What Distinguishes and Unites Us

As Summer turns to Fall, we look back on the year only to see how far we’ve come. Yes, we are still dealing with COVID and all the ramifications of the pandemic, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel that we are moving towards.

As a community, Chaldeans are distinguished by their faith and culture. In Iraq, villages are distinguished by their traditional dress. In “We Are What We Wear,” Dr. Miri gives us an education on both fashion and vocabulary. What a great way to underscore the fact that we are all unique, even in our similarities! The face of Dr. Miri’s beautiful granddaughter, Mila, graces our cover, paired with a doll in the traditional garb.

So much sacred history comes from Iraq. Recently, the Gilgamesh Dream Tablet, a 3,600-year-old tablet showing part of the Epic of Gilgamesh, was returned to the country, having been illegally obtained along with other relics by the owner of Hobby Lobby for a ‘Museum of the Bible.’ We cover the ceremony for returning these relics, held at the Smithsonian on September 23.

In a guest column, Madison Orow shares her memories of her beloved uncle, Chris Patros, who left us too soon. His life touched so many in the community and his loss is a shared loss, as is the loss of 101-year-old Yousif Denha and the much younger Laura Meram. Sometimes, sadly, it is grief that unites a community.

What seems to unite the Chaldean community more than any other thing is a shared and compelling faith. In the Religion section, theologian Jeff Kassab shares the story of the Genesis 4:9 Men’s Conference happening this month. Over 400 men are active within this group, struggling against a society that places value in areas far removed from faith. These powerful men are dedicated to being the men that God created them to be.

We all know someone (or even are someone) who has made legal mistakes and paid for them. For people with DUIs on their record, lawyer Justin Ziyad walks us through the newly available expungement process, whereby the slate is wiped clean. It’s not an easy process but it is definitely worth it to have a clean driving record; it impacts so many aspects of our lives.

Impacting lives is what the Chaldean Community Foundation will do in Sterling Heights when the planned affordable housing development is completed. Ground will break this month on this important resource for new Americans, and if the CCF center itself is any indication, this is only the beginning!

We are excited to recognize the 2021 CCF scholarship recipients and honorees, who will be included in the CCF Gala in November. The Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce recently hosted their Annual Awards Dinner honoring Johny Kello; we offer a photo spread of that great event, as well as photos from the Annual Stride for Seminarians.

In the rest of the issue, Dr. Miri takes us back to school with an educational piece on Genocide in the 21st century and the Jesuit contribution to education in Iraq, we speak with guitarist and composer Rik Jonna, and report on the return of U.S. troops to Iraq.

Thanks for sticking with us!

Sarah Kittle

Managing Editor

Sarah Kittle