NOVEMBER 2014

VOL. 11 ISSUE X 

METRO DETROIT CHALDEAN COMMUNITY NOVEMBER 2014 

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CONTENTS NOVEMBER 2014 

THE CHALDEAN NEWS VOLUME 11 ISSUE X 

on the cover 

18 Cracking Down 

Mar Sako suspends priests for ‘illegal exits’ 

19 In My View 

By Michael Sarafa 

When obedience gets tough… 

38 

20 One on One 

Mar Sako: ‘The West Is Motivated 

by Money and Power’ 

departments 

6 From the Editor 

By Vanessa Denha Garmo 

Fighting the good fight 

7 Your Letters 

8 Noteworthy 

9 Community Bulletin Board 

10 Chai Time 

12 Halhole 

14 Obituaries 

30 ECONOMICS & ENTERPRISE 

By Joyce Wiswell 

220: What’s old is new again 

32 Iraq Today 

33 The Doctor Is In 

By Neil Jaddou, M.D. 

Ebola: What you need to know 

34 Arts and Entertainment 

By Crystal Kassab Jabiro 

Mesopotamia Roots Shine Through 

E’rootha Art Show 

36 CLASSIFIED LISTINGS 

38 Events 

Photos by Razik Tomina 

Chaldean Chamber Business Luncheon 

features 

16 Chaldean on the Street 

By Anthony Samona 

What about America are 

you most thankful for? 

22 Committed Through Crisis 

By Vanessa Denha Garmo 

Michigan mobilizes for Iraq 

24 Doing Their Bit 

By Weam Namou 

Young adults launch Shlama Foundation 

26 Takin’ It to the Streets 

By Weam Namou 

Sterling Heights seeks community’s 

cooperation with protests 

28 early retirement 

By Steve Stein 

Eisenhower High School honors Justin Meram 

NOVEMBER 2014 CHALDEAN NEWS 5

from the EDITOR 

PUBLISHED BY 

The Chaldean News, LLC 

Fighting the good fight 

EDITORIAL 

EDITOR IN CHIEF 

Vanessa Denha-Garmo 

MANAGING EDITOR 

Joyce Wiswell 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Crystal Kassab Jabiro 

Neil Jaddou 

Anthony Samona 

Michael Sarafa 

Steve Stein 

Weam Namou 

ART & PRODUCTION 

CREATIVE DIRECTOR 

Alex Lumelsky with SKY Creative 

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS 

Zina Lumelsky with SKY Creative 

Joseph Sesi 

PHOTOGRAPHERS 

David Reed 

Razik Tomina 

OPERATIONS 

Interlink Media 

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS 

Martin Manna 

TRANSLATORS 

Galia Thomas 

Raad Yousif 

CIRCULATION 

Stacey Sheena 

CLASSIFIEDS 

Joyce Wiswell 

SALES 


SALES REPRESENTATIVES 


Sana Navarrette 

Stacey Sheena 

MANAGERS 

Vanessa Denha-Garmo 

Martin Manna 

Michael Sarafa 

SUBSCRIPTIONS: $25 PER YEAR 

THE CHALDEAN NEWS 

29850 NORTHWESTERN HIGHWAY, SUITE 250 

SOUTHFIELD, MI 48034 

WWW.CHALDEANNEWS.COM 

PHONE: (248) 996-8360 

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

monthly; Issue Date: November 2014 Subscriptions: 

12 months, $25. Publication Address: 29850 Northwestern 

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

to Mail at Periodicals Postage Rates is Pending at 

Farmington Hills Post Office Postmaster: Send address 

changes to “The Chaldean News 29850 Northwestern 

Highway, Suite 250, Southfield, MI 48034” 

When I think of 

the Christians 

in Iraq, I can’t 

help but think of warriors 

— fighters for Christ. They 

are fighting the good fight 

for justice — for Jesus. 

Not many of us will ever 

be challenged to the extent 

they are when it comes to 

faith. Jesus said, “if you deny 

me, I will deny you to my 

father in heaven.” So many 

have been martyred over the 

years and yet the majority of us will 

never be put in that situation. However, 

on much smaller levels, we are 

called to fight for what is right. 

We are being persecuted 

in the name of Islam’s god interpreted 

by radical extremists, 

but it is not a god I ever want to 

know. So we, a people of peace 

and harmony — not trained to 

pick up arms — are forced to 

fight for our lives because we are 

marked as Nazarene. 

Perhaps there is a fight in us 

all. 

VANESSA 

DENHA-GARMO 

EDITOR IN CHIEF 

CO-PUBLISHER 

As our Christian brothers 

and sisters fight to stay alive 

in Iraq with limited resources, 

little shelter, small amounts of 

food and not enough warm clothing 

to last the winter, we fight for them 

here. We have members demanding 

help from political leaders in Washington, 

D.C. and at the UN. 

We have committees of people 

with various talents and resources 

gathering funds and supplies to send to 

Iraq. I sat down with our doctors and 

medical experts, our educators, attorneys, 

students and business 

people who are connected, 

committed and caring. 

We fight the good fight 

from thousands of miles 

away — fight for humanity. 

We bring you a story 

this month about the committees 

directed by Bishop 

Francis to use our expertise 

to help our brothers and 

sisters in Iraq. Our community 

did not hesitate. They 

quickly went into action. 

There are so many people involved 

but one person deserves special 

recognition although he would 

Bags of donations from Michigan’s Chaldean community 

await distribution to displaced persons in Iraq. 

never ask for it. Rafed Yaldo has been 

instrumental in forming and directing 

the various committees, creating 

and updating the HelpIraq.org website 

and fundraising through Adopta-Refugee. 

He leads the fight on some levels 

all in the name of faith. He oversees 

updating the website on a regular basis. 

It has photos, newsworthy items 

and news stories to keep the public 

informed of the efforts. You can also 

donate right on the site. 

Truly leading us, leading our Patriarch 

Sako and our Bishop Francis, 

is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 

himself. 

As our religious leaders and other 

experts have pointed out, this is a 

long-term problem that we could be 

facing for at least the next 10 years. 

In reality, Christians in Iraq have 

faced unrest since the invasion in 

2003 – more than 10 years ago. 

God has assured us that we can 

win the fight against the enemy. “Be 

strong and courageous, do not be 

afraid or tremble at them, for 

the LORD your God is the one 

who goes with you. He will not 

fail you or forsake you.” 

So we fight the good fight 

because the fight is for truth. 

Jesus said it best, “I am the way, 

the truth and the life.” 

Whether people want to 

stay in Iraq or leave, as Bishop 

Francis has said, we are going to 

help in any way we can. So we 

continue to fight for humanity, 

for safety, for peace, for freedom. 

As the Christians did in 

the birthplace of Christianity, 

we continue to fight for Christ more 

than 2,000 years later. 

Follow Vanessa on Twitter and like her 

Communications Evangelist Page on 

Facebook. 

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your LETTERS 

Happy Days 

Thank you for giving me a chance to convey a more 

accurate impression of myself in my own words (Chaldean 

on the Street, October 2014, “What’s Your Best 

Childhood Memory of Iraq?”). There are numerous 

wonderful memories of my childhood and early teens 

in Baghdad. One of my fondest memories is having 

the elaborate five-course dinners at 

my father’s hotel (The River 

Front Hotel) overlooking 

the Tigris River. 

I would not characterize 

my early life in 

Baghdad as simple. It 

was a happy and busy life 

going to school, getting 

dancing and swimming lessons, 

traveling, and spending 

time with friends. 

I am usually very reluctant about interviews 

but could not refuse your charming and professional 

reporter, Anthony Samona. 

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noteworthy 

Store Killer Gets Life 

Life in prison without the possibility 

of parole was the sentence handed 

down to the killer of store owner Duraid 

“Dave” Lossia. 

Cassalle Nettles, who has a long 

criminal history, was found guilty of 

the murder in September. He was 

sentenced on October 20 by Oakland 

County Circuit Judge Daniel O’Brien. 

Lossia was the popular owner of 

Tom’s Party Store on Inkster and 8 

Mile. Nettles shot him in the face 

during an apparent robbery on December 

28. Nettles denies guilt and 

said he will appeal. 

Tune In 

Omar Binno and Nathan Kalasho 

have launched a new Internet talk 

show, “The Boiler Room.” They describe 

it as a no-holds-barred discussion 

of topics within the Chaldean 

community, ranging from social and 

political to psychological and religious. 

The show runs every Wednesday 

from 8-10 p.m. and can be heard at 

BlogTalkRadio.com/BoilerRoom. 

Listeners can call (347) 857-3847 

with questions or comments. 

It’s Turkey Time 

The AFPD is gearing up for its annual 

Turkey Drive. 

Each year the organization pledges 

to put a turkey on the table of 

more than 6,000 families throughout 

Michigan and Ohio who may otherwise 

go without. 

Tax-deductible donations can be 

sent to the AFPD Turkey Drive, 5779 

West Maple Road, West Bloomfield, 

MI 48322. 

UD Mercy Holding 

Chaldean Mass 

A special mass to pray for Chaldeans 

in Iraq will be held on November 9 

at the University of Detroit Mercy. 

The university’s CASA (Chaldean 

American Student Association) 

is organizing the mass, which 

will be celebrated by Fr. Andrew 

Seba. 

“This is the first time there will be 

a Chaldean mass at UD Mercy,” said 

Junior Sandra Alias, a biology major. 

“We will dedicate the mass to everything 

going on in Iraq, and bring cultural 

awareness to our campus. We 

want to come together in prayer and 

make miracles happen.” 

The mass beings at 9 p.m. in the 

St. Ignatius Chapel on the McNichols 

Campus, 4001 McNichols Road 

in Detroit. 

Shirts for the Cause 

Voice of the Martyrs has created the 

“I-Am-N” tee-shirt to raise funds and 

bring awareness to the plight of Iraq’s 

Christians. The shirt displays an image 

of a spray-painted Arabic “N” 

similar to those being painted on 

Christians’ homes by ISIS. Voice of 

the Martyrs says that $10 from each 

sale goes directly to support Christians 

facing Islamic extremists. 

The Voice of the Martyrs is a 

non-profit, inter-denominational 

Christian organization dedicated 

to assisting the persecuted church 

worldwide. The shirts cost $20 and 

can be ordered at (800) 747-0085 or 

SecurePersecution.com. 

Dass Promoted 

Assistant Oakland 

County Prosecutor 

Clarence M. 

Dass has been promoted 

to Special 

Prosecutor at the 

Oakland County 

Clarence M. Dass 

Prosecutor’s Office. 

With this 

new title, Dass becomes 

a member 

of the Special Victims 

Unit, which handles felony domestic 

violence, criminal sexual conduct, 

and child and elder abuse. He 

is a member of the Oakland County 

Bar Association and serves on the 

Board of Directors of the Chaldean 

American Bar Association. 

Send items for Noteworthy 

to info@chaldeannews.com 

Justice david 

Viviano 

Justice Brian 

Zahra 

for Michigan Supreme Court 

“Please join me in voting for Justice Zahra and Justice Viviano for our Supreme Court. 

As justices, their rulings have sent a strong message that criminals will be held accountable 

and crime victims will be heard.” 

- Judge Diane Dickow D’Agostini, 48th District Court 

“Justices Viviano and Zahra are strong supporters 

of our community. They deserve our support!” 

- Rep. Klint Kesto, 39th District 

Remember To Fill Out 

the Non-Partisan Section Of Your Ballot Nov. 4th 

Justice Viviano and his wife, Neran 

(Abro), live in Sterling Heights with 

their three children and are expecting 

their fourth child early next year. 

Let’s Keep Our Rule of Law Justices 

Justice Zahra and his wife, Suzanne, 

live in Northville Township with 

their two children. 

Paid for by David Viviano for Justice and Brian Zahra for Justice, P.O. Box 11131, Lansing, MI 48901 


Community Bulletin Board 

PHOTOS BY DIANE KORZENIEWSKI 

Call to Youth 

“Is Sainthood Possible Today?” was the theme of the Call to Holiness 

Youth Conference on September 13 at the Sterling Inn in Sterling 

Heights. Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron was among the speakers, 

and Stephanie Nofar-Kelly coordinated the event. More than 60 students 

attended and participated in a pro-life rosary led by Fr. Anthony Kathawa. 

Read more about it and view pictures at CallToHoliness.com. 

Running for a Cause 

Andrea Dickow and Natalie 

Dickow Stacey ran the Detroit 

Free Press half-marathon on 

October 19. Wearing shirts 

emblazoned with the Arabic 

N that marks Christians in 

Iraq, the sisters-in-law raised 

$5,200 for UNHCR, earmarked 

for refugees forced 

from their homes by ISIS. 

Keeping Up 

Raed Buttrus shows off his favorite magazine 

at the Training Center in Kalamazoo. 

He is currently participating in a nineweek 

enrichment program offered by the 

Michigan Bureau of Services for Blind 

Persons. Buttrus did so well in the Chaldean 

Community Foundation’s Breaking 

Barriers program that he was sent on to 

Kalamazoo for additional schooling. 

Early Birds 

About 40 students at St. Fabian Catholic 

School in Farmington Hills didn’t 

mind getting up before the crack of 

dawn on October 8 to experience the 

Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse. 

Have an item for the Bulletin Board? Send it to Chaldean News, 

29850 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, MI 48034, 

or e-mail info@chaldeannews.com.

CHAI time 

CHALDEANS CONNECTING 

COMMUNITY EVENTS IN AND AROUND METRO DETROIT NOVEMBER 2014 

[Saturday, November 8] 

Fundraiser: The Barkin’ Good 

Time Pub Crawl raises funds 

for Waggin’ Tails Dog Rescue. 

The event includes six establishments 

in downtown Plymouth. 

Tickets are $25, $18 for 

the designated driver. Waggin- 

TailsDogRescue.org or (248) 

788-7050. 

[Wednesday, November 12] 

Elections: Annual Meeting 

and Board of Directors elections 

for the Chaldean American 

Chamber of Commerce 

runs from 6-9 p.m. at Shenandoah 

Country Club. All members 

in good standing can vote 

from 7-8 p.m. The night also 

includes light appetizers, cocktails and 

prize giveaways. The fee for non-members 

to attend is $50. (248) 996-8340. 

[Thursday, November 20] 

Fundraiser: Habitat for Humanity of 

Oakland County’s second annual Signature 

Event features entertainment 

by Alexander Zonjic, WWJ Newsradio 

950’s Marie Osborne as emcee 

and the Chaldean community’s Susie 

Mansoor as chairperson. Since 1996, 

Habitat Oakland County has built and 

renovated homes for more than 174 

families, with 16 more taking place this 

year. 6-9 p.m., Townsend Hotel in Birmingham. 

Tickets are $175 and $250. 

(248) 338-1843, ext. 226, or JoyceR@ 

HabitatOakland.org. 

[Friday, November 21] 

Parade: Holiday Lighted Parade 

cruises through downtown 

Northville beginning at 

6:30 p.m. with music, floats 

and the lighting of the Christmas 

tree. Northville.org. 


Ceremony: The Chaldean 

American Bar Association 

presents its 5th annual Awards 

& Scholarship Ceremony. Keynote 

speaker is U.S. Attorney 

Barbara McQuade, and being 

honored are Jay Yasso 

and Michael Romaya. 6 p.m., 

Shenandoah Country Club. 

[Friday, November 21 – 

Saturday, November 22] 

Dance: Ninth Annual Oakland Dance 

Festival includes master classes, college 

entrance/scholarship auditions, 

performance evaluations and a showcase 

concert. Harrison High School 

in Farmington Hills. Details at HarrisonDance.Wiki.Farmington.k12.mi.us/ 

Oakland+Dance+Festival. 

[Thursday, November 27] 

Happy Thanksgiving: The Thanksgiving 

Day Parade celebrates its 88th 

year. It steps off at 9 a.m. on Woodward 

Avenue and Kirby and ends at 

Woodward Avenue and Congress in 

downtown Detroit. Grandstand tickets 

are $35-$50. TheParade.org. 


Ballet: The Nutcracker opens today and 

runs through November 30 at the Detroit 

Opera House. MichiganOpera.org. 


Reunion: Andover High School and 

Walled Lake Central’s Class of 2004 

each hold their 10-year reunions at 

the Hamlin Corner in Royal Oak. 

Andover2004Reunion@gmail.com or 

WLC2004reunion@gmail.com. 

[Saturday, November 29] 

Shopping: After the madness of Black 

Friday, the Shop Small Saturday campaign 

encourages consumers to patronize 

independent stores in their 

neighborhoods. 


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obituaries 

Suhaila Dabish Kalou 

Suhaila Dabish Kalou 

passed away on September 

29, 2014. She was born on 

January 21, 1945 in Baghdad 

to the late Toma and 

Hania Dabish. 

Suhaila, who was 

known for her stunning 

blue eyes and sense of humor, 

came to the United 

States as a teenager. She met and married Kaeis 

Kalou on October 9, 1966 and they enjoyed 

nearly 48 happy years together. 

Suhaila was a loving mother to Mary (Tony) 

Chiaffredo, Lisa, Clara and Victor Kalou; and a 

devoted grandmother to Joseph and Leila Chiaffredo. 

She is also survived by her siblings, 

Marcreet Sokana, Azhar Bashi, Maisoon Tato, 

Muntaha Hannawa, Inam Savaya, and Thair 

Dabish; and many nieces and nephews. She 

was predeceased by her siblings Fahima Bahri, 

Latifa Dabish, Latif Dabish and Zuhair Dabish. 

Nothing made her happier than having her 

grandkids visit, but Suhaila also enjoyed cooking, 

having visitors and dressing up for an evening 

out. She will be loved and missed forever. 

RECENTLY DECEASED COMMUNITY MEMBERS 

Miryamou Meram 

July 1, 1920 – 

Oct. 19, 2014 

Jamila Z Kannou 

June 2, 1936 - Oct. 

12, 2014 

Younis Hakim 

July 1, 1924 - 


Najeeb Sliwa 

Al Kas Youhanan 

July 1, 1943 - 


Muhanad S. Toma 

March 23, 1969 - 


Sura Youkhana 

Mikhael 

Aug. 10, 1927 - 


Hasina Isho 

July 1, 1934 – 


Amal George Kinaya 

July 1, 1941 - 


Adel Putrus Kakoz 

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chaldean on the STREET 

What about America are you most thankful for? 

BY ANTHONY SAMONA 

Thanksgiving is the time of year to reflect and count your blessings. With everything that has happened in the past months in Iraq, 

community members share what they’re thankful for about living in America the beautiful. 

What I am most thankful for is our 

freedom to express ourselves and our 

beliefs. Many people in foreign countries 

are prohibited to practice even a 

portion of what they believe. Not only 

do we have the freedom, but we also 

live in a civilized country where law 

enforcement is in place. 

– Lena Touma 

Sterling Heights 

Living in America is a blessing. This 

country allows its citizens to practice 

freedom of religion without being terrorized, 

and freedom of speech. I am 

thankful to live in a civilized country 

with its amazing education system and 

its strong military. 

–Mary Razook 


I’m thankful for being able to have 

freedom of speech in America, in a 

country where you can express yourself 

spiritually without having to face 

any type of consequence. God bless 

America! 

– Sanya Jabero 

West Bloomfield 

I am thankful to live in America where 

I can worship Jesus openly without 

being in fear. We live very secure lives 

compared to many of our brothers and 

sisters around the world. Even with all 

of its problems, this is still the greatest 

country in the world because of the 

freedoms we have. 

– Shannon Hirmiz 


I am thankful for the many opportunities 

we are given. Also very thankful 

we offer care and help for those in 

need — not to mention clean water, 

which many countries do not have. It’s 

a blessing living in a country where 

everyone is equally accepted and 

where everyone comes together in 

time of need. 

– Khalida Jarbou 

Shelby Township 

We’ve had the blessing to be born in a 

country with a long-established peaceful 

democracy. I’m thankful for the 

freedom of being divisive, benefits of 

clean water, public education, freedom 

of religion, music and good food. I’m 

truly blessed to be in a country where 

we can all just “live” like a human 

should. 

– Ashton Hirmiz 


Living in America has allowed me to 

feel like I’ve traveled the world without 

ever having to leave the country. I learn 

so much about different cultures every 

day simply by speaking to the people 

amongst me. America is a melting pot 

of different cultures and I’m proud 

to be able to mesh into society while 

still being able to identify myself by 

my nationality, as a Chaldean, which 

so many other people don’t have the 

luxury of doing in their countries. 

– Kristen Danyal 


After traveling to Nicaragua to volunteer 

to help the poor I realized I am 

most thankful for the opportunity to 

receive an education. I used to take 

for granted the schooling I had until 

I realized how underprivileged the 

people are in a third-world country. I 

have the ability to live a comfortable 

lifestyle due to the quality of education 

I have received. 

– Tiffany Danyal 



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cracking down 

Mar Sako suspends priests for ‘illegal exits’ 

Patriarch Louis Sako has suspended 

12 Chaldean religious 

men and priests living in the 

United States, Canada, Australia 

and Sweden for not receiving permission 

from their superiors before 

leaving Iraq. 

Nine of those suspended had 

been serving the Chaldean diaspora 

in the Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle 

of San Diego since leaving Iraq. 

The diocese says it is appealing Mar 

Sako’s ruling. 

The sanctions went into effect 

on October 22 following repeated, 

but “unfortunately unfruitful ultimatums” 

from the men’s religious orders 

or bishops, said a written decree 

signed by Mar Sako. The decree was 

translated into English from Arabic 

and is published on the patriarchate’s 

official website, saint-adday.com. 

The decree thanked Fr. Paulus 

Khuzeran, a religious who had been 

living in the United States, and Fr. 

Yousif Lazghin, a priest who had 

been living in Australia, for deciding 

to obey their superiors and return to 

their assigned place of ministry. 

After informing the Vatican 

Congregation for Eastern Churches, 

and consulting with the permanent 

Synod of the Chaldean Church and 

the men’s superiors, Mar Sako had 

announced in September that there 

would be canonical penalties for 

those who did not speak with their 

bishop or the superior of their religious 

community about either returning 

to their community or working 

out a potential transfer. 

Those who failed to take those 

steps before October 22 were to be 

suspended from the priesthood. 

Before a priest is ordained, the 

decree said, he “announces the offering 

of his whole life to God and the 

church.” 

Among their vows and duties is 

the promise to obey their superior, 

“serving where the church sends the 

priest, not where he wishes to serve.” 

The values of unity and communion 

should be held high above personal 

self-interest, the decree said. 

Fr. Noel Gorgis, who now lives in California, said returning to Iraq would be suicide. 

The escalating turmoil and violence 

in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion 

in 2003 have triggered hundreds 

of thousands of Iraq’s Christian minorities 

to flee their nation. 

Religious men and women and 

priests have often stood out as prime 

targets of kidnappers and killings, 

while churches and other religious 

places of worship have been singled 

out for bombings and attacks for years. 

The decree, in fact, highlighted 

the “eloquent faith lessons” recent 

religious have given when they “shed 

their blood for the sake of the flock”; 

stayed on in their country after being 

abducted and then released; and 

“journeyed with their flock” as entire 

villages and communities were expelled 

by extremists or violence. 

“I remind you, brothers, of Jesus’ 

saying, ‘Whoever loves his life loses 

it, and whoever hates his life in this 

world will preserve it for eternal 

life,’” the Patriarch wrote, citing the 

Gospel of John (12:25). 

Now that the sanctions have 

been imposed, if any of the diocesan 

priests “return, their status will be 

reviewed. For the monks, there is no 

other option but to return to their 

monastery and canonically correct 

their status,” the statement said. 

Mar Sako urged all bishops to 

“adhere to canon law and enforce order” 

by helping the men comply. 

The decree is meant “to end the 

illegal exit of the priests from their 

eparchies,” he said, not try to hurt 

or oppose the eparchies where the 

priests were currently residing: in the 

United States, Canada, Australia and 

Sweden. 

The church, as mother and 

teacher, the Patriarch said in the 

decree, “loves her children, but does 

not spoil them,” guiding and correcting 

“the path of her children with 

responsibility.” 

Mar Sako said it was his hope the 

decree, which included the names of 

the 12 priests, would be published 

where the priests reside, “revealing 

the truth to all.” 

He said some documents being published 

online, presumably authorizing 

the priest’s ministry outside his eparchy, 

were not the same official documents 

they have from the men’s bishops. 

“I personally forgive all the insulting 

words that have been directed to 

myself from some of them. May the 

merciful God forgive them. Right at 

the end will prevail,” he wrote. 

The decree listed the following 

six monks and six priests as being 

“suspended from practicing priestly 

ministry”: Fr. Noel Gorgis, Fr. Andraws 

Gorgis Toma, Fr. Awraha Mansoor, 

Fr. Patros Solaqa, Fr. Fadi Isho 

Hanna, Fr. Ayob Shawkat Adwar, 

Fr. Fareed Kena, Fr. Faris Yaqo Maroghi, 

Fr. Peter Lawrence, Fr. Remon 

Hameed, Fr. Hurmiz Petros Haddad, 

and Fr. Yousif Lazgeen Abdulahad. 

Officials at St. Peter Diocese in El 

Cajon, California, pledged to stand 

by their suspended priests by appealing 

directly to Pope Francis. In a 

statement, Mar Bawai Soro said, “… 

According to Eastern Canon 1319, 

which states ‘An appeal suspends the 

execution of a sentence,’ these nine 

priests are not suspended and will 

The values of unity and communion should be held high above 

personal self-interest, the decree says. 

continue exercising their priestly 

ministry fully, legitimately, and honorably, 

with the rest of the Diocesan 

clergy. We ask all the faithful to pray 

for the whole Chaldean Catholic 

Church, as we await the pastoral directive 

of the Holy Father, in total 

obedience and unity.” 

“I left Iraq 20 years ago. I left Iraq 

during the Gulf War. I know what’s 

going on there and now it’s worse … 

way worse … so to go back it’s mean 

to be suicide,” said Fr. Noel Gorgis 

told Fox 5 News in San Diego. 

– Catholic News Service 


in my VIEW 

When obedience gets tough… 

When a young 

man is called to 

the priesthood, 

he knows that there are 

certain sacrifices and commitments 

that come with 

the territory. This is true 

with any calling, or any job 

for that matter. So when 

Fr. Anthony Kathawa of St. 

George’s Chaldean Church 

in Shelby Township (pictured 

here), for example, 

covered his ears with his hands, he 

was vowing his obedience (his ears) 

to the Church and his Bishop. This is 

part of the gaining of the “Faculties” 

from the Bishop of their diocese. 

When several Chaldean priests 

decided to leave various Iraqi-based 

dioceses without permission of their 

Bishops, they did so in apparent violation 

of their vows — vows that 

they were trained extensively on and 

fully understood. Now let’s be clear. 

Iraq is a tough place to be right now. 

For decades, Chaldeans have left 

Iraq for the United States or other 

places in hopes for a better life. For 

some this migration was voluntary 

and deliberate. For others, especially 

most recently, it was borne out of 

fear and desperation. Nobody can be 

blamed for wanting to get themselves 

and their families out. 

But people make commitments and 

they have obligations. Outside of the 

Church, in the work world, employees 

cannot unilaterally make their own decisions. 

If they do, there are repercussions. 

If an employee decided he was 

going to transfer himself to another location 

because he didn’t like where he 

worked, he would be fired. Businesses 

cannot operate in this fashion. 

This is not a fair comparison to 

the life-and-death situation in Iraq. 

But Patriarch Louis Sako is not 

wrong in handing down suspensions 

to those priests who left their dioceses. 

They are free to do as they please 

as individuals, but they chose a calling, 

a path, that requires obedience 

to their superiors. 

Without this obedience, the hierarchy 

of the Church would crumble 

and the organization would be in a 

state of anarchy. The fact that Sarhad 

Jammo, the Bishop of California, 

is willingly taking these errant priests 

in and allowing them to function as 

priests in his diocese, in violation of 

MICHAEL G. 

SARAFA 

SPECIAL TO THE 

CHALDEAN NEWS 

the Patriarch’s direction, is 

also very problematic. But 

this is a Bishop who has 

functioned as a lone ranger 

for a long time and has basically 

become an outcast 

in the Synod of Chaldean 

Bishops. 

Even more troubling 

than the California Bishop 

empowering these priests to 

disobey the Patriarch and 

their own Bishops is that 

there are laypeople in California he 

has also empowered to fight this battle. 

One, who has proclaimed himself 

the spokesperson for Iraqi Chaldean 

Americans, is waging a public and 

nasty battle in defense of at least one 

rogue priest. While we do not know 

the circumstances of this priest — it 

may be that he needed, wanted, had 

to leave for good reasons — he simply 

has to endure the consequences of 

his actions. Certainly, laypeople are 

free to express their opinions but it is 

wrongheaded and egotistical for them 

to insert themselves into the middle of 

internal Church matters in direct opposition 

not only to the Patriarch but 

the entire brotherhood of Bishops. 

What about the congregations 

that were left behind that do not have 

the support of Church funds for travel 

or the luxury of easy visas as priests? 

Have they been abandoned? What is 

to become of them without spiritual 

fathers to attend to their needs? 

Even Pope Francis has chastised 

the clerical world for being more 

worried about the creature comforts 

that attend the job of being a priest, 

at least in some parishes. He has 

called on priests to stay close to their 

parishes and to not forget their main 

role is to be a pastor. He has called 

on them to be close to the poor and 

those in need. He has expressed 

his own closeness to the Christians 

of Iraq and followed his words with 

actions. He has called on those who 

have dedicated themselves to the 

service of the Church to go to the 

“periphery” to be with their people. 

The periphery, in this case, is not 

in San Diego. 

Michael Sarafa is president of the Bank 

of Michigan and a co-publisher of the 

Chaldean News. 

Fr. Anthony 

Kathawa 

takes the vow 

of obedience 

as he is 

ordained by 

Mar Ibrahim 

Ibrahim and 

Msgr. Zuhair 

Toma Kejbou.

ONE-on-ONE 

Mar Sako: ‘The West is motivated by money and power’ 

“There’s no future for us if the Lord 

does not help us.” There’s suffering 

and concern — and also, some anger 

— in Patriarch Louis Raphael I 

Sako’s words in an October 11 interview 

with Gianni Valente of the 

Vatican Insider. 

GV: What can be done to stop your people’s 

suffering? What is your task now? 

LS: The priority now is to offer comfort 

to those who are suffering and 

afraid, to help everyone and above all 

to encourage people to persevere 

and remain steadfast in their faith, 

without leaving their land. Staying 

put. Those who want to of course. 

We do not wish to force anyone. 

But it is our duty to direct people 

towards the path laid out in the 

Gospel. Those who leave must be 

aware that the West is not a promised 

land, let alone Paradise. 

GV: But many just want to run away. 

LS: We are being tested right now. 

Each of us is called to look into our 

hearts and we may discover that 

the Lord’s consolation is the only 

source of strength and the only 

treasure. It is the thing that is most 

dear to us. But many fall victim 

to this leaving frenzy. They don’t 

even stop to think about what is 

really going on in their lives. They 

seek a future. But for those who 

have the gift of faith, hope for a 

better future cannot just be about 

seeking a more comfortable life. 

GV: But one Bishop in the United States 

is negotiating with the White House to try 

to arrange for tens of thousands of Chaldeans 

to move over to the U.S. 

LS: He is also not experiencing firsthand 

what we are experiencing. In 

America they put baskets with asylum 

request forms on church altars 

during mass. As if the migration of 

thousands of Iraqi Christians to the 

U.S. was something to ask God’s 

blessing for. That’s a strange thing to 

do and only confuses people’s faith. 

Unfortunately, some members of the 

clergy turn into businessmen instead 

of remaining shepherds of souls. They 

think in business instead of evangelical 

terms, even in relation to faithful. 

To some they are just numbers who 

can help priests beef up numbers of 

Catholics in the areas over which 

they have jurisdiction. They have 

them transferred from one bleak situation 

to another, which may even be 

worse in the long run. Migrants are 

left to their own devices and are not 

offered adequate pastoral care. 

GV: What do you wish to say to those 

who want to leave? 

LS: I repeat: Each Christian needs 

to look inside him or herself and ask 

themselves what future it is they are 

seeking. They need to try and feel 

Mar Louis Sako: ‘Many fall victim to this leaving frenzy’. 

God’s love in this situation. Ask 

themselves what the Lord is asking 

from them in that moment and maybe 

realize that we have a future here 

in this devastated and blessed land 

of ours. And that the whole country 

represents our mission. 

When Kurdish President Barzani 

came to meet us with Hollande, he 

said to us: you must be patient, you 

must stay. You must learn from us 

Kurds who have suffered but now have 

rights. Learning perseverance. This 

would also be good for us Christians. 

GV: Meanwhile, U.S.-based Christian 

groups are looking for — and claim 

to have found — proselytes in refugee 

camps. Even non-Christians. 

LS: This is awful. It is immoral. They 

take advantage of a people’s difficulties 

and suffering. They also think in 

business terms, like religious managers 

hunting for clients. 

GV: Armed groups passing themselves 

off as “Christian militia” have been forming, 

in order to fight the Islamic State’s 

jihadists. What is your view on this? 

LS: To any politician, Christians included, 

who ask me, I always say: If 

some Christians want to help defend 

and fight for the liberation of land 

conquered by the jihadists, then they 

should join the Kurdish or the Iraqi 

national army. Creating “Christian 

militia” groups which identify themselves 

in ethnic-religious terms is not 

only illegal, but madness and pure 

suicide. 

GV: The U.S. has begun an armed 

intervention with the “coalition.” Something 

similar has already happened in 

Iraq. 

LS: All this looks to me like a dirty 

political game. Bombing these jihadists 

will not make them disappear, 

that’s for sure. Many innocent individuals 

risk being killed. Infrastructures 

are destroyed and will remain 

destroyed. The Americans have already 

done this: They destroyed the 

country and did not rebuild it. The 

most serious part of it all is that now 

everyone is saying the war is going to 

go on for years. This sends out two 

different and very dangerous messages 

simultaneously. The message to jihadists 

is: Don’t worry, you have plenty 

of time to get organized, get more 

money together and enlist more paid 

militants. The message to the refugees 

is: This situation’s going to go on for 

years, the only future you have is away 

from here, away from your homes. It’s 

best if you leave if you can. If we are to 

really get rid of extremist groups once 

and for all, we have to work on education 

and training and come up with 

plans that show how false and 

monstrous this bloodthirsty 

ideology really is. 

GV: Meanwhile, some in the 

West have made stereotypical 

references to a clash of civilizations, 

portraying Muslims as enemies 

of the Western civilization. 

LS: The reality is that all 

the West is motivated by is 

money and power. For years, 

this entity that calls itself the 

Islamic State has been kept 

going with money and weapons 

that come from the West’s 

so-called “friends.” With their 

secret services they can find 

out anything they want about 

each and every one of us, 

whenever they want. How is it 

possible that they don’t know 

where weapons pass through 

or to whom they are selling oil 

to today? The U.S. took action 

when two poor Americans were 

beheaded. But what about all those 

Syrians, Iraqis, Christians and Muslims 

they killed before then? 

GV: Is there anything in all of this that 

brings you some hope? 

LS: Last week in Baghdad, a group 

of priests, including myself, carried 

out spiritual exercises together. Our 

priests perform miracles despite the 

situation we find ourselves in: liturgies, 

catechism, social activities 

and charity initiatives, theater ... so 

many great things. Today we ask the 

Lord to console people, to give them 

patience and help them not to lose 

hope. This is the most important 

thing right now. 

Vatican Insider. Reprinted with 

permission of the Assyrian 

International News Agency, aina.org. 


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committed through crisis 

Michigan mobilizes for Iraq 

BY VANESSA DENHA GARMO 

People buy merchandise and make donations helping the cause after the prayer vigil at 

Our Lady of Sorrows. 

As soon as it was evident Iraq 

was being invaded by radical 

extremists known as ISIS 

and the targets were Christians, the 

Chaldean community in the United 

States went into action. 

Bishop Francis Kalabat immediately 

began to bring committees together 

with various skill sets to deal 

with the current crisis while creating 

long-term strategies. 

“Along with regular meetings with 

White House officials and members of 

the UN to discuss the political policies 

and strategies, we needed to mobilize 

the Chaldean community here in the 

United States to help the persecuted 

minorities in Iraq and the Middle 

East,” said Auday Arabo, spokesperson 

for the St. Thomas Chaldean 

Catholic Diocese. “We have been 

witnessing a Christian genocide in 

our homeland and our people here in 

the U.S. immediately stepped up and 

offered their time, resources and talent 

to help those in dire need.” 

An advocacy committee was established 

with a group of people who 

have direct contacts in Iraq and are 

well versed in political policy, business, 

media and outreach. 

“Our people in Iraq live in fear,” 

said Martin Manna, president of 

the Chaldean American Chamber 

of Commerce, who traveled to the 

northern Iraq before the ISIS invasion. 

“We are doing all we can here in 

the United States to help the Christians 

in Iraq, whether it be through 

our relationships with elected leaders 

or by using our skills and connections 

to help improve the quality of 

life in Iraq as best we can.” 

One of the first directives from 

Bishop Francis was to support the already 

existing Adopt-a-Refugee program 

and immediately establish the 

Mosul Relief Effort. Mosul Relief Effort 

will focus on displaced Christians 

in Iraq, while Adopt-a-Refugee is for 

those who have fled to Jordan, Lebanon 

and Syria. The website HelpIraq. 

org was also established for people to 

get updates and donate online. 

“Adopt-a-Refugee has been helping 

displaced Christians around surrounding 

countries since 2003,” said 

program founder Basil Bacall. “Now 

we set up the Mosul Relief Effort 

for displaced Christians in Iraq. We 

have collected money and items that 

we have sent to people on the ground 

assessing the situation, and it is created 

with the same transparency and 

proof that money is being given to 

people in need.” 

Iraqi refugees have been leaving 

their homeland to avoid religious 

persecution since the 2003 U.S. 

invasion. These refugees arrive in 

America with very little money and 

few possessions, and are in desperate 

need of help. The Chaldean American 

Ladies of Charity (CALC) has 

been working with the committees 

since their inception to help not 

only the newcomers, but the internally 

displaced Iraqis. 

For example, CALC recently 

collected feminine hygiene products 

to send to Iraq. “Many of these 

women are without basic necessities,” 

said President Rita Foumia. 

“Our community has really come 

together to support this effort.” 

Another new committee is 

MERCI (Medical Emergency Relief 

for Christian Iraqis), which is comprised 

of medical experts helping 

with healthcare needs of displaced 

minorities. These health professionals 

are from the Chaldean American 

Association of Health Professionals 

(CAAHP) headed by President Dr. 

Musib Gappy, an internal medicine 

physician with St. John Providence 

Health System, and Vice President 

Joanne Shamoun, a pharmacist at 

Providence Hospital Southfield. 

“We have been working on immediate 

needs and long-term plans,” 

said Gappy. “We have several goals 

set for this committee.” 

They meet regularly to discuss 

their plans. An urgent need is collecting 

medication and medical supplies 

for people in Iraq. A shipment 

of such supplies from Michigan headed 

out last month. 

They are also helping with medical 

care for 150,000 displaced Iraqis in 

northern Iraq by purchasing medicine 

for clinics in Kurdistan. They are not 

only sending money to buy supplies 

and medicine, but also helping to establish 

more clinics in Iraq. Similar 

to the Adopt-a-Refugee program, the 

doctors are starting an Adopt-a-Clinic 

program through MERCI. 

Through their website, they are 

establishing a 24-hour hotline where 

doctors in Michigan with various 

specialties will be available on the 

phone to discuss and advise on patients 

in Iraq. 

“Many of the doctors in Iraq were 

Christians. With so many Christians 

leaving Iraq, the country no longer 

has the specialty doctors,” said Gappy. 

MERCI has several subcommittees 

focused on various areas including 

getting the word out to the community. 

“We have received letters and donations 

from non-Chaldeans who are 

so moved by the work MERCI and 

CAAHP are doing,” said Shamoun. 

“We are also committed to true 

transparency,” said Gappy. “Just like 

Adopt-a-Refugee, every penny is accounted 

for and we have receipts and 

documentation.” 

Through Adopt-a-Refugee, 

MERCI has already sent thousands 

of dollars to fund at least six clinics 

in Erbil; $5,000 will be allocated to 

Dohuk to establish a clinic inside an 

Assyrian church, which is headed 

by Fr. Philipus in coordination with 

Fr. Hadeel of Telkaif. It will cost between 

$1,000 and $3,000 monthly 

for each clinic to stay open; most 

physicians are working as volunteers. 

They have also launched the “$20 

for MERCI” program to keep the 

clinics open, said Rafed Yaldo from 

Adopt-A-Refuge, who has helped 

launch other several committees for 

the cause. 

One of those is Chaldeans TEACH 

(Teachers Educating And Creating 

Hope). Their main mission was 

gathering coats for the thousands of 

displaced families facing the typically 

cold and rainy winter in northern Iraq. 

“Those lucky enough to escape 


Clockwise from top left: 

Sister Christine addresses the 

congregation at the Our Lady of 

Sorrows prayer vigil. 

Iraqi children with goods donated by 

the Michigan community. 

A Chaldean family picks up supplies. 

Staff and students at St. Fabian 

celebrate the successful completion 

of their coat drive. 

ISIS fled with nothing more than 

the clothes on their backs,” said 

TEACH’s Margaret Shamoun. “Everything 

was taken from them, their 

homes, cars, businesses, clothing, 

even their wedding rings. They traveled 

miles in the desert heat to escape 

terrorists.” 

Every Chaldean church got involved 

and so did several Roman 

Catholic ones and Catholic schools; 

St. Fabian in Farmington Hills 

alone collected about 250 new 

coats and winter gear. 

Meanwhile, Our Lady of 

Sorrows in Farmington held 

a special prayer vigil for Iraq’s 

Christians last month. Several 

people participated, including 

Fr. Mark and speakers Suha 

Zablock and Sister Christine, 

and the Children’s Choir performed. 

Coats and cash donations 

of nearly $2,500 were 

gathered. 

Sister Christine emphasized 

how such efforts are unfortunately 

really just a small drop 

in a huge ocean. “The efforts 

(even though they are wonderful) 

are so minimal compared to the 

enormous need,” she said. 

John and Ann Mansour also 

played an integral role in funding 

this project through the Alex & 

Gabby Memorial Fund, in honor of 

their children tragically killed in a 

2013 boating accident. The CALC 

warehouse in Troy stored the coats 

until they were sent. 

So far, a total of two containers 

have been shipped to Iraq containing 

more than 10,000 coats, 6,000 other 

pieces of winter gear, the feminine 

hygiene products collected by CALC 

and medical supplies. 

Now TEACH is focused on providing 

basic school supplies including 

books in Arabic for children. 

After failing a couple times due to a medical condition, a 

woman from Shaklawa just delivered these beautiful twins 

with the help of the MERCI program, which supplied rare 

medication and guidance. 

Members also have long-term plans. 

“The crisis is being predicted to 

last at least 10 years,” said Shamoun, 

“so TEACH will develop plans to 

help our brothers and sisters in Iraq as 

long as they need us. With God on our 

side, they may take everything away 

from us, but they will never break us.” 

Meanwhile, a Legal Committee 

was put into place to look at immigration 

and resettlement, as well as 

reparations for items taken by ISIS. 

“We not only have to look at the 

immediate issues such as safe exit out 

of Iraq and protection in Iraq, but 

long-term solutions to the problems 

ISIS created for our Christian brothers 

and sisters,” said Arabo. 

Soon a Business Committee will 

be put into place to evaluate business 

needs and supply advice. 

Various chapters of CASA 

(Chaldean American Student 

Association) have been instrumental 

in sharing information 

about the charitable efforts 

while encouraging others to 

donate and get involved, often 

through social media. 

With thousands of displaced 

Christians in Iraq just 

weeks away from the start of 

winter, families are in desperate 

need of housing. “Winter is 

coming and school is starting 

and these families are not able 

to go back to their homes,” 

Shamoun noted. 

Adopt-a-Refugee is funding two 

rent-free buildings that will house 

about 80 families at a cost of about 

$90,000. 

“These buildings are essential for 

the safety and well-being of these 

displaced families,” said Yaldo. 

About 200 families who couldn’t 

find shelter elsewhere have settled in 

Alqosh, where they are in desperate 

need of assistance for such things as 

rent. The Chaldean Diocese in Detroit 

is working with Adopt-a-Refugee 

on a plan to assist them, which 

includes $100 monthly. 

Updated regularly, the HelpIraq. 

org website displays recent photos 

and information about what the various 

committees are doing to help. 

All the Chaldean parishes have 

worked diligently, led by Bishop 

Francis and Vicar General Fr. Manuel 

Boji. “There is so much to do,” said 

Fr. Boji. “We need everyone who is 

able to help in any way. Our churches 

have been extremely supportive in 

helping this effort.” 

Independently, a group of young 

Chaldeans has started the Shlama 

Foundation to send funds directly to 

internally displaced Christians (see 

related article). 

While the community does all it 

can to support those in most need 

back in Iraq, the politics of the problem 

are still ongoing. 

“Finding a solution to this tragedy 

is beyond these religious minorities 

all together; it needs the leadership 

of our government along with other 

countries. ISIS is literally a human 

cancer to mankind, physically and 

psychologically,” said Fr. Boji. “If 

the international community doesn’t 

stop this evil, it will spread and will 

destroy much more than just the 

Middle East.” 


doing their bit 

Young adults launch Shlama Foundation 

BY WEAM NAMOU 

“ 

If we’re going to have any future 

in Iraq as Suraya, we have to 

work together,” Noor Matti 

stresses every day to the board members 

of the new Shlama Foundation. 

Matti is one of five who established 

Shlama Foundation in August. 

He lives in Erbil while the others – 

Christopher Sesi, Ranna Abro, John 

David and Evette Shahara – live in 

the United States. 

“Because our friend Noor lives 

in Erbil, he has a better perspective 

of the situation for Christian Iraqis 

than anyone else here,” said Sesi. 

Matti’s family came to Michigan 

when he was 6. As an adult, he applied 

to pharmacy school and was accepted, 

but decided instead to return 

to Iraq. 

“I went back because I felt like I 

never belonged in Michigan,” he said. 

“I’m glad I found my place in life.” 

In Iraq, Matti runs a radio station 

called Babylon Media, 99.3 FM, 

which plays American music. It’s the 

only English-speaking station in all 

of the country. He visits the United 

States about once a year. 

When he returned to Iraq from 

his last visit in August, he was astonished 

at the sight of thousands 

of Suraya (Christians) living in the 

street and then in tents, in Ankawa. 

They had fled ISIS from Mosul and 

the Nineveh Plains. 

“It became immediately obvious 

to do something quickly,” said Sesi. 

“Other organizations by now had 

done as much as they could, but no 

one was really seeing results.” 

They first formed a name, Shlama, 

which means “peace” – which is 

what they ultimately wanted to give 

their community back home. Then 

they quickly established a secure system 

that not only shows where the 

money went, but created a relationship 

between donor and recipient. 

On their website, Shlama.org, a 

spreadsheet shows the name of the 

donor, the amount given, and a link 

to a YouTube video that portrays how 

and for whom the money was used, 

with photos of the receipts. In each 

video, the recipients express their 

situation, thank the donor by name 

and address how the money has 

touched them. 

“Having everything documented 

and through personalized videos will 

help us gain the community’s trust,” 

said Abro. 

There are 200,000 Christians who 

lost their homes this summer, and 

some 40,000 to 50,000 are internally 

displaced in Dohuk, Erbil and Ankawa. 

They all need some kind of help. 

Shlama Foundation chooses who to 

help by taking a needs assessment. 

“It’s stressful because how do you 

choose who to help?” said Abro. 

“First and foremost, our goal is to 

make those struggling through this 

dark time aware of the fact that they 

are not alone,” said David. “We not 

only provide practical necessities, 

such as food, clothing and medical 

supplies, but we also provide hope 

and comfort to our people. We want 

them to know that we have not forgotten 

them or their struggle.” 

Shlama is based and registered in 

Kurdistan. One hundred percent of 

the work is done in Iraq, but the funding 

is operated in the United States 

for fear of the Iraqi government ever 

shutting down, as happened when the 

army of Nineveh fled the region. 

Shlama recently collaborated with 

Adopt-a-Refugee and Help Iraq to 

move 520 people into a building developed 

by Fr. Najeeb. Adopt-a-Refugee 

funded most of it with the help of 

French donors. 

Sesi, who is pursuing a medical profession, 

has also become involved with 

CAMSA (Chaldean American Medical 

Student Association), which held 

a fundraiser in September that raised 

nearly $7,000 for medical care in Iraq. 

Abro, who is working on her MBA at 

Oakland University, has become involved 

with TEACH (Teachers Educating 

And Creating Hope). 

“We want to set a new standard, 

to be open minded with open arms – 

to show we can work together, show 

transparency and connect diaspora 

with people in Iraq,” said Abro. 

So what caused this group of twenty-somethings 

who except for Matti 

were all born in America, to not be 

apathetic or complacent about their 

homeland? 

“I wasn’t willing to hang my hat 

and say this is over,” said Sesi. “Our 

traditions and cultures are thousands 

of years old and that’s nothing to 

take lightly. Someday I’d like to visit 

Nineveh and see my dad’s house. If 

everything works out, one day I will 

be able to.” 

The message Matti wants to give 

to the community in America is, 

“better days are ahead.” 

“As a nation, we hit rock bottom,” 

he said. “So, there’s nowhere 

to go but up.” 

Learn more at Shlama.org. 

Let’s Khigga 

Despite its serious mission, Shlama also has a lighter 

side. The organization held a Khigga Party on October 

17 at the Ultra Hookah Lounge in Shelby Township. 

PHOTOS BY RAMIZ TOMINA 

Clockwise from left: 1. Co-Founder John David 2. Martin Gorgees, Issak Issak, Robert Issak and Sinan Yousif 3. Rena Sami Youel 4. Basil Hillawi and Mary Malkonian 5. Jana and Khalil Ghazi 


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takin’ it to the streets 

Sterling Heights seeks community’s cooperation with protests 

BY WEAM NAMOU 

Among those meeting about improving communication between Sterling Heights and its Chaldean community were Sahir Al Malih, 

Nabil Nona, Nick Najjar, City Attorney Jeff Bahorski, Community Relations Director Steven Guitar, Police Chief Michael Reese, Captain 

Thomas Fett and Assistant Fire Chief Robert Duke. 

When Iraq won the Asian 

Cup in 2007, the Chaldean 

American community 

in Sterling Heights celebrated 

on Ryan Road. The City of Sterling 

Heights was caught off guard, and 

the issue of public safety surfaced. 

Now, as the persecution of Iraqi 

Christians sparks outrage, Chaldean 

again have taken to the street – specifically, 

Ryan Road. So city officials 

decided to do something about it by 

meeting with influential members 

of the community on October 19 to 

discuss alternative options to protest, 

demonstrate and celebrate. 

“On such occasions, it’s difficult 

to control disruption and the last 

thing we want is conflicts to arise,” 

said City Manager Mark Vanderpool. 

“We also have to be respectful towards 

the rest of the community in 

the area,” added Steven Guitar, community 

relations director. 

Admitted Nabil Nona, who participated 

in the rally and he also organized 

a protest last July at Warren 

City Hall, “Ryan is the magical road 

for Chaldeans.” 

“The next event might be just 

around the corner,” said Guitar. 

“Our mission is to protect the 

health, welfare and safety of all 

130,000 residents, and the businesses, 

in Sterling Heights. By building 

events together we can do that.” 

City officials stressed that there 

were a lot of ways for the two parties 

to work together to have a meaningful 

event rather than an impromptu 

gathering on one of the city’s main 

thoroughfares. 

“Going out to the streets like that 

puts a strain on our resources because 

we have to bring in additional 

people,” said Vanderpool. “It causes 

our police and fire department to be 

very reactionary. We want to avoid 

all this, and to do this the right way. 

Otherwise, though we don’t want 

to, we will have to shut down Ryan 

Road to ensure public safety. We prefer 

to come to a mutual agreement 

on an area, such as Nelson Park or 

Delia Park. Chaldeans in the city of 

Bloomfield Hills have done that.” 

Added Chief of Police Mike Reese, 

“If we have time to plan something 

with the community, the situation 

will be much more organized.” 

Planning any public event with 

the city would enable officials to 

supply proper security, and it would 

also give the Chaldean community 

a chance to be informed so they can 

participate. City officials said that 

is how other communities, like the 

Polish and the Italians, have done it 

over the years. 

When the Detroit Tigers won a 

championship (obviously not this 

year), a beautifully organized parade 

followed. When the Chrysler Plant 

closed, thousands of people were affected 

and the city worked with that 

group to organize rallies. 

“The problem is that our people 

are impatient,” said Nick Najjar, a 

member of the Zoning Board. “They 

want to do things now, not tomorrow. 

Newcomers are not as organized 

with protests as Chaldeans 

who have been here a long time 

because back home, the way people 

celebrated things was going into the 

streets, honking their horns, hanging 

out of cars.” 

Najjar also noted that when 

emotions are high from hearing 

about what is happening in the old 

country, it is hard for Chaldeans to 

hold back their feelings. Going into 

the streets is a way to express their 

love for their people back home and 

their frustrations and anger over the 

brutal situation there. 

“We understand that the Chaldean 

community has a lot of challenges,” 

said Guitar. “Some of them 

don’t want to be here but they have 

to be here. Many are having a hard 

time acclimating. And that’s why 

we feel that communication is first 

and foremost.” 

Nona said Chaldeans will appreciate 

the city’s efforts. “The fact that 

the city is reaching out to us, our 

community will feel they are a part 

of the city and that you are a part of 

them, and they will feel connected.” 

How, wondered City Attorney 

Jeff Bahorski, does the community 

react to police officers in general? 

“Our people respect the police, 

and they don’t like to create 

riots,” responded Najjar. “Middle 

Easterners in general respect the 

police and part of that has to do 

with their fears of them from back 

home, mostly having grown up under 

a dictatorship.” 

To help build a partnership with 

the community, several ways of 

spreading the word and opening a 

line of communication were agreed 

upon, including establishing a corps 

of 20 or 30 Chaldean-American 

ambassadors as a point of pride who 

could communication regularly with 

the city, perhaps on a monthly basis. 

Other suggestions included reaching 

out to schools and churches, 

and having city officials interviewed 

on Chaldean radio shows to spread 

their message. 

“We want to help,” said Vanderpool. 

“The City of Sterling Heights 

tries to be as welcoming as possible 

towards everyone, because here we’re 

really a melting pot. We believe that 

diversity is important for a community 

to grow and prosper.” 


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early retirement 

Eisenhower High School honors Justin Meram 

BY STEVE STEIN 

Justin Meram calls playing soccer 

at Utica Eisenhower High School 

the first step of his journey. 

“I grew as a player and as a person,” 

he said. 

The journey has taken Meram 

from Shelby Township to Arizona to 

Ann Arbor and now to Columbus, 

Ohio, where he plays professionally 

for the Columbus Crew of Major 

League Soccer. 

Eisenhower honored one of its 

most storied graduates on September 

24, retiring Meram’s soccer jersey No. 

9 in a ceremony before a boys soccer 

game against Utica at Swinehart 

Field attended by Meram’s family 

and his former Eisenhower coaches. 

To mark the occasion, Eisenhower 

players wore special warmup 

jerseys with “Meram 9” on the back 

that Meram autographed for them. 

He talked to the players and worked 

with them during warmups. 

Meram, 25, is the first Eisenhower 

soccer player to have a number 

retired. He called the ceremony an 

amazing experience. 

“Coming back to Swinehart Field 

brought back so many memories,” he 

said. “I’m blessed that they retired 

my number. I can’t thank everyone 

enough.” 

The idea came from Chris Corteg, 

Meram’s coach as a freshman 

and later the Eisenhower athletic 

director. 

Justin Meram accepts his jersey from varsity coach Josh VanHouten. 

Corteg said he talked to Meram 

occasionally about retiring his number 

when Meram would stop in for 

visits while he was playing for the 

University of Michigan. 

“I told him if he got to the MLS 

and stayed in it for at least three seasons, 

we’d get the wheels turning, 

and he agreed,” Corteg said. “If you 

stay in the league that long, you’re 

the real deal. It validates that you’re 

a quality player.” 

Indeed it does. Meram said only 

about one in five players makes it to 

his third season. 

Now in his fourth season playing 

midfield for the Crew, Meram had 

13 goals and eight assists through 88 

career games, 41 of them starts. He 

had eight goals this season as of mid- 

October. 

He wore No. 9 at Eisenhower 

from 2003-2006, scoring goals at a 

frenetic pace and serving as team 

captain as a junior and senior. 

As a freshman, he was a key 

member of the Eisenhower team that 

played for a Michigan High School 

Athletic Association state championship 

but lost 2-1 to Okemos. 

Meram rang a shot off the post with 

about a minute left. 

Corteg said Meram was small 

physically as a freshman, but he had 

the skills and speed to play against 

faster and stronger players. 

Meram led the Eagles to an undefeated 

regular season as a senior 

and he was named All-State and 

Macomb Athletic Conference Red 

Division MVP. 

Josh VanHouten, Meram’s coach 

that season, said Meram always was 

the best player on the field and he 

made his teammates better players. 

But it wasn’t enough to earn 

Meram a spot on a Division I college 

team, so he went to Yavapai Junior 

College in Arizona and made a name 

for himself. 

He led Yavapai to two national 

championships in two years and he 

was selected the National Junior 

College Player of the Year in 2008. 

In 2012, he was inducted into the 

National Junior College Player Hall 

of Fame. 

Meram played for U-M for two 

seasons after his junior college career 

ended. 

He was a Second Team All-Big 

Ten Conference selection both years 

before Columbus selected him No. 

15 overall in 2011 in the league’s SuperDraft. 

“I’m blessed to be able to play the 

game I love,” Meram said. “Anyone 

can have their dream come true. All 

it takes is one person who believes 

in you, but it starts with believing in 

yourself.” 

There may be a day Meram’s No. 

9 comes out of retirement briefly so a 

family member can wear it. 

Meram said his nephew Julius 

Meram, now a fifth-grader, wears No. 

9 for his club teams and it would be 

an honor to let him wear No. 9 for 

Eisenhower. 

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PHOTO BY DOUGLAS G. ASHLEY 

220: What’s old is new again 

BY JOYCE WISWELL 

Denise Ilitch and 

Zaid Elia at their 

new spot. 

It’s not easy to mess with tradition. 

That’s what 220’s new 

owners Zaid Elia and Denise Ilitch 

learned when they bought the 

beloved Birmingham mainstay and 

completely revamped both its look 

and menu. 

“Several people who had been 

coming here for years embraced the 

change, but some regulars did not,” 

admitted Elia. “But once we sat 

down with them and expressed our 

design intentions, and how it related 

to the old 220, that loyal customer 

grabbed onto it right away. Now it’s 

going phenomenal — it’s exceeded 

our expectations.” That, he said, 

includes “tremendous support” from 

the Chaldean community. 

Located in the 1932 Detroit 

Edison building, 220 first opened in 

1979. In addition to the delicious 

food, the spot was a favorite for its 

eclectic artwork and funky light fixtures. 

“The décor was charming but 

the back stuff like the heating and 

cooling was very old, almost at failure 

point,” Elia said. He and Ilitch 

brought in restaurant designer Mark 

Knauer, who came up with more 

than 20 ideas before they finalized 

the current look. 

While the restaurant retains its 

original wood paneling, the overall 

look is now sleek and modern, with 

abstract artwork, stylish glass lamps, 

walnut tabletops, plush white chairs, 

and, in a nod to its Edison roots, 

retro light bulbs. The large bar area 

remains a popular local gathering 

spot and 220 has added Michigan’s 

first champagne bar. Commissioned 

pop art paintings of Michigan celebrities 

from Madonna to Steve Yzerman 

line a wall near the luxurious 

restrooms. 

The original light fixtures and 

whimsical pieces of art were auctioned 

off. “I would say that 99 percent 

were sold to a member of the 

community. Everyone wanted one 

for sentimental reasons,” Elia said. 

220 marks the first foray into fine 

dining for both Elia, whose company 

the Elia Group owns more than 100 

Subway restaurants in Wayne County, 

and Ilitch, daughter of Little Caesar’s 

Pizza founder Mike Ilitch, who 

also owns the Red Wings and Tigers. 

Though fast food is a far cry from 

gourmet cuisine, “our backgrounds 

helped tremendously as it relates to 

the system side of the business,” Elia 

said. 

“But,” he added, “it’s completely 

different as it relates to the whole 

customer experience. In fine dining, 

people expect much more.” 

The pair hired more than 100 

people “who we trained from 

scratch,” Elia said. The staff includes 

a few employees from 220’s former 

days, but the majority found new jobs 

while the restaurant was closed from 

February-July for the redo. 

Chef Scott Garwaithe, who came 

from the Sage Restaurant at Las Vegas’ 

Aria Resort, revamped the menu, 

putting a modern twist on favorites 

like sausage penne pasta and introducing 

a classic short rib dish. The 

menu includes wood-fire flatbreads, 

fresh lobster fettuccine with cauliflower 

cream, cast iron roasted halfchicken 

and other American dishes. 

220 also has an in-house pastry chef 

and a Starbucks coffee bar. Sunday 

brunch was added late last month. 

While Elia is enjoying haute cuisine, 

he’s not giving up his roots. Elia 

Group also owns and operates retail 

shopping centers and is opening an 

additional 10 Subways this year. Elia 

said he’s still getting used to the differences. 

“In quick service we can make a 

change immediately. In fine dining, 

you can’t change things overnight,” 

he said. “That’s the biggest challenge.” 

220 is located at 220 E. Merrill Street in 

Birmingham. Visit 220Restaurant.com. 


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IRAQ today 

Spirited Away 

As ISIS fighters rampage across northern Syria and Iraq, a group of priests are 

racing against time to save what’s left of the region’s Christian heritage. Dominican 

Order priests have managed to get many precious artifacts and manuscripts, 

seen in this truckload of boxes, safely to Erbil in Kurdistan. 

As winter approaches, 

concerns grow for refugees 

The grave humanitarian crisis 

in Iraq will become “a deadly 

life-threatening situation” 

if shelter isn’t found for more than 

160,000 people in Kurdistan before 

winter weather arrives, a senior U.N. 

official warned on October 7. 

Kevin Kennedy, the deputy humanitarian 

coordinator in Iraq, also 

told a news conference by video link 

from the Kurdish capital Erbil that 

getting aid to some 500,000 people 

in need of support in Anbar province, 

where the Islamic State terrorist 

group continues to capture territory, 

is very difficult. 

In September, the U.N. World 

Food Program was able to feed 

100,000 people in Anbar in a very 

challenging operation, and “if we’re 

not able to get sufficient assistance 

there the people will suffer, no question,” 

as temperatures start plummeting, 

Kennedy said. 

Iraq is one of four top-level humanitarian 

crises the United Nations 

is trying to tackle, with 1.8 million 

people fleeing their homes since December 

and fears of thousands more 

trying to escape the ongoing conflict. 

The three other major crises are in 

Syria, South Sudan and Central African 

Republic. 

Kennedy said nearly $300 million 

is needed in the very near future for 

winterized tents, which cost between 

$6,000 and $8,000 apiece, as well 

as kerosene for heating and winter 

clothes and boots for tens of thousands 

of people who fled the fighting 

with only the clothes on their backs, 

many in flip-flops. 

While much attention is currently 

focused on the terrorists’ takeover of a 

large swath of Iraqi territory, Kennedy 

said, “We believe the humanitarian 

situation which is the other side of the 

coin deserves equal consideration.” 

People who escaped the fighting 

are “very traumatized” at what they 

have seen and the people they left 

behind, “so it’s more than a crisis 

of needs and shelter and food and 

health ... it’s a crisis of spirit and a 

crisis of hope here,” Kennedy said. 

He said the three most important 

humanitarian challenges are access 

to areas not under government control, 

finding shelter for all those displaced, 

and the onset of winter. 

There are 860,000 internally displaced 

people, or IDPs, in Kurdistan 

and the U.N. estimates 390,000 need 

shelter, Kennedy said. 

Many are currently in schools, 

under bridges or out in the open living 

in very bad conditions, he said. 

The U.N. has completed and is 

building camps that will accommodate 

about 224,000 people, but that 

leaves a gap of about 166,000 people 

still needing shelter, and that gap has 

to be closed in the next five to six 

weeks, Kennedy said. 

“Our fear is unless we can provide 

the shelter and also the items to 

help people live through the winter, 

what is currently a very difficult and 

grave United Nations humanitarian 

challenge will transform itself into a 

deadly life-threatening situation for 

many of the IDPS,” he said. 

Observers.France24.com. Reprinted 

with permission of the Assyrian 

International News Agency, aina.org. 


DOC is in 

Ebola: What you need to know 

NEIL 

JADDOU, M.D. 

SPECIAL TO 

THE CHALDEAN 

NEWS 

Unless you have been 

living in a cave, 

you have probably 

heard about Ebola by now. 

It has been a big topic in the 

news and you may be wondering 

if it is something to 

worry about. 

On October 15, the third 

case of Ebola in the United 

States was reported. All 

three cases occurred at the 

Texas Health Presbyterian 

Hospital in Dallas, Texas. 

The first case was Thomas 

Eric Duncan, who flew to Dallas from 

Liberia on September 20 and began 

feeling sick on September 24. He 

went to the Emergency Department 

at Texas Health, was eventually diagnosed 

with Ebola, and died from it on 

October 8. No members of the general 

public who came in contact with him 

have developed Ebola, but two nurses 

who cared for him have become sick 

with it. Happily, 43 other people 

who were in direct contact with him 

cleared the 21-day incubation period. 

Ebola is a type of disease called 

a hemorrhagic fever, meaning that 

it causes a very high fever and, in 

the end stages, severe bleeding from 

any opening on the body, leading to 

death. Ebola is a new disease, just 

discovered in 1976. Until now, it has 

only ever occurred in Africa in sporadic, 

small outbreaks. This year we 

have seen the worst Ebola outbreak 

ever, occurring in the countries of 

Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. 

According to the Centers for Disease 

Control (CDC), there have been 

8,400 cases and 4,033 deaths. The 

death rate for this outbreak is now 

reaching about 70 percent. 

Ebola is a very serious disease that 

is deadly if not treated, but proper 

medical treatment may increase the 

chance of survival. Currently there 

are no FDA-approved antiviral drugs 

or vaccines for Ebola, and treatment 

consists of IV fluids, preventing 

blood pressure from getting too low, 

other supportive measures, and experimental 

drugs. 

Many people are scared of Ebola 

and what will happen if it spreads in 

the U.S., but there are several facts 

that are important to keep in mind. 

First, Ebola was not brought here by 

terrorists. Ebola is only spread by direct 

contact with bodily fluids 

(blood, vomit, sweat) of 

people sick with Ebola, not 

through air or water. 

Second, a person with 

Ebola is only contagious if 

they are already showing 

symptoms. These include 

fever, headache, diarrhea, 

vomiting, stomach pain, 

muscle pain and unexplained 

bleeding or bruising. 

When someone is exposed 

to the virus, it takes 

two to 21 days to start 

showing symptoms. You can read 

more about these facts at CDC.gov. 

So why is the outbreak in Africa 

so severe and widespread? One of 

the main reasons is the traditional 

burial practices in these countries; 

the family personally washes and 

prepares the body for burial without 

any protection from blood and other 

bodily fluids. 

In the United States, the CDC 

is taking very aggressive measures 

when it is suspected that someone 

has Ebola. The patient is immediately 

placed in the highest level of 

quarantine and healthcare workers 

use the strictest measures to prevent 

contact with bodily fluids. 

As the outbreak continues in Africa, 

it is possible that more people 

will carry it to the developed world. 

However, the CDC and the Department 

of Homeland Security’s Customs 

and Border Protection have 

begun screening at five U.S. airports 

that together handle 94 percent of 

traffic from affected areas in Africa. I 

believe the best measure would be to 

restrict travel to the U.S. from these 

countries until Ebola is contained. 

Neil Jaddou, M.D., a former professor 

of Immunology and Microbiology 

at Oakland Community College, 

specializes in family medicine with 

offices in Troy and Sterling Heights 

and is the medical director of St. 

Joseph Church Free Clinic in Troy. 

Visit DrJaddou.com or call (248) 

816-1010. Jaddou is a member of 

the Chaldean American Association for 

Health Professionals, which is affiliated 

with Project Bismutha, a non-profit 

that aids uninsured Iraqi Christians. 

Healthcare workers interested in joining 

CAAHP can visit caahp-usa.org. 

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ARTS and entertainment 

Mesopotamian roots shine through E’rootha art show 

BY CRYSTAL KASSAB JABIRO 

PHOTOS BY RAZIK TOMINA 

1 

3 

5 

7 

1. Crystal Ajja 2. Jessica Shammami and Nancy Sadik 3. Stephanie Bahoura and Fr. Andrew Seba 4. Dan Ionescu and Scott Najor 

5. Rita Abbo, Maria Ammori, Chris Ammori and Karen Shounia 6. Matthew Seba, Melanie Elias, Meiada Elias, Candace Yono and 

Anthony Yasso 7. Reema Naman 8. Mark Georgies and Michael Pola 

2 

4 

6 

8 

There is no greater time than 

now to boast about the rich 

cultural heritage of Iraq, and 

E’rootha’s sixth annual art exhibit 

showcased this through sculptures, 

paintings and glass carvings that reflect 

the traditions of Iraq’s earliest 

people. The show took place October 

14 at the San Marino Club in Troy. 

Thamer (Tom) Bashi, remarked, 

“Right now, the only way our young 

people truly see the motherland is 

through art.” 

Bashi attended the University of 

Baghdad’s Agricultural School where 

he once participated in an art show 

before moving to the U.S. in 1978. 

Though he had an artistic knack 

since he was a kid, the 62-year-old 

never seriously drew until the beginning 

of this year with the encouragement 

of his wife, Amy, who set up a 

room with art supplies. 

“When I worked at the store, I 

would draw on the formica of the 

store counter,” he said. “Then I 

would spray it clean with Windex 

and draw something else. It was a 

relief from the hectic nature of the 

business.” 

In fact, his “Family Guy” drawing is 

still there on the counter, even though 

he sold the store and retired three years 

ago. Bashi said the new owner and regular 

customers still like it. 

Bashi’s favorite pieces include 

“Abu Ghraib,” a depiction of the 

abuse of Iraqi prisoners by American 

soldiers. He was very upset a decade 

ago when the media reported human 

rights abuses that occurred after the 

U.S. “liberated” the prison. He also 

loves “Baghdaditee” because it highlights 

everything in Iraq through the 

years, including a picture of King Nebuchadnezzar. 

“I just draw from my imagination,” 

said Bashi, whose preferred medium is 

pencil. “I just use my mind.” 

Cassidy Kassab also draws from 

her mind’s eye, and she mostly paints 

anatomical pictures with theological 

undertones. 

“I’m drawn to the human body 

and I see it as a manifestation of God,” 

said Kassab, 22. “The body is God’s 

creation and I am fascinated by that.” 

She was a little girl when she 

started drawing with her brother 


Adwar Kassa, Gina Koki and Matthew Kalasho 

Danny, a ventilator-dependent quadriplegic 

who used art as therapy. In 

fact, all the children in her family 

developed a natural inclination towards 

art. And that is why she likes 

to do portraits — so one can see the 

depth of a person. 

In “Sacred Heart of Jesus,” Kassab 

details the four corners of the world 

through an anatomical-looking heart 

and includes gold leafing complete 

with a Latin title, Sacrum Cor Jesu, 

which she believes leads people to 

focus on the intense 

emotion. 

“I want it to be a 

catharsis for someone 

who looks at it,” she 

said. “As an artist, 

you have to know 

the rules to break the 

rules a little.” And 

for that, Kassab got 

multiple offers on her 

pieces that night. 

Mark Georgies 

knows the rules to 

creating glass art, 

and he uses them in 

his custom designs. 

He began painting as 

a child in Iraq, and when he immigrated 

to the U.S. in 1980 after high 

school, he enrolled in art classes at 

Macomb Community College. It was 

then he began doing glass work and 

painting on the side in addition to 

his full-time work at a store. 

Georgies, who custom designed the 

stained-glass windows at Sacred Heart 

Chaldean Church in Detroit nearly 15 

years ago, hand-etches the glass with 

a sandblaster, and in some cases, uses 

templates to find the best picture and 

etches over those. Technology has allowed 

him to be even more creative in 

his glass designs. At the E’rootha show, 

he exhibited a piece with Hammurabi 

and Cuneiform, as well as one with 

literary mythical hero Gilgamesh and 

some script from the story once written 

Sabah Wazi and Matthew Kalasho 

on clay tablets. 

His paintings were equally culturally 

driven, especially for the present 

situation as Christians face genocide 

in Iraq. “Chaldaya” depicts the Aramaic 

letter S for Suraya (Christian) 

in the shape of a heart with other 

Aramaic letters falling into a background 

blue abyss. To Georgies, it 

shows the shattering of the Christians, 

namely the Chaldean people. 

“My message is to know your 

heritage,” he said. “Learn it and be 

proud of it as Chaldean-Americans.” 

Munir (Michael) 

Pola is certainly 

proud of his culture. 

He was outraged at 

the Smithsonian’s 

placement of Hammurabi 

artifacts in 

the “Persian” section 

on his visit to Washington, 

D.C. He immediately 

drew a 

picture of the signers 

of the Constitution 

next to Hammurabi 

writing his codes of 

law and sent it to 

President George W. Bush in 2005. 

He received a kind reply. 

“How could you confuse our history?” 

asked Pola in disbelief. 

Like Georgies, Pola studied art at 

Macomb Community College and 

graduated with a certification in Art 

Appreciation. He truly embraces 

his culture, and, though he is from 

Alquosh, considers himself Assyrian. 

“I am a universal person,” he said. 

“I represent all my people, from Iraq 

to America.” He believes in a unified 

people with a cause — to preserve 

the history and culture of the Mesopotamians. 

After all, that is part of 

Erootha’s plan. 

“I want my people to see that art is 

the signature of our culture,” Pola said. 

“Use it to make a difference.” 


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Telephone: (248) 997-7519 

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event 

Chaldean Chamber 

Business Luncheon 

PHOTOS BY DAVID REED 

Gary Peters and Terri Lynn Land 

were the headliners at the Chaldean 

Chamber’s annual Business Luncheon 

on October 16. Though they 

didn’t take the stage together, the two 

took questions from Fox News’ Charlie 

Langton, and audience members, at 

Shenandoah Country Club. 

Some highlights from their remarks 

follow below. 

Charlie 

Langton 

works the 

room. 

Gary Peters 

• “We have to be very aggressive with ISIS. Airstrikes 

are very important, and we have to bring 

in other countries including Arab countries.” 

• “I do not support American ground forces. 

This cannot be just the United States vs. ISIS, 

it has to be a broader coalition. We have to 

have Sunni religious leaders condemn them … 

you’re starting to see that.” 

• “Yes, I support special visas for Iraqis … the 

community has really stood up and taken care 

of folks. [Internally Displaced] Christians should 

be treated as refugees – because they are. “ 

• “I’m a moderate, a centrist — that makes me 

an endangered species.” 

• “700,000 people in Michigan have health 

care who didn’t have it before.” 

Terri Lynn Land 

• “The president has not led on this issue [of 

ISIS]. He needs to lead, have a clear and concise 

plan.” 

• “Americans are war weary, we don’t want to 

put boots on the ground, but there are other 

avenues we can pursue.” 

• “Our immigration system is broken … it’s 

very hard to work with the State Department.” 

• “We need to reduce taxes, make them lower 

and fairer for folks.” 

• “I support bringing more refugees here, but the 

priority has to come from the White House.” 

• “The health care system is a disaster … we 

need a plan that works, that is competitive, 

that you can buy across state lines.” 


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