JUNE 2018

A New Hope
The 2018 Iraqi Election
BY MONIQUE MANSOUR
micile of at least seven consecutive
years before getting their final order
of removal.
• Alien is not inadmissible on terrorism
or national security grounds
and is not unlawfully present after
previous immigration violations.
• Alien would not have been
barred from applying for 212(c) due
to their pleas based on the law that
existed at the time the pleas were entered
into.
• Convicted of an aggravated
felony or firearms offense and a sentence
of more than five years imprisonment
was not served for that conviction.
Previous amendments of this waiver
included lawful permanent residents
convicted between 1990-1997, and
2010. The foundation is working towards
an amendment that would include
those convicted prior to 2014.
In a memo to Moolenaar, Manna
states that, “We are working with
Congressional leaders to follow historical
precedent and amend Section
212(c) of the INA that provides relief
from deportation or removal for
aliens with certain criminal convictions
in a particular timeframe…
This would also set forth procedures
and deadlines for filing special
motions to seek such relief from a
judge for those currently in proceedings
or under final orders of deportation
or removal. Members of the
community have been granted relief
under 212 (c) on an individual basis
by judges adjudicating the case.”
Manna estimates that 85 percent
of community members currently at
risk of deportation will qualify for the
waiver if it is amended. While they
would still have to win their overall
case, he believes the waiver is a
better option than the Conventions
Against Torture (CAT).
“The CCF has always advocated
for our community,” explained Manna.
“Several community members
approached us about the idea. It will
allow several others to be considered
for a 212c waiver.”
On Saturday, May 12, Iraqis
casted their votes for the nation’s
fourth election since
the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
In the days prior to the election, on
May 10 and on May 11, Iraqis living
outside of the nation had the
opportunity to vote. Shoki Konja of
Franklin, Michigan, and Director of
the Chaldean Voice Radio, was one
of those people. He voted in Warren,
Michigan at Our Lady of Perpetual
Help Chaldean Church. “It was an
incredible, exhilarating feeling to be
able to vote in this election and to
have some sort of say in the process.
My stained finger is proof that there
is hope for Iraq,” said Konja.
“I’m very invested in the Iraqi
election and in the results that will
follow,” said Konja. “There is no
doubt that Iraq needs to be rebuilt.
Iraq was once a wealthy country, rich
with natural resources. Unfortunately,
corruption has destroyed the nation.
We are in an extremely decisive
moment now that ISIS is continuing
to dwindle in numbers. We can kiss
Iraq goodbye if we don’t come together
now in this very moment.”
Currently, the Iraqi government
provides for 329 parliamentary seats.
Out of those 329 seats, five are specifically
allotted to parliament members
of Christian faith. It’s important
to note that the Christians can come
from a multitude of ethnic backgrounds
— including, but not limited
to — Chaldeans, Assyrians, and
Armenians, to name a few.
“I don’t think it’s right that only
five seats are allotted to Christians,”
said Konja. “Chaldeans are the original
Iraqis and our collective voices
should play a major part in the efforts
to help rebuild Iraq.”
Konja made it a point to research
the candidates running for the five
seats. He was very impressed by the
Chaldeans competing for them. “All
of the Chaldeans were from scholarly
and highly educated backgrounds.
Engineers and other professionals.
This is great news for us because
these are exactly the type of people
we need to represent us and play a
major role in the reconstruction of
our beloved Iraq,” said Konja.
It was evident that for Iraqi-Chaldeans
living outside of Iraq, the election
did not feel as urgent, relevant,
or relatable as the voter turnout was
at the lowest since 2003. According
to the Brookings Institution, there
was only a 44.5 percent voter turnout.
“Even though we may be Chaldeans
living in the United States
or elsewhere, we still have our people
back home in Iraq and they’re
depending on us. Never forget, as
Chaldeans, we’re the original people
of Iraq. We still have a lot of Christians
there. We need to rebuild our
villages and our churches. We need
to desperately raise our voices. They
need to be heard in Iraq, in the Middle
East, and around the world,” said
Konja.
Konja and others closely watching
the election were disappointed
by the voter turnout. “The numbers
were lower than what we expected,
for sure. I can understand why Iraqis
felt disillusioned and powerless, especially
after all of the turmoil and corruptions
they’ve been through and
have witnessed first-hand. Hopefully,
as the years progress, we’ll see development
and advancement in Iraq,
and the election numbers will rise in
the future,” said Konja.
According to news reports, the
final results show that two of the
five seats allotted for Christians have
been won by Aswan Salem Sawa in
the electoral province of Nineveh
and Burhanuddin Ishak Ibrahim
in the province of Baghdad; both
are said to be a part of the Babylon
Brigades movement. Rihan Hanna
Ayoub won the seat in the province
of Kirkuk, Immanuel Khoshaba won
the seat in the province of Dohuk,
and Hoshyar Karadag Yelda won the
seat in Erbil.
JUNE 2018 CHALDEAN NEWS 19