"The Arab community is
not prepared to make any
more compromises,
because all that's left to
give up are
national aspirations
or human rights."
Ismael Ahmed
heart of the Orthodox Jewish community.
Osama Siblani is editor of The Arab
American News, with offices in downtown
Dearborn.
Mr. Denha, who came in 1966 to the
United States, 'always wanted to be a
journalist. Growing up in Iraq, at 9 he
started his own newspaper, which he
passed out from class to class. It was filled
with sports news, as well as reports on
students and teachers.
Chaldeans and Jews had good relations
in Iraq, he says. "We worked together."
Today, he believes Chaldeans and Jews
in Detroit continue to have positive rela-
tions and much in common. This includes
a dedication to family and tradition, he
says. When Mr. Denha was looking for a
bride, he returned to Iraq, where his
parents presented him with a list of
suitable candidates. His wife's name is
Haifa.
Family photos -Cover walls and bulletin
boards at The Chaldean Detroit Times.
There is a drawing, made by Mr. Denha's
young son, of the newspaper's offices; a
black-and-white photo of Mr. Denha, at
18, in Baghdad; a 1940 picture of a Chal-
dean gathering in Detroit; photos of his
wife, two sons and two daughters. Mr.
Denha incorporates his children's names
into mastheads he designs for his own
paper and for others. "I want my kids to
be proud of me," he says.
It's only when it comes to politics that
Jews and Chaldeans, who are Iraqi Chris-
tians, differ, Mr. Denha says. He thinks
it's time for Israel to "take the opportuni-
ty to deal with the Arab states for a new
dialogue with trust and peace."
He says most Arabs no longer believe in
the dreams of former Egyptian leader
Abdul Nasser and his "we're going to
drive the Jews into the sea" approach.
"That generation is gone."
No such subtlety is reflected in the
words of Mr. Denha's fellow journalist,
Osama Siblani.
"Israel calls itself a democracy," he
says. "I question a democracy that keeps
1.5 million hostages. Democracy cannot
Ismael Ahmed and, below, Osama Siblani.
be an exception. But it is in Israel. If
you're not a Jew, you don't get the same
privileges."
The entire Middle East debate is "about
a people with no land," he says. "The
dispute is about the Palestinians."
Palestinians, he says, "are ready to give
up 80 percent of their land and live just on
the West Bank and Gaza." No such com-
promise is coming from Israel, he says.
Mr. Siblani advocates an international
conference on the Middle East. Israel
must be prepared to negotiate with the
PLO. It must be prepared to return ter-
ritory, he says. "If not, in five years from
now there will be another war."
He has little patience for Israeli leaders
like Ariel Sharon and Yitzhak Shamir.
These hard-liners think "everybody is
Hitler" and are "becoming a liability to
the Jewish people," he says. "It's time
they open their hearts and deal with the
Arabs and they will benefit from it.
"They say they're scared? Scared of
what? You come in and destroy my coun-
try and you don't trust me?" For many
years, Mr. Siblani was himself involved
in Arab-Jewish dialogue groups. But he
never liked the lighthearted approach of
"Let's talk about anything but politics,"
he says.
"No," Mr. Siblani says. "I have a prob-
lem with you (Jews). I say, let's settle the
issue. Then we'll be friends."
Peace initiatives are now up to Israel,
he says. "The Palestinians have already
done everything possible to make peace.
Give them a state, a homeland. And then
if they misbehave Israel can crush and
kill them and I will be on your side."
or years, Adnan Al-Saati lived with
a history of hatred. A Muslim from
Baghdad, he says his father respected
Jewish businessmen, but the general at-
titude in the country was "Jews hate Arabs,
and therefore Arabs hate Jews."
Today a civil engineering student at
Wayne State University, Mr. Saati be-
lieves most Iraqis could care less about
Israel. It is the Arab leaders who rally
hatred against the country, he says.
"Their slogan is, 'Fight the Zionists,
F