By Al Monitor
Saad Salloum
Shiites around the world celebrated the Arbaeen holiday Nov. 9. This year, Christians in Iraq participated in the Shiite ritual to attest to the coexistence and social interaction between the Christian minority and the Shiite majority in central and southern Iraq.
Saad Salloum
Shiites around the world celebrated the Arbaeen holiday Nov. 9. This year, Christians in Iraq participated in the Shiite ritual to attest to the coexistence and social interaction between the Christian minority and the Shiite majority in central and southern Iraq.
Youssef Touma Elias,
an Iraqi Christian, took part in the celebrations and served the Shiite
pilgrims who marched to the sacred shrine of Imam Hussein in the city
of Karbala. However, this positive step by the members of the Christian
minority conceals their deep fear and mistrust of the majority, who
failed to protect them from the threats of extremists over recent years.
Basra has been a great historical example of cultural coexistence and
harmony among its various religious components. However, it could now
lose its rich religious diversity
amid threats to its non-Muslim minorities. To preserve their religion
and culture, Christian communities in Iraq have been isolating
themselves.
On Sept. 19, a statue of the Virgin Mary
was removed from the Abbasiya district in central Basra, as requested
by Chaldean Catholic Patriarch of Basra Habib Hermes. Hermes described
the idea of placing this statue as an exploitation of a Christian
religious symbol.
In his letter to the local authorities, Hermes pointed out that
erecting the statue may lead to “undesirable consequences." He added,
"If a malicious person tried to harm this statue, the relationship
between the different spectrums of the people of Basra would be
destabilized.”
“About 90% of Basra's Christians have left Iraq since 2003, and only
350 families remain,” he said, pointing to the declining number of the
Iraqi Christian minority.
Hermes’ fear over the few remaining Christians in the city and his
pessimism about any positive outcome ensuing from initiatives — similar
to the Christian participation in the Arbaeen holiday — seem to be
justified in light of the fragile security situation in Basra, which recently turned into an arena for tribal conflicts.
Armenian activist Tony Sarkisian, the head of the Basra Armenians
Organization for Relief and Development, came up with the idea of
placing the Virgin Mary statue in central Basra. He was surprised by the
position of the authorities. He told Al-Monitor, “The message conveyed
by acts of solidarity — such as the idea of placing the
statue — symbolizes national unity and coexistence among Muslims and
Christians.”
He added, “The donations collected for the project of placing the
statue were mostly from Muslims, and the project workers were mostly
from Muslims hailing from Basra. The statue itself was sculpted by a
Muslim sculptor.”
Novak Aram Bedrosian, a member representing Christians on the Basra
Province Council, told Al-Monitor, “Acts of solidarity, such as
participation in rituals or the erection of a statue [of Virgin Mary]
did not win the approval of political representatives of Christians.”
Bassam al-Alwachi, the head of LARSA, an organization for the
preservation of religious heritage, told Al-Monitor. “Placing the statue
of the Virgin Mary in a public square could annoy fanatical religious
parties or individuals and may be exploited to ignite an unwanted
sectarian crisis, as some may try to harm or destroy this statue."
Although Alwachi did not mention the identity of the fanatical
religious parties, it is clear he was referring to some political Islam
parties that have an interest in turning Basra into a city with a pure
religious or sectarian identity.
In turn, Hermes said it would be better to “move the statue of the
Virgin Mary inside the walls of a church, a monastery or a cemetery to
protect it from those who seek to tamper with the security of Basra or
people with weak souls.”
Alwachi added, “The churches in Basra are open to all Muslims and
Christians who wish to visit the statue of the Virgin Mary at any time
and get its blessings. This is something Muslim women always do.” He
also pointed out that the statue will be moved with the approval and
participation of Christian clerics.
On his Facebook page,
Hermes explained the conditions that must be met for erecting a statue
of the Virgin Mary, saying, “The erection of such a monument must be
subject to conditions. Every sculptor in Europe takes the opinion of the
church before sculpting a statue of the Virgin Mary. The statue in
Basra does not resemble the Virgin Mary, especially the facial features,
length and width measurements. I wish the sculptor had referred to us
for help. Sculpting and erecting a statue of the Virgin Mary should
involve a high sense of Christian spirituality because this is the
Mother of the Lord Jesus. Such a step should be coupled with a specific
prayer and church ritual including the performance of the Holy Rosary.”
Sheikh Abbas al-Fadli, the head of the Basra Tribes and Components
Committee, tried to contain the fears that erupted within the scope of
the controversy around the Virgin Mary statue. He noted that Basra is a
city historically known for its pluralism and tolerance, and Christians
are an essential component of this city. “The Muslims of Basra — like
its Christians — sanctify the Virgin Mary, who is venerated in Islam,”
he told Al-Monitor.