Chaldeans are the indigenous people of Iraq

By Chaldean Patriarchate

Patriarch Louis Rafael Sako

It must be remembered that the Chaldeans are Mesopotamia and original Iraq; their roots extend back thousands of years. They had a great empire, with Babylon as its capital, took control of Mesopotamia in the seventh century BC and expanded north and west. They have a great religious and cultural heritage, which is still a witness to this day. For example, the ziggurats, the Tower of Babel, the Hanging Gardens, the Hammurabi series, the Ishtar Gate, the Lion of Babel, and the Ur Tunnel. Their ancestors planted vineyards, palms, olives and wheat. They settled in the land and distinguished themselves in irrigation, architecture, music, poetry, lawmaking and astronomy.

Before and after the advent of Islam, especially in the rule of the Abbasid Empire, the Chaldeans, along with the other Christians of their country, presented many scientific, architectural, medical, cultural and artistic creations. These are the written monuments preserved in the branches of science, knowledge, translation, and writing.

Chaldeans and Christians also made a significant contribution to the scientific and literary renaissance in modern Iraq. They provided much in their administration, schools and specialties in medicine, agriculture, engineering, construction, trade, economics, writing, printing, and journalism. Chaldean families had a prominent role in public life.

In the last century, Chaldean people, like other religious and nationalist components, were subjected to violent conflict, displacement and slaughter, as happened in Seferbirlik 1915-1918, where four Chaldean diocese were removed. Chaldeans and other components have been subjected to violations and displacement in the last 50 years because of the inferno of recurrent wars. The unprecedented attacks of extremist Islamist movements such as Al-Qaeda have caused them disappointment and feelings of insecurity. They have lost confidence in the future and pushed them to emigrate.

Those who remained steadfast maintained their long-standing roots and clung to their homeland despite the failure of successive governments to give them the right to their own fate. For example, history books or curricula do not mention a single line about the Chaldeans and Christians and what they offered to their Muslim brothers and sacrificed for their country.

Although the Church does not directly intervene in politics, it is deeply influenced by political changes that undermine the social fabric, the demographic and economic reality, and do not respect the rights of Christians and their equality with other citizens (the law of the Islamization of minors). Playing a proactive role in supporting national cohesion, defending the rights of people, the rule of law and responding appropriately to the concerns and needs of their citizens. This is what the Church did during the displacement of Christians and non-Christians from Mosul and the towns of the Nineveh Plain and the restoration of their homes to return.

In light of the changes mentioned above, and despite the decline in the number of Christians and their social and cultural presence in Iraq, like other ethnic and sectarian groups, I find that it’s now an urgent historical moment, so that the Chaldeans in particular and the Christians in general bear their responsibilities in the political process authentically and free from the residues of fear and the colonial mentality. This national and Christian consciousness should be as vital as salt and yeast to bring beautiful results.

As a sponsor and a father, I urge everyone, especially the Iraqi Chaldeans at home and abroad, to participate in the parliamentary elections on May 12 to give their votes to those who are best suited to them and to the homeland. Elections are a national, moral and Christian responsibility to ensure a modern constitutional civil state that believes in pluralism and preserves the cultural and civilizational heritage of all components!

My advice to the Chaldeans: I advise the Chaldean activists to think carefully about the establishment of one political party on behalf of the Chaldean Alliance (Huyada Kaldaya), which includes the parties on the scene, and attracts cadres and competencies at home and abroad away from opportunists and messengers.

In this context, I hope that one of the priorities of this party is to strive with the Assyrian, Syriac and Armenian parties to form a strong alliance representing the Christians in the House of Representatives and the political activities. It demands the amendment of the current constitution and its inclusion in articles that explicitly recognize our existence and guarantee our national, religious, political and cultural rights.

I hope that this vital project will be adopted by the Chaldean Alliance and will be sponsored away from the intervention of the Church.

In conclusion, I do not hide from you that I wished in this election that Christians enter a unified list because we are together stronger, and I sought it, but there was no great reaction for this opportunity because of the agendas supporting some parties and private interests.

Clarification from Mar Addai Chaldean Catholic Eparchy in Canada

By Chaldean Patriarchate

April 25, 2018

During his Sunday sermon at Saint Paul Chaldean Church in Vancouver, B.C. (Canada), on April 22, 2018, Bishop Bawai Soro after thanking the present and former pastors Fr. Sabah Kamora and Fr. Sarmad Billoues for their service, he also thanked Fr. Ayoob Shawkat Adwar for his service for this Parish, in Vancouver.

When Bishop Soro offered his gratitude to Fr. Ayoob, he was under the impression that when Fr. Ayoob served in Vancouver he had, though for a short time, some kind of canonical mandate, namely, he was ministering with the permission of a Local Chaldean Eparch.  After the Mass had ended, Bishop Soro has come to know about the illegal status of Fr. Ayoob at that time, that he was never permitted by any bishop in Canada to celebrate any Mass. Despite that reality Fr. Ayoob knowingly and willingly violated church canons by celebrating masses there, thus misguided the faithful of Saint Paul’s Parish, ultimately causing a division in the community and many doubts among the faithful.

These facts have made Bishop Soro rethink his statement about Fr. Ayoob and has clarified the issue with the following three points:

1) Bishop Bawai Soro retracts the “statement of gratitude to Fr. Ayoob for his service in Vancouver”. The Bishop’s intention was never to undermine the church canons or minimize the legitimacy of the former and the present pastors of Saint Paul’s Parish.  Additionally, he never wanted to validate a wrong act with a gesture of gratitude.  Therefore, instead of gratitude, Bishop Soro offers Fr. Ayoob sincere prayers so that he will become an instrument of healing not a cause for division.

2) As Eparch of the Diocese, Bishop Bawai Soro asks all the faithful in Vancouver to continuously partake in the Masses and activities of their own St. Paul Parish.  He also asks the faithful not to attend any service held by Fr. Ayoob, because Chaldean Catholic faithful must worship at Chaldean Catholic services conducted by Chaldean Catholic priests in good standing with their eparchial bishop, who himself is in communion with His Beatitude, Patriarch Mar Louis Sako and His Holiness, Pope Francis.  This rule especially applies to those Chaldean individuals whom the church has granted special honor to exercise lay ministries, like liturgical servers (Shamashe), members of the church choir and the parish council.  If any of these “honored” faithful knowingly participated in such masses or services outside their parishes, their status shall be revoked and particular duty or role in the church will be withdrawn from them, yet, without depriving them of receiving church sacraments or services.

3) The Chaldean Church in Canada is very much committed to her ancient celebration of the memorial of her Saints and Martyrs.  However, these memorials and celebrations must only be celebrated by the parishes of Mar Addai Eparchy in Canada.  In the case of our community in Vancouver, no group of people, village or tribe members are encouraged to celebrate these memorials without first obtaining the permission of the pastor of St. Paul’s Parish.  Bishop Bawai Soro asks the faithful not to participate in any memorial of our saints outside the official mandate of Saint Paul Parish.

Office of the Chaldean Bishop of Canada

Baghdadhope
Uno dei monaci allontanati dalla chiesa caldea passa alla chiesa anglicana del Canada 21 marzo 2017

بطريركية بابل للكلدان
بيان حول انضمام أيوب شوكت إلى الكنيسة الأنغليكانية

2017  20 مارس

Detained Iraqi Immigrants Are Fighting Ice for Their Day in Court

By Pacific Standard
Massoud Hayoun

The American Civil Liberties Union will argue today against federal immigration authorities indefinitely detaining Iraqi nationals and attempting to deport them without trial.

A Cincinnati federal appeals court is set to hear the ACLU's arguments in the defense of about 100 Iraqi nationals detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids conducted in the Detroit area last June. At previous hearings, courts ruled in favor of the Iraqi nationals' constitutionally guaranteed rights to a fair trial, and against their indefinite detention. The Trump administration is appealing those rulings.

President Donald Trump's second executive order barring travelers from Muslim-majority countries removed Iraq from the list of affected countries in the first iteration. As part of the arrangements that redacted Iraq from the list, Baghdad agreed to accept deportees it had previously blocked Washington from repatriating, the text of the second travel ban says. Following the order, ICE raids across the country rounded up around 300 Iraqi nationals, including those in and around Detroit.

Many of the people apprehended in the raids are Iraqi ethnic and religious minorities, including Chaldean Christians, Yazidis, Kurds, and adherents of Muslim-minority sects. "Once you start with religious bigotry in the Muslim ban, those consequences extend," Miriam Aukerman, a senior staff attorney at the ACLU's Michigan branch, tells Pacific Standard. Indeed, in the aftermath of the first ban and the ensuing chaos at airports across the United States, many Jewish and Christian travelers entering the country faced difficulties with border authorities owing to their Middle Eastern origins.

Usama Jamil Hamama, the man for whom the case Hamama v. Adducci is named (Rebecca Adducci is the director of ICE's Detroit field office), is himself a Chaldean Christian who was detained in the ICE raids as he was preparing to take his daughter to soccer practice, Aukerman says. The initial filing by the ACLU against Hamama's and other Iraqi nationals' deportation proceedings argues that Hamama "fears removal to Iraq, especially because his status as a Chaldean makes him a target for violence and persecution," and that without a day in immigration court, the deportation might amount to a death sentence.

Aukerman adds that the U.S. Department of State continues to issue warnings against travel to Iraq, and the Trump administration has recognized the overwhelming dangers of life there. For Washington to deport Hamama and others like him to such an environment would amount to a reckless disregard for their lives, she says.

There are more than 1,400 total Iraqi nationals in the U.S. facing removal orders—often dating back to long ago as the 1980s and '90s—issued for a variety of reasons, including past convictions or visa overstays for example. Their futures will be decided as Hamama v. Adducci unfolds.

Shortly after the raids in June last year, the ACLU filed for a preliminary injunction that prevented the Iraqi nationals' repatriation without trial. The vast majority of the former detainees have successfully passed the initial phases of applications for U.S. immigration status, Aukerman says, indicating the validity of their claims to remain in the U.S.

Although the Iraqi nationals were allowed to remain in the country, their travails with the U.S. immigration system were far from over. "ICE said, 'Fine, you want to fight against being sent back to place where you could be killed, we are going to lock you up indefinitely.' And you can't do that. We don't ever put people behind bars without a reason," Aukerman says.

Detaining the Iraqi nationals during what are typically lengthy immigration petitions can mean months or years of what Aukerman reminds is a form of incarceration. "There's something so horrifying about the way in which detention is used to coerce people" out of lengthy immigration proceedings, she adds. At a separate hearing, a judge ruled in favor of the ACLU's argument that ICE should not indefinitely detain Iraqi nationals without trial and that the Iraqi nationals should receive individual bond hearings.

Wednesday's appeals against the rulings in favor of the Iraqi nationals takes place as the Supreme Court hears arguments against the third and final iteration of Trump's travel ban. The Iraqi nationals' case is one in a host of controversies emanating from not just the travel bans but a federal policy that rights advocates like Aukerman say is especially hostile toward immigrants.

The Iraqi nationals are but a fraction of the immigrants facing indefinite detention under the Trump administration. ICE has detained Vietnamese refugees residing in the U.S. as part of a long-standing agreement between Washington and Hanoi for removal. Hanoi has declined to accept the deported Vietnamese nationals, so they continue to languish in U.S. immigration detention facilities. Rights advocates charge that their indefinite detention is illegal. "A basic premise in immigration law is that the government should only detain immigrants to effectuate removal," Laboni Hoq, litigation director at AAAJ's Los Angeles branch, told Pacific Standard last month.

ICE—apparently empowered by what immigrant rights groups say is the White House's unprecedented hostility to immigrants—continues to engage in a host of other practices that rights advocates charge contravene both U.S. law and immigrants' basic civil liberties. In February, Pacific Standard reported that ICE was separating detained immigrants from their children. The exact scope of those separations remained unknown until a New York Times report revealed last week that immigration authorities had separated more than 700 children from their parents' care.

An ICE spokesman declined to respond to Pacific Standard's request for comment while litigation in Hamama v. Adducci is pending.

In the case of Hamama and other Iraqi nationals, the federal government is engaged in a push to actively deny them what their defenders like Aukerman remind are constitutionally guaranteed rights to a fair trial. Insofar as the case is about due process, Hamama v. Adducci is about maintaining the integrity of the U.S. justice system for all Americans. But for Hamama and people like him, Wednesday's trial is much less abstract.
"We can't sentence people to death without due process," Aukerman insists.

Iraq, i cristiani tornano a casa Ma la ferita è ancora aperta

By Occhi della Guerra

Lorenzo Vita

I cristiani della Piana di Ninive, in Iraq, tornano lentamente a casa. Dopo gli anni durissimi vissuti sotto le bandiere nere dello Stato islamico, la vita torna a scorrere. Le famiglie, dai campi profughi, hanno scelto la via del rientro. Una strada non facile, dove la speranza si unisce anche al senso di pericolo con cui convive la comunità cristiana. Una comunità che è fra le più antiche del mondo cristiano.

Le cose stanno tornando alla normalità anche attraverso il lavoro silenzioso ma costante di Aiuto alla Chiesa che Soffre. La fondazione pontificia ha avviato una sorta di “piano Marshall” come descritto dal suo stesso sito, con l’apertura di molti cantieri per la ricostruzione dei villaggi cristiani. Oggi, a meno di un anno dalla loro apertura, in particolare a Qaraqosh, Karamless e Bartella.

Secondo i dati forniti, le famiglie rientrate in tutta la Piana di Ninive sono 8.213. Molte, ma c’è ancora molta strada da fare. Quella famiglie rappresentano solo il 42% delle 19.452 costrette a fuggire per colpa dei terroristi dell’Isis. Le case distrutte sono decine di migliaia. Gli jihadisti hanno portato saccheggi, morti e devastazione. Più di 3mila case sono state riparate, ma altre migliaia sono completamente distrutte. Una situazione drammatica cui si unisce anche la politica. Il nord è controllato dai curdi, altre aree sono controllate dal governo di Baghdad. I rapporti sono sono idilliaci ed esistono province limitrofe che non hanno più neanche le strade che le uniscono.

Nonostante tutto, i lavori vanno avanti. A Tellskuff e Qaraqosh sono tornati tantissimi cristiani. C’è voglia di riprendere possesso della propria vita prima ancora che delle proprie case. La comunità resiste e si vede. “Molto resta da fare, ma è confortante vedere che tante altre famiglie ci chiedono di riparare le loro case perché vogliono tornare”, afferma don Salar Boudagh, vicario generale della Diocesi caldea di Alqosh.

Le cose stanno tornando alla normalità. Ma ci sono ancora dei problemi. Inutile sognare a occhi aperti: la ferita è ancora aperta e fatica rimarginarsi. Per capirlo, abbiamo contattato telefonicamente don Karam Shamasha, sacerdote caldeo, attualmente ad Erbil: lì dove molti cristiani sono fuggiti durante l’invasione del Califfato.

Quella che ci descrive don Karam, è una situazione complessa. Innanzitutto, il governo non sta facendo quanto aveva promesso. Anzi, don Karam ci dice che “il governo non sta facendo ancora niente. Nonostante le elezioni siano alle porte e tutti sono impegnati a guadagnare più voti possibili, nessuno ha fatto qualcosa di concreto per la gente della piana di Ninive”. Come detto, i cristiani non interessano. Non sono “utili”, parola orribile ma estremamente realistica. Non sono sciiti, per cui sono protetti dall’Iran. Non sono sunniti, che rappresentano la maggioranza. Non sono neanche curdi, che almeno hanno milizie in grado di poter colpire. I cristiani sono semplicemente una minoranza debole.

In tutto questo, l’Isis non è stato sconfitto come si vuole fare credere. “L’estremismo è molto radicato nelle mentalità di tanti e avrebbe bisogno di tempo ancora, soprattutto perché fino adesso lo stesso governo non ha provato di curare queste ideologie” ci spiega il sacerdote caldeo. Del resto l’Isis esisteva già prima che si chiamasse Stato islamico. E molti, a Mosul, hanno esultato quando il Califfato è giunto tra le strade della città.

Chiediamo al sacerdote com’è cambiata la vita dei cristiani. E la risposta è che la vita è stata completamente stravolta. “Quasi la metà delle famiglie ha deciso di lasciare il Paese e vivono in condizioni molto difficili nei Paesi vicini”. “Nessun Paese europeo o gli Stati Uniti sta accogliendo i cristiani, non si sa perché!”. Probabilmente perché non hanno nessuna potenza che li tutela. L’Occidente non sente più un legame vero con il cristianesimo.

E la vita è difficile anche per chi è rimasto o è tornato in Iraq. Molti studenti cristiani hanno scelto di iscriversi di nuovo all’università di Mosul. Ma le strade sono bloccate, per fare pochi chilometri occorrono ore. E nelle università, come nei luoghi pubblici, resta il sospetto che quelli che un tempo erano tuoi vicini, in fondo ti hanno tradito. Una comunità si spezzata.

Sacerdote caldeo: la lenta rinascita di Mosul dopo l'Isis

By Asia News

26 aprile 2018

A Mosul e nella piana di Ninive “la vita sta tornando lentamente alla normalità”. Giovani universitari, cristiani e non “ogni giorno compiono il tragitto” che li separa dai loro alloggi nelle cittadine della piana all’università, nella zona est della metropoli del nord dell’Iraq per seguire corsi e lezioni. È quanto racconta ad AsiaNews don Paolo Thabit Mekko, descrivendo la “lenta ma gioiosa” opera di rinascita di Mosul e della piana di Ninive, a meno di un anno dalla riconquista della ex roccaforte e capitale dello Stato islamico (SI, ex Isis). “Anche le attività economiche e commerciali - aggiunge -, pur fra mille fatiche e difficoltà, stanno ripartendo”.
Dopo anni di violenze e terrore perpetrati dalle milizie di Daesh [acronimo arabo per lo SI], oggi “nel settore orientale di Mosul la vita è normale” ed è anche “molto più facile spostarsi all’interno dei quartieri occidentali”. “Anche nella piana di Ninive - prosegue don Paolo - siamo tornati a vivere le feste della Pasqua come in passato. Chiese affollate, processioni gremite. A Karamles abbiamo utilizzato una grande sala per la messa, perché la chiesa non è ancora pronta”. 
Dalle aule delle scuole alle fabbriche, dalle attività commerciali alle piccole imprese, la rinascita del nord del Paese passa attraverso il rilancio “della scuola e del lavoro”. “Anni di violenze, guerre, terrore - racconta il sacerdote - hanno creato un vuoto enorme. Parte della gente è tornata, ma non è ancora come prima, le attività vanno a rilento e serve un salto di qualità. Certo - osserva - è l’economia irakena in generale ad attraversare difficoltà, ma qui i problemi aumentano”. 
La scarsa pioggia caduta in questi mesi ha vanificato gran parte del raccolto e i contadini non nascondono le loro preoccupazioni. “Gran parte della mietitura - conferma don Paolo - non ci sarà” e anche questo “ha un riflesso sulla situazione economica. Le fabbriche per il materiale edile sono ancora poche e i fondi sono insufficienti, molti cantieri sono fermi. Per una vera ripresa di Mosul e della piana di Ninive è fondamentale che tornino quanti sono fuggiti in passato, tutti. La rinascita può e deve fondarsi sulle persone”. 
In un’ottica di ricostruzione, in queste ore gli Emirati Arabi Uniti (Eau) hanno annunciato lo stanziamento di 50 milioni di dollari per contribuire alla ricostruzione della grande moschea di al-Nuri, distrutta dagli uomini del Califfato. Si tratta del luogo in cui Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi ha pronunciato il suo celebre discorso e che i jihadisti hanno devastato tre anni più tardi, nel pieno dell’offensiva dell’esercito irakeno. Ciò che resta oggi della struttura sono la base del minareto e la cupola con alcune colonne. 
Nel frattempo anche l’università di Mosul ha ripreso le attività, accogliendo studenti cristiani, yazidi e sabei. Dopo le bombe, i proclami del jihad e le ripetute violazioni ai diritti umani, oggi all’interno dell’ateneo sono tornati libri, computer e studenti desiderosi di costruirsi un futuro e partecipare in modo attivo alla rinascita del Paese. Ciascuno secondo la propria tradizione culturale, etnica e religiosa, per rilanciare “quel mosaico unico rappresentato dall’Iraq” come lo definisce il patriarca caldeo mar Louis Raphael Sako. 
Oggi sono almeno 3mila i giovani delle minoranze religiose che frequentano le aule dell’università di Mosul, dove sono ancora visibili i segni dei danneggiamenti. Certo, meno di quanti ve ne fossero prima dell’ascesa dei miliziani jihadisti ma pur sempre un primo passo, verso un ritorno alla normalità.
“L’università ha ripreso in pieno le attività - conferma il sacerdote caldeo - e gli studenti, anche cristiani, ospitati dall’arcidiocesi di Kirkuk negli ultimi anni, sono tornati a lezione”.
Alcuni di loro compiono tutti i giorni gli oltre 90 km che separano il Kurdistan da Mosul, altri sono ospitati da dormitori e centri allestiti dalla Chiesa nelle cittadine della piana di Ninive, fra cui Qaraqosh e Karamles.
“All’inizio gli studenti - ricorda don Paolo - avevano paura di tornare in università, erano preoccupati per la loro incolumità. Noi li abbiamo incoraggiati e dopo essere tornati hanno sperimentato una felicità nuova. Ora il nome di Mosul non è più fonte di terrore, si sentono come gli studenti universitari di tutto il mondo, impegnati a studiare per costruirsi un futuro. E anche se la struttura non è ancora del tutto adeguata, la voglia di rinascere è evidente e anche il pericolo attentati sembra ormai un ricordo del passato”. “La gente - conclude - vuole uscire, vivere, assistere ad attività culturali… vuole lasciarsi Daesh alle spalle”

“Persecuted Christians in Iraq don't consider themselves heroes, they believe they did what they had to”

By Rome Reports



Christians from the Nineveh Plains celebrated Easter like this... in churches still burned by the Islamic State, like this one in Qaraqosh. They also celebrated like this... without fear of walking once again along the streets they had to flee when the terrorist group came to kill them. Little by little, they're returning to their homes after the forced exile to which they were subjected, though not everyone is willing to run the risk of being threatened again by another Daesh.
Fr. Luis Montes Missionary, Institute of the Incarnate Word “The problem is that many have still not returned. For example, in Karamles. It's a Christian town. There were 800 Christian families, and only 300 have been able to come back. Many have not. What's worse, an estimated 300 will not return. In other words, a town of 800 families will become one of only 500.”
Fr. Luis Montes, a priest from the Institute of the Incarnate Word, obtained these images that show the remnants of the disaster once the terrorists had fled. They destroyed everything in their path, focusing primarily on anything related to Christianity. Despite having little left to return to, as there are entire towns reduced to rubble, Christians are returning. The wound is deep, though. There have been too many years of suffering.
 “We hear them talk and cry, but they always end with a message of gratitude to God. They realize God has helped them, and even in the saddest cases of people whose relatives were killed, they seek God's providence. Their faith is not in question. The problem is that all senseless wars have been caused by human interests, and these people have lost their trust.”
Fr. Montes, from Iraq, remains active on social networks in groups like Amigos de Irak, SOS Cristianos en Siria or Nazarenos perseguidos. Thanks to people worldwide who contact him, he knows the suffering of these Christians serves as an example for many.
“We don't need to help them keep their faith. They help us to strengthen our faith. They don't consider themselves heroes. They believe they're people who did what they had to. This example so strong, so full of Jesus Christ's love, of not evening considering renouncing Christ, is reaping many benefits in the West, in the people who are hearing their stories.” In the Nineveh Plains, the situation is returning to normalcy, but in cities so wounded like Mosul, with corpses still on their streets, it will take much longer. Only 20 Christian families have returned to a place where there were thousands four years ago. Christians are calling for protection by the government to be able to live peacefully on the land that has belonged to them since the first century.

ACS: In Iraq i cristiani stanno tornando alle loro case. In meno di un anno è già rientrato il 42% delle famiglie

By Aiuto alla Chiesa che Soffre

Continua la ricostruzione nella Piana di Ninive e prosegue il Piano Marshall di Aiuto alla Chiesa che Soffre per sostenere i cristiani d’Iraq. A meno di un anno dall’apertura dei primi cantieri nei villaggi di Bartella, Karamless e Qaraqosh, l’8 maggio 2017, sono straordinari i risultati raggiunti.

Al 25 marzo scorso le famiglie rientrate nell’intera Piana di Ninive erano 8.213, più del 42% delle 19.452 costrette a fuggire a causa dell’invasione dello Stato Islamico nell’agosto del 2014. Le abitazioni private distrutte dai jihadisti in due anni erano oltre 13.088, di cui 1.234 totalmente distrutte. Finora ne sono state riparate 3.249. A coordinare i lavori è il Comitato per la ricostruzione Ninive, istituito il 27 marzo 2017 dalle tre Chiese d’Iraq, caldea, siro-cattolica e siro-ortodossa con la collaborazione di ACS.  

«I cristiani sono stati i primi a ritornare in questi villaggi – dichiara don Salar Boudagh, vicario generale della Diocesi caldea di Alqosh e membro del Comitato – e con l’aiuto della Chiesa e delle associazioni ad essa legate hanno iniziato a ricostruire e a riqualificare la regione». Certo le difficoltà non mancano. «Le tensioni tra il governo di Bagdad e quello del Kurdistan hanno influito sul livello di sicurezza e sulle condizioni economiche. Inoltre, la strada che unisce Mosul alla Piana di Ninive è ancora chiusa e i cristiani non possono raggiungere la seconda città irachena per cercare lavoro».

Poi vi sono l’incertezza e i timori legati alle prossime elezioni parlamentari che si terranno il prossimo 12 maggio. «Temiamo nuovi disordini», spiega don Salar.

Ma intanto i lavori procedono. A Tellskuff è rientrato circa il 68% della popolazione, mentre a Qaraqosh sono tornati ben 23.300 cristiani, ovvero il 42% di quanti vi abitavano prima dell’arrivo di Isis, sebbene al momento sia stato ricostruito soltanto il 20,82% delle 6.826 abitazioni distrutte. «Molto resta da fare, ma è confortante vedere che tante altre famiglie ci chiedono di riparare le loro case perché vogliono tornare».

Dall’inizio dell’avanzata di Isis nel giugno 2014, Aiuto alla Chiesa che Soffre ha sostenuto progetti emergenziali e umanitari in Iraq per un totale di 37.703.054 euro. La Fondazione è la prima associazione nella Piana di Ninive per entità di aiuti. «I benefattori di ACS non ci hanno mai abbandonato in questi anni di crisi – afferma don Salar – Il loro sostegno ci incoraggia perché siamo sicuri che non ci abbandoneranno mai. Così, insieme, faremo tornare cristiana la Piana di Ninive».

Chiesa Latina in Iraq, una missione di minoranza che affronta l’esodo

By Acistampa

Andrea Gagliarducci

13 aprile 2018

Quando si parla di Chiesa in Iraq, si parla sempre del Patriarcato caldeo. Ma c’è anche un patriarcato latino, una minoranza nel territorio, che vive da anni gli effetti dell’esodo e si sforza di essere Chiesa di profezia in un territorio da troppi anni martoriato. Ne ha parlato con ACI Stampa Jean Sleiman, carmelitano, Patriarca latino di Baghdad.

Come vive il rito latino in Iraq?

Il rito latino vive come un rito di minoranza. Si può dire che la Chiesa latina in Iraq è una Chiesa sin dall’inizio missionaria. I missionari sono stati inviati dalla Santa Sede nel territorio per aiutare la Chiesa con la cultura e l’educazione. I Carmelitani in Iran e Iraq cominciano subito a lavorare in questo senso. E c’è subito un dialogo ecumenico, perché vengono accolti dagli armeni ortodossi, ma entrano anche in dialogo con i nestoriani e con gli assiri.

Era una presenza importante?

Una presenza molto piccola. I missionari non erano mai più di tre. Hanno anche affrontato i bisogni primari della popolazione. Hanno chiesto un frate medico per aiutare la popolazione che nessuno aiutava, e si sono occupati così della salute mentale e fisica della popolazione. La Chiesa latina in Iraq ha molte scuole, due orfanotrofi, una casa per anziani. Ci sono i domenicani che fanno un apostolato intellettuale. Posso dire che la Chiesa latina non fa molto rumore, ma lavora molto.

Quale è la situazione in Iraq?

Le difficoltà materiali non sono diminuite. Certo, c’è già una certa normalità, ma i problemi sono pratici. Si tratta soprattutto di difficoltà a livello mentale, c’è molta incertezza. La nostra è una situazione di arbitrarietà continua.

Quanto sono difficili le situazioni da affrontare?

La cosa più grave è l’insicurezza sull’avvenire. Non si vede il futuro, non si comprende quello che ci aspetterà. Molti soffrono per questo, mentre altri vanno via. Ci sono molte persone che sono emigrate non perché sono perseguitate, ma perché c’era questo esodo continuo che creava incertezza.

Quante sono le persone che sono partite?

Non abbiamo dati certi, ma abbiamo perso forse un milione e mezzo di fedeli.

Già con l’esortazione apostolica Ecclesia in Medio Oriente si parlava di questo esodo di cristiani, diventato anche più pesante dopo la Seconda Guerra del Golfo. Ma come si ferma questo esodo?

L’esodo dei cristiani non può essere fermato. L’emigrazione è cominciata molto prima. Le prime onde di migrazioni avvengono nella Prima Guerra Mondiale. Quando l’Iraq ottiene l’indipendenza, ci sono due comunità che non lo accettano, e sono i curdi e gli assiri: i curdi perché sono stati distribuiti in quattro Paesi differenti, e gli assiri perché non volevano essere sottomessi al re. Poi, negli Anni Sessanta, dopo l’uccisione del re, molti cristiani si sono sentiti scoraggiati. Il regno iracheno, al di là di tutto quello che si può dire, era molto pacifico e moderato. Per difendere le minoranze cristiane, serve uno Stato super partes.

Quindi cosa succede negli anni Sessanta?

I cristiani subiscono un massacro, soprattutto nella regione di Mosul. E i governi iracheni che si succedono hanno poi bisogno di soldati, e cominciano a chiamare i giovani alla coscrizione obbligatoria. Per questo, molti giovani fuggivano. Nel 2003, poi, con la Seconda Guerra Mondiale, le cose cambiano.

Perché?

Prima si trattava di emigrazioni individuali. Ma quando nel 2004 cominciano gli attacchi contro le chiese, allora si emigra in gruppi. + così che comincia l’esodo.

Come sono i rapporti con i musulmani?

Vanno avanti come sempre. Non siamo necessariamente considerati fratelli. Ufficialmente, il governo non perseguita i cristiani. Ci sono incontri, ci sono dialoghi. Ma le discriminazioni non spariscono facilmente. Il problema è che anche lo Stato è dominato dai partitini, dagli staterelli nati dopo la caduta del regime. E molti cristiani non hanno fiducia nei partiti, restano senza qualcuno che li protegga e che li aiuti a trovare lavoro.

In generale, quale è la situazione?

Si tratta di una situazione di anarchia. Lo Stato è debole, non può controllare tutto e non controlla tutto.

E quale è la vostra speranza?

Speriamo che il Signore trovi una soluzione. Noi siamo tornati indietro, viviamo in una Guerra Fredda che è operata sui territori di Iraq, Siria, Yemen, forse Ucraina. Noi viviamo una situazione in cui siamo impotenti.

La società in Medio Oriente come è cambiata?

Non dobbiamo dimenticare che – malgrado la modernità – le mentalità sono molto arcaiche. È risuscitato il tribalismo, oggi la persona si difende tramite la sua tribù. C’è una regressione a livello di relazioni. Questa guerra tra sunniti e sciiti ha fatto molto male. In Iraq, queste due grandi comunità musulmane non si facevano la guerra, c’erano moltissimi matrimoni misti. Il matrimonio è importante in una società tradizionale in cui sono le due famiglie, le due tribù che si cercano.

Cosa vi aspettate dalla Santa Sede?

Sappiamo che la Santa Sede lavora, e qualcuno ha cercato chiedere alla Santa Sede una mediazione. Ma la situazione è complicatissima, ci sono cose che un cristiano non vede. La Santa Sede è molto attenta e segue tutto, ma le cose sono molto più difficili, perché gli iracheni non decidono più del loro destino da tanto tempo, e così anche i curdi. E poi, l’ISIS, non è semplicemente morto. C’è una cultura dell’ISIS che si è diffusa.

Chaldean Church Patriarch encourages push for 'moderate Islam’ in Iraq

By Kurdistan24
Nadia Riva
April 13, 2018

The Patriarch of the Chaldean Church in Iraq, Louis Raphael Sako, called for the Federal Government of Iraq to put an end to the practice of including people’s religion on their national identity cards, and urged for greater separation of power and politics to help end discrimination in the country.

Sako stated there exist a strong will and attitude toward a more moderate Islam in Iraq but needs to be encouraged.

Sako’s speech was delivered at a conference on citizenship and justice organized by the French Senate in Paris on Thursday.

He highlighted the suffering of Christians as well as non-Muslim religious groups in Iraq over the past decade which has pushed many to leave the country.

Christians in Iraq have been subjected to violence since the fall of the former dictatorship in 2003. Following the rise of the Islamic State (IS) in 2014 in northern Iraq, hundreds of thousands of Christians were driven out of their homes and moved to the Kurdistan Region, while other emigrated to Europe and elsewhere.

In December last year, Iraq declared victory over the IS after three years of fierce fighting that considerably damaged cities, including Christian-populated areas.

Sako stated that nowadays, a new state of mind prevails among Iraqis, but divisions remain deeply ingrained.

“Nine months after the end of the battle of Mosul and the defeat of Da’esh in Iraq, our country is plagued by a paradox,” the Chaldean Patriarch said, using the pejorative Arabic acronym for IS.

“There is a great aspiration among Iraqis to no longer live out of step with modernity and finally turn the page on war and division. Most people want to move on from sectarianism because it is at odds with the notions of citizenship and human rights.”

Nineveh has been among the most densely populated parts of Iraq. Waves of attacks on Christians since 2003 have reduced its population, especially among the Assyrian and Chaldean communities.

Nineveh province, including Mosul city, remains one of the oldest Christians homeland, namely in the East, with roots dating back to the earliest centuries.

“Iraqi society still seems to be marked by deep divisions of tribal, ethnic, religious or cultural origin,” Sako added.

He explained that it is necessary to adapt to reality as it is and to take into consideration the diversity and pluralism that characterize Iraq’s society.

According to the bishop, unified citizenship is the only way to overcome divisions.

“Citizenship is the only solution for the future of Iraq. Citizenship must be for everyone; all must be integrated. It is under its tent that everyone will be protected, regardless of their ethnic and religious affiliation,” Sako continued.

“The notion of citizenship helps put an end to discrimination and exclusion, as is the case in the democratic West. Citizenship means that there is no longer a religious or ethnic majority or even the notion of minority groups. Citizenship allows everyone to be protected because everyone is subject to the same laws.”

He called on separating religion from politics, stating that it would allow religion to once again focus on its true mission.

Christians, Ezidi, and Sabean have suffered greatly from sectarianism and Islamic extremism in Iraq, according to Sako, but added that they are an important part of the country’s history.

“Yet, in today’s textbooks, there are no mentions of our history and our religion and all that we have given to our Muslim brothers and offered to our country.”

The Kurdistan Region has been a safe haven for hundreds of thousands of Christians. Following the emergence of IS, a large number of Christians settled in the region while other traveled abroad.

Le discours de SB Louis Raphael Sako au Sénat Français à Paris le 12 avril 2018

Par Patriarcat Chaldéen

 

La citoyenneté est la seule solution pour aller au-delà des divisions

Je voudrais avant d'aborder mon sujet souligner trois points importers:

1. Aujourd'hui en face d'un Islam intégriste, il ya au sein de l'Islam un mouvement pour un Islam modéré qu'il faut encourager. L'intégrisme n'a pas d'avenir

2. Il une un désir fort chez la population irakienne pour la citoyenneté et un régime civil.

3. Nous Chrétien et les minorités nous avons une présence influente étant donné notre formation et ouverture.

1. Aujourd'hui il ya chez les irakiens un nouvel état d'esprit mais les clivages demeurent profondément ancrés.

Neuf mois après la fin de la bataille de Mossoul et la défaite de Daech en Irak, notre pays est traversé par un paradoxe:

Il ya une grande aspiration parmi les irakiens à ne plus vivre en décalage par rapport à la modernité et à tourner enfin la page des guerres et des divisions. La plupart des personnes veulent tourner la page des divisions et du sectarisme parce que le sectisme est en opposition avec la notion de citoyenneté et les droits de l'homme.

Et pourantant, la société irakienne semble être toujours marquée par de profondes lignes de fractures d'origine tribale, ethnique, religieuse ou encore culturelle. Il faut vous imaginer qu'aujourd'hui, dans un certain nombre de régions rurales d'Irak, l'apportionance à une tribu est le premier repère identitaire. Pourtant cela serait trop simple si être membre d'une tribu suffisait à définir votre identité. En réalité ces personnes sont membres d'une famille qui appartient à un clan qui fait lui-même partie d'une tribu.

C cette réalité tribale il faut ajouter l'appartment religieuse: beaucoup de tribus sont-elles mêmes divisées entre chiites et sunnites.

Si vous superposez, l'appartment trale, la religion, les choix politiques et la fierté géographique, vous comprense l'urgence qu'il ya à favoriser une cohésion nationale bâtie sur l'appartment commune à la même Cité.

Mais aussi ne peut organizer la vie de la cité au 21 ^ème siècle comme on l'a fait après Jésus-Christ ou au premier siècle de l'hégire. Les anciens documents d'il ya 14 siècles comme la convention de Médine ou encore l'accord du calife Umar ne permettent plus de résoudre les problèmes politiques et sociaux d'aujourd'hui.

Il est donc nécessaire de s'adapter à la réalité telle qu'elle est et de prendre en considération la diversité et le pluralisme qui caractérisent nos sociétés.

2. La citoyenneté est la seule solution pour aller au-delà des divisions

La citoyenneté est la seule solution pour l'avenir de l'Irak. Cette citoyenneté doit être pour tout le monde; tous doivent y être intégrés; c'est sous sa tente que tous seront protégés quelle que soit leur apportionance ethnique et religieuse. La notification de citoyenneté permet de mettre fin aux discriminations et aux exclusions, comme c'est le cas en Occident démocratique. L'appartment citoyenne fait qu'il n'y a plus de majorité religieuse ou ethnique ni même de notice de minorité. La citoyenneté permet que tous soient protégés parce que tous sont soumis à la même loi.

Cependant pour que la citoyenneté devienne réelle et ne reste pas un concept vague, il est nécessaire qu'elle s'incarne concrèement dans le fonctionnement des services publics irakiens. Il est nécessaire que l'Irak s'inspire de la démocratie pour que les postes de fonctionnaires ne soient plus attribués en raison de liens familiaux ou d'apportion mais seulement en raison de compétences. Si les Irakiens savent que leurs enfants ont tous les mêmes chances de réussir, ils se sentiront plus citoyens. Si les Irakiens savent que le policier qui les contrôle est là parce qu'il a réussi un concours sur la base de ses compétences, ils le respecteront plus. C'est toute la relation entre les citoyens et les représentants de l'Etat qui changera de manière positive.

3. Quelle est l'impact de la religion sur la citoyenneté?

La citoyenneté est un système civil démocratique qui ne va pas à l'encontre des valeurs religieuses.   Dans l'évangile il est dit: "Rendez à César ce qui est à César et à Dieu ce qui est à Dieu" (Mt 22/21). Nos frères musulmans répètent sans cesse: "la patrie est pour tous et la religion pour Dieu". Pour nous citoyens chrétiens, la citoyenneté fait partie intégrante de notre culture aujourd'hui. Nous nous félicitons de la séparation de la religion et de la politique. Le discours religieux devrait se concentrer courageusement sur la défense des droits de l'homme. Les membres du clergé doivent tenir fort leur rôle prophétique courageux dans la société pour défendre la dignité humaine et la justice. Dieu est amour et miséricorde et celui qui n'a pas d'amour dans son curur, ne connaît pas le sens de la religion.

Le conflit interconfessionnel est un scandale. C'est un crime que les gens soient persécutés à cause de leur foi, comme c'est arrivé en Irak, en Syrie, Égypte ou au Nigeria par exemple.

Nous, les citoyens de religion chrétienne, yazidi et sabéenne, avons beaucoup souffert du sectisme et de l'extrémisme islamique. C'est ce qui a poussé une partie de notre peuple à émigrer alors que nous sommes une partie importante de l'histoire de l'Irak. Pourtant aujourd'hui dans les manuels scolaires il n'y pas même pas une ligne qui parle de notre histoire et de notre religion et de tout ce que nous avons donné à nos frères musulmans et offert à notre pays.

Pour que la citoyenneté prenne toute sa place en Irak il est évident qu'il ne faut pas tenter de nier la place qu'occupent les religions dans l'histoire de notre pays. Au contraire, la citoyenneté doit être un moyen pour que les religions et les courants spirituels se libèrent du poids de la politique et puissent se consacrer à veiller au bien des âmes de leurs fidèles et à pratiquer la charité. Libérées du rôle politique que l'histoire de l'Irak les a amenées à avoir, les religions pourront à nouveau remplir leur vraie mission.

4. Pour qu'une citoyenneté concrète s'impose en Irak il est nécessaire de faire évoluer plusieurs points concerts

Pour sortir des grands discours, voici quelques résolutions concrètes que nous souhaiterions voir appliquées dans notre pays:

- Après Daech, le défi majeur est l'éducation. C'est pour cela Il est nécessaire de réformer les manuels scolaires et les purifier de tout discours de haine, de violence ou de vengeance. Ce travail a déjà été mené dans d'autres pays du Moyen-Orient, comme au Liban, grâce à la fondation Adyan. Cela est donc possible.

- Il est nécessaire de réformer la constitution et les lois pour qu'elles repectent la vie, favorisent la paix et la stabilité et que l'État protège tout le monde, et se tienne à une même distance de chacun pour l'application des lois . Concrètement, pour que chacun se sente citoyen, il est nécessaire de faire disparaître la mention de la religion sur les papiers d'identité et les actes administratifs. Une telle décision est loin d'être anecdotique. Au-delà de la disparition de nombreuses distinctions et discriminations à cause de cette mention sur les papiers d'identité, elle permettrait une plus grande liberté religieuse. Il en découlerait la possibilité pour une femme de garder sa religion si par exemple son mari devenait musulman. Les enfants de ce couple ne seraient plus automatiquement déclarés musulmans.

- D'un point de vue juridique, nous avons besoin d'une autorité pour garantir une interprétation juste du droit et établir une jurisprudence actualisée. Il est aussi nécessaire de sensibiliser le grand public aux droits de l'homme et aux principes de la citoyenneté et de l'égalité.

Toutes ces mesures, si elles étaient mises en place progressivement, permettraient l'avènement d'une véritable démocratie et d'un Etat de droit en Irak comme c'est le cas en Occident. Sur ces bases le pays pourrait s'engager sur la voie du progrès économique, social et politique.

Orthodox Easter marked at world’s oldest monastery

By Rudaw
A.C. Robinson

Christians traveled to the oldest monastery in existence, Mar Mattai, or St. Matthews’ monastery, to celebrate Orthodox Easter with a midnight mass on Saturday night followed by a feast with the resident monks.
Mar Mattai, part of the Syriac Orthodox Church, is located 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Mosul and 97 kilometers (60 miles) northwest of the Kurdish capital of Erbil atop Mount Alfaf in northern Iraq. It is claimed to be the oldest Christian monastery in existence, established in the year 36.

Photo by A.C. Robinson

The monastery offers 35 guestrooms to visitors and provides daily services at 4 p.m. in the Syriac language native to all Christians in Iraq. Syriac is a modern form of the Aramaic tongue which Jesus spoke.
While the Catholic Church has connections with the Chaldeans, the Syriac Orthodox Church is connected to the Egyptian Coptic, Ethiopian church and Armenian churches.
Not only is it claimed that Mar Mattai is the oldest Christian monastery in existence – it is also famous for its library and considerable collection of precious Syriac manuscripts.

See all the photos by clicking here or on the title of the post

Iraqi churches shoulder burden of reconstruction, for now

By Al Monitor
Judit Neurink

Qaraqosh. “I was the first to repair my house and move back here,” said Archbishop Yohanna Petros Mouche of the Syriac Catholic Church in Qaraqosh. He gestured toward his home in the Christian town on the Ninevah Plains where fresh paint and new religious images now cover the scars of two years under the Islamic State. “We prepared this home and started celebrating religious ceremonies again to encourage people to return with their families. And when they saw it, they came too.”

Though Qaraqosh was liberated 18 months ago, civilians only started returning after the schools reopened in October. Mouche is working to attract as many Christians as possible to bring the town back to life. But it is also a fight against rumors. “When people say it is dangerous, I reply that there are many restaurants and shops, and people are enjoying life again,” he said.
That about 5,000 families, some 22,000 souls, have returned is mostly due to the efforts of the bishop and his church. A church reconstruction commission helps civilians repair houses that were looted and damaged and has been instrumental in reopening shops.
The bishop oversees the process personally. Houses have priority over churches, he said. “We want to have civilians here who can bear witness to the development. And I try to create jobs and offer opportunities for recreation too. Opening parks is important for the younger generation.”
The bishop was opening a small shopping mall the day of his interview with Al-Monitor, which will sell men’s wear, run by local businessman Mohanad Yousef. The center of Qaraqosh is alive again, with shops selling fruit and fresh vegetables, clothes, toys and even bicycles next to teahouses and counters selling traditional bread. On Palm Sunday, thousands gathered in the city center for the first open-air ceremony in three years.
“I love this town and this country,” Yousef said, explaining why he returned from the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, even though he had become fluent in German and praised the life he had. “Yes, I had a better life there, but my family and friends are here. I have been waiting impatiently for things to improve in Qaraqosh.”
His example makes it clear that the church has been successful in attracting not only people who fled to the neighboring Kurdistan Region when IS arrived in 2014, but also from the West, where approximately half of all the Christians who fled Ninevah eventually emigrated. The bishop pointed to 15 families who have returned from France and 13 from Germany, saying he expects more to follow. Many members of his flock are not happy abroad, he said. “When I visit our families in Europe, many tell me, ‘We cry when we get up and we cry when we go to bed.’”
Before the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was ousted in 2003, the Christian population of Iraq stood at around 1.5 million. After the civil war between the Shiites and Sunnis and the subsequent rise of al-Qaeda, only 600,000 or so remained. And since IS captured large parts of Iraq, half of those are thought to have left the country.
Security is the main concern, the factor that determines whether families stay away or return. Even though Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared the battle against IS over several months ago, members of the terror group who went underground are responsible for a growing number of attacks like the murder of a Christian doctor, his wife and mother in their Baghdad home in March.
Incidents like this dissuade people from returning and have kept Yousef’s wife and children in Germany. “There are rumors going around that the situation is not good. But that’s not true, because it really is so much better now. God willing, my family will join me at the end of the next school year.” Now that he is back on his feet in Qaraqosh, he is fighting the rumors and trying to convince others to return, too. “I phone people and try to actively persuade them. I am more convinced myself now, which helps me to convince others.”
Even though the Iraqi government has hardly engaged with Qaraqosh at all, Yousef is optimistic for the town of his birth. The state is as markedly absent as it is in other Iraqi towns retaken from IS like nearby Mosul, where civilians have taken the initiative and are bearing the cost of rebuilding their cities themselves. In Qaraqosh, it is the church that is driving the rebuilding process with money and help from foreign donors.
Yousef lost over $400,000 when IS set fire to his shops during the liberation of Qaraqosh in 2016. In the shopping mall, where the smell of paint mingles with that of the fresh Arab sweets on offer for the grand opening, a special room has been dedicated to his loss and contains pictures of the damage. Yousef accepted the church’s offer of help because he feels strongly about the Assyrian Christian heritage of old Mesopotamia. “Our heritage and our culture are here. We have been in this country longer than anyone else. It would be wrong to leave all that behind.”
Iraqi churches have long tried to keep their flock from leaving by pointing out that life would get more dangerous for those left behind if the Christian minority shrinks any further. But this argument lost its power when IS became the deadliest threat in centuries, and the past three years have seen pastors actively helping their people find safety abroad. Mouche refrained from mentioning this motivation for all the hard work he is putting into convincing people to come home. It’s about the historic and religious heritage of Iraqi Christians, he said. “It’s about faith, about bearing witness, about being a Christian here.”
His active approach has led to major differences between Qaraqosh and neighboring towns, where priests are advising Christians not to return because of the danger the Muslims who did resettle are said to pose. Only around 500 families have returned to nearby Bartella. Some of them would like to come live in Qaraqosh, but the bishop does not want them to settle here, saying, “They have to go back home. If they don’t, who will rebuild and who will protect them?” It is a vicious cycle that needs to be broken, he said. He is pointing aid organizations in their direction “so life will return there too.”
While Qaraqosh waits for the government to resume its responsibilities, the church has temporarily taken its place. But it cannot do much more than clear the rubble and rebuild, as investment is badly needed. It's a huge burden, the bishop admitted. “It’s a dilemma. Even abroad, the thought prevails that the church can handle it all easily enough. But the pressure is enormous and we still need a lot of help.”

Judit Neurink is a Dutch journalist and author living in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, working mainly for Dutch and Belgian media outlets.