AUGUST 2023

FROM THE EDITOR
PUBLISHED BY
Chaldean News, LLC
Chaldean Community Foundation
Martin Manna
EDITORIAL
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Sarah Kittle
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Cal Abbo
N. Peter Antone
Valene Ayar
Dr. Rena Daiza
Z.Z. Dawod
Crystal Kassab Jabiro
Dr. Renee Jiddou
Sarah Kittle
Dr. Adhid Miri
Chris Salem
Susan Smith
Steve Stein
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Publication: The Chaldean News (P-6);
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Diving Deeper
Startling news out of Iraq
caught many off-guard
mid-July; the Chaldean
patriarch has removed himself
from the capital of Baghdad
and is now in a monastery in
northern Iraq. Tensions had
been brewing between Cardinal
Louis Sako and the military
leader who goes by Rayan
al-Kildani for months, but the
latest move by none other
than the president of Iraq, Abdul Latif
Rashid, threatens to strip the patriarch
of any power over the Church’s holdings
in the country. It is such a big story
that all major international news outlets
have covered it in depth, and so have we.
Dr. Adhid Miri goes into detail on the
history of al-Kildani and why the patriarch
so strongly opposes any connection
of Rayan to the Chaldean Church
in his Culture & History article, “Cardinal
Sako Stands Against Conquest
and Confiscation.” Unfortunately, that
struggle is not the only one facing Iraqis
currently, as water supplies are shutoff
despite unbearable heat due to climate
change. Read about it in Iraq Today.
We also explore Chaldean cultural
roots in our inaugural piece for the
“Chaldean Story,” a brand-new series
made possible by a grant from Michigan
Humanities Grants’ “Great Michigan
Stories” initiative. This first story in the
series stretches back to ancient Mesopotamia,
where many of civilization’s
‘firsts’ were recorded. Look for follow-up
stories on Chaldean entrepreneurship,
culture, and spirituality in future issues.
SARAH KITTLE
EDITOR
IN CHIEF
Speaking of spirituality,
on our Event page, we bring
you photos of the recent ordination
of Father Namir Narra,
courtesy of the Chaldean
Catholic Diocese. And on
this 90th anniversary of the
Semele Massacre, we mourn
those that lost their lives
to this undeniable tragedy.
Chris Salem pens a heartfelt
plea that we remember this
historical event and gives a framework
to the treasure of stories that was likely
lost in its aftermath.
In Chaldean Digest, we report on a
youth group meeting in Ankawa and
on protests regarding a film scheduled
to run on Disney+ about the founder
of modern-day Turkey, Mustafa Kemal
Ataturk. Protesters say he is portrayed
in the film as a hero, while to the Greeks,
Armenians, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Aramaeans,
Maronites, and other Christians
of his time, he was anything but.
Previously, we brought you stories
of Chaldean Town, the stretch of 7 Mile
that was an early home to the community.
On the passing of Bahi Jarbo, the “Kabob
King,” Crystal Kassab Jabiro paints a
beautiful picture of a life well lived.
In “Beyond Borders,” Dr. Rena Daiza
blesses us with her own personal account
leading a recent medical mission
trip to Iraq, which was, in the author’s
own words, “transformative.” The purpose
of the visit was not only to give
medical care to the needy in Iraq, but to
educate people about the importance of
obtaining proper care, including dental
care and mental health checkups, and
how crucial it is to follow a healthy diet.
The team from the U.S. met with government
officials and health ministers
and toured medical schools and universities,
all the while feeling a connection
to the land as well as the people.
In the next installment of Chaldean
Kitchen, reporter Z. Z. Dawod takes us
into the kitchen of Samira Cholagh as
she prepares Pikota Habbia Kashka, a
traditional cooked barley dish. Samira
is a food artist, however, and her take
on the dish is anything but traditional.
Also earning the label ‘untraditional’
is Christina Roki, a young woman
who has made a name for herself as an
influencer on social media in the niche
market of automotive engineering and
aesthetics, as reported by Cal Abbo in
our Economics & Enterprise section.
Fittingly, this first-generation Chaldean
American dynamo taught herself about
cars by watching videos on You Tube.
Rounding out our August issue, we
have articles on gearing up for school
(“Getting Back in the School Mindset”
and “Identifying Options for Our
Students”), a terrific story about three
terrific tennis players (“Terrific Tennis
Trio”), a short piece about a 90-yearold
who recently gained citizenship
through the Chaldean Community
Foundation (“New Americans”), and
tips on beating the late-summer heat
(“Family Time”).
We hope you enjoy this latest edition
as much as we enjoyed putting it
together for you.
Sarah Kittle
Editor in Chief
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6 CHALDEAN NEWS AUGUST 2023