MARCH 2012

noteworthy
Iraq Court Agrees
to Execute Church
Attackers
Iraq’s highest court ratified death sentences
on February 2 for three men
convicted of the 2010 massacre at a
Syrian Catholic cathedral in Baghdad,
the bloodiest attack on Iraqi Christians
after the 2003 invasion.
Gunmen linked to al Qaeda seized
hostages during Sunday mass at the Our
Lady of Salvation church in Baghdad on
October 31, 2010. Around 52 hostages
and police were killed and 67 wounded
in the attack, which ended when security
forces stormed the church.
Al Qaeda’s Iraqi affiliate, Islamic
State of Iraq, claimed responsibility for
the attack.
“There are three convicted criminals.
All of them are Iraqis and they were
convicted based on the terrorism law,”
said Abdul-Sattar al-Birqdar, spokesman
for the Supreme Judicial Council.
“The sentence is final and it will be sent
to the presidency to issue a decree to
the Justice Ministry to execute it.”
One of the alleged leaders of the
church attack, Huthaifa al-Batawi,
known as al Qaeda’s “Emir of Baghdad,”
was killed in an attempted jailbreak
last May, officials said.
– Reuters. Reprinted with permission
of the Assyrian International News
Agency, aina.org.
El Cajon Backs Off
Card Rooms
City officials in El Cajon, California, agreed to
ease up on their crackdown on Chaldean card
rooms in a 3-2 vote on February 14.
The city council had voted unanimously to
ban card-playing activities from the downtown
area – which includes the Crystal Ballroom, a
popular community spot that is owned by the
Chaldean American Association.
Officials cite gambling as the problem but
community leaders insist that card playing is a
way of life for Chaldeans and that no wagering
is involved. There are about 10 known card
room operations in El Cajon and most, if not all,
have a large Chaldean clientele.
– SanDiego.com
Come to the Carnival
The Third Annual COACH (Chaldean Outreach
And Community Hope) Carnival will be held on
Sunday, March 25.
The event includes a $5,000 raffle, DJ music,
games, face painting, food, baked goods
and a Moon Bounce. All proceeds benefit Project
Hope, which helps Iraqi refugees who have
resettled in Metro Detroit.
The fun takes place from 2-6 p.m. at the
lower level of Shenandoah Country Club. Enter
through the Dining Room/Gym entrance. A
wristband for unlimited Moon Bounce use is
$10 and games and food have a nominal cost.
Sponsorships are still available. Learn more
at CoachInfo.org or call (248) 522-2441.
It’s Scholarship Time
The Annual Chaldean Federation of America
Scholarship Program is underway, and the
deadline for applications is April 27.
A number of scholarships are offered to high
school and college students. Visit Chaldean-
Grads.com for an application. For more information,
contact Rula Yono at (248) 996-8384
or rula@chaldeanfederation.org. A luncheon in
honor of scholarship recipients will be held on
Saturday, June 2.
CALL FOR ARTISTS
St. Joseph Mercy Oakland is seeking submissions
from Michigan artists for the hospital’s new South
Patient Tower scheduled to open in 2014.
Selected artwork will be used to enhance the healing
environment of the newtower.
Artwork is being sought in a variety of media and
should follow the guiding principles of healing art and
evoke messages of peace and healing for the patients,
visitors and staff who will use the new facilities.
Visit http://aesthetics.net/StJosephMercyCFA to
learn more about the Call for Artists. Deadline for
submissions is March 26.
Cook with CALC
The Chaldean American Ladies of Charity
(CALC) are offering cooking classes during
the month of March.
The class is open to ages 18 to 28 and includes
Chaldean recipes, cooking techniques
and sampling of dishes prepared in class. It
takes place from 7-9 p.m. on March 5, 12, 19
and 26 at the Culinary Studio, 29673 Northwestern
Highway in Southfield. The fee is $50
for all four sessions. Call (248) 538-8300 for
more information.
People
Attorney Steven Garmo spoke at the Iraqi
Refugee Assistance Program Training on January
28 in Los Angeles. Garmo is currently
working as a supervising attorney
on the Iraqi Relief Assistance
Project out of New
York with the University of
California at Irvine, School of
Law and Loyola Law School
in Los Angeles. IRAP provides
critical support to Iraqi
refugees who must start over
in the West.
The Root Restaurant &
Bar in White Lake Township
was named the 2012 Restaurant
of the Year by the Detroit
Free Press. Owned by Ed
Mamou, the spot is known
for using local and seasonal
ingredients.
Grieving
relatives pay
tribute to
victims of
the church
massacre in
this file photo
from November
2010.
16 CHALDEAN NEWS MARCH 2012