On Saturday, Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, head of the Chaldean Church in Iraq and worldwide, affirmed that terrorist groups coerced Christians into converting to Islam in cities and areas previously under their control.
"I write these lines to seek justice for a limited number of Christians who were forced by al-Qaeda or ISIS elements to declare their conversion to Islam under the threat of death,” Sako stated.
These Christians, he emphasized, have no knowledge of Islam, describing their conversion as “superficial.” He also noted that minors are automatically registered as Muslims if one parent converts, often to facilitate a second marriage, since Christianity prohibits divorce, remarriage, and polygamy.
"Why not allow minors to remain in their religion until they reach the age of 18, so they can freely choose their faith?" he questioned. "These Christian citizens live in a tragic situation because the civil registry refuses to restore their Christian identity, preventing them from having a Christian marriage."
As for the solution, Sako urged Muslim authorities and the Iraqi government to address this issue fairly, reaffirming the Church's respect for an individual's right to change their religion with full awareness and freedom. "In Christianity, faith is a personal choice, and the Church takes no action against those who change their religion because faith is proposed, not imposed. Looking back at the origins, we find that the apostasy ruling contradicts the Quran, which states that there is no compulsion in religion and calls for respect toward others," he explained.
Referring to the 2005 Iraqi Constitution, Sako noted that it guarantees full rights for all individuals in terms of freedom of belief and religious practice, stressing the need to address these matters with a spirit of tolerance rather than hatred, citing Turkiye as an example of an Islamic country that has done so.
"Why is a Muslim allowed to become an atheist, while a Christian who was coerced into Islam is not allowed to return to their faith?" he further questioned, citing Article 2, Section 1 of the Constitution, which states that no law shall be enacted contradicting human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Iraq's Christian population, one of the oldest in the Middle East, has faced significant decline. Once numbering 1.4 million before 2003, the community now counts roughly 300,000 due to decades of violence, displacement, and targeted attacks.
