Allied forces gain ground: Iraqi Prime Minister declares end to ISIS caliphate, but plight of refugees remains dire

By Miriam Raftery; Photos by Kainoa Little

Photo, left:  Refugees flee the embattled city of Mosul

July 4, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County Magazine has obtained dramatic photos from the Battle of Mosul, taken in the Iraqi city during April 2017 by photographer Kainoa Little, who specializes in photographing war zones and refugees. 

His images show Iraqi federal police fighting to free Mosul from occupation by Islamic State, or ISIL, militants who seized the city in June 2014.  The photos poignantly depict the courage of soldiers and at times, fear, as they fight amid the ruins and also the anguish of residents and refugees fleeing the city. 

The battle captured in these April photos continues, with the allies gaining ground. Today, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadi held a press conference to praise his troops for a “big victory in Mosul” including retaking what remains of the al-Nuri mosque in the old city, Associated Press reports. 

"Father Noel is amazing in the halls of Congress. We were able to get 20,000 more visas for Chaldeans to come here. For his success, he is being punished.  The church is saying that no Iraqi Christians should leave Iraq..Wewlil not allow himto be sent like a cow to slaughter.”--Mark Arabo

By Miriam Raftery

July 12, 2016 (El Cajon)-- Friday is the deadline for Father Noel Gorgis to leave the St. Peter Chaldean Catholic diocese, under an order signed by interim Bishop  ShlemunWarduni and Patriarch Mar Louis Sako. Pope Francis previously intervened to overturn an order for Father Noel to be transferred to Iraq, after local Chaldeans made clear he is needed here, and that his life would be in jeopardy in Iraq.  The new order seeks to punish Father Noel for disobeying the Patriarch despite the Pope's wishes that he remain serving his parish here.

Now Mark Arabo, founder of the Minority Humanitarian Foundation and a prominent spokesman for Chaldean-Americans, is joning with other parishioners here to defend Father Noel.

By Miriam Raftery, East County News Service

July 10, 2016 (El Cajon)—In January 2015, Pope Francis issued a ruling to protect Father Noel Gorgis, a popular, zealous priest at St. Peter’s Chaldean Cathedral in El Cajon, as ECM reported. The Pope invalidated a decree issued by Patriarch Mar Louis Raphael Sako, which would have required Father Noel and several other U.S. priests to return to Iraq, where the Islamic State has been slaughtering Christian religious leaders. The Pope’s action was applauded by local Chaldean leaders. Father Noel has been a leading voice locally and nationally, on behalf of Chaldean-Americans and Chaldean immigrants.

But now the new interim Bishop for the St. Peter Chaldean Catholic diocese of San Diego, Shlemun Warduni, has issued an order for Father Noel to leave St. Peter’s effective Friday, July 15, 2016, multiple church sources have confirmed.  Bishop Warduni is a temporary replacement for Bishop Sarhad Jammo, who recently retired and had been a defender of Father Noel, as ECM reported.

By Miriam Raftery

Controversial plan outrages Alpine voters, Chaldeans and other district residents

Photo: Priscilla Schreiber will be forced off the board in November if the county approves the GUHSD's redistricting proposal.

February 25, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – Grossmont Union High School District voted 4-1 to ditch district-wide elections and break up the district into five areas that will each elect its own trustee. (View map)  The board also voted to ask the San Diego County Committee on School Board Reorganization to waive a requirement that would ordinarily allow the public to vote on redistricting.

By Ben Kalasho, Founder and President, San Diego East County Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce

March 1, 2015 (El Cajon)--When news broke six days ago of more than 200 Assyrians kidnapped by (Da’ash) ISIS, I was on a telephone conference with my high profile contacts on the ground in Kurdish Controlled Areas of Northern Iraq discussing the destruction of Iraqi antiquities dating from the 9th Century BC by ISIS thugs. The report came to me that over 200 Assyrians were kidnapped in the town of Tal Tamr in the Hasaka Province, and other villages in Syria including Tal Hurmoz, Tal Shamiram, Tal Rumman, Tal Nasra which are home to many Assyrians and Syriacs.

Hear our interview with Noori Barka, which originally aired on KNSJ 89.1 FM:  https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/au...

December 18,2014 (El Cajon) –Imagine a place where people who want to start new businesses in East County can have free space, resources and investors—if they pledge to provide jobs here in East County. That’s the concept that Noori Barka, president of Calbiotech and a leader in the Iraqi-Chaldean community in El Cajon, aspires to attain by starting up an incubator business concept here.   He’s helped to launch a new 501c3 nonprofit, the San Diego East County Business Incubator with a goal of opening its doors next year.

 “If you have an idea, you want to start a business…we will incubate you for up to three years and during this time we will give you the full support,”  Barka told East County Magazine. Start-up businesses will be given space, tools, expertise, and investors.  After graduating in three years, people can receive continuing support – provided that they launch new businesses in East County. 

Barka hopes to create good-paying jobs in the biotech industry and other fields, helping to solve the high unemployment in East County, particularly among the new immigrant community, where unemployment is nearly 50 percent.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos, (ltop left to lower right):  Noori Barka and Supervisor Dianne Jacob, Wadi Deddeh and Congressman Susan Davis, Father Noel and Congressman Juan Vargas, Lion of Babylon/Citizen of the Year presentation to Pastor Harold Brown (third from right)

November 13, 2014 (El Cajon ) – With a theme of “together, we can build a better community,” the Chaldean American Association convened at the Crystal Ballroom in El Cajon on October 30^th for the organization’s annual awards banquet. 

Watch on YouTube

Read the President's full address here.

By Miriam Raftery

September 10, 2014 (Washington D.C.)-- President Obama tonight spoke to the nation , laying out a comprehensive strategy to “degrade and ultimately destroy” ISIL (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) terrorist group that has declared an Islamic state across Iraq and Syria, massacring thousands of Iraqis and beheading two captured American journalists.

“Working with the Iraqi government, we will expand our efforts beyond protecting our own people and humanitarian missions, so that we’re hitting ISIL targets as Iraqi forces go on offense.  Moreover, I have made it clear that we will hunt down terrorists who threaten our country, wherever they are,” the President said. “That means I will not hesitate to take action against ISIL in Syria, as well as Iraq.  This is a core principle of my presidency:  If you threaten America, you will find no safe haven.”

The President made clear that the U.S. will lead an international effort to eradicate ISIL. He assured that unlike the past decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, this conflict will not include U.S. combat troops on the ground.  Instead, he laid out a four-part strategy. First, air strikes will target ISIL in Iraq, Syria and wherever else ISIL poses a threat.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: President Obama meets with national security advisors on August 7 (WhiteHouse.gov)

August 8, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – U.S. fighter jets today dropped two 500-pound bombs on terrorists’ artillery that were being used to attack Kurdish forces in Irbil, the capitol of the Kurdish province in Iraq. In addition, U.S. planes dropped humanitarian relief to aid refugees stranded without food or water.

President Barack Obama last night authorized the use of force against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the Al Qaeda splinter group that has renamed itself the Islamic State.  The President also authorized humanitarian aid for victims of ISIS forced to flee their homes or be killed, including persecuted Christians and other religious minorities. The President made clear however that he will not authorize ground troops in the conflict.

Locally the announcement drew praise from Mark Arabo, CEO of the Neighborhood Market Association and a national spokesman for Iraqi Christians.

​"​Our work that began seven weeks ago in Congressman Juan Vargas’ office has resulted in a crescendo of tears, smiles and joy throughout the ​entire Iraqi Christian community​," Arabo said, referring to a Congressional resolution authored by Vargas and drafted by Arabo calling for humanitarian aid. 

Programs July 15 at Kroc Theatre, July 16 at Embarcadero Marina Park South, and July 17 at Lincoln High School

By Miriam Raftery

Concert details and RSVP for free tickets:  www.yoursongyourstory.org

Listen Friday at 5 p.m. on KNSJ 89.1 FM to our radio interview with Leonor Perez, artistic projects manager, San Diego Symphony

July 10, 2014 (San Diego)—The San Diego Symphony teams up with local artists and Academy Award-winner Bill Conti (composer of the themes for Rocky and James Bond movies) for a series of free performances in disadvantaged communities. “Your song, your story” is the culmination of a year of outreach in which the Symphony received over 300 submissions from local artists, chose 18 and asked Conti to create a composition inspired by the works celebrating diverse cultural perspectives.

The shows highlight the diversity of San Diego neighborhoods – and each will include a block party celebration complete with free food and entertainment. Performers include many East County groups, such as the Kumeyaay Youth Bird Singers, Soaring Eagles, and Luay Yousif of St. Peters Chaldean Catholic Church.

Lawsuit by rival Chaldean chamber in East County is filed against new state chamber's leaders

By Miriam Raftery

December 13, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) --The Chaldean-American Chamber of Commerce of California announces it has launched to serve San Diego County and the entire State of California. The Chamber aspires to be a leading voice for the Chaldean business and professional community as well as non-Chaldean professionals.  

The CACCC is led by President & CEO  Johnny Oram, who comes back to San Diego from Detroit, Michigan where he served on the Board of Directors of the largest Chaldean Chamber in the world.  Detroit is home to more than 130,000 Chaldeans, the largest Chaldean Christian population outside of Iraq.

By Miriam Raftery

October 26, 2013 (El Cajon ) –Following the resignation of  El Cajon Mayor Mark Lewis for racial remarks, Chaldean community leader Mark Paul Arabo, head of the Neighborhood Markets Association, is calling on Council members to denounce statements by Lewis and further, to implement district elections at the next city council meeting.

Currently, all El Cajon residents vote for all council candidates, with the top vote getters overall winning seats. Under Arabo’s proposal, the city would be divided into districts each electing its own representative-a move that could result in one or more districts with a majority of Iraqi Chaldeans or other minority populations. 

In a press statement, Arabo voiced relief at Lewis’ resignation but added, “We will not stop here.”

August 6, 2013 (El Cajon) – Advanced Training Associates, a career training college in El Cajon, has formed a unique relationship with the city’s growing Chaldean community.  Noticing an influx of Chaldean students at its El Cajon campus, the school’s staff contacted Chaldean community leaders to offer friendship and support. This new partnership bore fruit this summer as Advanced Training awarded a scholarship to a young member of the Chaldean community. 

“It’s such a treat for us to welcome these new Americans,” said Advanced Training Education Coordinator Steven Howard. “I’m enjoying the opportunity to watch them learn and grow.  These are some hard working people.  They seem determined to make the most of life in this country.”

April 5, 2013 (El Cajon) – The ancient Babylonians celebrated the New Year during the spring equinox with an 11-day festival.  On Sunday, April 7, Iraqi Chaldeans—descendants of the Babylonians-- will host Akitu, a Chaldean New Year celebration.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place from 3-8 p.m. in Prescott Premenade Park. Chaldean live music and folkloric dance will be featured; food and beverages will also be available.

September 1, 2010(El Cajon ) – Folk dancing, authentic Chaldean food, live music and singing performed in Aramaic-Chaldean and English will all be part of the festivities at the Chaldean Annual Festival in El Cajon. A $5 admission/voucher may be used towards food, children’s games, or purchases from vendors. An art and cultural exhibition will also be held.