These were two of more than 300 Iraqi-born Detroit-area men arrested in a surprise ICE raid back on Sunday morning, June 11, 2017. They both have criminal records, for which they’ve served time.
Read MoreMar Matti Monastery is only the mere shadow of its former magnificence.
Read MoreApostle means “one who is sent off.” It was the name Jesus gave to the twelve disciples he chose to go into the world and preach the kingdom of God and heal the sick.
Read MoreFor Vincent Sitto, politics is not a career choice. The Oakland County businessman and father just wants people like himself to be heard and to have a voice — something he is not finding within the Oakland County Commission.
Read MorePrior to the first Gulf War in the early 90s, Iraq’s educational system was considered to be “one of the most advanced in the region,” according to UNESCO. Primary school enrollment was at 100% and literacy levels were high. Education in Iraq has suffered greatly since, struggling with the fallout of war, international sanctions, occupation, and general instability. Major problems include the politicization of the educational system, uneven emigration, internal displacement of teachers and students, security threats, corruption, and a severe lack of resources.
Read MoreBaghdida, located in the district of Hamdaniya in northern Iraq, is also known as Qaraqosh. Its population once surpassed 55,000, but during the ISIS crisis, it plummeted to only a couple thousand.
Read MoreThe Chaldeans in Iraq have decided they won’t go away, as they lay even more roots in their communities, resettle as refugees, and build institutions. The latest efforts to preserve the life and freedoms of Christians in the Middle East comes out of the Catholic University of Erbil (CUE) and Chaldean Archbishop Bashar Warda. A few months ago, CUE launched a media outlet called ACI MENA (Association for Catholic Information Middle East and North Africa) in collaboration with the Eternal World Television Network (EWTN), which covers the Catholic Church as well as Catholic issues around the world. ACI MENA will shed light on the plight of Middle Eastern Christians and their untold stories.
Read MoreThe bubbling cauldron that is Michigan’s Republican gubernatorial primary race will be fueled by yet another log on the fire beneath it as five candidates prepare to debate at press time. The chaos began when five other candidates were removed from the ballot over issues with fraudulent or improperly gathered signatures validating their candidacy. Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, the presumptive frontrunner at the time, was notably among them.
Read MoreAccording to the Urban Institute, the number of Americans aged 65 and older is currently around 54 million; it is expected to climb to 80 million people in 2040. The number of adults ages 85 and older, the group most often needing help with basic personal care, will have nearly quadrupled between 2000 and 2040.
Read MoreFrom a little boy attending a Jesuit school in Iraq to a tenured professor teaching at a Jesuit college in Michigan, Dr. Michael (Munther) Haddow has come full circle. A full-time faculty member at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, on staff at St. Joseph Mercy Oakland and Ascension St. John Hospitals, and with one day a week devoted to private practice, Dr. Haddow still makes time to engage in mission trips. He loves to help patients from underserved countries regain their smiles.
Read MoreRead our Back to School guide for 2022-2023
Read MoreThe land remembers us. On the streets of Ankawa, from the moment your feet touch the ground, you are instantly transported to an alternate reality. In this reality, this little pocket of northern Iraq, there exists a church on every corner, stores and restaurants with signs written in Sureth, and the humdrum of a vibrant daily life that persists in spite of all the hardship and pressure, both internal and external.
Read MoreThe Chaldean Community Foundation (CCF) in Sterling Heights, Michigan holds classes for those hoping to become naturalized citizens of the United States. Most but not all of the students are Iraqi immigrants who fled persecution and the threat of death because they are Christian. Some have waited years to enter the country, traveling across continents and oceans with their hopes and dreams.
Read MoreWhen Atheer Istifan arrived in the United States more than 20 years ago, above all, he felt safe. Before coming to the U.S., Istifan spent five years in Spain with a few of his siblings. He attended cosmetology school and even perfected his Spanish – his third fluent language – but his journey was not yet finished. Although Spain was beautiful, it was not a place he could call home. This feeling brought Istifan to America. He is blessed to have his whole family and the support of the Chaldean community in Detroit. That’s why he feels safe, and why he chose to settle here.
Read MoreIn what has become a Wild West political environment, the newly drawn 20th state House District features a diverse mix of candidates trying to fill the void left by incumbent Matt Koliszar’s abdication to the new 22nd District. The reconstituted 20th loses parts of conservative Commerce Township and adds all of West Bloomfield, a mixed bag that includes a large Chaldean population, a sizable Jewish population as well as many young voters and female professionals, according to Ed Sarpolus, Founder and Executive Director of Target Insyght, a political consulting firm based in Lansing.
Read MoreThe warming temperatures are in sync with hot political races in Southeast Michigan. One such race is the newly redrawn 10th Congressional District, which hosts parts of Macomb and Oakland counties. Michigan’s new citizen-led redistricting commission redrew all of the state’s federal and state election districts for the next 10 years. Historically, the districts were drawn by whichever party controlled the state legislature.
Read MoreAncient cultures of the Middle East are well known for their architectural marvels. The Great Pyramids at Giza, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon are three of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The first permanent structures in Mesopotamia go back as far as the 10th Millennium BC, and although they had no profession of architecture, studies based on available architectural, artistic, and written evidence shows they developed the concept of urban planning. Sumerians recorded real estate transactions and invented the courtyard.
Read MoreAccording to Angel Abdulahad, EdS, it is every superintendent’s dream to go back to his or her hometown. Last month, his dream came true when the Oak Park Board of Education selected him as their new superintendent, 28 years after he graduated from Oak Park High School. The former Spanish and English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher grew up in Oak Park in the 1980s and 90s when it had a large Chaldean population.
Read MoreNahla Valley is comprised of eight Christian villages located behind Akra Mountain. It is a remote and isolated area, two hours of mountainous driving from the suburbs of Duhok. Despite the difficulties, there are 196 families who are still struggling to live in their ancestral lands in Nahla Valley.
Read MoreFather’s Day is just around the corner. It’s a good time of year to take a look at all that fathers do for us, and how richer our lives are because of them.
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