US-Iraqi Christian advocate condemns Erbil missile attacks

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Joseph T. Kassab, the Founder and CEO of the US-based Iraqi Christians Advocacy and Empowerment Institute (ICAE), on Wednesday condemned the Iranian missile attacks on Erbil in a letter to Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.

“We strongly condemn and denounce the Iranian and their cohorts heinous and wicked attack on our beloved City of Erbil,” Kassab wrote.

Kassab is a member of the Iraqi Chaldean diaspora, one of the two main Iraqi Christian groups, with the other being Assyrians. Notably, the diaspora has a well-established presence in Detroit, with the Dearborn suburb long-serving a home not only for Christians from Iraq but for Arabs from all over the Middle East.

On its Facebook page, the ICAE describes itself as “a global organization dedicated to empowering oppressed people through innovative initiatives.”

“Please accept our sincere and warm prayers and condolences for the souls of those victims who perished in the attack,” he continued.

Since 1993, Kassab has also been vice president at UniGlob Trading Inc. Innovative Cell Technology (ICT) Inc. In addition, he is the Chief Science Officer at Nano Engineering & Consulting, L.L.C. (NEC). He had also been the Executive Director at the Chaldean Federation of America (CFA) from 2005 to 2012. 

“As always, we will continue our relentless advocacy in Washington, DC to ensure the sovereignty of Iraq and Kurdistan,” the CEO concluded.