Recent Stories
SYDNEY (AP) — Australian police say a knife attack in Sydney that wounded a bishop and a priest during a church service as horrified worshippers watched online and in person, and sparked a riot was an act of terrorism.
A new decision by the Federal Supreme Court of Iraq strips minorities of quota representation in the Kurdistan Parliament and sets a dangerous precedent, signaling a return to discriminatory policies against those who are ethnically, religiously, racially, and linguistically different from the majority in Iraq. By targeting smaller minority groups first, this decision could escalate to affect larger minorities in Iraq. Ultimately, it threatens to revive central political authoritarianism and the majority dictatorship that the Iraqi people fought hard to overcome through decades of struggle and sacrifice. For these reasons, the U.S. Government should urge the Prime Minister of Iraq to introduce legislation in the Parliament to reverse the impact of this decision and to reiterate that the Federal Supreme Court of Iraq is limited by the principles of federalism in Iraq’s Constitution from interfering in matters related to the function of the Kurdistan Region’s parliament. Read the full story
Al-Nahr Street in central Baghdad runs along the Tigris River with extravagant feminine elegance. Here dressmakers display their fabrics in luxurious colors, and goldsmiths and antique sellers show off their wares. In days past, every engaged girl had to visit this street to choose her bridal jewelry.
John Mikha Mackay was born in Iraq on July 10, 1948, and passed to the fullness of everlasting life in America on March 15, 2024. Arriving in America from Iraq with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Baghdad in 1971, John attended the University of Detroit and earned a master’s degree in business in 1972. He was an executive at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for over 20 years.
On March 8, the Chaldean Community Foundation celebrated 13 years of community impact in Sterling Heights. Since opening doors in 2011, the Chaldean Community Foundation has been a center of hope and support for refugees, immigrants, and the wider community.
In honor of April as Poetry Month, the Chaldean Cultural Center will host an event at the West Bloomfield Public Library on April 13 from 1-3pm. The event, held in the meeting room of the library at 4600 Walnut Lake Road, features four Iraqi-born women including Weam Namou, director of the Chaldean Cultural Center, and Dunya Mikhail, poet, author, and professor at Oakland University. The women are in a short 10-minute documentary which was funded by the Knight Foundation.
Juliana Rabban, a local Chaldean artist, was commissioned by City Walls Detroit to create a 5’ 8” tall football cleat sculpture to be displayed for the NFL Draft and auctioned off in May. Juliana calls her cleat “Unite & Ignite,” which she said embodies the shared human struggle as it relates to cancer. As someone who has watched close family struggle with cancer, she chose the charity Kids Without Cancer to receive her donation. Her cleat will be displayed at City Airport in Detroit in April.
The Chaldean Community Foundation recently hosted the Consul General of the Republic of Iraq, Mr. Muhammad Hassan Saeed Muhammad, for a special visit. Martin Manna, President of the Foundation, warmly welcomed the Consul and his delegation, expressing joy at their visit.
Rocky “Rockman” Salem Somo has been boxing for seven years. His professional career started in 2023 with a May 26 win by unanimous decision over Carlos Escobedo in the fourth round. He fought for the first time in his home area of San Diego on March 2 of this year at the Four Points Sheraton and won by knockout in the second round.
CCF’s C.H.A.I. (Caregiver Helping Aid Initiative) has been recognized by ARCH (Access to Respite Care and Help) as an Innovative and Exemplary Respite Service. A three-year designation, CCF’s C.H.A.I. is one of only four respite services from across the country recognized with the highest level of distinction. CCF is pleased to have met the stringent set of criteria that addresses the needs of family caregivers of adults and older adult family members.
The Chaldean Community Foundation hosted Penske Logistics for a Job Fair on February 28. Job seekers discussed potential warehouse employment opportunities with Penske staff.
The Chaldean Community Foundation celebrated Nonprofit Day with the Michigan Nonprofit Association (MNA) on February 22. The MNA invited the CCF to the annual 2024 Nonprofit Day at the Capitol to speak about engaging voters for an inclusive democracy.
On March 8, the CCF celebrated the women who make what we do possible. In honor of International Women’s Day, we highlight the remarkable women who inspire us with their dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment.
Steve Stein has been covering sports for the Chaldean News since its inception in 2004. Explore his picks of the top ten sports stories from the past twenty years.
My relationship of friendship, admiration, and deep mutual understanding with the Chaldean-Iraqi American community goes back to 1984, when I first arrived in the state of Michigan as an immigrant, or more accurately, an exile. I began my professional life with a weekly newspaper that I called Today.
When spring cleaning this year, take a little time to do some internal decluttering. Our minds, like our homes, become cluttered without regular scrutiny. Spring, with its fresh air and rising temperatures, is a great time to do some self-evaluation.
Nestled along the shores of a great river, Detroit’s story is one of triumph over adversity. From its humble beginnings as a French fur-trading post to its rise as the automotive capital of the world, Detroit has weathered economic downturn, social upheaval, and urban decay. Yet, amidst the challenges, one constant has remained – the power of faith to inspire, unite, and uplift.
Atop Rancho San Diego Hill sits the California Chaldean community’s most recent achievement: A 35-foot tall, 20,000-pound Chaldean-style cross pierces the landscape for thousands to see. Last year, on December 14, 2023, the largest cross in San Diego was airdropped into place by a Chinook heavy-lift helicopter.
“Geography informs your fate,” says Dr. Adhid Miri. What he means by that is our environment has an immense influence on our chosen trade or livelihood. The Silk Road—interwoven passages, caravan routes, and byways that stretched from China to the eastern Mediterranean—connected with other important trade routes in ancient Mesopotamia, giving rise to a culture adept at trade.
There are many examples of the Chaldean factor in business, but none as clear as the recent shakeup in the retail ice market. In late 2022, Saad Abbo sold his successful ice company, U.S. Ice, to a large corporate firm called Home City Ice. Since then, retailers have reported a dramatic increase in prices and a substantial reduction in the quality and frequency of service.
People tend to get emotional when talking about Frank Jonna, the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 Businessperson of the Year. Frank, who will be honored at their 21st Annual Awards Dinner on April 26, has the reputation of a man who listens to people and makes them feel valued.
“I actually hate mortgages,” says Danny Marogy. “I think it’s the most boring transaction in the history of mankind.” Yet Marogy, Senior Director of Sales at United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM), is known as one of the highest performing account executives across the country for the past 15 years. What motivates him?
The Arabic language is considered one of the most elegant, pure forms of language in modern literature. With its rhythm and precision, it is the cornerstone of poetry and expression. What many people don’t know is that, although it is the language of prayer, recitation and poetry throughout the Islamic world, the Arabic language predates Islam.
Back in 1937, a group of Chaldean Iraqi Christians traveled from Telkaif to Mosul, then to Adana to board a cargo ship bound for America. However, the United States was not their final destination. Upon reaching Ellis Island, New York City’s famous point of entry, they would board another ship, this one bound for Veracruz, which was then the main port of entry into Mexico.
April is National Cannabis Awareness Month, so we wanted to take the opportunity to give you an update on the industry and on the status of the opposition to legalized marijuana. The legal industry is still young; we know that many Chaldeans have gotten in on the ground floor, capitalizing on their shrewd business skills. But others are not happy with the new legal status.
In a story shared by NPR and featured on All Things Considered, Dr. Mona Hanna Attisha is again in the news. Penned by reporter Jennifer Ludden, the article details a new program co-founded and promoted by Hanna- Attisha called Rx Kids. Rx Kids is a cash transfer program that began in the city of Flint, Michigan in January 2024.
Throughout history, April has been a time of rebirth. It is the season you see new green shoots poking out of the ground. As the chill of winter gradually fades away, nature awakens with a vibrant burst of life, heralding the arrival of spring. With each passing day, the world undergoes a miraculous transformation as dormant buds unfurl into delicate blossoms and barren landscapes are blanketed in a tapestry of lush greenery.
Even before the 2020 election that featured a national explosion of approval for ballot proposals legalizing marijuana production, processing and sales, the industry had taken off, with Michigan among the most lucrative states for cannabis crop sales. However, the lure of marijuana money comes with expensive federal tax headaches, restrictions on trade across state lines, and a depressed market overcrowded with licensees.
This past March 14 was a significant day for the Christian community of Baqofa, Iraq in the Nineveh Plain. Bishop Mar Thabit led the consecration ceremony of the newly built Virgin Mary Church, an effort that has taken five years. Speaking exclusively to Chaldean News, Bishop Mar Thabit expressed his gratitude towards the generous contributions from various Catholic organizations and compassionate locals, which made the construction of the church possible.
2022 Stories
“The play is expressing many things that are sensitive to the culture and holding them in a loving way,” said Heather Raffo, writer and actor. “It’s expressing taboos but working through them in open-hearted, familial ways, so the young women felt very represented and challenged by the piece.”
Marian High School’s Chaldean population is nearly 30%. As the all-girls Catholic school rises in popularity among Chaldeans, its connection with our community has become deep and inextricable.
In today’s world of constant consumerism, it can be challenging to teach children the value of giving. It is an extremely important to lesson to teach, however; the feeling you get when you gift something truly thoughtful and appreciated transcends the satisfaction of receiving and may change a person’s whole outlook on the season and the reason for giving.
Michigan Democrats stole the show in the 2022 midterm elections, but success at the ballot box might not signal continuing Democratic dominance in future elections.
In Alqosh, the old village is designed to be used as a tourist attraction. The intention is to bring more business to Alqosh city and create a stronger economy. It is a perfect location to create movies reflecting that era, and an educational tool for teaching people about the old ways.
On Saturday, November 5, the Chaldean Cultural Center held a half-day conference for writers of Mesopotamian ancestry at Shenandoah Country Club.
Last month, several small retailers located in the City of Southfield received letters from various code enforcement agents on behalf of the city. The letters asked these retailers, which tended to be independently-owned gas stations, to move any “outside storage containers” inside.
The Chaldean Community Foundation (CCF) officially has boots on the ground in Alqosh, Iraq. For the past 6 months, it has had a working relationship with two local surveyors, Ghazwan and Hanan, who will begin taking a full census of the state of the Chaldean villages and remaining families following the destruction and chaos of the ISIS invasion just a few years ago.
On Friday, October 14, the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce (CACC) hosted its 16th annual Business Luncheon at the MotorCity Casino Hotel in downtown Detroit. Approximately 250 community leaders, businesspeople, and dignitaries filled the tables inside the Sound Board Theater and prepared for a discussion about politics and the upcoming elections in Michigan.
Pollster Steve Mitchell had Republican veteran and businessman John James leading by nine points over former state Circuit Court Judge and Macomb County Prosecutor Carl Marlinga in an August poll. Mitchell said the Detroit News had James ahead by eight points in mid-October.
Michigan’s gubernatorial race is getting tighter as the candidates head into the final turn and bread-and-butter issues like the economy and jobs close the gap with abortion and women’s rights as voters’ top concerns.
The rhetoric of the 2022 election season has made clear — even to the most casual observer —that Republicans and Democrats have some intractable differences of opinion when it comes to hot-button issues.
September 14 has become known as “Chaldean Day” at the National Shrine of the Cross in the Woods in Indian River, Michigan. For roughly 30 years, crowds of Chaldeans have headed to the shrine on that day to celebrate Holy Cross Day.
Storms have no borders; dust storms show no mercy or dust, diplomacy. Dust storms over Iraq and the Middle East have become a huge problem for the countries involved as well as their citizens, impacting their health, the economy, the environment, and agriculture.
Tesqopa, sometimes called Tel Skuf, is an ancient village located in the Nineveh Plain of northern Iraq. Targeted first by Mongols and then by ISIS, Tesqopa has remained a village of the Assyrians who proclaim the Christian faith.
Continued from September 2022 issue: In January 2017, the Trump administration announced its so-called Muslim ban, which was challenged by the ACLU and was revised and reissued a few times before being finalized in March 2017. Iraq was on the initial list and then was dropped from the final declaration, after confidential negotiations that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called an example of “close cooperation” between the two governments. In return for being dropped from the travel ban, Iraq’s government agreed to repatriate Iraqis that the United States wanted to deport. Suddenly, the decades-old mutual understanding about Iraqi deportation was over.
The stage is set for November’s general elections, and the race in Michigan’s state House 20th District promises to be a close one.
The Chaldean Community Foundation (CCF) in Sterling Heights honored Akram Kareem (aka Hermiz) at their 4th annual Gala on September 29 as Humanitarian of the Year.
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.
Apostle 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.
For 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.
Prior 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.