins, said Sitto. Redistricting<br />
across the state has changed<br />
the boundaries of the 10th, making it a<br />
55% Democratic district, he said.<br />
“I definitely have my work cut out<br />
for me, but I’m up for the challenge<br />
because I’m in this for a different reason.<br />
I’m not in this because I want to<br />
get into politics,” said Sitto. “I’m in<br />
this because my kids are not happy. I<br />
shouldn’t have had to pull my kids out<br />
of the school district as a taxpayer because<br />
I’m not happy with the way they<br />
are doing things.”<br />
Sitto said his 10- and 11-year-old<br />
kids are politically aware in a way he<br />
was not when he was that age. He feels<br />
it is a shame that they have to concern<br />
themselves with school closings and<br />
restaurant mask policies.<br />
Sitto has opinions on a number of<br />
national and local political issues, but<br />
Vincent Sitto<br />
he limits his comments to local issues<br />
he says he can do something about.<br />
He feels local elected bodies<br />
should make decisions about COVIDrelated<br />
issues. Instead, he says statelevel<br />
unelected officials are making<br />
policy while the county<br />
commission follows their<br />
lead—often without considering<br />
what their constituents<br />
want.<br />
Misspent SMART transportation<br />
money is another<br />
hot button issue for Sitto. He<br />
says the Regional Transportation<br />
Authority’s $124 million<br />
allocation for the area<br />
generated only $10 million<br />
to $15 million in revenue to<br />
offset the cost. Worse, Sitto said authorities<br />
want to levy another $56 million tax<br />
for transportation services.<br />
“If they can’t manage $124 million<br />
for transportation, why in the world<br />
would we give them another $56 (million),”<br />
said Sitto.<br />
Making matters worse, he said, the<br />
property tax from which the $56 million<br />
is generated disproportionately<br />
affects the poor and middle class, who<br />
can least afford it.<br />
Opposing Sitto in the November<br />
general election will be Kristen Nelson,<br />
a behavioral analyst from Waterford<br />
who has held the seat since 2019.<br />
Sitto ran unopposed in the Republican<br />
primary, so he is only now<br />
raising general election money. He<br />
thinks he might have enough with one<br />
upcoming fundraiser. Sitto declined<br />
to discuss specifics about campaign<br />
finances.<br />
“Win or lose, I’m not going to make<br />
their lives easy,” said Sitto, who plans<br />
to stay involved with the county commission<br />
whether he wins or loses.<br />
“My parents emigrated to this<br />
country with a dream, and they were<br />
able to live and accomplish that dream<br />
for their kids, and I feel it’s slipping<br />
away from mine,” he said, “And that’s<br />
pretty sad.”<br />
30 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong>
PROFILE<br />
Chris George, the Branding Guru<br />
BY CAL ABBO<br />
Chris George<br />
Chris George appeared recently<br />
on Chaldean News Radio to<br />
discuss his business acumen,<br />
branding ideas, and how he became<br />
successful. George has plentiful ideas<br />
and experience to offer young entrepreneurs<br />
and branding experts who<br />
want to take their business to the next<br />
level or even start something from<br />
scratch.<br />
George worked in his father’s liquor<br />
stores when he was younger. He<br />
noticed the margins they would make<br />
– buy an item for $2, for example, and<br />
sell it for $4 – but his only customers<br />
were those who lived within a few<br />
miles of the store. Instead, George<br />
dreamed big. What if he could sell<br />
something to the entire world?<br />
That’s when George decided to create<br />
Gentleman’s Box.<br />
This was George’s first wildly successful<br />
business venture. Gentleman’s<br />
Box uses a subscription-based model<br />
for men who want to look “dapper,” in<br />
George’s own words. This high-fashion<br />
box contains ties, socks, and other accessories<br />
that arrive to your doorstep<br />
on a monthly basis. “You would also<br />
get the latest issue of GQ magazine,”<br />
George added.<br />
In 2016, years after Gentleman’s<br />
Box saw extraordinary success, George<br />
decided he wanted to meet others<br />
in the subscription industry. He had<br />
finally discerned what his personal<br />
niche was – building brands and communities,<br />
especially with a subscription<br />
model. The next step was networking.<br />
George and his business partners<br />
searched for a subscription box conference<br />
to no avail. Their search, however,<br />
was not in vain. In the process,<br />
they figured out that they could host<br />
a conference themselves. So, they set<br />
out to plan an event in Detroit, inviting<br />
the biggest and baddest names in the<br />
subscription industry they could find.<br />
“We had no event experience. It felt<br />
like we were throwing a high school<br />
party,” George said. “We were hoping<br />
people showed up.”<br />
And they did. “We had 200 attendees,”<br />
George said. “Katia Beauchamp<br />
from Birchbox came, the queen of subscription<br />
boxes at that time.” Birchbox<br />
is a subscription box with selected<br />
makeup samples. It’s heralded as one<br />
of the early successes of the subscription<br />
model, and in 2016, it was a big<br />
deal to host her at the conference.<br />
Since that inaugural year, George<br />
and his partners have built the largest<br />
community and event for subscription<br />
brands, which he dubbed SUBTA, or<br />
Subscription Trade Association. In recent<br />
years, they’ve even gotten streaming<br />
services like Netflix and Disney+ to<br />
join their conference and spice it up.<br />
George’s most recent venture is a<br />
partnership with Michael Sana on the<br />
project Sana Detroit. The Chaldean<br />
News covered Sana’s success a few<br />
months back, and he’s only grown<br />
since then.<br />
Sana Detroit is Michigan’s premiere<br />
streetwear clothing brand. George and<br />
Sana met when they played on the<br />
same team in the Chaldean Hockey<br />
League. After Sana found out George<br />
was a branding guru, he asked him<br />
for help and advice. It turned into a lot<br />
more.<br />
George became an official business<br />
partner in Sana Detroit after hearing<br />
Sana’s ideas and strategy. Now, George<br />
acts as a consultant to Sana for marketing<br />
and branding strategy. Clearly,<br />
something is working, as the two of<br />
them continue to build a magnificent<br />
brand and community.<br />
“Consumers love the brand,”<br />
George said. “They like him and<br />
they’re loyal. More than 40% of customers<br />
are buying more than one shirt<br />
on a drop. He’s keeping longevity with<br />
customers.”<br />
George said that he and Sana are<br />
now very close friends and often stay<br />
up late working on projects together.<br />
“I love startup life,” George said.<br />
“Building brands is what I love. When<br />
I stopped focusing on money, that’s<br />
when I found success.”<br />
According to George, much of the<br />
Chaldean community is stuck in a trap<br />
of looking for fast cash. On the other<br />
hand, “Michael is building a brand,<br />
not a business. A business prints money<br />
but it can go sour if you lose loyalty.<br />
He’s building a community,” George<br />
said.<br />
George compared Sana Detroit’s<br />
model to that of other retailers. He<br />
pointed out that, no matter how hard<br />
you work or try, large companies like<br />
Amazon or Walmart will be able to sell<br />
your product for cheaper and ship it<br />
faster. That is, unless you offer something<br />
special, like the community<br />
Sana Detroit is building. Amazon can’t<br />
replicate that.<br />
George praised several relatively<br />
new brands in the community. He said<br />
many of the cannabis businesses have<br />
done a good job branding, some of<br />
which have over 20 dispensaries now.<br />
One of his friends owns Cosmo Salon<br />
Studios, which are available for hair<br />
stylists to rent. There are now several<br />
locations across the metro Detroit area.<br />
The branding guru’s best advice is<br />
to find something you love doing and<br />
figure out a way to make money from<br />
it. While he recognizes this is difficult<br />
for many people, he thinks it should<br />
be a top priority.<br />
He also suggested using routines<br />
to build effective habits and work processes.<br />
“I have a strict routine during<br />
the week of going to the gym, the office<br />
for work, and being asleep by midnight,”<br />
George said.<br />
George is a big fan of podcasts and<br />
consistently listens to other brand developers<br />
for educational purposes. His<br />
favorites are Gary Vaynerchuk and Simon<br />
Sinek. He’s had to cut out some<br />
social media use to make time for his<br />
listening, but he said it’s been well<br />
worth it.<br />
“I’m a big advocate of not doing<br />
things for the money. Work smart, diligent,<br />
and be efficient,” he said. “Do<br />
something fun.<br />
32 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong>
A CLEAN VISION FOR<br />
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<strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 33
SPORTS<br />
Detroit City Football Club<br />
Signs Young Chaldean Star<br />
BY CAL ABBO<br />
Dominic “The Dominator” Gasso’s<br />
dreams are coming true.<br />
Earlier this year, at the tender<br />
age of 18, Gasso was signed to the<br />
first team at his hometown club, Detroit<br />
City Football Club. This is a huge<br />
step for Gasso who, until now, has<br />
played exclusively for youth teams.<br />
Gasso grew up in Grand Blanc, a<br />
city located about one hour north of<br />
Detroit. Many Chaldeans live there<br />
and congregate at St. Paul Chaldean<br />
Church.<br />
As a teenager, Gasso played for<br />
Vardar Soccer, which is known across<br />
Michigan as one of the state’s top<br />
youth soccer programs. It was there<br />
that he learned his core playstyle as<br />
well as an important lesson for young<br />
athletes with loads of talent: he had to<br />
work hard.<br />
“Before joining Vardar, I was always<br />
the best player on my team, or<br />
somewhere close,” Gasso remembered.<br />
“Playing on Vardar, I was average and<br />
had to work hard to stand out.”<br />
Gasso saw his time at Vardar as<br />
a wakeup call. Around this time, he<br />
started training six hours a day. Even if<br />
it was just him and his brother playing<br />
in the yard, all this time spent working<br />
on his game would allow the young<br />
star to reach a new level.<br />
This season, before the recent signing,<br />
DCFC recruited Gasso to play for<br />
its U19 academy team. He played well<br />
enough that he earned a call-up from<br />
the first team. Gasso said he knew it<br />
was coming but didn’t expect it so soon.<br />
“The biggest difference is that I<br />
get paid,” he said. “Youth soccer programs<br />
can be very expensive, but now<br />
it’s the opposite.”<br />
Gasso has been helped with a lot<br />
of support from his parents. They are<br />
divorced, which made it somewhat<br />
more difficult for him to plan around<br />
his games and practices. His mother<br />
stayed in Grand Blanc while his father<br />
moved to Sterling Heights. With help<br />
from coaches and mentors, Gasso was<br />
able to lift himself to the world of professional<br />
soccer. It’s only up from here.<br />
Dominic “The Dominator” Gasso<br />
The Dominator’s next goal is to<br />
get on the field. He’s been training<br />
with the first team for months now,<br />
and since the signing, he’s been in the<br />
game as a bench substitute. Gasso has<br />
yet to play, but his opportunity is complicated<br />
by the team’s performance<br />
and standing.<br />
DCFC is currently fighting for a spot<br />
in the United Soccer League Championship<br />
playoffs. This is the team’s first<br />
year in the USL Championship, which<br />
is considered the second highest<br />
league in the United States, after Major<br />
League Soccer (MLS). USL Championship<br />
is home to second squads of<br />
several MLS teams, including major<br />
clubs like New York Red Bulls and LA<br />
Galaxy.<br />
Last season, DCFC played in the<br />
National Independent Soccer Association<br />
and had a record year. Out of 18<br />
matches, the club won 14, drew three,<br />
and lost one. It was time to move on to<br />
bigger and better things.<br />
Out of the gate, DCFC competed<br />
like a top team. At the moment, however,<br />
they rank 7th in the conference,<br />
which puts them in the very last available<br />
playoff spot. After a five-match<br />
winning streak in April, in which DCFC<br />
earned nearly half of their points this<br />
season, the club slowed down significantly.<br />
In its last six matches, the club<br />
has won just once, drawn three times,<br />
and lost twice.<br />
Put it all together, and DCFC is<br />
desperately hanging onto its 7th-seed<br />
playoff spot. This is a good reason to<br />
avoid fielding 19-year-old Gasso, who<br />
has yet to see his first minute of professional<br />
soccer. To be clear, DCFC is fairly<br />
secure in its standing, as the club<br />
behind it, FC Tulsa, is three games<br />
back. With only nine left to play, Gasso<br />
should see some minutes toward the<br />
end of the regular season, which concludes<br />
October 15.<br />
As a local club, DCFC has seen tremendous<br />
growth in its decade of existence.<br />
It has cultivated an extreme and<br />
loyal fanbase, one that more traditional<br />
American sports may not recognize.<br />
Soccer fans are known for their rowdy<br />
behavior and undying loyalty to the<br />
team. Detroit is no exception.<br />
The club is known for giving back<br />
to the city through charity and its entertaining<br />
spectacle. It has brought<br />
Michigan’s soccer scene and its major<br />
players into the national spotlight.<br />
Gasso is far from the only local player<br />
DCFC has recruited.<br />
Brad Dunwell, a 25-year-old defensive<br />
midfielder, hails from Grand<br />
Rapids. Connor Rutz, a 25-year-old attacking<br />
midfielder, is from Commerce.<br />
The club’s star goalkeeper, Nathan<br />
Steinwascher, was born and raised in<br />
Sterling Heights. Coming from Grand<br />
Blanc, Gasso fits right in.<br />
Gasso’s short-term goal is to make<br />
it to the MLS. This is a lofty goal, but<br />
given the right attention and development,<br />
he certainly has the talent to<br />
achieve it.<br />
There is already one Chaldean in<br />
the MLS whom the Chaldean News has<br />
profiled before, Justin Meram. He has<br />
had a spectacular career in the MLS,<br />
scoring nearly 50 goals as a winger.<br />
Meram also played many international<br />
matches representing Iraq and has<br />
paved the way for other Chaldeans in<br />
professional soccer.<br />
Gasso’s long-term goal, which is<br />
much farther out, but still a realistic<br />
possibility, is to play in Europe. His<br />
dream team is FC Barcelona, and his<br />
childhood hero, like many other soccer<br />
fans, was Lionel Messi. Said Gasso,<br />
“I won’t be satisfied until I play in Europe.”<br />
34 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong>
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<strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 35
CULTURE & HISTORY<br />
Hands Clasped: From the ancient Sumerians<br />
to modern-day Chaldeans<br />
BY ADHID MIRI, PHD<br />
Hand gestures are such a part<br />
of everyday life that we often<br />
don’t even notice them. They<br />
have become a habit inherent in world<br />
culture and are an integral part of communication.<br />
From the V-sign that we<br />
often see when people take pictures<br />
to gestures showing thumps up or the<br />
relatively new fist bump gesture which<br />
comes from sport, hand gestures aren’t<br />
going anywhere anytime soon.<br />
At times, hand gestures endure<br />
over spoken languages. According to<br />
historical records, the “V” sign became<br />
popular during World War II when performed<br />
by Winston Churchill, the British<br />
statesman and Prime Minister of<br />
the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945.<br />
He used it to symbolize victory; today,<br />
it is commonly known as the peace<br />
sign. In most of the world, anyway.<br />
“Thumbs up” is perhaps the most<br />
common of hand gestures, one that<br />
has been used for thousands of years.<br />
The thumbs up is commonly used by<br />
Europeans and Americans as a sign of<br />
approval or that things are going according<br />
to plan.<br />
Handshakes are hand gestures exchanged<br />
between two people. According<br />
to some sources, this hand gesture<br />
originated in ancient Greece. At that<br />
time, the movement was carried out<br />
by the soldiers of war to the people<br />
they met. Shaking someone’s hand by<br />
grasping it can prove that the person’s<br />
hand is empty. According to many archaeologists,<br />
the point was to make<br />
sure that the person was not hiding a<br />
dangerous weapon.<br />
The “OK” sign, which is made<br />
by curling the index finger over the<br />
thumb and extending the other fingers<br />
above them, is another common hand<br />
gesture in America and in most of the<br />
English-speaking world. It is generally<br />
understood to mean that everything is<br />
going well and according to plan. It is<br />
also regularly used by divers to indicate<br />
that all is well to their dive partners.<br />
However, in Latin America, the<br />
gesture is seen as extremely rude.<br />
Hayyat Nadhir and Siyya Arabo, two Chaldean women displaying different<br />
hand clasping poses.<br />
Former US president Richard Nixon<br />
discovered this after flashing it to a<br />
large crowd of Brazilians awaiting<br />
his arrival in Rio de Janeiro. They responded<br />
to his greeting with a chorus<br />
of “boos.” It is not surprising; a little<br />
research could have told him the gesture<br />
is equivalent to a middle finger in<br />
that part of the world.<br />
In France, the gesture is also considered<br />
an insult; in Australia, it<br />
means “zero;” in New Zealand, for<br />
some reason, the user is basically considered<br />
to be lazy.<br />
Using hand gestures might feel<br />
like an intuitive way to communicate<br />
across language barriers, but their<br />
meaning can change, and there are<br />
few universal signs that everyone<br />
agrees on.<br />
Whether consciously or not, our<br />
hands are often giving off signals. One<br />
position we see over and over is the<br />
hand clasp. Both the gesture itself and<br />
where the hands are being held in relation<br />
to the body have meaning.<br />
Apparently, those gestures have a<br />
history and origin from the customs<br />
and characteristics of the Ancient Sumerians.<br />
There are a few variations and a<br />
few different placements for the hands<br />
that we’ll consider. Depending on the<br />
situation, hands clasped or clenched together<br />
may mean several things. In this<br />
position, the hand palms are held together,<br />
the right on top of the left. It may<br />
mean that a person using it is about to<br />
assume a strong stance, or it may mean<br />
confidence or even nervousness. In general,<br />
clasping the hands may signify an<br />
unsettling thought, respect, fear, anxiety,<br />
insecurity, and the like.<br />
Hand clasping is the superposition<br />
of each finger of one hand over<br />
the corresponding finger of the opposite<br />
hand. When clasping the hands, a<br />
person tends to interlace the fingers in<br />
one of two ways. People who hold the<br />
fingers of the right hand above the left<br />
fingers are classified as phenotype R<br />
(right), while those who hold the fingers<br />
of the left hand above those of the<br />
right are phenotype L (left).<br />
Although some people do not exhibit<br />
a preference for one type of hand<br />
clasping, most do. Once adopted, the<br />
method of hand clasping tends to be<br />
consistent throughout life. When an<br />
individual attempts to clasp the hands<br />
in the opposite configuration from the<br />
usual one, that person may feel a sense<br />
that something is out of the ordinary.<br />
The ‘hands clasped in front’ body<br />
language gesture is displayed in three<br />
major ways: clasped hands in front<br />
of the face; hands clasped on a desk<br />
or a lap; and, whilst standing, hands<br />
clasped over the lower abdomen.<br />
When a person assumes the hands<br />
clasped in front gesture, they are exercising<br />
some sort of self-restraint.<br />
They’re symbolically ‘clenching’<br />
themselves back and withholding a<br />
negative reaction, usually anxiety or<br />
frustration. The higher the person<br />
clenches their hands whilst standing,<br />
the more negative they are feeling.<br />
The body language of clasping<br />
hands below the belt reflects that the<br />
person feels secure and confident. For<br />
instance, football players display this<br />
gesture when they’re listening to their<br />
national anthem, to show their respect<br />
for the anthem. This gesture is also<br />
36 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong>
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From left: This statue of a woman from Ur shows the right hand over left<br />
technique of hand clasping. This statue is typical of Sumerian art, with the<br />
ritual hand clasping displayed prominently.<br />
commonly observed when leaders and<br />
politicians meet and stand to pose for<br />
photographs. You might also see this<br />
gesture when a priest delivers a sermon<br />
or any other social meeting presided<br />
over by an authoritative figure.<br />
When we study and look at the<br />
hands in primitive Sumerian statues,<br />
we find that it does not express an<br />
expanding global empire. Rather, the<br />
pose suffices to embody a state of devotion,<br />
humility, asceticism, and compliance<br />
with prayer before God. Usually,<br />
the hands are interlaced, right<br />
over the left, and placed on the center<br />
of the chest or waist in a gesture of disciplined<br />
attention that has religious<br />
connotations, symbolizing devotional<br />
practices and representing the readiness<br />
to approach the Gods with reverence,<br />
awe, and respect.<br />
Therefore, it aims at stillness and expressing<br />
a state of stagnation and calm<br />
deposited with complete superiority<br />
within the human being, as represented<br />
by the block of stone itself. It is totally<br />
different from gestures used by other<br />
ancient civilizations such as Egyptian,<br />
Hindu, Roman, Buddhist and the Inca.<br />
One may not realize the power you<br />
literally have in your hands. There are<br />
times when our hands can save or betray<br />
us, and it all happens without our<br />
conscious involvement. That is, unless<br />
one knows how hand language works.<br />
In most cultures, an open hand is<br />
associated with honesty. Throughout<br />
history, a palm held over the heart or<br />
in the air when giving testimony was<br />
meant to emphasize truthfulness.<br />
Arabs, Malaysians, and Indonesians<br />
have a habit of holding their<br />
hands over the heart when they greet<br />
each other as if to show their sincere<br />
happiness. For some reason, it is difficult<br />
to lie with your palms exposed.<br />
The Arabic idiom, “I’ll imprint with<br />
my ten fingers” is used to mean you<br />
don’t just approve of something, but<br />
you completely and utterly approve of<br />
it without a scintilla of doubt—you are<br />
in till the end.<br />
Amazingly, we find characteristics<br />
of Sumerian origin still rooted in the<br />
people of Mesopotamia and Chaldeans<br />
of Iraq. Customs and characteristics<br />
of the Ancient Sumerians are still in<br />
common use among modern day Chaldeans,<br />
especially women. It is exactly<br />
as inherited from our heritage and use<br />
as it was in Sumer 5,000 years ago.<br />
The significance of this posture is<br />
in its style and symbolism. It is not just<br />
the way the hands are interlocked, but<br />
rather in the specific style, the placement<br />
on the interlocked arms and<br />
their position on the chest.<br />
To this day, we find the same hand<br />
clasps present in Sumerian artifacts in<br />
use among elder Chaldean women in<br />
the Nineveh Plain villages, in Iraqi cities,<br />
and even in the United States.<br />
Sources: Wikipedia, writings by<br />
William Park, Howard Allen, Chris<br />
Miller, Fawzi Rasheed, Taha Baqir,<br />
and Ahmmed Sosa. Special editing by<br />
Jacqueline Raxter.<br />
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<strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 37
FAMILY TIME<br />
KMD Young Warriors class is the perfect blend of fitness, self-defense, character development, and fun.<br />
Krav Maga: An activity<br />
for the whole family<br />
BY VALENE AYAR<br />
As the weather begins to cool and<br />
our days get shorter, it can only<br />
mean one thing — Fall has arrived!<br />
As we say “goodbye” to swimming<br />
pools and lake houses and say “hello” to<br />
pumpkin spiced lattes and cider mills, it<br />
also means that kids are going back to<br />
school. With that, parents are undoubtedly<br />
thinking about extracurricular activities.<br />
While I am a huge advocate of<br />
organized team sports, I have become an<br />
even bigger advocate of another athletic<br />
endeavor that parents can (and should)<br />
also take part in — that is, martial arts,<br />
and more specifically, martial arts centered<br />
around self-defense.<br />
A new after-school activity<br />
In this ever-changing world where<br />
kids and teens are glued to their<br />
phones and constantly seeking validation<br />
from how many “likes” an Instagram<br />
post gets, there has never been a<br />
greater need for finding ways to instill<br />
a sense of self-worth in our children.<br />
While organized team sports are<br />
a great way to impart this self-worth,<br />
they do have their shortcomings. For<br />
example, team sports are seasonal,<br />
they are not as inclusive as they may<br />
seem as less skilled team members<br />
are given much less playing time, and<br />
they do not offer as many real-life applications<br />
as other activities do.<br />
This is why I am such a strong advocate<br />
for kids and teens learning martial<br />
arts. To highlight a few of the benefits,<br />
martial arts can (and should) be<br />
practiced year-round, they are 100%<br />
inclusive - no one is ever “benched,”<br />
and while it is a solo activity, there<br />
is still a sense of community and camaraderie<br />
to be found amongst other<br />
participants. I know that has been<br />
the case for me where I practice Krav<br />
Maga (Krav Maga Detroit in Troy). And<br />
as an added bonus – parents can also<br />
participate in the adult classes as well,<br />
making it a great opportunity to create<br />
a bonding activity everyone can enjoy.<br />
While traditional martial arts definitely<br />
have their benefits and teach<br />
so many invaluable skills (i.e., selfdiscipline,<br />
respect, physical activity),<br />
there is one area where they fall<br />
short — real-world application. Many<br />
traditional martial arts classes focus a<br />
great deal on the philosophies behind<br />
the art, competitive fighting, and abiding<br />
by an honor code. While those are<br />
all well and good, they do lack a certain<br />
real-world application in regard to<br />
self-defense. I wouldn’t go so far as to<br />
say those martial arts cannot be used<br />
as a form of self-defense, but in doing<br />
research for myself some years back, I<br />
found that the best and most useful of<br />
all the disciplines is Krav Maga.<br />
What is Krav Maga?<br />
Created during WWII in Europe by<br />
Imi Lichtenfeld – the Jewish son of a<br />
police officer – Krav Maga is a military<br />
self-defense and fighting system<br />
that has become the official fighting<br />
method of the Israeli Defense Forces<br />
(IDF) and Israeli Security Forces.<br />
Additionally, it is now taught worldwide<br />
to military and police officers<br />
(including in the U.S.) as a means of<br />
self-defense.<br />
Although it implements strikes<br />
and practices from Karate, Judo, Boxing,<br />
and Akido, Krav Maga is technically<br />
not classified as a martial art as<br />
many of the strikes and maneuvers<br />
would be grounds for disqualification<br />
in any competitive setting. The<br />
whole point of learning Krav Maga is<br />
not to win a fight or earn a trophy;<br />
it is strictly to defend yourself, incapacitate<br />
the attacker and run like<br />
hell once they are down. There is no<br />
room for ego or any need to “win” the<br />
fight or prove anything.<br />
Benefits of Krav Maga<br />
As there is no honor code to abide<br />
by and because it was created, categorically,<br />
as a means of self-defense,<br />
there is far more real-world application<br />
with Krav Maga than there is<br />
with any other form of martial art. It<br />
is a “no holds barred” form of self-defense<br />
and nothing is off the table in<br />
regard to acceptable strikes. In fact,<br />
there are even classes which teach<br />
how to defend against an armed assailant<br />
as we learn how to disarm an<br />
attacker with a knife, pistol, or rifle,<br />
just to name a few.<br />
Although I am not a fan of fearmongering<br />
of any kind, the fact of the<br />
matter is that we live in a very scary<br />
world and while we can’t change that<br />
fact, we can take steps to learn how<br />
to protect ourselves and our children.<br />
And because Krav Maga is centered<br />
around efficiency, quick thinking,<br />
proximity, and acquired skill rather<br />
than strength or brute force, it can be<br />
learned by literally anyone – regardless<br />
of size or innate strength. One<br />
of the top trainers at Krav Maga Detroit<br />
is a woman named Mallory who<br />
looks to be about 110 pounds, soaking<br />
wet, but was the first woman in<br />
the state of Michigan to earn a Black<br />
Belt in Krav Maga. As someone who<br />
has taken her classes, I can tell you<br />
firsthand she is not to be trifled with.<br />
While some hold the notion that<br />
learning a skill like this teaches children<br />
to resort to violence when dealing<br />
with peers, nothing can be further<br />
from the truth. One of the core<br />
principles in the practice of Krav<br />
Maga is learning how to de-escalate<br />
an altercation or escape the scene<br />
before ever throwing a single strike.<br />
This is especially beneficial for kids<br />
and teens when dealing with bullies.<br />
It is drilled into every practitioner’s<br />
head, both child and adult, that it<br />
is imperative to be able to identify<br />
a perceived threat before it occurs,<br />
escape, or try to calmly neutralize<br />
the threat; you are taught to only use<br />
physical self-defense when all else<br />
has failed.<br />
This year, as you look for new and<br />
fun extracurricular activities for your<br />
kids to partake in, I urge you to look<br />
into Krav Maga. I began the practice<br />
a little over 2 years ago and I can tell<br />
you, it has completely changed my<br />
life and the way I value it. My only<br />
regret is that I didn’t start doing it decades<br />
ago.<br />
Contact Lisa at Krav Maga Detroit in<br />
Troy at (248) 688-9501 to set up a free<br />
introductory class for you and your<br />
children.<br />
38 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong>
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<strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 39
EVENT<br />
1<br />
3rd Annual<br />
Chamber Golf Outing<br />
2 3<br />
On August 18, the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce<br />
hosted their third annual benefit golf outing at<br />
Wabeek Country Club. 140 golfers vied for the honor<br />
of winning The Chaldean Cup, and the Absopure Team<br />
came out on top. Many sponsors supported the event,<br />
including Hollywood Greektown and Hollywood Toledo<br />
Casinos, the presenting sponsors.<br />
4 5<br />
1. It was a bright and beautiful day for the muchanticipated<br />
annual golf outing at Wabeek.<br />
2. The winning team (Absopure) with Golf<br />
Outing Committee Chair Matt Loussia (on left);<br />
Ryan Yost, Bill Rabe, John “Butters” Bonczak.<br />
3. The players who participated in the putting<br />
contest. The winner, Cal Dabish, donated his<br />
winnings back to the CACC.<br />
4. Members of the presenting sponsor team,<br />
from left to right: Dustin Huynh, Sam Arabo,<br />
Robert Giles, Michele Keagy, Joseph Williams,<br />
and Octaveious Miles.<br />
5. Up for raffle was a trendy Vespa Sprint. 52<br />
players went “all-in” on the playing card raffle<br />
and Johny Kello was the lucky winner!<br />
6. The John Loussia Cancer Foundation Team,<br />
left to right: Diane Kello, Carol Loussia, Debbie<br />
Leon, and Carol Boji.<br />
6<br />
40 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong>
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ON THE RUN continued from page 24<br />
daughter was born, prematurely, and<br />
lived only eight days, leaving behind a<br />
sadness that still reverberates.<br />
In 2016, when Donald Trump was<br />
running for president, they noticed<br />
their Chaldean community rallying<br />
behind him. “I am my aunt’s favorite<br />
nephew,” Peter says with a smile.<br />
“She’s very religious, and she started<br />
telling me about Trump. The lobbyists<br />
had started influencing the Chaldean<br />
churches, and they told their members,<br />
‘You have to vote Trump. He’s helping<br />
us.’” Peter disagreed with his aunt and<br />
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told her Trump was a con artist. “I’ve<br />
never ever seen her so mad at me.”<br />
In July 2016, at the Republican National<br />
Convention, Trump accepted<br />
the party’s nomination and delivered a<br />
particularly xenophobic speech. At one<br />
point he said something that directly<br />
addressed Peter’s situation: “Nearly<br />
180,000 illegal immigrants with criminal<br />
records, ordered deported from<br />
our country, are tonight roaming free<br />
to threaten peaceful citizens.” Trump<br />
promised deportations, construction<br />
of the Southern U.S. border wall, and<br />
tightened immigration restrictions.<br />
Like the Michigan Chaldean community,<br />
Peter’s co-workers were energized<br />
about Trump. “I saw it right<br />
away, what Trump was giving them,”<br />
Peter says. “I was afraid.”<br />
The rhetoric that had particularly<br />
resonated with Peter’s aunt and her<br />
church was Trump’s promise, again<br />
and again, to help persecuted Middle<br />
Eastern Christians. It paid off for him.<br />
Traditionally Democratic, Michigan<br />
favored Trump by 10,000 votes, the<br />
smallest margin of any state, but<br />
enough to have him carry all of its<br />
electoral votes. A key part of that support<br />
came from Macomb County, a<br />
Chaldean stronghold. Mostly white<br />
and blue-collar, the county is a political<br />
bellwether. It swung right in 2016.<br />
(In 2020, Joe Biden handily defeated<br />
Trump by 154,000 votes in the state<br />
of Michigan–a margin fifteen-times<br />
higher than the previous election. But<br />
Macomb County remained solidly red.)<br />
On election night 2016, Peter went<br />
to sleep when the tallying was still underway.<br />
At 2 a.m. Mimi woke him, crying,<br />
saying Trump had won.<br />
“I’m f---ed,” he said.<br />
Story to be continued in the October<br />
issue of the Chaldean News.<br />
<strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 41
FROM THE ARCHIVE<br />
Dressing for the Part:<br />
Village and City Outfits<br />
In Iraq as in most parts of the world in the 1950s, the average person’s<br />
wardrobe was made up of work clothes, play clothes, and special occasion<br />
“dress-up” clothes. In addition, the getup someone wore in rural<br />
parts was much different from their city duds. These two photos illustrate<br />
how the attire changes with the environment. For the studio session, the<br />
Atto Family represented their village with traditional dress and headpieces.<br />
The family rooftop photo featured more modern dress.<br />
On the right, (1925 Baghdad Studio) Seated are Ghazala George Qas<br />
Hanna (with modern light dress) carrying little Raphael Atto, and Amina<br />
Roumaya (dressed in the village head piece called the Quchma) carrying<br />
Mary Atto. Standing is Hanna Rufa Atto (wearing a classic village head<br />
piece called a Shmagh) along with his younger brother, Tobia Rufa Atto<br />
(wearing the classic royal era Faisalya/Sedara).<br />
Below, (1952-1953 Baghdad Home Rooftop) Tobia Ruffa Atto and<br />
Ghazala George Qas Hanna (hands clasped) with their family of 6 (3 boys<br />
+ 3 girls) taken on the rooftop of their house in an old Baghdad district of<br />
Sabbabegh Al-Alle. In the background grows a classic Baghdadi Nabbug<br />
tree (also called a Jujuba Ziziphus tropical tree) with sweet berry fruit.<br />
42 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2022</strong>