Chaldeans Urge U.S. Officials to Help Iraqi Christians

Washington DC, June 10, 2010

For three days starting from June 7, 2010 leaders from the Chaldean Federation of America (CFA) and the Chaldean-Middle Eastern Social Services (C-MSS) met with several U.S. officials and their representatives urging them to provide quick assistance to Christians in and outside Iraq and to refugee arrivals in the U.S. The following issues were thoroughly discussed:

• To push for the enhancement of U.S. Refugee Admission Program and to provide better services by U.S. Resettlement Agencies for Iraqi Refugees,
• To promote the Chaldean Community engagement with the White House Communities Outreach programs and initiatives,
• To appeal for the cessation of deportation proceedings for Iraqis who lost immigration status in the U.S. Reasons argued: the horrendous country (Iraq) conditions and on humanitarian grounds.

Members of the delegation met with Mr. Darron Paul Monteiro, Associate Director, White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs, to inform him on the plight of Iraqi Christians and to seek assistance.

Also, the Chaldean delegation participated in a two-day National Consultation Conference held by the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) in order to learn more on how to strategize and to provide better services for Iraqi refugees.

Separately, the delegation met with the Honorable Samir Sumaidaie, Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of Iraq and staff. Discussion focused on services provided by the Iraqi consulates in the U.S. and how Iraqi documents are issued for Iraqi citizens.

The Chaldean delegation was represented by: Joseph T. Kassab, CFA Executive Director, Zina Asmar-Salem, Ph.D., CEO and Basma Coda, COO of CMSS.

CFA Advocate for the Plight of Iraqi Christians May 6-9 2010 Vienna Forum

Congressman Peters calling on the US Administration to assist Iraqi Christian Refugees

For Translation in Arabic please click here.

11/22/09: CFA as a member of Building Respect In Diverse Groups To Enhance Sensitivity (BRIDGES) attend it's quarterly meeting to discuss domestic and regional civil right issues. CFA Leadership met with Jannah Scott, deputy director, DHS center for faith based and community initiatives to discuss with her community related issues. Dearborn, MI.

11/22/09: CFA participate as speaker to the annual new Detroit Multicultural Conference, held by the Chaldean Culture Center. West Bloomfield, MI.

11/5/09: CFA participate in Panel on Affirmatively Furthering Fairness in Housing, held by Legal Aid and Defender Association. Mount Pleasant, MI.

11/2/09: CFA participate in Michigan health care solution-strategy to assists local needy Chaldean families in affiliation and support of the Heinz Family Philianthropies Foundation, Jewish Family services, Chaldean American Health Care Professionals, and Chaldean American Ladies of Charity. West Bloomfield, MI.

10/25/09: CFA arranged a breakfast meeting for community leadership to meet with it's guest visitor Ninveha Province-Iraq Governor Athelalnujaifi to discuss the plight of Christians in Northern Iraq. Farmington Hills, MI.