DECEMBER 2023

CONFERENCE continued from page 24
zation in the United States. Namou’s
articles and poetry have been published
in national and international
journals, and as a keynote speaker,
she has given readings, lectures, and
workshops in libraries, schools, and
universities.
In her lecture, Namou reviewed
stand,” meaning that culture has a
direct role in the process of educating
women and society.
Dr. Sabah Yacoub
A graduate of the College of Medicine
in Baghdad with a postgraduate degree
from the United Kingdom, Dr.
Sabah Yacoub has a keen interest in
after Islam) such as the contemporary
Chaldean Jesuit monk, pioneering
writer, historian, and theologian Louis
Sheikho (1859 – 1927 AD).
Dr. Sabah displayed his published
work in Arabic and English, including
Poetry Quatrains, Flashes of the
Present Pain, Bobble Braids, and Chaldeans
When Do We Rouse.
tutions and duty of leaders, which requires
the participation of everyone in
the Iraqi diaspora community.
I emphasized that this unified societal
brand and identity, which is
rooted in education and prevalent in
society, is not owned by anyone in the
community, but rather is the trust and
responsibility of everyone. The im-
Saad Murad, Weam Namou, Roy Gessford, Dr. Sabah Yacoub, and Dr. Adhid Miri.
the history, achievements, and innovations
of a group of Mesopotamian
women. She explored their role in
multiple fields of knowledge such as
writing, philosophy, literature, poetry,
arts, perfumes, and beer-making,
along with other innovations that
changed the course of life and society
in Mesopotamia.
On the societal side, Namou indicated
that opportunities were available
for Sumerian women to learn and
play musical instruments in temples,
enter monasteries, and to dedicate
themselves to worship.
The Sumerians invented writing
on the clay tablet. Mesopotamia in
Iraq brought us the first letter, the first
teacher, and the first to take special
care with youth education, believing
that “learning in childhood is like
engraving in stone”. Teaching writing
in Sumerian society meant moving
towards education and taking
advantage of opportunities. This also
gave women a prominent position in
Sumerian society, which gained the
attention of men and later led to the
prosperity of the Sumerian civilization
by preserving inherited societal
traditions in which women played an
important role and strengthened their
status in society.
Namou explained that “the culture
of any society is characterized by the
solid or soft ground on which women
poetry and literature. Over the years,
he held editorial positions in medical
journals, authored four poetry collections,
and wrote articles on various
aspects of life. He continues to write
in social media, newspapers, and
magazines. In 2014, he established the
Chaldean Cultural Forum in Windsor,
Canada.
Dr. Sabah’s presentation covered
the history of Arabic poetry and linguistic
development from the era of
pre-Islamic times through the Umayyad,
Abbasid, and modern eras. He
spoke about the types of poems produced
during these stages, such as
classic, modern, and freestyle verse.
Dr. Sabah believes “poetry is an
idea, an inspiration, and a beautiful
musical rhythm.” He read examples of
verses from great poets such as Imru’
al-Qais, al-Mutanabbi, Elijah Abu Madhi,
Badir Shakir al-Sayyab, Ma’arouf
al-Rusafi, al-Jawahiri, Mohammad
Saleh Bahr Al-Olum, and Mudhaffar
al-Nawab. He also covered Christian
poets throughout the ages (before and
CHALDEAN
STORY
Dr. Adhid Miri
As a contributing writer to the Chaldean
News, my writings focus on the
importance of preserving heritage,
education, culture, Chaldean identity,
community, and the history of Mesopotamia
and Iraq.
A former university professor, I
was born in Baghdad, Iraq, in 1948.
Since arriving in the United States in
1981, I have been an active member
of the Iraqi American community and
served as President of the Chaldean-
Iraqi American Society of Michigan
(Southfield Manor-Shanandoah Club)
from 2003 to 2005. Currently, I am a
Project Director at the Chaldean Community
Foundation, which is the nonprofit
arm of the Chaldean American
Chamber of Commerce in Michigan.
In my presentation, I had the opportunity
to speak about: the past,
present, and future of the community;
the importance of continuity and
building on current successes; developing
a brand and community identity
in the diaspora; and the role of insti-
This report is made possible with generous support from
Michigan Stories, a Michigan Humanities Grants initiative.
portance of elevating the identity of
our society into one that is strong and
built on the pillars of science, knowledge,
and the granite foundations of
our culture and historical identity, just
as we were in the homeland, cannot be
understated.
The community must develop a
strategy and integrate its efforts to
benefit from the strengths of our numbers,
raise our profile position among
influential people, benefit from corporate
support and philanthropists, and
increase local and federal community
recognition.
During the symposium, guests
were able to conduct personal interviews
with the lecturers, purchase
some books and publications, ask
questions, and review their books.
Other highlights included lawyer Murshid
(Marshall) Karmo, who spoke
about his published books and writings;
Nabil Rumaya, who spoke about
his book An Iraqi Journey in the American
Diaspora; and Deacon Salem Jiddo,
who added his own commentary.
The conference was attended by
a large group of people interested in
knowledge and culture, as well as fellow
writers and media personnel, including
Mr. Namiq Nadhum, President
of the Chaldean Writers and Writers
Union, Mrs. Dr. Maha Al-Rayes/Yacoub,
and Janan Youssef from the Resurrection
Channel in San Diego.
26 CHALDEAN NEWS DECEMBER 2023