noteworthy First Lady
noteworthy First Lady Inspires Teen Christina Choulagh was among a handful of Chaldean students who listened to First Lady Michelle Obama during a mentoring luncheon at the Detroit Institute of Art on May 26. The students were specifically selected to attend the Leadership Summit, which also featured former basketball player Magic Johnson, actor and director Spike Lee, and lawyer Denise Ilitch. Ilitch, a member of the Board of Regents of University of Michigan, was placed to sit with Choulagh and discuss her success. “My mentor talked about how she got to where she was, how there were times where she wanted to give up, and how all her hard work and dedication got her to where she is now,” said Choulagh. Obama also emphasized the importance of working hard and never giving up. “We aren’t born knowing how to run a country, run a business or create a magazine. We work for where we want to be in life and failure is an important part of success,” she said. Choulagh, who attends Lincoln High School in Warren, was selected by her Algebra teacher to attend the event. Although the First Lady was escorted away by her Secret Service agents before Choulagh was able to give her a hug, she was still happy to participate in the experience. Michelle Obama meets with Detroiters. “I was inspired by the speech and learned that you can’t give up on your dreams,” said Choulagh. “I think it’s something every teenager needs to hear before they graduate and get into the real world.” — Laura Abouzeid Hekmat Hakeem Dies Hekmat Dawood Hakeem died on June 22 in Michigan. Born in Telkaif in 1948, he was a law professor and unsuccessfully ran for a seat on the Iraqi Parliament as part of the Chaldean National Congress slate. Hakeem told the Chaldean News in February that staunching the flow of Christians from Iraq was his biggest concern. “If forced immigration of our people continues for three more years, there will no Christians in Iraq,” he said. A funeral mass at Mother of God Church and burial at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Southfield were scheduled for June 26, after press time. U.S. Lifts Restrictions on Refugees in Michigan The U.S. State Department is changing a two-year-old policy that limited refugee resettlement to the Detroit area because of Michigan’s struggling economy. The State Department had restricted resettlement in the area to those with close relatives. State Department deputy director of refugee admissions Lawrence Bartlett told The Associated Press the rules are being relaxed because most refugees with immediate family had been resettled and there was room for more. The government’s new policy allows for a refugee with any friend or family ties to resettle in the area. Meanwhile, CNN reports that 100,000 Iraqi refugees have been referred by the United Nations refugee agency for resettlement, composing approximately one-fifth of the total number of Middle Eastern refugees aided by the program. U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres announced the figure on June 17 during his visit to Syria, which hosts approximately 45 percent of Iraqi refugees submitted for resettlement. He spoke about how huge an achievement this was for the UNHCR and the refugees. “One hundred thousand submissions of Iraqi refugees is a tremendous achievement,” Guterres said. “Many have been living in limbo for years.” UNCHR is assisting 511,760 Middle Eastern refugees, according to its 2010 fundraising report. The majority of the Iraqis submitted for resettlement by the UNHCR are moving to the United States. While 100,000 Iraqi refugees have been submitted since 2007, only around 50 percent of the submissions had departed for their new homes as of May 2010. Moving the individuals through security checks and working out state processing logistics have considerably delayed their departures, according to a UNHCR press release. Gutteres urged countries to continue to accept Iraqi refugees and for host countries to facilitate speedy departures of their coming residents. Voluntary repatriation in 2009 hit its lowest number in 20 years, according to UNHCR. And of the 251,500 refugees who returned home last year, only 38,000 were Iraqi. Vatican Says World Ignores Christians in Mideast The international community is ignoring the plight of Christians in the Middle East, the Vatican said on June 6. A working paper released during Pope Benedict XVI’s pilgrimage to Cyprus to prepare for an upcoming crisis summit of Middle East bishops in Rome also cites the “extremist current’’ unleashed by the rise of “political Islam’’ as a threat to Christians. In his final Mass in Cyprus, Pope Benedict said he was praying that the October meeting will focus the attention of the international community “on the plight of those Christians in the Middle East who suffer for their beliefs.’’ He appealed for an “urgent and concerted international effort to resolve the ongoing tensions Up in Smoke A fire destroyed two popular Chaldean businesses on June 2: Kashat International Foods and the Sahara Restaurant. The two businesses, located in a shopping center near Coolidge and Nine Mile in Oak Park, were a total loss. The fire began about 5:10 p.m. and though both Kashat and Sahara were open at the time, no injuries were reported. in the Middle East, especially in the Holy Land, before such conflicts lead to greater bloodshed.’’ The Vatican considers mostly Greek Orthodox Cyprus as a bridge between Europe and the Middle East and invited bishops to come to the Mediterranean island to receive the working paper to counter the exodus of thousands of Christians in recent years because of war and harsh economic conditions. The Vatican expects about 150 bishops to attend the October 10-24 meeting in Rome. Campaign Launched for Bombing Victims The Iraqi Christian Relief Council (ICR Council) has started a worldwide campaign called Faith, Hope, Endurance to raise ,000 for medical needs of 60 students in Baghdeda, Iraq. On May 2, more than 200 Christian students were targets of two massive explosions. Militants attacked four buses carrying Mosul University students traveling from Hamdaniya in the Province of Dohok, Northern Iraq. Sandy Shabib and Radeef Al Aahruk were killed as a result of the blasts. Shattered glass left more than 150 students drenched in blood and scarred. Many of them lost their eyes and limbs in this attack. To donate, visit www.iraqichristianrelief.org. People Niaz Saka Toma was ordained as a priest on June 18 at Holy Family Chaldean Catholic Church in Windsor. Mar Ibrahim Ibrahim performed the ordination mass. Immigration Attorney Steven N. Garmo has been named by Michigan Super Lawyers magazine as one of the top attorneys in the state. He was also named in the magazine’s Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel Edition. Garmo is a partner in Garmo & Associates, P.C. in Farmington Hills and Sterling Heights. Correction “Looking Back” in the June 21010 issue contained a number on inaccuracies. Gurgia Sheena is 80 years old and married Mikha at the age of 11 and ½. The couple arrived in the United States in 1965 and has eight children. CHALDEAN NEWS JULY 2010
Community Bulletin Board A-Plus Three Chaldean students graduated summa cum laude from West Bloomfield High School last month — an achievement of a 4.0 grade-point average or above for all four years. Caitlyn Norma Hakim was president of the Spanish Club and a member of the National Honor Society and International/Ethnic Festival Club. She’ll attend Oakland University to study anesthesiology. Andrew Lucas Samona (center), plans to study medicine at Oakland University. Jonathan Zora, a member of the National Honor Society, International Club and Spanish Club, will study pre-med at the University of Michigan. Sunday in the Park More than 6,000 people turned out for the St. George Chaldean Church annual picnic on June 20 at the Knights of Columbus Park in Utica. The good times included music, games, activities and vendors. Pictured here are some of the 75 volunteers who made it all possible, and volunteer leaders Jason Hanoush and Diana Brikho. The Mystery of the Shroud More than 100 people attended a presentation by Russ Breault, who has been researching the Shroud for more than 25 years and founded the Shroud of Turin Education Project, Inc. to advance awareness and study of this profound mystery. An accomplished lecturer, he has captivated hundreds of audiences from New York to Hawaii. His presentation took place at St. Thomas Chaldean Catholic Church in West Bloomfield on June 18. The event was sponsored by Ave Maria Radio in collaboration with the E.C.R.C. Both Mike Jones and Tom Loewe from AM 990 were present as well as E.C.R.C. coordinators. Neran Karmo welcomed the attendees. The Shroud of Turin has intrigued millions of people over the centuries who believe it to be the actual burial cloth that wrapped Jesus in the tomb. This ancient burial cloth bearing a blood stained image of a crucified man has also intrigued scientists, historians and medical experts with the possibility of its authenticity. Remembering the D Man Danny Kassab passed away last August but his spirit lives on through a new foundation his family has established. The D-MAN Foundation, Danny’s Miracle Angel Network, will help survivors of spinal cord injuries. Danny, who died at age 23, was left paralyzed from the neck down after being stuck by a car as a child. The D-Man Foundation holds its first fundraiser on July 22, the “Hollywood Night Event” at the Lafayette Grande in Pontiac. For details, visit www. mydman.com or contact Tina Drake at (248) 267-0208. The Best Medicine Giggles, tee hees and guffaws filled the air at Shenandoah Country Club on June 10 at Laughing Out Loud for Charity. Sponsored by the Chaldean American Ladies of Charity and the Adopt-A-Refugee Family Program, the event’s proceeds went to helping out women in need. Among the many who came out for a good laugh were Gloria Kassa and Lillian Shallal. Have an item for the Bulletin Board? Send it to Chaldean News, 29850 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, MI 48034, or e-mail info@chaldeannews.com. JULY 2010 CHALDEAN NEWS
