Eid Al-Fitr Congratulations and Hopes

By Chaldean Patriarchate

Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, Patriarch of the Chaldean Church

On the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, I am very pleased to extend my sincere congratulations and best wishes to all Muslims “our brothers in humanity”, asking God to protect them and our country from evil.

I believe that the feast will be meaningful and festive, when we renew ourselves, forget about our differences, forgive each other courageously and achieve reconciliation. This way, we will be able to remove the barriers that separate us in order to strengthen relationships, live in harmony and filling the environment around us with love and joy.

After all the agony, suffering, displacement, killing, destruction etc., that Iraqis have been through, they undoubtedly look forward to living a peaceful “Human Fraternity” based on dignity and mutual respect in a country whose leaders are capable of guaranteeing equal rights and duties. This land is our common heritage, as Muslims, Christians, Sabean-Mandaeans, Yazidis and others. Hence, it is everyone’s responsibility that these values should be interpreted and implemented, now more than ever, into a political, constitutional, legal and social reality.

I am delighted to share with you these thoughts and wishes as I trust that everyone of us is so confident that such reformation must come from within us rather than from outside or from others, keeping in mind that Iraqis do not have the energy to endure more conflicts. Alternatively, Iraqis look forward to being free from fear, anxiety, poverty, disease and corruption to achieve full development in Iraq and throughout the region, for the benefit of all people.

May God bless Iraqis with peace, stability and many happy returns.