your LETTERS The Whole
your LETTERS The Whole Picture Regarding “Local Iraq Election Turnout ‘Anemic’” (January 2006) I would like to address that Slate 752 is not the only slate for the Chaldean voice. In your article you used Joseph Kassab as a source of information about the December 15 elections. I am sure that you are aware that Mr. Kassab is part of Slate 752, and I would like to give you some background information about the leaders of 752. Slate 752’s head leader, Dr. Hikmat Hakim, who is known as an extreme Communist, had run under the Communist Slate 324 in January 30, 2005. Slate 324 only consisted of three Chaldeans, having over 200 Muslims, and in no way assisted the Chaldean people, only used them for votes to get seats in the Parliament. Also Dr. Hakim, in his most recent interview, referred to the Holy Catholic Church as being the poison of all nations. Many of the head leaders of Slate 752 lobbied for the separation of the Chaldean/Assyrian/Syriac names in the Iraqi constitution, forcing the outcome to have all three names separated. In only mentioning Slate 752, you are in the sense endorsing a communist slate that speaks of the separation of our beloved nation, and a doctor who calls his church the poison. The political party Zowaa (Assyrian Democratic Movement) ran under Slate 740 and is also considered to be a Chaldean slate. The Assyrian Aid Society (which is a humanitarian organization created by the members of Zowaa) is recognized by the United Nations, and by the United States Government, as being the only humanitarian organization in Iraq for the Chaldean/Assyrian/Syriac people. I would like to ask why you are only mentioning one political slate, and not allowing the recognition of Slate 740, which received over 45,000 votes in the December 15 election. Keep in mind that most of the members of Slate 752 are from Telkiepi, and even in their own hometown they could not even receive more then 30 votes, when Slate 740 received 1,013. Who do you really think is representing and protecting the Christian people in Iraq? Please do not take this as an insult; I am a huge fan of the Chaldean News. All of these points are facts, and I would like to encourage you to do your own research about the two slates, so that next time you will know who the true representation of the Chaldeans in Iraq is. I am in no way, shape or form involved with the Assyrian Democratic Movement (Zowaa) or any other Iraqi slate; I am an individual who would just like to spread the truth. Darren Yousif Warren A Call for Unity I am writing to respond to the article in January’s issue about Bishop Mar Bawai Soro from California [“An Advocate for Change”], who was suspended for two years because of the letters he wrote about uniting the Chaldean and Assyrian Church. I agree on how important it is to unify and I also understand the controversy it has caused. I am Chaldean, born in Iraq and raised in America. As an active member of the Chaldean community I am pro unification of the Church. I have realized that almost every event we Chaldeans attend is related in some way to Church — weddings, baptisms, communions, birthdays, funerals. Church and religion are a major and important part of our lives as Chaldeans. In Iraq, the Church is not only a place to worship but a place the community depends on. The Church helped the community with almost any problem a family had, so we learned to depend on the Church a great deal beyond faith. We depended on the Church for education, counseling, shelter, food, immigration, etc. Here in America, we have many government agencies and services providing help to our community, allowing our Church to become a place for worship and prayer, a place for the faithful. Maybe not conflicting who we are with what we believe might help unite the Chaldean and Assyrian people. We are born Chaldean or we are born Assyrian — we can not become Chaldean or Assyrian, this is a birthright. This unity will help restore the strength in a race of people that have existed for thousands of years, a race of people who have split religiously and have labeled themselves to recognize this religious split. Americans refer to themselves as American, not Catholic, Baptist, Lutheran, Christian, etc. Americans are united by race, not religion. We say Chaldean from Iraq or Assyrian from Iraq, but still consider ourselves Christian. If only one reason (the Church) is standing in between our unity, perhaps Chaldean and Assyrians should think of themselves and unite as one people first, unite as Christian Iraqis. I have been hearing from many people that a unified name is just as important as a unified Church; Chaldo-Assyrian is one unified name that I have been told can still give all of us a sense of self and identity. I believe the separation 500 years ago of the Church has made Chaldeans and Assyrians think they are a religion instead of a race. We can not unite as Chaldean and Assyrian and still have separate religious beliefs. We must depend on the Church to unite us. Perhaps Chaldeans and Assyrians should modernize instead of Americanize. Pressing Issues Susan Kattula Sterling Heights I always read your newspaper and I have two issues I would like you to publish: 1) The competition like Rite Aid, CVS and Walgreens and their effect on us. Two years ago they opened a CVS and Rite Aid next to my store in Detroit and I have been here over 18 years. This has dropped my business in half, and affected many others. 2) Our kids drinking a lot of pop. My nephew is only 9 years old and never drinks any water, he drinks five to six cans of pop a day. Now he has become diabetic. Hani Farida Oakland Longing for Literacy I receive your interesting publication and enjoy reading its beautiful articles and interviews published in its skillfully directed pages. However, I long to see a page or two, if possible, that tackle literacy issues. This could be a poem, prose, or any literary article about Chaldean writers or any literary figure from Iraq. God bless you! Alaha mbarekh bgawoukhun! Munther G. Bahri Detroit Sinan Atto ATTO DRUGS 41935 W. 12 Mile Road (Just east of 12 Oaks Mall • Novi) Phone: 248-465-0345 Fax: 248-465-0344 After Hours: 248-895-5868 15% Senior Discount Off Cash prescriptions Inside the DMC Medical Center $ 15 00 OFF Applied to over-the-counter medication and our wide variety of vitamins LIMIT ONE WITH AD. EXPIRES 9/15/06 ONLY WITH TRANSFERRED PRESCRIPTIONS FREE DELIVERY Limited Area C & J Parking Lot Sweeping, Inc. 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