noteworthy A man fishes
noteworthy A man fishes in a marsh. Iraq’s Marshes Named World Heritage Site A wetland in southeast Iraq, thought to be the biblical Garden of Eden and almost completely drained during Saddam Hussein’s rule, has become a UNES- CO world heritage site, Iraqi authorities said. It’s a rare piece of good news in the embattled country. Fed by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the marshlands of Mesopotamia are spawning grounds for Gulf fisheries and home to bird species such as the sacred ibis. They also provide a resting spot for thousands of Adopt-A-Refugee Raises Thousands Nearly ,000 was raised for Adopt- A-Refugee-Family in a July 13 golf outing at Shenandoah Country Club. “This year was pretty special not only because the event was sold out, but because we had our largest abundancy of hole sponsors,” said Chris Toma, who organized the outing along with Karl Senawi and Rafed Yaldo. “This means that people were telling others and getting excited for the event.” Adopt-A-Refugee is working with other community members to ship a fifth container to Northern Iraq with essential supplies for thousands of internally displaced Christian refugees. Toma said getting the word out beyond social media is essential. “Just this past week we received two checks from two different families, one for ,500 and the other for ,000,” he said. “Some families want to help but don’t know who to contact” because they don’t use social media. wildfowl migrating between Siberia and Africa. Saddam Hussein, who accused the region’s Marsh Arab inhabitants of treachery during the 1980-1988 war with Iran, dammed and drained the marshes in the 1990s to flush out rebels hiding in the reeds. After his overthrow by the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, locals wrecked many of the dams to let water rush back in, and foreign environmental agencies helped breathe life back into the marshes. “There are many things that make this organization so special, but the biggest thing is that they all give so much commitment [so] 100 percent of the proceeds go to the family,” Toma said. “The community is very lucky to have an organization in place to help these families who have become refugees in their own country.” Items are being collected at the Our Ladies of Charity warehouse in Troy, Mother of God Chaldean Catholic Church in Southfield and Socks Galore Wholesale in Oak Park, Learn more at AdoptARefugeeFamily.org. Chaldeans Among Cultural Business Event Vast, remote and bordering Iran, the marshes have been used in recent years for drugs and arms smuggling, receiving stolen goods and keeping hostages for ransom. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi praised UNESCO’s decision, which he said “coincides with the consecutive military victories in the war against” Islamic State. – Reuters. Reprinted with permission of the Assyrian International News Agency, aina.org. Representatives from four ethnic business groups will provide insights into the Chaldean, Asian, German and Hispanic cultures during a luncheon on September 8. “Connecting Cultures to Business” features Chaldean News Co- Publisher Martin Manna, who is also president of the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce; Van Nguyen, executive director of the Asian Pacific American Chamber; Reinhard Lemke, attorney and senior advisor to AmCham Germany, and Camilo Suero, president of the Michigan Hispanic Chamber. Roop Raj of Fox 2 News is the moderator. Doors open at 11 a.m., a buffet lunch begins at noon and the panel discussion commences at 12:25 a.m. The program, which takes place at the VisTaTech Center at Schoolcraft College, wraps up at 1 p.m. Tickets are for Livonia Chamber members, for others. Visit Livonia.org. Pope Will Meet with Soviet Chaldeans Pope Francis will meet with Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders during his Sept. 30-Oct. 2 trip to the former Soviet republics of Georgia and Azerbaijan, adding a strong interreligious dimension to an already politically delicate trip. In Georgia, after meeting with the president, Francis will call on the spiritual leader of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Ilia II, and meet with the Chaldean Assyrian Catholic community. In majority-Muslim Azerbaijan, Francis will celebrate Mass with the tiny Catholic community and meet with the region’s chief imam, Allahshukur Pashazade, as well as the Orthodox bishop of Baku and head of the country’s Jewish community. Busy Month Coming for Building Community There are no dog days of August for the organizers of Building Community, the initiative of the Chaldean News and the Jewish News, who plan two events this month. On Friday, August 5, a historical bus tour will be led by Fr. Andrew Seba and Jeannie Weiner of the Jewish Historical Society. The bus departs St. Thomas at 12:30 p.m. and will return at 6 p.m. for a light dinner. Participants are welcome to join outdoor Kabbalat Shabbat Services at nearby Temple Israel at 7:30 p.m. The event costs . RSVP to Kate Boman at (248) 661-5700 or Kate@ Temple-Israel.org. On Thursday, August 18, the Jewish and Chaldean communities will come together for a potluck and bingo, also at St. Thomas, from 6-8:30 p.m. Bring an appetizer or dessert to share and some school supplies (pencils, notebooks, scissors, folders, crayons) for underprivileged students. RSVP to Gail Katz at (248) 978-6664 or GailKatz@comcast.net. Check the Roads on New App The Road Commission for Oakland County has launched an app that allows anyone to get road project information, file a report about a road concern or send RCOC a photo from any mobile device. The app is available for free from the Google and Apple app stores; search for “Road Commission for Oakland County.” Also available on the app are a link to the RCOC Real-Time Traffic Map, which shows real-time congestion level on state highways and many main county roads in the county and other features. 12 CHALDEAN NEWS AUGUST 2016
Community Bulletin Board Super Scholars Mary Jaddou Collin Konja Brittany Kashat Jewell Konja Navin Kathawa Miranda Konja Ten Chaldean college students were among the scholarship winners at the Associated Food and Petroleum Dealers’ (AFPD) eighth annual scholarship luncheon on June 28 at the Detroit Athletic Club. And the winners were: Mary Jaddou, a freshman at University of Detroit Mercy studying dentistry; Brittany Kashat, a senior at the University of Michigan studying biopsychology, cognition and neuroscience; Navin Kathawa, a junior at the University of Michigan studying computer science engineering; Collin Konja, a junior at Wayne State University; Jewell Konja, a freshman at Wayne State University who plans on studying pharmacy; Miranda Konja, a freshman at Wayne State University studying nutrition; Justin Nafso, a junior at Rochester College majoring in biology and minoring in psychology; Martin Sallan, a junior at Oakland Community College and a recent citizen of the United States of America; Brian Yousif-Dickow, a junior honor student at Wayne State University who is studying electrical engineering; and Sharon Yousif-Dickow, a senior at Wayne State University entering the Doctor of Pharmacy program in the fall. Keynote speakers at the event were Dan Loepp, president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, and Jim Petcoff, chairman and CEO of Conifer Insurance Company. Have an item for the Bulletin Board? Send it to Chaldean News: 30850 Telegraph Road, Suite 200 Bingham Farms, MI 48025 or e-mail info@chaldeannews.com. Justin Nafso Martin Sallan Brian Yousif-Dickow Sharon Yousif-Dickow AUGUST 2016 CHALDEAN NEWS 13
