Prime Time
Entertaining the Iraqi Prime Minister
By Sarah Kittle
The motorcade stretched a mile long down Walnut Lake Road to Shenandoah Country Club (SCC) on Thursday, April 18. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani was in town to speak with the Iraqi American community and its leaders, having first traveled to Houston to speak with Iraqi immigrants there and visiting the Islamic Institute in Dearborn before coming to West Bloomfield.
The prime minister arrived at the country club around 9:45 pm and was received by a delegation including Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce (CACC) and Chaldean Community Foundation (CCF) president Martin Manna, Bishop Francis Kalabat, head of the Chaldean Church in Michigan, and Bishop Emmanuel Shaleta, head of the Chaldean Church in California, along with Iraqi American businessman Shakir Alkhafaji, Shenandoah Country Club president Neb Mekani, and former SCC president, Raad Kathawa.
His arrival at Shenandoah was orchestrated with efficiency. Those waiting to greet him in the lobby were instructed where to stand and who could shake his hand. Bishop Francis Kalabat, the spiritual leader of the community, was permitted to greet the prime minister. The atmosphere was festive and reminiscent of a small-scale version of the Pope’s visit to Iraq.
The Chaldean Community Foundation even had employees and volunteers dressed in historical Iraqi Chaldean village dress calling out the traditional halhole greeting, which Al Sudani seemed to enjoy. Security was so stringent that the girl who presented the prime minister with flowers, Caitlyn Hakim, had to use Manna as the go-between.
Prime Minister Al Sudani had a quick tour of the Chaldean Cultural Center (30 seconds per exhibit) guided by CCC staff Mary Romaya, Weam Namou and Judy Jonna and aided by SCC board member Raad Kathawa. Some observers made note that the prime minster defied Islamic tradition and shook the hands of the three women who run the Cultural Center, showing them respect and even asking questions about the center’s exhibits to better understand the immigrant Chaldean Catholic community here in Michigan.
Al Sudani is the most modern and secular prime minister Iraq has ever had, and it is the hope of many that he will be the one to bring Iraq into the 21st century. He was instrumental in returning Cardinal Louis Sako, who had been exiled in Erbil following the stripping of his title by the Iraqi president, to Baghdad, and is known for his support and protection of Christians and other minority groups in Iraq.
The prime minister received a very warm welcome when he finally entered the ballroom. The energy in the room was palpable as the crowd of hundreds rose for a standing ovation. They had waited for the prime minister for hours, parked in overflow parking, stood in long lines, passed through tight security involving metal detectors and a physical pat down, and surrendered their mobile phones to attend this dinner, which notably included no alcohol.
This was an historic occasion and was seen as such, suggested by the fact that some people brought their children to witness it. Martin Manna welcomed the audience and thanked the prime minister for his consideration and the myriad planners for making the important visit happen.
Manna then outlined the various points that the Chaldean Community Foundation has engaged with the prime minister about, including but not limited to the restoration of Cardinal Sako to his rightful position, the implementation of Article #125 of the Iraqi constitution, which upholds the rights of minorities, a call for the formation of a committee to investigate the illegal confiscation of Christian properties and land, a lift of the discriminatory alcohol ban, and efforts to resolve outstanding issues with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and disputed territories.
Bishop Francis Kalabat spoke following Manna and before introducing the prime minister, delivering a heartfelt speech in Arabic that focused on unity, faith, hope and loyalty to both Iraq and the United States of America. The Chaldean American community has thrived here because of the freedoms and rights bestowed upon them as US citizens.
Al Sudani, for his part, expressed gratitude for the $30 million contribution from Iraqi Americans to retore villages in the Nineveh Plain and voiced his pride in Iraqi communities in the United States and worldwide. He stressed that Iraq is for all Iraqis and that the country needs the expertise, experience, opportunities and initiatives of Iraqi leaders in America, saying, “The Chaldeans and Iraqis outside Iraq are a precious fortune.”
The prime minister mentioned his visit to Washington, DC, where he had previously met with Manna as well as with President Biden. He said that it comes at a time of “delicate and sensitive circumstance” indicating the situation in the region. He discussed the conditions with President Biden and the escalation of conflict as well as each other’s role in deflating the tensions and working to achieve stability for all countries involved and affected by the hostilities.
Al Sudani stated that the objective of his visit was to “move relations with the United States to a new stage, which includes activating the provisions of the Strategic Framework Agreement.” According to the US Embassy website, “The Strategic Framework Agreement (SFA) for a Relationship of Friendship and Cooperation between the United States and the Republic of Iraq guides our overall political, economic, cultural, and security ties with Iraq. The SFA normalizes the US-Iraqi relationship with strong economic, diplomatic, cultural, and security cooperation and serves as the foundation for a long-term bilateral relationship based on mutual goals.”
An additional aim was to review the work of the Supreme Military Committee between Iraq and the International Coalition and to set a timetable for actionable items. The prime minister’s calendar also included meetings with the US Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Treasury, the National Security Advisor, the US Chamber of Commerce and senior officials in the oil and gas industry.
Of course, his main priority is Iraq and Iraqis. Unlike his predecessors, Al Sudani was born and raised in Iraq. He is well educated, holding a bachelor’s degree in agricultural science and a master’s in project management from the University of Baghdad. He’s young for a leader (54), married, with four sons.
His political journey began as the mayor of Amarah, an appointed position which provided him a close understanding of the myriad issues facing Iraqi leadership and from which he rose up the political ladder. His government’s agenda has prioritized delivery to ordinary citizens and has shown commitment to addressing critical issues with the KRG.
That is why the event was so important to the people in that room.
During dinner there was discussion, in which the prime minister noted the permanence of the Chaldean American community in Michigan as evidenced by the Chaldean Cultural Center and Shenandoah itself.
After dinner, he met with high-ranking members of the community for a business roundtable. Al Sudani extended a personal invitation to community business owners and investors to visit Iraq and meet their counterparts. He stated that Iraq has a growing economy and cited projects in industries such as hotel/hospitality, housing, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, education and tourism.
It was said that the hotels in Baghdad always operate at a 90% capacity and that there is a real opportunity for investors in the hospitality sector. With so many Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce members in the hospitality industry, investment in Iraq appears to be a unique prospect with the makings of becoming a mutually beneficial long-time arrangement. That was likely what the prime minister hoped for.
Al Sudani expressed his admiration of the Chaldean community in Michigan and his desire to emulate the same framework in Iraq. He makes the claim that Iraq has the best investment law in the region and that they have reduced the amount of bureaucracy that has plagued government procedures for decades. He said that they had also refined the banking sector and were actively monitoring for corruption, making it safer and more reliable for investors and others to do business in Iraq.
The prime minister had a warning as well, speaking about the untold billions that countries like Russia, China and Qatar are investing into the region.
“We welcome partnership with US countries,” stated Al Sudani, “small and large and in all sectors.”
After the prime minister was back home in Iraq, his press agents posted a video showing highlights of the Shenandoah event, incorrectly identifying The Chaldean Iraqi American Association of Michigan (Shenandoah) as the “Iraqi Chaldean Center in Detroit, Michigan, USA.”
The event was sponsored and paid for by the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce.