Iraqi cardinal calls for end to persecution of Christians in the Middle East

By The National
February 3, 2019
Mina Aldroubi

The mistreatment of Christians in the Middle East remains one of Pope Francis' primary concerns, especially as the region remains engulfed in conflicts from Iraq to Syria and Yemen, according to the head of Iraq’s Catholic Church.

Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans and head of the Chaldean Catholic Church, told The National that Pope Francis is seeking to turn a page in Christian-Muslim relations as the UAE prepares to host the pontiff in his first ever papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula, which begins on Sunday.

“Pope Francis is saying that this is enough. Let us live in peace, love, tolerance and to renounce violence and hatred,” Cardinal Sako said.

During his historic trip to Abu Dhabi, the pope will promote interfaith dialogue and will seek to combat religious fanaticism. He will call for all faiths to evaluate the situation of Christians in the region and emphasise the values found in holy books for a peaceful co-existence between mankind.

“The UAE has become a role model for other countries. It has a flourishing economy, our message to the Christians in the UAE is to hold on to that country, its traditions and to connect with Muslims,” Cardinal Sako said in a telephone interview to The National.

The Cardinal confirmed that he will not accompany the pope on his trip.

Iraq's persecuted Christian minority

Iraq’s Christian population has faced significant persecution since the US invasion in 2003, declining from over one million to a few hundred thousand, a process that accelerated following the rise of ISIS in 2014. The group threatened to end their 2,000-year history in the country.

“People should live and develop a personal, deep and spiritual bond with God away from hatred, separation and threats, which are not related to faith in any way,” the Cardinal said.

Christianity in Iraq dates back to the first century of the Christian era, when the apostles Thomas and Thaddeus are believed to have preached the Gospel on the fertile flood plains of Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

Today, Iraq has nearly 500,000 Christians, according to Cardinal Sako.

“At one point Christians represented 20 per cent of the Iraqi population, but the number firstly dropped to 10 per cent and it now stands at 2 per cent,” he said.

Under the insurgents' rule, Christians were faced with a choice to convert, pay a tax or die.

Many in the Nineveh Plains in northern Iraq chose to flee, seeking refuge in nearby towns and cities, but many sought permanent asylum abroad.

Although Baghdad declared victory over the insurgents in 2017, the damage done to Christian enclaves in the north has been extensive.

The destruction has left many wondering whether they could overcome their recent history.

“Christians in Iraq are searching for freedom, and this is painful,” he stressed.

In recent years, Iraq has endured in a state of chaos, corruption, lack of security and good governance that has given a rise to armed militias that have threatened the country’s minority groups.

“Christian homes were threatened, kidnappings took place,” he said.

Although the country’s security situation has improved with the formation of a new cabinet, the status of Christians remains uncertain.

“All this has driven Christians to believe that there’s no future for them and feel threats falling on their existence and belongings,” he stressed.

Cardinal Sako expressed that this is not only a loss for Christians but also for Muslims, stressing that laws must be regulated and applied to every person who commits an offensive act.

“Christians and non-Zionist Jews were slandered in some Friday sermons and in mosques, the Jews have a holy book and Christians too. They belong to this country long before Muslims,” he stressed.

Iraq is home to many different eastern rite churches, both Catholic and Orthodox, traditionally a sign of the country’s ethnic and religious diversity.

“We have co-existed in peace with each other for 14 centuries. I wonder why people’s mentality has changed,” the Cardinal said.

The Cardinal expressed the importance of co-existence, explaining how Christians, Muslims, and members of other ethno-religious communities in the country have always worked together for the collective good, especially in difficult times.

The 70-year-old was born in Zakho in northern Iraq and has played a central role in interfaith dialogue in the country.

Cardinal Sako was elevated to cardinal last May by the pontiff in a move that was seen as a means to support Iraq’s declining Christian population.

The College of Cardinals forms the senior ecclesiastical leadership of the Catholic Church, offering counsel to the pope and electing his successor.

Turning the page

Cardinal Sako stressed that religion and violence are incompatible and called upon Christians and Muslims to contribute to building reconciliation in order to defeat extremism and violence.

“The existing mentality is gruesome when people views each other as enemies and not brothers or neighbors. This mentality should change such and it can be done through education programs in schools, religious sermons and laws,” he said.

The Cardinal has been tasked with forming a multi-faith dialogue committee including Christians, Sunni and Shiite Muslims to discuss ways to abolish hatred.

“I am Iraqi, I can be a Christian or a Muslim or other. Whether I am a faithful person or not, this is between me and God. There should be justice in civil rights and equality should be implemented,” Cardinal Sako said.

What has happened to Iraqis in general has been a breach of international laws, he said.

But with the pope's visit to the UAE, the Cardinal is hopeful for a better future for Iraq’s beleaguered Christian minority.

Card. Sako: “In Iraq non c’è strategia per far nascere la pace"

By Vatican News
Federico Piana

Intervista al Patriarca caldeo card. Sako: “Un milione i cristiani iracheni fuggiti a causa di violenza, estremismo, odio. Ma non mancano i segni di speranza”

Dall’Iraq, la voce del Patriarca caldeo, il card. Louis Raphael Sako, arriva senza tentennamenti per consegnare al mondo intero l’ennesima denuncia: in pochi anni un milione di cristiani ha abbandonato il Paese. Colpa della violenza, dell’estremismo, delle incitazioni all’odio. E dell’indifferenza generale.

Non c’è una strategia per far nascere pace e stabilità
Cosa è accaduto sotto gli occhi delle potenze inerti del mondo, il patriarca lo spiega raccontando che “i cristiani hanno iniziato a fuggire ben prima dell’arrivo dell’Isis. Sono emigrati a causa della mancanza di sicurezza, dei continui rapimenti e dell’ingiusta confisca dei beni. A Bagdad, a Bassora a Mosul sempre le stesse scene. Dopo l’arrivo degli estremisti islamici, il fenomeno è aumentato: i cristiani hanno avuto ancora più paura, soprattutto per i loro figli. Non c’è stata, e non c’è, una strategia per far nascere la pace, per far rispettare la vita e la dignità delle persone”.

Mentalità sbagliata: qui l’altro è considerato un nemico
Gioca un ruolo negativo anche la mentalità prevalente tra la popolazione? “Certamente. E’ un modo di pensare strano. L’altro lo si considera un nemico, un avversario da battere. Invece dovrebbe essere un fratello. Questa è una cultura sbagliata che deve essere cambiata. Abbiamo tentato di invertire la tendenza con diversi musulmani, alcuni dei quali capi religiosi: un po’ la situazione è migliorata”. Ma ancora non basta, aggiunge il Patriarca, che per far capire quanto la situazione sia incandescente snocciola le cifre delle case e dei terreni confiscati senza motivo ai cristiani iracheni: “Più di 23 mila. Sono stati presi dalle milizie ma anche da semplici persone con la motivazione che i cristiani, e anche ad esempio gli Yazidi, sono degli infedeli, ed è quindi legittimo spogliarli dei loro beni. Noi abbiamo fatto uno sforzo enorme per recuperarli, in collaborazione con il ministro della giustizia iracheno. Devo dire che prima regnava l’anarchia, oggi c’è più legge”.

I cristiani fuggiti dall’Iraq potrebbero ritornare

Il Patriarca Sako è convinto che i cristiani fuggiti nelle nazioni vicine prima o poi possano tornare. La sua voce si carica di speranza : “Coloro che sono in paesi come Giordania, Libano e Turchia ed aspettano il visto è possibile che ritornino ma debbono poter rientrare nelle proprie case, trovare un lavoro. Si potrebbe aiutarli riparando le loro abitazioni e cercando di migliorare le condizioni generali di vita dell’Iraq stesso. Qualche segno di speranza c’è. Durante le feste di Natale una fatwa sciita e sunnita vietava di fare gli auguri ai cristiani. Ebbene, 4 milioni e mezzo di persone sono uscite in strada per fare gli auguri ai cristiani. Noi dobbiamo approfittare di questa apertura di una parte del mondo musulmano per far crescere la convivenza pacifica”.

In Iraq una costituzione basata sull’eguaglianza non sulla religione Infine una riflessione va alla costituzione irachena. Il Patriarca Sako sostiene la necessità che sia basata sull’ eguaglianza della cittadinanza e non sull’appartenenza religiosa. “Tutti gli iracheni sono cittadini uguali. Non bisogna dare priorità alla religione o alle sette. L’ Iraq è preparato per questo, il settarismo non è nel vero dna degli iracheni. Il settarismo è comparso dopo, con la venuta deli americani”.

In Iraq, Christians return home—also for the sake of the children of the diaspora

By Aid to the Church in Need (United States)
January 25, 2019

Chaldean Father Thabet Habib Youssef, pastor of the Church of St. Adday in the Christian town of Karamles, on Iraq’s Nineveh Plains, helps oversee the reconstruction and repair of Christian homes and Church properties in Karamles. He spoke with Aid in the Church in Need about the prospects for Christians who have returned home to the Nineveh Plains after being forced into exile in Kurdistan by the invasion of ISIS in the summer of 2014.

“In the past, we have been subjected to many attacks and invasions. But each time, we have returned as faithful and authentic believers; we have reaffirmed our roots. The Christian presence in Iraq can continue, though thing won’t be as they were before 2014.

“The Christian discourse has always focused more on national identity than on religious identity. National identity is the common link that makes conversation and coexistence—the acceptance of the other—possible. Our mission as clerics—to deepen faith among believers—does not prevent us from speaking directly to non-Christians about issues of national importance, on issues that affect all Iraqis.

“We have repeatedly asked for legislation that would ensure the safety and privacy of Christians. To this day, we work around older laws that do not protect endangered areas. Demographic changes are a threat to Christians in the Nineveh Plains, and the Iraqi government will remain deficient if the problem is not resolved by firm and stable laws.

“We need to stage a global intervention that puts pressure on the Iraqi government to comply with all decisions issued by the United Nations and its constituencies.

“Many Christians had lost hope of returning. Today, 330 families have returned to Karamles, and so far we have repaired 382 out of 754 damaged Christian homes in the town. We have restored the Sanctuary of St. Barbara and the Church of St. Adday, which had been partly burned, and also repaired the Church of the Virgin Mary. We perform as many basic services as we can. We’ve responded to water shortages and provided support for farmers on land destroyed by military activity.

“We do not know if every family will return to the Nineveh Plains, but we do believe that all Christians have a duty to shape the identity of the region. We want to live on our land, and we ask that our people stand with us. We must preserve our identity and history for the sake of children of the diaspora—our enduring presence here must not be compromised.”

Aid to the Church in Need has assisted in the return of some 40,000 Christians to their communities on the Nineveh Plains.
Ragheb Elias Karash

Patriarca caldeo: Giovani, chiese e dialogo basi per ricostruire la presenza cristiana in Iraq

By Asia News

L’attenzione rivolta ai giovani, cui il patriarcato ha dedicato “numerose attività spirituali e culturali” e la difesa e la risistemazione di molte “chiese e proprietà cristiane” a Baghdad e nel Paese, danneggiate o distrutte dalla follia jihadista. Sono queste le basi su cui costruire il futuro dei cristiani in Iraq, come sottolinea il card Louis Raphael Sako nella lettera pastorale - inviata per conoscenza ad AsiaNews - in occasione del sesto anniversario dalla elezione a Patriarca caldeo, avvenuta il 31 gennaio 2013 nel Sinodo a Roma.

A conferma del ruolo della comunità caldea nella società irakena, il compito assegnato al patriarcato di “formare un comitato” per il dialogo interreligioso formato fra gli altri “da cristiani, sunniti, sciiti, yazidi”. Fra i compiti assegnati al gruppo di lavoro interconfessionale la lotta all’ideologia radicale e la stesura di un opuscolo in cui vengono presentate tutte le religioni presenti in Iraq.

L'ex arcivescovo di Kirkuk è succeduto a Emmanuel Delly III, dimissionario per raggiunti limiti di età. Nato il 4 luglio del 1948 a Zakho, nel nord dell'Iraq, è stato ordinato sacerdote il 1 giugno del 1974. Da presule prima, quindi da primate della Chiesa irakena, egli ha più volte denunciato l’esodo dei cristiani e lanciato numerosi appelli all’esecutivo e alle autorità locali.

Nel maggio scorso Papa Francesco ha concesso la porpora al primate caldeo, elevandolo al rango cardinalizio. Commentando la scelta del pontefice, il card Sako ha parlato di gesto “di amicizia e di sostegno” verso tutto il popolo irakeno. 

Nel messaggio il porporato non dimentica le molte criticità, le sfide e le minacce che hanno fatto temere per il futuro della Chiesa e dei cristiani in Iraq. Fra gli altri l’ascesa dello Stato islamico (SI, ex Isis) che ha occupato Mosul e la piana di Ninive, che ha innescato una fuga precipitosa di centinaia di migliaia di persone. Per tre anni e mezzo il patriarcato caldeo si è preso cura dei loro bisogni e necessità, assicurando anche il diritto allo studio (a Erbil e Kirkuk) per i figli. 

Il card Sako ricorda ancora l’esodo dei cristiani, con la fuga di quasi un milione di fedeli, e la lotta serrata contro quanti fomentano odio e divisioni. Fra le priorità vi è anche la difesa delle proprietà cristiane a Baghdad e nel Paese, espropriate con la forza o l’inganno. Infine, l’opposizione netta a politici cristiani che hanno sfruttato la carica “per fini personali”. 

Nel messaggio il primate caldeo non ricorda solo i problemi e le difficoltà, ma sottolinea al contempo gli elementi di forza sui quali fondare la ricostruzione: l’istituzione dell’Associazione caldea; gli organismi che fanno riferimento al patriarcato, fra cui il Consiglio pastorale; l’impegno dei sacerdoti verso gli sfollati; il riconoscimento dei martiri caldei; l’incontro a Baghdad - prima assoluta per l’Iraq - dei patriarchi cattolici d’Oriente; la visita in occasione del Natale del segretario di Stato Vaticano Pietro Parolin. 

“Amo l’Iraq” conclude il porporato, che è parte “della mia identità”, “amo la Chiesa caldea” che “mi è stata affidata” e “sono al servizio di tutte le comunità cristiane”.

Address on the Sixth Anniversary of Electing me as a Patriarch for the Chaldean

By Chaldean Patriarchate

First of all, I thank God for everything, and thank my auxiliary bishops, synod Fathers, priests and all those who have helped me generously at work, consultations, suggestions, and even in encouraging me to move forward. May God bless them all.

As a person, my thoughts and choices are clear. I reject compromising and bargaining. I love honesty and transparency, and I have no desire to hold on the “wreckage” of this world. I have a peace of mind. The source of my strength is in confrontation, sincerity and prayers. Therefore, I believe that the criticism directed to me in person or to the patriarchate, comes mostly from “sick” people who cannot tolerate seeing the “revival” of the Chaldean Church and its’ brilliant role at both local and global levels, in spite of all the challenges that has been faced over the last six years. such as:

1. Invasion of Mosul and the Nineveh Plain towns by ISIS followed by the displacement of its inhabitants – one year after my inauguration-. So, the Church took the responsibility of caring about them for the period of three years and a half, covering the expenses of their housing, food, medication as well as ensuring education requirements in Erbil and Kirkuk. The Chaldean Church supported them also by making their voices heard in international forums, strengthen  the hope during their exodus, and sharing with them the joy of returning, after liberation, by helping in reconstructing their homes, churches and schools.
2. The emigration, in which the Iraqi Christian component lost around million people, and responding to the demands of immigrants, including sending priests to serve them in diaspora.
3. Confront statements inciting hatred, violence and the seizure of Christian homes in Baghdad and other cities in Iraq and the success of the Chaldean Church in restoring many of them, despite the fragile security situation in the country.
4. Oppose the unjust laws against Christians.
5. The Church “battle” with some Christian politicians who serve their personal interests by overriding the will of the Christian component, resulted in being attacked and criticized by them in an unprofessional manner.

Signs of Hope:

Organizing the Patriarchal Finance Department; meeting of the Chaldean Synod “regularly” on annual basis; Renewing of the Chaldean liturgy to be understood easily by young people at this particular time; Ordinating eight “new” Bishops as well as number of Priests and Deacons.

Establishment of the Chaldean League; formation of the pastoral Council in Baghdad; creation of the Patriarchate Board of “advisors”; Maintained an on-going formation of Chaldean clergy in Iraq; Generous hospitality of a large number of visiting Cardinals, Bishops and priests from different Catholic Bishops’ Conferences in support of the Iraqi displaced families; following  up on the solemn claims of the martyrdom at the Chaldean Church; held successfully the 26^th meeting of the Eastern Catholic Patriarchs in November 2018 in Baghdad, for the first time in history; welcomed Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of the State at the Vatican during his visit to Iraq and the remarkable celebration of the Christmas Eve mass (24/12/2018) in the presence of the Iraqi President, ministers. other diplomats and Muslim clerics; assured catechism in all parishes; visited most of the Chaldean Dioceses within Iraq and abroad; participated in a large number of local and international conferences; paid a special attention to youth by organizing so many spiritual, cultural and art related activities; renovated most of our churches in Baghdad; and the Patriarchate was credited for founding a dialogue committee of Christian, Shiite, Sunni, Mandaean and Yazidis, who worked to dismantle the radical discourse and prepared a booklet to acknowledge all religions in Iraq.

Finally, I would like to say: that the time is so precious and better not to waste it, also life is so short and we would rather live in peace, uprightness and joy. However, life provide us with certain opportunities to “re-think” and have enough time to live happily, but this is available only to those who have the courage, modesty and confidence “to go deep into” their hearts, and cleans them from “debris”.

 I realize that Christ did nothing but good, then people did not like Him and crucified Him. I am not worthy to be treated better than that.

From the beginning of my priesthood, I have dedicated myself, seriously and humbly to serve every human being. Today, I am renewing my pledge to listen to the people, feel their problems and help them as much as I can. I love Iraq, which is my identity, and love the Chaldean Church, which is my responsibility and I will continue serving Christians of all Churches, and all Iraqis. I am confident that my work will be appraised one day.

Please pray for me, for the Church and for peace in Iraq

Patriarch Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako

Il Patriarca caldeo: in pochi anni sono emigrati un milione di cristiani iracheni

By Fides

Negli ultimi anni, con i flussi migratori della popolazione irachena verso altri Paesi, hanno abbandonato l’Iraq circa un milione di cristiani autoctoni. Lo ricorda il Patriarca caldeo Louis Raphael Sako in un messaggio diffuso oggi, 31 gennaio, in occasione del sesto anniversario della sua elezione patriarcale. In tale ricorrenza, il Patriarca traccia un breve bilancio delle vicende che hanno segnato gli anni del suo ministero patriarcale, delineando problemi, difficoltà, iniziative e speranze che hanno segnato il cammino della Chiesa caldea.
Tra le emergenze, il Primate della Chiesa caldea ricorda la fuga delle popolazioni cristiane da Mosul e dalla Piana di Ninive conquistate dai jihadisti dello Stato Islamico (Daesh) e le difficoltà incontrate nell’assicurare la cura pastorale e materiale per decine di migliaia di rifugiati per più di tre anni. Il Patriarca fa riferimento anche alle campagne settarie con incitazioni all’odio, alla violenza e al sequestro delle case di cristiani registratesi a Baghdad e in altre città irachene, oltre che alle relazioni problematiche avute con “alcuni politici cristiani che servono i propri interessi personali senza tenere in conto la volontà generale della componente cristiana”.
Tra i segnali positivi il Patriarca Sako ha elencato la risistemazione delle finanze patriarcali, il rinnovamento della liturgia, l’istituzione della Lega caldea e la creazione di un comitato di dialogo interreligioso con sunniti, sciiti, yazidi e mandei per contrastare insieme l’estremismo settario. Le critiche al Patriarcato – ha voluto sottolineare il Patriarca, creato Cardinale da Papa Francesco – provengono principalmente da persone che “non possono tollerare di vedere il ‘risveglio’ della Chiesa caldea e il suo brillante ruolo a livello sia locale che globale, malgrado di tutte le sfide che sono state affrontate negli ultimi sei anni”.

“L’Iraq ha ancora bisogno di cristiani: chiediamo scusa a nome dell’islam”

By Gli Occhi della Guerra
28 gennaio 2019
Sebastiano Caputo

La città santa per eccellenza dell’Islam sciita, sede del santuario di Ali, genero del Profeta e marito di Fatima, si è svuotata dei suoi pellegrini. Quel periodo di commemorazione di suo figlio Hussein, ucciso nella battaglia di Karbala, e luogo in cui è sepolto, che viene chiamato “Arbaeen”, è finito da pochi giorni. Dopo aver battuto i pugni sul petto e pianto l’Imam, è tempo di tornare a casa, lavare i peccati e combattere quotidianamente ogni forma di ingiustizia, di tirannia, di intolleranza, in difesa dei “dannati della terra”. Così come ha insegnato l’Imam Hussein, il “Principe dei Martiri”, attraverso la sua epopea leggendaria, ai suoi fedeli sostenitori e discepoli. Per capire in quale direzione sta andando l’Iraq occorre camminare sulla sabbia che da Najaf porta a Karbala, in quella regione meridionale popolata interamente dagli sciiti, che ha portato Muqtada Sadr, figlio del religioso Mohammed Sadeq al Sadr, al potere, dopo aver resistito per decenni alle repressioni perpetuate dal partito Baath di Saddam Hussein. Le ferite della guerra con la Repubblica islamica dell’Iran, nazione sorella nella fede, sono scolpite sulle tombe del cimitero tra i più grandi al mondo, e nelle fotografie dei caduti appese in tutte le case. Iracheni e iraniani, entrambi di confessioni sciita, combattevano su barricate opposte, e quarant’anni dopo, camminano insieme in occasione del pellegrinaggio più grande al mondo (22 milioni quest’anno). E nei santuari, il ricordo di quella dominazione arabo-sunnita, viene tracciata sulle pareti, come sulla tomba dell’Ayatollah Abu al Qasim al Khoei, all’interno del mausoleo di Ali, affinché tutti sappiano cosa ha dovuto subire la gente del posto. Dopo l’invasione nel 2003 le meccaniche di potere sono cambiate radicalmente. Se le autorità politico-religiose sciite avevano favorito per convenienza l’aggressione militare statunitense, queste non hanno mai accettato finanziamenti e supporto logistico dal Pentagono, e oggi si ritrovano ad occupare le leve del potere, e a governare un Paese in bilico tra le consuete richieste di Washington e la nuova influenza di Teheran.

Le pressioni non solo soltanto esterne ma anche interne. L’Iraq non è una teocrazia bensì una repubblica in cui l’autorità spirituale è separata da quella temporale, tuttavia il consenso religioso, in una società fortemente tradizionale, resta determinante. Per comprenderlo occorre entrare nella prima cerchia dell’Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani, guida spirituale e politica del Paese, direttore della hawza di Najaf. A riceverci in una scuola coranica della città, è il suo consigliere Sayyid Ahmad Al Husseini, anche lui un anziano col turbante. Siede su una vecchia poltrona, impugnando il suo tasbeh.
“Il clero iracheno svolge tre funzioni principali: veglia sul rispetto degli insegnamenti di un governo islamico, segue una linea religiosa condivisa con l’Iran ed infine si occupa degli affari sociali, nella difesa della comunità dei credenti, che siano sciiti, sunniti o cristiani”, racconta in esclusiva a Gli Occhi della Guerra. L’obiettivo dunque, in accordo con la separazione tra Stato e “Chiesa”, sembra quello di preservare una posizione quietista (consultiva, de facto) e non rivoluzionaria come nella Repubblica Islamica dell’Iran . “Sapete, a volte è meglio un governo laico che rispetta la religione piuttosto che un governo che si dice islamico tradendolo costantemente”, ribadisce Al Husseini. E continua: “Questo periodo di Arbaeen ci aiuta a capirlo, vedete, Yazid espandeva il suo dominio sotto falso nome dell’Islam, seminando odio religioso e barbarie, così Hussein ha ribaltato letteralmente questo modus operandi. Nei giorni che hanno preceduto il suo martirio lui ha sempre rispettato le minoranze, le opinioni, la persona umana in generale. Per capire la grandezza dell’Imam Hussein domandatevi perché ancora oggi, dopo tutti questi secoli, milioni di pellegrini vengono da tutto il mondo per commemorarlo, l’Arbaeen è un movimento che nasce dal basso, non è eterodiretto da nessuno, perché i suoi insegnamenti sono universali”.
In pochi infatti conosceranno la storia di Wahab ibn Janah al Kalby, un giovane cristiano che decise di seguire l’Imam Hussein per combattere le truppe omayyadi del califfo Yazid nella storica battaglia di Karbala del 680. Si dice che nessuno gli chiese di convertirsi tanto da rimanere fedele al suo credo religioso fino alla morte e oggi al pari degli altri soldati musulmani viene considerato uno dei 72 martiri di quel massacro ed è sepolto insieme a tutti loro nel mausoleo di Karbala. Nella concezione sciita, il martirio è un fatto universale, che vive nel ricordo di Hussein, a difesa di tutti gli oppressi.
“Vedete, oggi noi sciiti siamo dispiaciuti della fuga dei cristiani d’Iraq, abbiamo bisogno di loro e dobbiamo usare tutte le nostre forze affinché restino nel Paese, e ci scusiamo con tutti quelli che sono partiti, a nome di quelli che hanno strumentalizzato l’Islam”, ripete con voce calma e commossa Sayyid Ahmad Al Husseini facendo roteare il tasbeh.

New Mosul prelate urges Pope to visit Iraq, Francis says he wants to go

By Crux
Inés San Martin

Pope Francis is a legendarily bold traveler, including a visit to the Central African Republic in 2015 amid a bloody civil war - even telling the pilot that if it wasn’t safe to land, he’d just take a parachute.

Knowing that history, the newly ordained archbishop of Mosul in Iraq is upping the ante, suggesting he pay a visit to his own conflict-scarred country.

“The pope is an adventurous person, and everybody loves him here, so he should come,” said Najib Mikhael Mousa, the new Chaldean Archbishop of Mosul. He holds the position once occupied by Archbishop Mar Paulos Faraj Rahho, who was kidnapped and killed in 2008, with some locals blaming Al Qaeda and others Kurdish militants.

“… The entire population of Iraq, even the Shia and the Kurdish people, are waiting,” Moussa said. “Security is good now … A little bishop, or a priest, we have no problem moving around, so it would be no problem for the pope to come. He just needs to decide to do so!”

As it happens, Francis may not be the one Moussa needs to persuade. When Crux relayed his request to the pope on Jan. 23 as he was en route to Panama for World Youth Day, Francis said he wants to go but others have been holding him back.

“Yes, but it’s [the bishops] who tell me now is not the moment,” he said, adding with a smile: “Surely, they had a fight among themselves. But that’s why I sent the Secretary of State … I want to go, and in the meantime, I follow the situation closely.”

[Francis was referring to a Christmastime trip to Iraq by Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State and his top diplomatic aide.]

Mousa was ordained by Chaldean Patriarch Cardinal Raphael Sako Jan. 18 in Baghdad, and was installed Jan. 25. The ceremony took place in the recently restored church of Saint Paul in Mosul, where Rahho was laid to rest. There were twelve Chaldean bishops, two Syrian Catholics, one Syrian orthodox archbishop and representatives of the local government, together with two Muslim sheikhs “in high regalia.” Security measures were described as “discreet” and the church was standing-room only.

Since “95 percent” of Moussa’s new archdiocese has been destroyed by war, he will remain in the neighboring town of Karamless, in the Nineveh Plains, while he gets “a room” ready to live in.

He spoke with Crux on the phone Jan. 22 about the challenges he faces, what it means to be a bishop who was ordained by a martyr and who succeeds a martyr, and about what the international community can do to help rebuild Iraq.

Asked what he’d like to talk about, Mousa didn’t hesitate: “Pray for us. And don’t forget about us. We’ve never felt like we’re alone, don’t leave us alone now. Since the beginning we’ve felt like we had a brother outside of Iraq, praying for us and helping us. So, thank you.”

What follows are excerpts of Crux’s conversation with Mousa.

Mosul Christians open chapel in Erbil as home churches lay in ruins

By Rudaw
January 28, 2019

Upon the inauguration of a new church in Erbil on Saturday the head of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Mosul, Kirkuk and the Kurdistan Region Mar Nicodemus Daoud Sharaf said that ISIS militants did not destroy their church directly, but turned it into a mosque for a year before demolishing it along with many other houses of worship.

“They painted it in black, the color of their hearts of course, and used it as storage,” Mar Nicodemus Sharaf told Rudaw. “The monastery was adjacent to the cathedral and was the largest cathedral in Mosul, and one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Mosul.”

On Saturday Patriarch of Antioch and the East Ignatius Aphrem II opened a new Archdiocese Residence of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Erbil’s Ainkawa neighborhood.

The Patriarch was joined by Patriarch of the Chaldean Church and Cardinal of Rome Louis Raphael I Sako, Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East Mar Gewargis III, Christian leaders from across Iraq, and officials from the KRG.

The church in Mosul was later destroyed and it now lies in ruins.
Mar Nicodemus Sharaf said the Iraqi government hasn’t helped rebuild any churches yet and the Christian community themselves cannot shoulder a big responsibility as that.

“Because we don’t have the means to rebuild the church, because it is not the only church that is destroyed,” he said. “All the churches in Mosul have been destroyed, no church has been reconstructed. All Mosul churches were destroyed.”

Mar Nicodemus Sharaf remembers the sad moment he heard about the destruction of St. Ephrem, the largest Assyrian Orthodox Church in Mosul.

“When I remember St. Ephrem, I am very sad,” he said. “This was the largest church and the most beautiful church in the area. This reflects a history of 1,800 years, not one or two days”

He didn’t even “find the stones that belonged to this church,” when he revisited Mosul after ISIS.

Mar Nicodemus Sharaf believes discrimination on the part of the government is part of the reason many churches still remain piles of rubble.

“The root cause is corruption in the Baghdad government, and discrimination and that is what we always feel like Christians in Iraq.” Mar Nicodemus Sharaf argued.

“We feel that we are not part of the central government’s calculations,” he lamented. “Today, more than two years have passed since liberation, our churches are still destroyed, and there is no one to come today.”

He said that the Syriac Orthodox group have six churches in Mosul, the oldest of which dates back to the third century AD.

Added to the destruction of their houses of worship is the fact that many Christians who fled Mosul under ISIS are unable to return home for lack of security.

“We will not return if the situation remains as it is today,” Mar Nicodemus Sharaf said. “There is no return. We will not return without genuine guarantees of security and dignity. We can no longer live in a place where we do not have dignity and we do not feel safe. This is not possible.”

Mar Nicodemus Sharaf warned that Christians are being intentionally uprooted from the Middle East and “This is dangerous”.

“We must remain to be witnesses to Christianity and to true humanity,” he said. “Because in fact wherever Christians live, they give a beautiful image of free man.”

Masrour Barzani discusses return of religious minorities to Nineveh Plains in meeting with Patriarch

By Kurdistan 24
January 27, 2019

The Syriac Orthodox Church delegation that arrived in Erbil on Friday continued its visit on Sunday and met with Chancellor of the Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC), Masrour Barzani.

Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II of Antioch and East led the delegation, which included several bishops.

They “exchanged views on the situation in the Nineveh Plains and ways to promote the return of Christians and other religious groups to their ancestral homes,” a KRSC statement read.

Barzani “reaffirmed the commitment of the Kurdistan Region to Christian calls to manage their own affairs, including local security,” the statement added.

Of the estimated 5.9 million residents in the Kurdistan Region, roughly two percent adhere to the Christian faith.

Members of the minority group have long suffered persecution in Iraq. In 2014, when the Islamic State emerged in northern, western, and central Iraq, tens of thousands of Christians were forced to flee their homes, with many seeking refuge in the Kurdistan Region.

“His Holiness [Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II] expressed his personal appreciation for the aid given to Christian communities fleeing violence and persecution in recent years,” the KRSC statement said.

The Patriarch also “commended KRG’s efforts to strengthen co-existence through educational reforms and combating extremist ideology.”

The delegation arrived in Erbil on Friday and first met with Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani. The following day, they met with Masoud Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).

During the earlier meetings, the PM and KDP leader discussed with the delegation the peaceful coexistence of different ethnic and religious groups in the autonomous Kurdistan Region and called on members of the Christian community to remain in the region.

Rimane incerto il “ritorno” dei cristiani nella Piana di Ninive

By Fides

L’85 per cento della popolazione fuggita dalla Piana di Ninive quando quel territorio fu conquistato dai jihadisti dell’autoproclamato “Stato Islamico” (Daesh) non è ancora pronta a fare ritorno alle proprie regioni di provenienza, nonostante l’area sia stata da tempo sottratta al dominio di Daesh. Lo ha riferito ieri, lunedì 28 gennaio, Dindar Zebari, coordinatore per gli aiuti internazionali del governo della Regione autonoma del Kurdistan iracheno.
Il rappresentante del governo regionale ha rimarcato che alcune zone della Piana, come quelle di Telkaif e Hamdaniya, sono diventate aree militarizzate in mano a milizie locali. Tra i motivi che rendono sempre più incerto il ritorno dei cristiani a Mosul e nella Piana di Ninive, Zebari ha elencato il timore che le proprie famiglie non siano adeguatamente protette da violenze e ritorsioni, la mancanza di lavoro, la disarticolazione delle infrastrutture, la presenza non rassicurante di formazioni armate autonome, organizzate su base settaria e non inquadrate tra le forze armate federali e nemmeno tra i Peshmerga (milizie che fanno capo al governo regionale de Kurdistan). “In molti casi” ha aggiunto Zebari “terre appartenenti a proprietari cristiani o yazidi sono state confiscate per alterare gli equilibri demografici dell’area”.
Sabato 26 gennaio, Mar Nicodemus Daoud Sharaf, Arcivescovo siro ortodosso di Mosul e Kirkuk, ha chiamato in causa le responsabilità del governo federale di Baghdad riguardo al processo di ricostruzione e ripopolamento di Mosul e dei centri sparsi nella Piana di Ninive. L’ecclesiastico ha denunciato la mancata ricostruzione delle tante chiese distrutte o devastate durante il periodo di dominazione jihadista, indicando la “corruzione” degli apparati politici come fattore chiave per comprendere l’incapacità di sostenere il ritorno in quelle regioni dei profughi attualmente stanziati in gran parte nel Kurdistan iracheno.

UK priest who found his calling in the plight of Iraq's Christians

By The National

After the traumas inflicted by the rise of ISIS, the return of Iraq’s Christian communities to villages and towns on the Nineveh plains around Mosul has a special resonance throughout the Catholic Church.
For one priest and active supporter of his fellow Catholics in Iraq, the resettlement should represent something joyful but instead the threat these Iraqis faced has not disappeared but only changed form.
Father Benedict Kiely left his comfortable posting in the American state of Vermont to work with Iraqi Christians, a community that was 200,000 strong in Mosul and surrounding towns and had been put to flight by the terror group.

ISIS has since been vanquished but Fr Kiely on a recent visit experienced the culture of fear that still exists at first hand. One of his friends, Fr Behnam Benoka, a Syrian Catholic priest, recalled to him how a member of an Iran-backed Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) militia put a gun to his head after surrounding his church in the town of Bartella.

“They feel surrounded in Bartella, the priest has had a gun in his face, there is a large banner of the ayatollahs in the middle of the town and even the Iraqi general in the area seems afraid of these militias,” Fr Kiely told The National from his home in England after returning from Iraq. “Unless the Shia militias are removed, it’s basically over for Christians in the area.

“As Fr Benoka said to me: there’s bad and there’s worse, which would you rather live in?”

As Pope Francis prepares to make a groundbreaking visit to the Arabian Peninsula, the plight of Iraq’s Christians is sure to feature at the top of the agenda.

At Christmas the Vatican’s second-most senior official travelled to Iraq to show solidarity with the community. Cardinal Pietro Parolin visited Baghdad, Erbil and Mosul and tried to draw a line under the troubles of the congregation.

“You are a Church of martyrs,” Cardinal Parolin said at a Mass. “The blood of your martyrs and the witness of faith given by so many of your brothers and sisters represent a treasure for the Church and a seed of new vitality.”

Engagement with the Iraqi government over the need to nurture and rebuild Catholic parishes has been of limited benefit so far. Of the 45 churches in metropolitan Mosul, none have been re-opened for daily use.

Any acts of worship have been one-offs. Mosul's Christian community that in living memory numbered in the hundreds of thousands is now estimated by Fr Kiely at just 10 families. The streets are still littered with bodies and ghoulish reminders of the battle to drive out ISIS, including clumps of hair among the rubble after the fighters shaved off their beards to flee.

Painfully, Fr Kiely recalls that the churches were used as execution grounds during the battle. “I was first inspired back in 2014 when the reports came out that for the first time in almost 2,000 years there was no Mass said in Mosul," he said.

Speaking of the situation in Bartella, he said: “Less than half the Christians have returned and the power of the Shia militias is putting even this in peril. It’s an army within an army and there are many instances of intimidation.”

Syriac Patriarch opens Archdiocese residence in Erbil

By Rudaw

The head of the Syriac Orthodox Church, Patriarch of Antioch and the East Ignatius Aphrem II, opened a new Archdiocese Residence of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Erbil’s Ainkawa neighbourhood on Saturday.
“We thank the Kurdistan Regional Government for allowing us to do this, by granting this piece of land for us and by giving assistance to us,” said Patriarch of Antioch and the East Ignatius Aphrem II.
Thousands of Christians fled to the Kurdistan Region when ISIS seized swathes of northern Iraq in 2014.
“The people and government of Kurdistan embraced them,” said KRG spokesperson Safin Dizayee of the displaced Christian families. “They can practice their religion and perform their rituals.”
Many are still living in the Kurdistan Region and this new centre will improve church services for Syriac Orthodox Christians them.
Parishioner Emel Cemil said she was happy to see the new centre opened, but ultimately “We want to return to Mosul, our city and churches.”
The Patriarch was joined by Patriarch of the Chaldean Church and Cardinal of Rome Louis Raphael I Sako, Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East Mar Gewargis III, Christian leaders from across Iraq, and officials from the KRG.

Read also: PM Barzani hopes Christians in Iraq and Kurdistan won't migrate abroad

by Rudaw

The Speech of H. B. Patriarch Sako at the Installation of Mosul Archbishop

By Chaldean Patriarchate

It is my pleasure to place the new Archbishop, Mikhaeel Najeeb Michaeel in the hands of Christian and Muslim community of Mosul and Akre. At the same time, I would like to place you all as a “treasure” in his hands. It is worth revealing, that the parish rest assured and strengthened when the shepherd is guiding the flocks and taking care of them. The success of the Bishop depends on the unity of his diocese, for the shepherd is for all rather than to one person or another, knowing that discrimination, “selectivity” and factionalism destroys the community, as sectarianism and quotas have destroyed Iraq. Apparently, when we talk about the shepherd, we include faithful who form a single solid body with him in serving and taking care of the community. Honestly, I am fully aware of the difficulties of the devastated Diocese of Mosul and also the related challenges ahead of us. However, I am sure you will be able to deepen the joy of liberation, establish the hope of returning as well as building trust and coexistence between diverse components of Mosul society, by the blessings of God and the cooperation of their Excellencies Bishops Youhanna Putros Moshi, of Syrian Catholics, and Nicodemus Dawood Sharaf, of Syrian Orthodox, together with good people of Mosul. Extremism and violence are destructive. Hence, it is so important to have decent relations with those of good will to dismantle the ideology, customs and traditions of ISIS. I recall here the late martyr Dr. Mohammed al-Asali who shed his blood for defending Christians during the invasion of ISIS and became a bright sign for you “Mosullians” to hold on to each other. Therefore, and from this platform, I call upon Christians and Muslims, especially politicians and clerics to bear their historic responsibility by opening a new page of trust, sincere relations and long-lasting unity. This is the only way to save and develop your damaged city, otherwise, the destruction persist and may increase. Mosul is unique for its’ multicultural and diverse society. Similarly, the Church and Christians, in Mosul particularly, contributed to the history of this city nationally, culturally and professionally. Thus, I encourage Christians to return, communicate and work hard to build a common space that will provide them and their “citizens” with peace of mind, security and stability, because they have here their history, heritage, traditions, and ancient Churches. We pray may God bless Mosul with a vital “new birth”. On this occasion, it is worthwhile mentioning the Bishops who preceded you in serving Mosul and I got to know them in person: Emmanuel Daddy, Gorgees Gramo, Faraj Raho “God bless their souls” and Amel Nona, who is currently serving in Australia.

Mons. Moussa si è insediato come nuovo arcivescovo di Mosul

By Asia News
26 gennaio 2019

Foto Patriarcato Caldeo

Un messaggio di “coesistenza, amore e pace”, che pone fine all’ideologia estremista di Daesh: è quello lanciato ieri nella piana di Ninive da mons. Najib Mikhael Moussa (foto), in occasione della cerimonia d’insediamento a nuovo arcivescovo di Mosul. Celebrata nella chiesa di San Paolo, alla funzione hanno preso parte numerosi leader cattolici, funzionari locali, fedeli e abitanti della regione.

Nato a Mosul nel 1955, mons. Moussa è diventato sacerdote domenicano quando era 31enne; per anni ha servito la comunità cattolica nella chiesa di Al-Saa (Nostra Signora dell'Ora). Qui si è occupato della conservazione di circa 850 manoscritti antichi in aramaico, arabo e altre lingue, oltre a lettere datate 300 anni fa e circa 50mila libri. Durante gli anni di occupazione dello Stato islamico (SI, ex Isis) il sacerdote ha contribuito all’opera di sostegno agli sfollati di Mosul e della piana di Ninive. Grazie alla sua formazione di archivista, egli ha preservato parte del patrimonio culturale (cristiano e non) della metropoli del nord, che i fondamentalisti volevano distruggere.

Alla vigilia dell’ordinazione di mons. Moussa – avvenuta lo scorso 18 gennaio nella cattedrale di San Giuseppe a Baghdad –, il patriarca caldeo card. Louis Raphael Sako aveva sottolineato il significato particolare della nomina, definita “fonte di speranza” per tutta la comunità locale. “I due fattori sui quali dovrà insistere – aveva dichiarato il primate caldeo – sono la riconciliazione e la fiducia fra la gente della città, perduta a causa delle violenze dell’Isis e dell’ideologia fondamentalista. Al nuovo vescovo il compito di riavviare il dialogo ed incoraggiare gli stessi musulmani alla riconciliazione e alla ricostruzione. Riconciliazione e fiducia, in una prospettiva di pace duratura”. Infine, egli dovrà aiutare i cristiani a “riallacciare i fili della storia a Mosul, far rinascere le chiese ed i luoghi di culto, alcuni dei quali sono fra i più antichi e importanti per la Chiesa caldea. Essi sono parte della vita e della storia della città”.

Mideast patriarch: Unify efforts against extremism, terrorism

By Crux
Doreen Abi Raad

At a gathering of Middle East leaders coinciding with the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the Syriac Orthodox patriarch emphasized the need to unify efforts against extremism and terrorism.

“A hundred years after the genocide during the Ottoman Empire and major displacements,” Christians in the region are still facing similar circumstances, said Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II of Antioch.

“Many of our churches have been destroyed and hundreds of thousands of our Christian brothers have been forced to migrate from the land of their fathers,” Aphrem said. “To whose benefit is it if the region is emptied of Christians?”

He opened the Jan. 22-23 executive committee meeting of the Middle East Council of Churches, which he hosted at the patriarchal residence in Atchaneh, Lebanon.

Members of the executive committee attending the meeting included Iraqi Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, patriarch of Chaldean Catholics; the Rev. Habib Badr, senior pastor of the National Evangelical Church of Beirut; and Souraya Bechealany, acting secretary-general of Middle East Council of Churches; as well as bishops and representatives from Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant churches in the Middle East.

Aphrem called for regular meetings, at both the spiritual and political levels, to unify efforts against extremism and terrorism, as well as “to promote the principles of coexistence, human values, religious freedom and the spiritual and social values that exist.”

“We know that our future is the future of living together with our Muslim brothers,” the patriarch said, adding that “if we want to have a secure future,” all must work together.

The patriarch lamented “the great silence of the great world powers” regarding the fate of two bishops kidnapped in Syria nearly six years ago, Orthodox Metropolitan Paul of Aleppo and Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan Gregorios Yohanna of Aleppo.

In its final statement, the executive committee called on “the international community and the Arab world to work for the release of the kidnapped bishops” as well as priests and lay abductees.

It called for “the establishment of peace in Syria and the dignified and safe return of displaced persons to their homeland and for the restoration of Iraq’s recovery and the return of uprooted children to their land.”

It rejected the decision to declare Jerusalem the capital of “the occupying power” and called for the “realization of the state of Palestine stipulated in the relevant international resolutions.”

It also condemned “all forms of extremism and terrorism,” expressing their hope for the “cooperation between churches and Islamic authorities to build a religious discourse” based on “the values of love, peace, social justice and dialogue.”