noteworthy Local
noteworthy Local Iraqi-American film, novel aims to bring unity between Chaldean, Muslim communities BY NOUR RAHAL Tensions between the Chaldean and Muslim communities in Michigan inspired a local Sterling Heights author, filmmaker, journalist and poet to create art that may help bridge the gap between the communities. Iraqi American Weam Namou wrote a novel and screenplay for a feature film called “Pomegranate” that focuses on a liberal Muslim refugee named Niran who moves into a conservative Catholic Chaldean neighborhood during the 2016 presidential election and struggles to find her footing while preserving her Muslim traditions. Namou was born in Baghdad but raised in metro Detroit after her parents immigrated to the United States in February 1981. As a Chaldean who was friends with many Muslims growing up, Namou said she saw tensions between liberal Muslims and conservative Chaldeans within her own community. “I have love for both of the communities, and I was trying to listen to both sides. But they were not listening to each other,” she said. Martin Manna, president of the Chaldean Community Foundation and Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce, said he doesn’t believe the tension is widespread. However, he believes there should be some ongoing cultural competency training and group discussions, especially for the newer Chaldean and Muslim generations who are not familiar with the background of each community, to avoid disagreements. “I think anytime there’s opportunities, like this movie for instance, where the communities come together, it really provides an opportunity for reconciliation and understanding and education,” Manna said. “Not just in our two communities, but I think of all the different communities in this region.” Production of the independent film will take place in Sterling Heights toward the end of this summer. It is currently in pre-production. Excerpt from article in The Detroit Free Press Weam Namou poses for a portrait in her home on Tuesday, March 23, 2021 DETROIT FREE PRESS Crain’s 2021 Notable Nonprofit Board Member Honoree Sylvester Sandiha Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce (CACC) and Chaldean Community Foundation (CCF) Board Chair Sylvester Sandiha has been selected as one of Crain’s 2021 Notable Nonprofit Board Member honorees and will be profiled in the March 29 issue and on www.crainsdetroit.com. Honorees have been nominated by peers and consist of individuals who have delivered innovative programs, managed volunteers, raised crucial funds and steered the fiscal ship to find smooth waters after the pandemic. Sandiha is known for his strong leadership skills and grassroots connections to religious and community leaders, both of which proved vital throughout 2020 as the CCF worked tirelessly to meet the increased needs of the individuals and families they serve as we all struggled to navigate the perils of the COVID-19 crisis. Together with Foundation staff, Sandiha worked with local partners, municipal governments and 14 area churches to disseminate information in multiple languages regarding: food and basic needs resources; unemployment benefits; directives from the Centers for Disease Control and federal and state governments; and the dangers of the virus – from the importance of staying home to maskwearing mandates, hand-washing and sanitizer usage. The astounding work achieved by the Foundation during the global pandemic would have been even more challenging without the strong relationships developed within the community – from refugees and other individuals in need to religious leaders and local officials in municipalities such as Sterling Heights and Warren, where there are large Chaldean populations. Sylvester Sandiha is an executive of the family-owned Pinnacle Hospitality, a hotel and commercial real estate development, management, and Investment Company based in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Along with his father and brothers, Sylvester and the family team at Pinnacle focus on developing franchise hotel properties throughout the state of Michigan. 12 CHALDEAN NEWS APRIL 2021
chaldean DIGEST What others are saying about Chaldeans Pope Francis leads Mass at Baghdad’s Chaldean Cathedral Pope Francis gave a homily at a Saturday evening service in Baghdad’s Chaldean Cathedral of Saint Joseph, saying patience to begin anew is the first quality of love which faced with evil, does not give up or surrender. Greeted by a church choir and escorted by clergymen to the altar, Francis was the first head of the Roman Catholic Church to preside over a mass in Iraq. – Global News FOREIGN AFFAIRS Chaldean leader: Pope’s Iraq visit ‘will leave great impact’ The visit that Pope Francis paid to Iraq, “will leave a great impact on … our country,” said Cardinal Louis Raphael I Sako, head of the Chaldean Catholic Church. Sako accompanied the Pope throughout the March 5-8 visit, which went off without a hitch despite security worries US Chaldeans thrilled by Pope’s visit to Iraq Chaldean Americans living here in Michigan had a strong reaction to the Pope’s visit to Iraq. Some have never even been there but feel a deep connection, such as Crystal Jabiro, who watched on TV. “I was crying pretty much the whole time watching the Mass, especially when I heard the ancient chants, the chants that we hear every Sunday at church and hearing it there in front of the Pope and hearing parts of the Mass and the singing in Aramaic and Syriac, which is the language of Jesus Christ, it was just magical,” said Jabiro in an article for The National. The Chaldean community in Michigan remains deeply involved in Iraq. The Chaldean Community Foundation and Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce advocate on behalf of the community in Iraq and are constantly lobbying the US and Iraqi governments to better protect religious minorities there. “We are greatly heartened by AP PHOTO/ANDREW MEDICHINI and a second wave of coronavirus cases in the country. The 84-year-old pontiff covered more than 1,400 km inside Iraq, bringing encouragement to its diminished Christian community and extending a hand to Shiite Muslims by meeting top cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Al- Sistani. Sako told Vatican Radio: “The mentality here is changing in terms of respect for others, the elimination of violence and fundamentalism.” He added: “Iraqis are moderate by nature. They have been influenced by a fundamentalism coming from outside our country. I am sure that they will return to their good nature.” “He has delivered a message of comfort and peace that was so powerful … Many Muslims, including some highranking local politicians, approached me during the visit and said, ‘You have a treasure, a father so humble, who listens to and loves people.’” – Francesco Bongarra, Arab News Pope Francis arrives on the popemobile to celebrate mass at the Franso Hariri Stadium in Irbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Sunday, March 7, 2021. Pope Francis’s historic and vitally important visit to Iraq,” said Martin Manna, president of both the Chaldean Community Foundation and the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce. “He has brought to this troubled region a sincere and resolute call to embrace peace, brotherhood and solidarity for all. It is our eternal hope that our brothers and sisters who have suffered for so long will once again find veneration and tranquility in their native land. “Now is the time for policymakers to take the steps and actions necessary to ensure this becomes reality.” – Willy Lowry, The National Children in their festive garment wave Iraqi flags as they arrive to join Pope Francis at Hosh al-Bieaa Church Square, in Mosul, Iraq. The Penitent Pope: Francis Seeks Forgiveness for the U.S. Invasion of Iraq Pope Francis was determined to travel to Iraq in March despite security risks and a recent surge of CO- VID-19 cases in the country. When some advisers suggested he cancel, the pontiff threatened to fly commercial. Over the course of three days, Francis visited officials in Baghdad, prayed with Iraqi faith leaders in the ancient city of Ur in the south of the country, had an audience with the Shiite leader Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in Najaf, and offered mass for 10,000 people in Iraqi Kurdistan in the north (where many of Iraq’s remaining Christians live). But in choosing the Middle Eastern country for his first excursion outside Italy since the beginning of the pandemic, the Pope also had a more universal mission in mind. Cardinal Louis Sako, the patriarch of the Baghdad-based Chaldean Catholic Church, explained that Francis “insisted” on the journey because “he feels the pain of the people who are suffering”—a reference to all Iraqis, not just Christians. And as with all acts of papal diplomacy, the Pope’s journey to Iraq was laden with symbolism. Francis has long stressed the importance of interfaith dialogue between Christians and Muslims. His meeting with the immensely influential Sistani epitomized this approach of comity and understanding, as well as Francis’s belief that the papacy, which initiated the First Crusade against the Holy Land nearly a millennium ago, must be used to bridge divides. – Victor Gaetan, Foreignaffairs.com APRIL 2021 CHALDEAN NEWS 13
