Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani makes quick visit to Metro Detroit
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani was in Metro Detroit on Thursday evening for a quick visit, where he planned a trip to a Dearborn Heights mosque and a West Bloomfield country club to meet with local members of the Iraqi diaspora, Wayne County officials said.
The Iraqi leader's visit was not publicly announced or open the media to cover, but local leaders said it underscored the influence of Metro Detroit's Middle Eastern community.
People of Iraqi descent are just one segment of the Mideast and North African (MENA) diaspora that reside in southeast Michigan. It's estimated nearly 140,000 people of MENA descent live in Wayne County alone, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
"His visit is particularly significant because Wayne County is home to a vibrant Iraqi-American community," said Wayne County Executive Warren Evans who met with al-Sudani. "Tens of thousands of Iraqi-Americans have established themselves here, contributing to the thriving local culture and embodying the spirit of the American Dream."
Assad Turfe, the deputy county executive also met with the prime minister. The county has a "very thriving Iraqi community that has done very well since the first group of Iraqis began to emigrate here in the early '90s after the Gulf War," he said. Statewide, the latest U.S. Census estimate is 90,000 Michigan residents are of Iraqi descent.
After the visit, Turfe said al-Sudani's visit "underscores the significant contributions of our vibrant Iraqi-American community to our cultural landscape and reaffirms our collective commitment to inclusivity.”
In addition to Evans and Turfe, Wayne County Commissioner Sam Baydoun; state Rep. Alabas Farhat, a Democrat who represents most of Dearborn, Melvindale and parts of Detroit; and Osama Siblani, publisher of the Arab-American News, were invited. The Iraqi leader was to leave Michigan around midnight, according to Wayne County officials.
The prime minister planned a visit the Islamic Institute of America mosque in Dearborn Heights and later the Shenandoah Country Club in West Bloomfield, said Siblani. The Dearborn Heights mosque is run by an imam of Iraqi descent and the country club visit is intended to reach out to the local Chaldean community, Siblani said. Chaldeans are Eastern Rite Catholics and many are of Iraqi descent.
More:At last, a count of Michigan's Middle Eastern population. But experts warn it may be low
Ahead of al-Sudani's visit, former state Rep. Klint Kesto, a Republican from Commerce Township, said it was important for him to to attend the gathering to hear what the Iraqi leader "has in terms of the future of the country as well as the Chaldeans and Christians that are still there" amid the "war and bloodshed, chaos and instability" in the region.
Kesto, the first Chaldean American elected to the Michigan Legislature, said al-Sudani's visit to the region signals acknowledgment of the state's large population of Chaldean Christians and their contribution to the state's economy.
"There's tremendous impact from the Chaldean community, specifically in southeast Michigan," Kesto said. "Their ability to be entrepreneurs, capitalists, working as great partners — that should be the acknowledgment of the Iraqi prime minister, especially coming here and seeing what the Chaldean community has done in the region."
The Chaldean community in Michigan reportedly contributes more than $18 billion annually to state's economy, according to Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce. Several community members are involved in economic development, retail, property management and development, and owns independent grocers and several hotels across the region, said Martin Manna, the Chaldean chamber's president and CEO.
Manna, who helped organize al-Sudani's visit to the state, said he's met with the prime minister before on issues related to the remaining Chaldeans living in Iraq and explored business opportunities to support the county's economic infrastructure and development. Other issues raised included disputed territories, land confiscation and demographic shifts, Manna said.
"Recently, the federal courts issued a federal ban on the consumption, distribution and manufacturing of alcohol, which disproportionately impacts the minorities, specifically the Christian population," Manna said, referring to Iraq's reinforcement of a 2016 ban on alcoholic beverages.
According to a Reuters report in March 2023, imported alcoholic beverages are prohibited and are barred from being sold in local markets, or replaced by domestically manufactured versions.
"We've been advocating for a repeal of that law to support these minority small business people," said Manna, who added that a small business round-table discussion on potential investments in Iraq will take place Thursday, after the prime minister's address.
"It's paramount that we work on long-term sustainability for the community," Manna said.
The prime minister arrived in Michigan from Washington after meeting with President Joe Biden and other White House officials.
Biden's remarks referred to the security of Israel and relationships between the U.S. and Iraqi amid tensions in the Middle East.
"The United States is committed to Israel’s security. We’re committed to a ceasefire that will bring the hostages home," Biden said, according to a press pool report. "We’re also committed to the security of our personnel and our allies, including Iraq.
"Our relationship between Iraq and the United States is critical," the president added. He added that "… over the last decade" U.S. troops have fought "side-by-side in the fight to defeat ISIS."
Last September, Evans and Turfe traveled to Lebanon.
"It was one of the most remarkable and fulfilling trips I have ever taken," Evans said recently. They were joined by members of the local Lebanese community, mainly from Dearborn. The contingent meet with top political leaders. Evans and others said the trip, which was a personal trip and privately funded, was primarily for cultural understanding.
In recent months, Dearborn has become a center of Democratic backlash to Biden’s support of Israel in the war in Gaza that began after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. Biden has dispatched senior officials from his campaign and administration to the Dearborn area to discuss the backlash.
Evans previously has said he supported the symbolic call for a cease-fire of Israel-Hamas war that was approved by the Wayne County Commission in December.
In an interview last month with The Detroit News, Evans said he voted "uncommitted" during the recent primary in a move by Democratic voters to voice their opposition to Biden’s support of Israel.
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