U.S. Chaldean Catholics' participation in elections called 'anemic'

Published: 2005-02-03

DETROIT (CNS) -- Participation in the Iraqi elections by Michigan's large Chaldean Catholic population was "anemic," the president of the Chaldean National Federation said Jan. 31. Fewer than 11,000 Iraqi-Americans -- Christian or Muslim -- took advantage of the opportunity to vote Jan. 28-30 at the out-of-country polling station set up in suburban Southgate to serve Michigan and neighboring states, said Joseph T. Kassab of Farmington Hills, also a Detroit suburb. Kassab heads the organization formed to promote the interests of Chaldean Catholics in the new Iraq. In an interview with The Michigan Catholic, newspaper of the Detroit Archdiocese, he also said his organization received information that in Iraq some 250,000 members of minority groups, including Christians, members of a Kurdish religious sect and other religious minorities, were prevented from voting. The Iraqi elections were for members of an interim national assembly to draft the country's permanent constitution. Results were not expected to be available for at least a couple of weeks.

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