Comunicato del Dicastero per il Servizio dello Sviluppo Umano Integrale: Riunione sulla crisi umanitaria siriana e irachena (13-14 settembre 2018)

By Sala Stampa della santa Sede in Il sismografo blogspot

Il Dicastero per il Servizio dello Sviluppo Umano Integrale promuove una riunione sulla crisi umanitaria siriana e irachena, che si svolgerà nei giorni 13-14 settembre presso l’Auditorium Giovanni Paolo II della Pontificia Università Urbaniana.
All’incontro hanno dato adesione oltre 50 organismi di carità cattolici, rappresentanti degli episcopati locali e delle Istituzioni ecclesiali e Congregazioni religiose che operano in Siria, Iraq e nei Paesi limitrofi, oltre ai Nunzi Apostolici in Siria, Iraq, Libano e Turchia.
Il primo giorno, i lavori saranno introdotti da Mons. Segundo Tejado Muñoz, Sotto-Segretario del Dicastero per il Servizio dello Sviluppo Umano Integrale, dal discorso del Card. Peter K.A. Turkson, Prefetto del medesimo Dicastero, e dalla presentazione del Rapporto dell’Indagine sulla risposta delle Istituzioni ecclesiali alla crisi umanitaria irachena e siriana 2017-2018, realizzato dal Dicastero. Seguiranno, dunque, l’intervento del Segretario di Stato, Card. Pietro Parolin, e gli aggiornamenti sulla situazione politica e umanitaria da parte del Nunzio Apostolico in Siria, Card. Mario Zenari, e del Nunzio Apostolico in Iraq e Giordania, S.E. Mons. Alberto Ortega Martín.
La giornata si concluderà con la relazione del Dott. Filippo Grandi, Alto Commissario delle Nazioni Unite per i Rifugiati (UNHCR), che interverrà, in particolare, sulle sfide e le prospettive della situazione migratoria attuale nell’area di crisi.
Nella mattinata del 14 settembre, i partecipanti si riuniranno in gruppi di lavoro per concentrarsi sugli aspetti concreti della collaborazione tra i diversi soggetti impegnati nella risposta alla crisi. La sessione pomeridiana sarà invece dedicata al delicato tema del rientro nelle comunità di origine da parte dei migranti e rifugiati. Dopo il discorso del Card. Leonardo Sandri, Prefetto della Congregazione per le Chiese Orientali, e l’intervento di P. Fabio Baggio, Sotto-Segretario del Dicastero per il Servizio dello Sviluppo Umano Integrale – Sezione Migranti e Rifugiati, i partecipanti si riuniranno nuovamente in gruppi di lavoro, dedicati allo specifico tema della sessione.
Dopo il dibattito sui lavori di gruppo, le conclusioni della riunione saranno affidate al Card. Turkson.
Venerdì 14 settembre è prevista l’Udienza con il Santo Padre, presso il Palazzo Apostolico.
Obiettivo della riunione, in continuità con il percorso intrapreso negli ultimi sei anni, è quello di proporsi come un momento di riflessione e comunione fraterna tra tutte le Istituzioni ecclesiali coinvolte nelle opere di carità e assistenza a favore delle popolazioni colpite da questa crisi umanitaria, sulla quale più volte il Santo Padre ha richiamato l’attenzione dell’opinione pubblica; tracciare un bilancio del lavoro svolto finora dagli organismi caritativi cattolici nel contesto della crisi, condividendo le informazioni sull’evoluzione della situazione umanitaria e le risposte della Chiesa; discutere le criticità emerse e individuare le priorità per il futuro; analizzare la situazione delle comunità cristiane residenti nei Paesi colpiti dalla guerra, promuovendo la sinergia tra gli organismi ecclesiali, le Congregazioni religiose e le diocesi. Una riflessione particolare sarà rivolta quest’anno alle prospettive realistiche di un ritorno volontario di sfollati interni e rifugiati nelle comunità di origine.
Il conflitto in Siria e Iraq ha prodotto una delle crisi umanitarie più gravi degli ultimi decenni. La Santa Sede, oltre all’attività diplomatica, partecipa attivamente ai programmi di aiuto e assistenza umanitaria. La rete ecclesiale, complessivamente, dal 2014 ha destinato alla risposta all’emergenza oltre 1 miliardo di dollari, raggiungendo più di 4 milioni di beneficiari individuali per anno. Secondo fonti ONU, attualmente sono più di 13 milioni le persone bisognose di aiuto in Siria e quasi 9 milioni in Iraq; gli sfollati interni sono oltre 6 milioni in Siria e 2 milioni in Iraq, mentre 5.6 milioni sono i rifugiati siriani registrati nei Paesi limitrofi, tra cui Turchia, Libano, Giordania, Iraq ed Egitto. I ritorni volontari in Iraq ammonterebbero al momento a 3.9 milioni di persone.

Iraqi Christian families not returning to Nineveh, more interested in migration

By The Arab Weekly
Oumayma Omar

Under the cover of darkness three years ago, Waed Eishou and his family left their town of Hamdaniya in the Nineveh Plains near Mosul as Islamic State militants were advancing, spreading death and destruction as they passed. Today, a year after the extremist group was defeated, Eishou’s and many other Christian families refuse to return to their homes.

“It was a horrifying journey of survival,” Eishou said. “We moved from one camp to another in Irbil, then lived for a while in a church and finally ended up in Baghdad where we stayed in a Christian school first and then here in the Virgin Mary camp. Although it is no easy life, it is better than returning to the village.”

Few residents have returned to Hamdaniya, one of many Christian towns in Nineveh. Eishou said the Islamic State (ISIS) systematically destroyed the towns, going from home to home, dousing them with chemicals and setting them on fire.

“The place looks like ghost towns. People feel insecure and unstable there even after ISIS exit. That is why the majority prefer to stay in the camp until they get the opportunity to leave Iraq,” he said.

“The authorities have deprived Christians of their equal rights like other communities. It is a situation that many cannot cope with any longer,” Eishou added.

Nahla Khodr, also a refugee at the Virgin Mary camp, which is run by the Assyrian Democratic Movement party, visited her hometown of Qaraqosh secretly two months ago and discovered that her house has been razed.

“Everything is lost, my property, my belongings and all my savings. It was a great shock and such a painful sight,” Khodr said, “but what’s more distressing is that I know that I will not return to the town where I was born and lived all my life. The future of my children is my priority and it is definitely not there.”

While predominantly Muslim towns have begun to rebuild, in mostly Christian places, few residents have returned. Many are afraid of ISIS sympathisers and other extremist groups. In recent months, ISIS sleeper cells attacked in and around Mosul and Kirkuk, as well as in Baghdad.

“We fear for our security,” said Khodr. “All my efforts are focused on leaving Iraq and resettling in Europe with the help of relatives there.”

Like Khodr, Iraqi Christians say they feel insecure, threatened by religious extremism, lawlessness and political instability. Many see immigration as their sole option.

Christians and other minorities such as the Yazidis have been repeatedly targeted and their places of worship attacked by Muslim extremists since the United States toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003. Before the US invasion, there were some 1.5 million Christians in Iraq. Since then, their numbers have dwindled to less than half that figure.

Some 150,000 Christians lived in the Nineveh Plains and 30,000 in Mosul, the country’s second largest city, before ISIS overran the area in 2015, Christian Parliamentarian and head of the Assyrian Democratic Movement party Yonadam Kanna said.

“Political instability, the conflict between Baghdad and Erbil over the so-called disputed areas (in and near Nineveh), in addition to the feeling of insecurity and the lack of services and facilities in the towns from which they were displaced are the reasons why the majority did not return despite the demise of ISIS,” Kanna said.

He said 20% of Nineveh’s Christians have left Iraq, while 40% of their houses were beyond repair and 20 churches, some dating to the 15th century, were destroyed.

“Sectarian and religious fanaticism dealt a big blow to the peaceful coexistence in Mosul and the Nineveh Plains, in particular, creating tensions and fears among Christians,” Kanna said. “Unless the area is really distanced from the scuffles and fights, the return of the Christian population will be extremely difficult despite the big assurances made by the government.”

Hanna Tobia, 55, was displaced from his hometown in Anbar in 2015. He opened a shop in the camp and, unlike the majority of the camp’s residents, he is not keen on leaving Iraq.

“It is out of the question that I quit my country. My roots are here and I will live and die in Iraq even if my whole family wants to leave and I am left alone,” Tobia said.

A recent report by the Iraqi Human Rights Society said Iraqi minorities, such as Christians, Yazidis and Shabaks, are victims of a “slow genocide,” which is shattering those ancient communities to the point of their disappearance.

The report said that 81% of Iraq’s Christians have disappeared from Iraq and 18% of Yazidis have left the country or been killed. Another human rights organisation, Hammurabi, said Baghdad had 600,000 Christians in the recent past; today there are 150,000.

Bassora in fiamme. L'Arcivescovo caldeo descrive la “catastrofe sociale” della città

By Fides

Un appello a pregare per i manifestanti uccisi e per “quelli oppressi e privati dei più elementari diritti umani” è stato diffuso nelle ultime ore da Habib al Naufali, Arcivescovo caldeo di Bassora auspicando che il governo di Baghdad si attenga a criteri morali nello svolgere il proprio compito, prendendo atto della "profonda ingiustizia” che ha alimentato le sollevazioni popolari.
La rivolta, esplosa nella seconda città irachena per numero di abitanti (più di due milioni, dei quali più del 90 per cento musulmani sciiti) ha visto nei giorni scorsi anche l'assalto dei dimostranti ai palazzi governativi, alla tv di Stato Al-Iraqiya, e al consolato iraniano e alle sedi dei partiti di governo e di opposizione.
L'Arcivescovo caldeo fa riferimento al momento drammatico attraversato dalla metropoli dell'estremo sud iracheno, e si sofferma sulle cause sociali che hanno fatto scattare la rivolta, descritta da molti osservatori con i tratti della guerra civile. “Alle messe di ieri” racconta tra l'altro l'Arcivescovo “la metà dei posti tradizionalmente occupati dai fedeli erano vuoti, perché le persone non potevano raggiungere la chiesa per la chiusura delle strade circostanti”, in una città devastata dagli attacchi ai palazzi del potere e dagli interventi repressivi delle forse armate. Ciò - aggiunge l'Arcivescovo caldeo - non ha impedito anche a fratelli e sorelle musulmani di raggiungere la nostra chiesa per chiedere anche loro la misericordia e l'aiuto di Dio davanti a quello che sta accadendo”. Habib al Naufali definisce “disastro umanitario, sociale e culturale” quello in atto nel capoluogo della provincia potenzialmente più ricca dell'Iraq: "Quando senti che accade a Bassora” sottolinea l'Arcivescovo caldeo “senti vergogna come essere umano”.
La rivolta, cominciata a luglio, è riesplosa ora più forte come effetto dello stato di abbandono e delle condizioni di vita insostenibili in cui si trova gran parte della popolazione, alle prese anche con carenze di approvvigionamento idrico e elettrico, in una delle aree più calde del mondo. La città, circondata dai maggiori giacimenti petroliferi nazionali, è travolta da un livello di disoccupazione più alto che nel resto del Paese. I dimostranti chiedono anche che una parte delle entrate dovute al petrolio siano riservate dal governo centrale alla provincia di Bassora, in maniera analoga a quello che avviene già nella Regione autonoma del Kurdistan iracheno.La rivolta, pur sostenuta da settori della popolazione sciita, ha assunto anche una connotazione anti-iraniana, con il governo di Teheran accusato di condizionare e pilotare le scelte della leadership politica irachena.

Bassora, coprifuoco e violenze. Arcivescovo caldeo: situazione ‘pessima’

By Asia News

La situazione “resta pessima: gli uffici governativi sono stati incendiati, in fiamme ieri anche le sedi di partiti politici” e la mancanza cronica “di infrastrutture, acqua potabile ed elettricità” alimenta la protesta. È quanto racconta ad AsiaNews mons. Alnaufali Habib Jajou, arcivescovo caldeo di Bassora, nel sud dell’Iraq, teatro da giorni di gravi violenze. Testimoni oculari confermano l’incendio di locali appartenenti all’organizzazione Badr, le milizie sciite in prima linea contro l’Isis. Nel mirino anche la sede di Firat Tv, vicina al partito sciita Ammar al-Hakim. “Le manifestazioni - sottolinea il prelato - riguardano diversi punti dentro e fuori la città”. 

“Molti leader tribali - afferma l’arcivescovo di Bassora - sono in cerca di vendetta per la morte di almeno una decina di giovani, rimasti uccisi negli scontri dell’ultima settimana. Centinaia i feriti, oltre 22mila persone sono state avvelenate [dall’acqua inquinata] e soffrono di disturbi vari, in particolare dissenteria. Alcune fra loro appartengono alla nostra comunità”.

Da tempo la metropoli del sud dell’Iraq, colpita da una grave crisi idrica, è teatro di manifestazioni di piazza da parte di cittadini che protestano contro la pessima qualità dei servizi pubblici, la disoccupazione (10% secondo i dati ufficiali, ma con punte fino al 60% fra i giovani) e la corruzione endemica.

Gli scontri in atto hanno causato solo negli ultimi giorni almeno 10 morti e decine di feriti. 

Nella regione di Bassora si trova circa il 90% delle risorse di idrocarburi del Paese. Tuttavia, solo l’1% della forza lavoro proviene dalla zona. Nel tentativo di arginare la spirale di violenze, le autorità hanno imposto il coprifuoco in tutta la città. Intanto il Parlamento irakeno ha annunciato per domani una seduta straordinaria per “discutere dei problemi, delle soluzioni e dei recenti sviluppi” a Bassora.

A causa delle sanguinose protese (23 le vittime accertate dall’8 luglio), la Chiesa locale aveva deciso di sospendere le attività culturali e il catechismo. Un provvedimento che rimane in vigore, a tutela dell’incolumità dei fedeli. 

Il prelato conferma le pessime condizioni in cui versano piante e animali, “in continuo peggioramento ogni giorno che passa”. A questo si aggiunge la “mancanza di lavoro e l’assenza dei diritti umani di base!”. In questa situazione, avverte, “la tensione è destinata a perdurare. Il timore è che possa crescere e diffondersi a tutto il sud dell’Iraq”.

Vi sono elementi, osserva il prelato, che “parlano e agiscono a nome dei manifestanti, ma non hanno una personalità così forte da emergere in qualità di leader della protesta”. Anche perché, aggiunge, “qui prevale la logica tribale e si tende a seguire il leader della propria tribù, o i capi delle milizie, qualcuno anche l’esercito”. Una situazione molto frastagliata, in cui non vi sono elementi carismatici in grado di unire. Resta il fatto, conclude mons. Habib, che “da luglio si registra un progressivo peggioramento e le pressioni di nazioni dell’area e potenze mondiali non aiuta”. 

Tensione e violenze hanno coinvolto anche Baghdad: questa mattina tre colpi di mortaio sono caduti nella Green Zone, l’aerea blindata della capitale irachena, dove hanno sede gli edifici delle autorità federali e l’ambasciata degli Stati Uniti. L’attacco non avrebbe causato vittime o danni e non è stato ancora rivendicato da alcun gruppo. Tuttavia, l’episodio desta preoccupazione perché l’area è blindata da imponenti misure di sicurezza ed è raro che accadano incidenti.

Iraqi Current Political and Constitutional Dilemma

By Chaldean Patriarchate

During such a political and constitutional “deadlock” caused by the failure of the Parliament to elect a Speaker, which in turn, delayed the process of electing both the Prime Minister and the Iraqi President as well as escalating the difficult and disturbing situation in the country. Therefore, and in order to prevent “chaos” and interference from abroad, we propose that the two “coalitions” who won the majority of votes in the latest election “Tahaluf Elbenaa” and the “Tahaluf El Eslah & Al-Emmar” nominate 3 figures for the 3 important positions in the Government, i.e. President for the Republic of Iraq, Prime Minister and a Speaker for the Parliament.
This will lead to determine a certain date, preferably, as soon as possible and have the first official session for the newly sworn Parliament Members, in which they vote and choose from these nominees “the right person at the right place” in terms of the most appropriate candidate, who should be capable, honest, decision maker and ready to serve people, responding to their daily needs and concerns, for instance, to resolve the problems of Basrah. This is the only way for the decision makers to confront sectarianism and make their choice Iraqi 100 percent.

Ladies and Gentlemen

Now, is the time to learn from previous mistakes, including: conflict tragedies, impact of ISIS invasion, injustice and displacement, sectarian discrimination, corruption, unemployment, uncertainties and worries.

Now, is the time to live in peace, stability, freedom and dignity, so that every Iraqi should contribute to build peace and security.

Now, is the time to respect human rights and “every human being” to achieve equality and social justice, away from double standards to put things in their right way.

Time for an era of respect and openness in Iraq: Cardinal Sako

By Rudaw
Hiwa Jamal
September 4, 2018

It's time for a new era in Iraqi politics, one where Iraqis count on each other and not outsiders, says Patriarch Louis Raphael I Sako, head of the Chaldean church who was elevated to cardinal by Pope Francis at the Vatican in June.

After 15 years of sectarianism, corruption, and accumulation of disasters that led to the rise of terrorism, “Today we need a will that could bring an end to all that,” Sako told Rudaw's Hiwa Jamal in Baghdad.
Sako was born in 1948 in Zakho, Kurdistan Region. He was ordained a priest in Mosul in 1974 and also served in Kirkuk where he worked for peace and reconciliation between peoples. He was elected patriarch in 2013.
He leads a church whose existence is under threat in Iraq. In the 1987 Iraqi census, the most recent, 1.5 million Christians were counted – 1.2 million of whom were Chaldeans. After the ISIS conflict, an estimated half a million remain.
Sako warned that if “aggressive policies” in traditional Christian homelands continues, the minority could disappear entirely.
Though he believes “there isn't really any safe place in Iraq,” including the Kurdistan Region where Christians are “marginalized,” he dismissed the idea of creating a safe zone for Christian in Nineveh, fearing that would make them targets.
“The best solution is to build a state of institutions that will respect and protect everyone and keep the guns in the hands of the army and federal police here and in the hands of the Peshmerga in the north.”
The problems are internal so the solution to restore freedom and democracy in Iraq must come from within the country, he concluded.
“We Iraqis must protect one another and count on each other. We must have civilized dialogue, be open with each other and respect each other. That's the solution.”


We're meeting with Cardinal Louis Rafael Sako, the cardinal of the Chaldeans of Iraq and the whole world. He has in recent says released a message to all politicians of Iraq to turn a new page and move forward with true democracy and freedom for all.
Thank you very much. This is certainly a crucial question for a sovereign Iraq to be on a strong and healthy foundation. In the last 15 years all the successive Iraqi governments have failed in creating a civil state based on citizenship. The notion of sectarian quotas was something completely foreign to us. These governments created big barriers between people. This kind of mindset cannot create a state that would serve the society equally and become a state of the rule of law and rights of all. These were the reasons for the spread of corruption in all institutions and the death of public services. What one calls public serves disappeared. On the contrary all things collapsed and rivalries replaced them with very negative consequences.
The disasters added up so much that it created the ground for terrorist organizations. Before ISIS there was the al-Qaeda. It beheaded people, carried out bombings and ISIS destroyed Iraq's civilization. It beheaded people and forcefully displaced people. All based on identity. It didn't matter Sunni, Christian or Shiites whom they called Rafidha. It didn't matter to them if you were a Christian or any other identity. And I sent out a message for turning a new page and forming a government based on true partnership for the new stage. 15 years have passed and it's for a change.
In one of your messages you say “Our Father has taught us to always tell the truth” even if it means losing our lives saying it. But in today's Iraq where you say it's been failing for fifteen years, is it easy to say the truth. Is there truth?
The truth is bitter and painful. The slogans the Americans brought with them glittered but not all that glitters is gold. They spoke of freedom, democracy, economic prosperity and reconstruction. But fifteen years went by and we're still here. No project was done. Services of water and electricity. I don't understand why there should be no electricity. Unemployment has reached a dangerous rate of more than 22 percent. The health services is shameful. In a week alone I went to the Yarmouk hospital several times and you cannot call it hospital. The same with the schools. How could students sit on the ground and study? The curriculum is also bad and old and need change. Education here has fallen victim to political rivalries.
Politicians are constantly fighting for power not for the people of Iraq. All their efforts are for power and money and the best proof is the past fifteen years. We've seen every kind of suffering and disaster. Today we need a will that could bring an end to all that. Germany was completely destroyed but when the Germans got together they built the strong Germany we see today and advanced socially and economically. Iraq could do the same if forgets about the past and quit the notion of revenge and conspiracy against one another and put join hands instead. If people are given their rights and duties they'll certainly meet the expectations, and I hope that's what's going to happen.
All agree especially the Christians themselves that Iraq is not a safe place for them. But a few days ago you said in a statement that you don't want a safe region for the Christians in the Nineveh plains. Why not
If we speak from reality there isn't really any safe place in Iraq. There are killings, abductions and bombings in Baghdad. The same is happening in other cities. Where could you find safety and stability? Even the military institutions are weak and divided across sectarian lines.
More dangerous still is that militia groups are running this country and that shouldn't be acceptable. There are all kinds of militia groups who occupy people's homes and properties and become their new owners. That's why it makes no sense to ask for a safe zone for the Christians because it will become a de facto region.
I think it is some kind of suicide too because that safe region automatically becomes a target and the Christians will be massacred. The best solution is to build a state of institutions that will respect and protect everyone and keep the guns in the hands of the army and federal police here and in the hands of the Peshmerga in the north. But if we keep having militia groups under Christians, Yezidi, Shaba and Mandeans then there'll only be chaos.
Is Kurdistan not a safe haven for Christians?
Kurdistan changed after the referendum and faced some serious challenges. There is no guarantee for safety and stability. I hope the Kurds become a positive voice for change and become a factor to coordinate with other Iraqi parties for building a strong Iraq. In the Kurdistan Region there is no sectarian divisions. But there is generally no safe haven for the Kurds or Christians. If there isn't a constitution that would encompass everyone's rights and human values there will be no stability and peace. How could you be optimistic? Kirkuk is a good example. We all saw what happened there.
But why is the main congregation of Christians in the Kurdistan Region?
The Christians faced forceful displacement under ISIS. They fled their homes and their land in Mosul and the Nineveh plains. And a decision from the federal court of Iraq decrees that the Nineveh plains aren't part of Article 140, meaning it is not a disputed territory. When the Christians were displaced from the plains they went to the Kurdistan Region, Sulaimani, Erbil and Duhok. They also threw themselves into the embrace of our Christian brothers there. We thank the Kurdistan Region. They protected us and welcomed us. But this is not a solution. These people must return to their homes, cities and villages. The situation isn't ideal at the moment, but may be better in the future.
Is this the decision of the Chaldean Church that you do not want a safe region for the Christians
We've our own central authority and we're the authority for all the Christians of Iraq and Chaldeans abroad. This is the standpoint of all the Chaldean church. We're for dialogue and respecting the rights of all peoples no matter what religious or ethnic group they may be. That's our motto. Also, the reality of the region plays its own role. Living here in Baghdad I know that the situation of a Christian here is different from that of someone living in Erbil. And therefore the opinions may differ, too.
Most of the Chaldeans are in the Kurdistan Region now and mainly in Ainkawa. The chair of the Assyrians was transferred from the US to Kurdistan. How come the Chaldean chair hasn't come to the Kurdistan Region
The Chaldeans live mainly in the Nineveh plains and their numbers were considerably large in the Kurdistan Region until 1973. Then we migrated. My family were from a village near Zakho then we moved to Mosul. Before the fall of the regime (Saddam Hussein's) out of a million Christians two thirds were Chaldean and they lived in Baghdad. That's why the main congregation of Christians was in Baghdad. They still fled from there too due to the security situation and the disasters that befell them in the Nineveh plains, the worsening economic situation, disintegration of families and Christians abroad encouraging the Christians at home to go abroad too and that played a role in the decline of the number of Christians in Iraq. Despite that the majority of Christians are in Baghdad, Kirkuk, Ammara, Basra and Nasiryah.
Do you have numbers and data on how many Christians live where in Iraq?
Before the fall of the regime our numbers were 1.5 million. Out of this number around 1.2 million were Chaldeans. Today only a quarter of the Christians are Chaldean. And around half a million Christians are left in Iraq. I believe they're the majority in Baghdad. If we speak of the majority then most Christians are in Baghdad. And perhaps there are around 200,000 Christians in the Nineveh plains and the Kurdistan Region. There are also political problems. The Chaldeans didn't have a chance to partake in the political process. It was not taken into account that they have skilled and talented people who should be given roles and put in high positions. We're marginalized, in the Kurdistan Region, too. The Chaldeans do not have representatives. There may be one here or there, but it's all to do with politics.
I hope the Chaldeans are given their due rights in the Kurdistan Region and become true partners. I want to reemphasize that Chaldeans make up the majority of Christians in the Kurdistan Region, then comes the Assyrians and an Armenian minority. In the Nineveh plains there are mainly Chaldeans and Assyrians.
Chaldeans, Assyrians and Syrianis speak three different languages and yet all Christians. Are you all one nation and speak these languages?
If we take the Kurds as an example, there are Badini Kurds who speak Badini and Kurds in Sulaimani who speak Sorani and we have Faili Kurds, too. But they all together make up the Kurdish nation. Each one with its own specifications. Here with us it's the same. The Chaldeans have their own qualities and the Assyrians and others the same. But in essence we're all one people and these identities have taken shape in the last 500-600 years.
We cannot all gather under one name and erase the other names and identities. Doesn't matter what name we have or what identity, what's important is to be given our freedom and let us decide what we want and what we do. But when they insult you and give you a name long like a train as Chaldean-Assyrian-Syriani, then it's unacceptable. I'm telling you I'm Chaldean, but I won't allow you to call me Chaldean-Assyrian-Syriani the same way you say you're a Kurd and won't accept to be called Badini-Sorani-Faili. You're a people with three names and we're the same way as one people and we've tried hard to unite but politicians don't let us.
What has been the role of the Kurdistan Region in protecting the Christians?
To this day no serious effort has been made to grant the Christians their rights. In fact there are efforts to break them apart so that they cannot unite and form an entity. But in reality the Christians can play a crucial role political and social progress. As I said, there are efforts to drift the Christians apart. When we look at the Christian political parties we see disintegration and divisions and the cause is politics. For instance, the people's assembly was in the beginning a social organization but now it's become political.
Is it the Christian parties themselves that are divided or others are dividing them?
No, I'm talking about political affiliations. We've understandings between us as three churches the same way the Muslims as Shias and Sunnis have their own higher authority but in the end are all Muslims. We too have Catholic, Assyrian and Orthodox churches, but as higher authority we have one and that's the Catholic Church. It is the culture, language and geography but has no effect on our identity as Christians.
But generally there is a division be it in the Kurdistan Region or here and the cause is always political. Each side tries to use the situation in their own interest and they've formed political parties that can't even be independent.
It is said that there are serious efforts to change the demography of the Nineveh plains and Shiites and others are settled there. Are you aware of this and is this a threat?
Yes, I'm certainly aware of that and it's a serious challenge and a threat to our very existence. Historically that entire region has been Christian. I suggested to the government to form administrative units for the Shabaks and let them have their own entities and in turn leave Alqosh, Bartella, Qaraqosh and Hamdaniyah alone because these are Christian areas. Unless the do that the Christians are going to disappear as they're in danger of disappearance politically already.
If this situation continues Christianity will be no more in Iraq. Due to aggressive politics and religious mottos we've become second-class citizens. This is our land and we've been here since before the advent of Islam. It's important that that mentality is changed.
Also, it's vital that the laws are changed and people are allowed to criticize and speak up when they face trouble. Everything must happen as people will it. I dress like this and you're free to dress as you wish.
Do you want to have an administrative region of your own run by Christians?
No, No, we're aware, and we see the demographic change. If there is true freedom, peace, stability and democracy then it's okay for any Iraqi citizen to buy a house wherever they want and live in it. But this is not true now and this freedom and democracy do not exist. This is all political rivalry. Rivalry over land, over power and money and we Christians have become victims of these rivalries and divided over two fronts.
Why can't the Christian countries of the world whose leaders are Christian too protect and help the Christians of Iraq?
The real solution is here inside the country. Where are those countries who claimed that they would recognize an independent Kurdistan after the referendum? Where are they now? They didn't do anything. They only had their own interests in mind. We do not rely on other countries. We count on those at home and work with them. We work with the Kurds in the Kurdistan Region and with the central government here. Our issue is with these people which means our problems are internal and not external. We do not count on anyone. The Americans, Europeans or Russians haven't come here to protect us or others. They've come to protect their own interests only. That's very clear.
We Iraqis must protect one another and count on each other. We must have civilized dialogue, be open with each other and respect each other. That's the solution. The outside forces only mean trouble for us. World Christians protecting Christians here or the Muslims of Indonesia protecting the Muslims here, so on and so forth, it makes absolutely no sense. If that's the case then there'll be a world war.
Is the Pope aware of the situation of the Christians here?
The Pope is fully aware of the situation. And there is the Iraqi ambassador in the Vatican so is the KRG representative. The Pope has all the information and we talk to him about our situation. But the Pope does in the meantime respect Iraq's sovereignty and believes these problems could be resolved inside Iraq because Iraq is the common home of all of us.
What's the Pope's message for the Christians here?
The Pope encourages all Christians to stay in Iraq and keep communication and dialogue with everybody. This is our land and where our civilization is. These wars and suffering are transient and will one end as history has proven it. God willing the future will be better and I hope a bright future awaits all Iraqis whoever they are and wherever they may be.

Iraq: accordo per un nuovo governo

By Vatican News
Roberto Piermarini

L’accordo chiamato a formare un nuovo governo e raggiunto nella tarda serata di ieri, prevede un importante coalizione parlamentare composta da sedici movimenti e partiti politici irakeni, fra cui la lista populista del leader radicale sciita Moqtada al-Sadr - vincitore delle elezioni del maggio scorso - e la fazione del premier uscente Haider al-Abadi. La coalizione comprende 177 deputati eletti alle legislative di maggio. Un numero superiore alla metà dei 329 seggi di cui è formato il Parlamento e che rappresenta una solida base in aula per il futuro esecutivo.

Presidente Masum: respingiamo corruzione e settarismo

Questa mattina in apertura della prima riunione del nuovo parlamento il Presidente iracheno Fuad Masum ha detto che “vogliamo che l’Iraq sia un Paese che contempli le diversità, l’uguaglianza e la trasparenza”. “Respingiamo manifestazioni di corruzione e di settarismo” ha aggiunto il Presidente. La sessione del nuovo Parlamento dovrà eleggere il Presidente – che, come tradizione dovrà essere un sunnita – che sarà affiancato da altri due vice.

Il Parlamento dovrà eleggere un nuovo Presidente

I deputati entro 30 giorni dovranno poi per eleggere il futuro Presidente della Repubblica, in questo caso un curdo secondo la storia recente del Paese. Egli dovrà ottenere i due terzi dei seggi parlamentari e, una volta eletto, avrà 15 giorni di tempo per affidare l’incarico alla coalizione maggioritaria – in questo caso quella che si è formata ieri - per la formazione del nuovo governo.
I partiti curdi, divisi al loro interno, devono ancora ufficializzare i nomi dei candidati alla carica di Presidente, la più importante del Paese sebbene rivesta un ruolo in larga parte simbolico. Analisti ed esperti ricordano che il sistema politico iracheno è studiato perché nessuno, leader o gruppo politico, possa avere un dominio sulla camera; l’obiettivo è quello di impedire il ritorno di un dittatore o di un uomo (troppo) forte, dopo la caduta nel 2003 di Saddam Hussein.

Card. Sako invoca governo forte

L’avvio dei lavori parlamentari e la nascita di un blocco che ha i numeri per formare il nuovo governo scrive la parola fine a mesi di dubbi e incertezze legate alle accuse di brogli emerse in seguito al voto. Per questo un mese fa il card. Louis Raphael Sako, in una lettera ai politici iracheni e alle rappresentanze diplomatiche presenti nel Paese aveva chiesto con urgenza “un forte governo di coalizione” per fermare le spinte settarie e per far fronte alla crisi economica. Il patriarca Sako ha voluto richiamare tutti i politici iracheni alle loro responsabilità, anzitutto chiedendo di formare “prima che sia troppo tardi” un governo di coalizione capace di intervenire sulla presenza delle milizie organizzate su base etnico-religiosa che ancora dettano legge in ampie aree dell’Iraq.

Il porporato si interroga sul futuro del Paese

“Bisogna ascoltare le richieste della popolazione perchè sono richieste giuste: chiedono elettricità, acqua, lavoro, il rispetto dei bisogni primari delle persone, la loro dignità e libertà” ha scritto Sako. “In Iraq tutto è fermo: l’agricoltura, l’industria, il turismo, abbiamo solo il petrolio e quello viene venduto e i soldi rubati. Che ne sarà del Paese, che ne sarà di 30 milioni di iracheni?», si chiede il primate della Chiesa caldea. Suggerisce quindi, tramite il documento, ai politici di riformare la Costituzione ormai superata e le leggi, tenendo conto del «principio di cittadinanza» per risolvere ogni tipo di affiliazione religiosa o settaria dei cittadini. “Non è la religione il problema, la religione è solo una scusa di alcuni per giustificare i propri interessi - rimarca il card. Sako -. La religione non entra nella politica, ciò che si deve fare è riconoscere l’uguaglianza e la dignità di tutti e fare tutto il possibile per migliorare le condizioni di vita della gente”.

Buone vacanze!

Photo by Ryan McGuire

By Baghdadhope*

Home Office finally grants visa to Iraqi nun after rejecting her twice

By Catholic Herald

An Iraqi nun who was forced to flee Islamic State in 2014 has finally been granted entry into Britain after being denied twice.

Sister Ban Madleen previously applied for a UK visa to visit her sick sister but was refused permission in March. A second application for a month-long trip to see her sister and sister’s family was denied last month.

Fr Benedict Kiely, founder of Nasarean.org, confirmed on Twitter:

@benedict_kielySome good news for the day - Sister Ban Madleen from Iraq received her visa to visit her family in Britain for a month. Sad that it needed publicity and the intervention of J. Rees Mogg MP to get a victim of ISIS permission to visit her family in the U.K.
2:06 PM - Jul 17, 2018

Sister Ban’s case had been taken up by Conservative MPs Jacob Rees-Mogg and Sir Edward Leigh. Sir Edward raised the issue in the House of Commons on Monday, the same day her visa was granted.

Sister Ban, whose Dominican convent in the Christian town of Qaraqosh on the Nineveh plain was occupied by ISIS for two years, settled in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, where she set up pre-school centres.

In December 2016 three archbishops from Iraq and Syria were refused entry into Britain despite being invited by the country’s Syriac Orthodox Church for the consecration of the UK’s first Syriac Orthodox Cathedral, attended by Prince Charles.

According to Fr Kiely, another Iraqi Dominican nun with a PhD in biblical theology from Oxford has similarly been refused a UK visa twice.

Last year the Institute of St Anselm, a Catholic institute training priests and nuns in Margate, Kent, said it had been forced to close because of problems with visa applications for foreign students.

 

Iraqi Christians and Muslims working together to help the sick

By FRRME (Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East)

Iraq used to have one of the best healthcare sectors in the Middle East. But decades of war and sanctions have left it in ruins. These days, complicated surgeries often have to be performed in other countries. There is a shortage of vital drugs and seeing a doctor can cost hundreds of dollars. For those in need, it is a desperate situation. At St George’s in Baghdad*, there is hope for the sick. With your support, we are funding a medical clinic in the church grounds which treats around 80 patients a day. The staff at the clinic are Christian and Muslim and help people from all walks of life.

*St. George is the only Anglican church in Baghdad.
Note by Baghdadhope

Diventa sacerdote Fadi Iskander, figlio del prete-martire siro ortodosso Boulos Iskander

Foto Ankawa.com

By Fides

Ricevere l'ordinazione sacerdotale dalle mani dello stesso Vescovo che molti anni prima aveva ordinato sacerdote il proprio padre, trucidato nel 2006 e celebrato come martire dai cristiani iracheni. E' accaduto a Fadi Iskander, divenuto sacerdote della Chiesa sira ortodossa domenica scorsa, 15 luglio, ad Ankawa, sobborgo di Erbil abitato in maggioranza da cristiani. Fadi è figlio di Boulos Iskander Behnam, sacerdote siro ortodosso ucciso con atroci supplizi nel 2006 a Mosul. L'ordinazione di padre Fadi è stata celebrata nella chiesa sira ortodossa dedicata alla Madonna della Luce da Mar Gregorios Shaliba Chamoun, lo stesso Vescovo che nell'aprile 1989 aveva ordinato sacerdote suo padre Boulos nella cattedrale siro ortodossa di Sant'Efrem a Mosul. Alla liturgia di ordinazione di padre Fadi – riferiscono fonti locali all'Agenzia Fides – hanno preso parte diversi Vescovi siro ortodossi insieme a sacerdoti, religiosi e religiose appartenenti a diverse confessioni cristiane, oltre a centinaia di fedeli. Padre Fadi Iskander svolgerà il suo ministero sacerdotale presso l'eparchia siro ortodossa di Byblos, in Libano.
La vicenda martiriale di Boulos Iskander è cara alla memoria condivisa di tutti i cristiani iracheni. La sua figura di professore e di appassionato fautore dell'unità dei cristiani era ben conosciuta dalle comunità cristiane di Mosul, che negli anni seguiti all'abbattimento del regime di Saddam Hussein furono colpite da violenze e attacchi mirati, attribuiti a gruppi terroristici legati alle rete di al Qaida (anche se non mancano ipotesi che chiamano in causa altre forze criminali legate a gruppi etnici locali). Padre Boulos fu sequestrato nell'ottobre 2006 a Mosul, nell'area industriale di Karama. I tentativi di contattare i rapitori per ottenerne la liberazione attraverso il pagamento di un riscatto andarono a vuoto. I suoi aguzzini lo uccisero infierendo sul suo corpo, che fu trovato a pezzi l'11 ottobre 2006.
A distanza di 12 anni, la gloria del martirio di padre Boulos fiorisce anche nel frutto gratuito della vocazione sacerdotale di suo figlio Fadi. Consolando e confortando quanti sperimentano nella loro vita che nei martiri rispende con fulgore inimmaginabile la dolce vittoria di Cristo.


10 ottobre 2006
Rapito sacerdote siro ortodosso in Iraq

11 ottobre 2006
Ucciso il sacerdote siro ortodosso rapito a Mosul

12 ottobre 2006
Celebrati a Mosul i funerali di Padre Paul Iskandar  

What happened to the Christian women kidnapped by Islamic State?

By The Week 

The release and return of a number of Christian women taken as slaves by Islamic State in Iraq has prompted questions about those still being held.

In August 2014, Isis militants swept through a cluster of Christian towns near Mosul, taking control and forcing thousands to flee.

Among the towns was Qaraqosh, which was Iraq's largest Christian town with a population of 50,000. Once in command, the militants took many of the Christian women into captivity and sold them as slaves across the caliphate.

Qaraqosh remained under Isis control until 2016 but now, little by little, some residents who were forced to flee “have been returning to recover what belongings remain, to assess the damage to their property, and to attend church services and holidays”, says The Atlantic.

Reports suggest almost 26,000 Christians have now returned to their homes in the town but so far, of the 45 women taken from Qaraqosh, only seven have returned.

Though much is known of the plight of the Yazidis, “much less is known about the Christian women kidnapped by Isis”, says The Sunday Times.

“There are fewer of them - dozens rather than thousands - but the impact on their ancient society has been enormous”.

What happened to the women?

For two and a half years, Rana, a woman captured in Qaraqosh, was enslaved by Isis and sold to ever more abusive “owners” for up to £19,000. “As the militants consolidated their power over large swathes of Syria and Iraq, she fed their children, cleaned their houses and endured their brutal violence,” says the Sunday Times.

“I wanted to escape but there was no way to run away or leave,” Rana told the paper. “All the streets were full of mines. The family said, ‘If you go outside that door we will kill you.’”

Another recently freed Christian woman, Rita Habib, said that all her captors were men, married with children and subjected her to rape and abuse, forcing her to clean their houses.

“They did evil things to us. They beat us and raped us,” she told Kurdistan 24.

“The worst of all was girls aged nine who were raped. Girls would be sold for $4,000 to $15,000.”

How were they rescued?

Last year, as Isis retreated in the face of an onslaught from international forces, The Times reports Rana and Habib were rescued and returned home.

Rana and Habib were two of a number of women who were rescued by men posing as jihadists as part of the Iraqi Christian group Shlama Foundation, which paid £20,000 to bring each woman back.

“If anyone had found out the unnamed men were posing as jihadists to help the women get out they would’ve been killed,” says the Daily Mirror.

Consequences of Southern Protests Felt Across Iraq’s Nineveh Plains

By International Christian Concern
Claire Evans

International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that the Nineveh Plains, the traditional homeland of Iraq’s Christians, is experiencing increased infrastructure challenges because of governance disputes and violent protests in the country’s southern region. Most of the Nineveh Plains’ existing infrastructure was destroyed by ISIS.

On July 12, an armed force entered a church in Bartella and destroyed their internet devices. It is believed that the armed force belongs to Hashd al-Shaabi, an Iranian backed militia that controls a significant part of the Nineveh Plains. “This began as a problem of internet providers,” explained a local Christian source. “The central government is trying to provide internet; however, because the internet towers in Bartella and Qaraqosh take their providers from the KRG, an armed force from that ministry attacked all the towers there.”

“One of the towers is built on top of the cultural center. And that cultural center belongs to Bartella’s church so they get inside and they destroyed some devices. They were not there for the church [directly but rather] because the church’s internet was from KRG and they wanted them to get internet from Mosul,” the source continued.

Milad is a government worker from Bartella. He further explained, “We are not comfortable living in Bartella post-ISIS… Shia Hashd is the top here. This kind of behavior means that we are still [in] the grey area.” He continued, “The aggressive armed men always send horror inside, we are not able to recognize ISIS behavior versus government behavior!”

Over the weekend, Iraq declared a state of emergency due to violent protests in the south. In part, the protesters are demanding reduced Iranian influence and better utilities. Internet remains mostly disabled across the country. On July 15, Mosul Eye reported that the share of electricity allocated to the Nineveh Plains will be reduced by nearly half with the rest directed to the southern provinces in order to meet the demands of protesters.

Al-Sumaria TV published an interview with the Deputy Chairman of the Nineveh Province Council, Noureddine Qablan, who said, “This has exacerbated the electricity crisis in the province, which is originally suffering from a lack of processing power… Is it reasonable to be a victim of the failure of the Ministry of Electricity? On the outskirts of Nineveh, there are now 16 camps where people live in dire humanitarian situations. Nineveh is a disaster… the government is making a mistake by reducing its share.”

Qablan continued, “This is an injustice to the population of Nineveh… Nineveh is originally damaged and the ministries must support the return of life to these cities (and turn) away from the policy of marginalization.”

Claire Evans, ICC’s Regional Manager, said, “The protest violence existing in Iraq’s south does not exist in the Nineveh Plains. This area, which has seen immense suffering because of ISIS, has barely any infrastructure left. On the other hand, Iraq’s oil-rich south lacks these utilities because of government corruption. It is wrong of the authorities to use this time as an opportunity to violently force its agenda on Christians and make them serve the infrastructure needs of the south. It is because of Iraq’s violence and unfair treatment of Christians that so many believers have left the country.” 

 13 luglio 2018

L'esercito iracheno distrugge i mezzi di connessione ad internet in una chiesa di Bartella

Iraq: rapito sindaco cristiano nella Piana di Ninive, caldei chiedono protezione internazionale

By Agenzia Nova

La Chiesa caldea è una chiesa cattolica patriarcale di rito orientale con comunità in Medio Oriente, Europa, Oceania ed America settentrionale. Il primate della chiesa cattolica caldea è il patriarca di Babilonia che ha sede a Baghdad. In Iraq i caldei rappresentano la maggioranza dei fedeli cristiani. Nel luglio 2014 i jihadisti del sedicente “califfo” Abu Bakr al Baghdadi hanno conquistato Mosul e sono dilagati nell'Iraq settentrionale. Una delle vittime è stata la comunità cristiana caldea della provincia di Ninive: duecentomila persone sono state costrette alla fuga nelle regioni confinanti sotto il controllo dei Peshmerga curdi. Molti di loro hanno scelto come nuova residenza la periferia di Erbil, capitale della regione autonoma del Kurdistan, dove hanno creato propri campi. I cristiani hanno potuto celebrare lo scorso dicembre 2017 la prima Santa messa di Natale dopo tre anni e mezzo di dominazione jihadista a Mosul.
Il Consiglio iracheno cristiano per i diritti umani ha accusato le forze di sicurezza curde di aver rapito Faiz Jahwary, sindaco caldeo della città di Al Qosh, nella provincia settentrionale di Ninive. L’accusa è rivolta in particolare alle forze Asayish del governo regionale del Kurdistan iracheno. "Mentre il sud dell’Iraq sta protestando, le forze terroristiche curde Asayish rapiscono, picchiano e minacciano di morte un sindaco cristiano caldeo. La regione autonoma del Kurdistan chiede che le uniche aree cristiane rimaste in Iraq siano loro consegnate. I cristiani hanno bisogno di protezione internazionale", ha scritto su Twitter il Consiglio cristiano per i diritti umani, organismo che rappresenta i cristiani iracheni a livello internazionale e promuove i diritti dei cristiani del Medio Oriente. “La polizia segreta del Kurdistan utilizza tattiche molto simili alla mafia o agli apparati di Saddam Hussein. Entrano senza permesso nei villaggi della Piana di Ninive e terrorizzano i cristiani nelle loro città”, ha aggiunto il Consiglio. Faiz Jahwary era stato estromesso dalla sua posizione di sindaco di Al Qosh nel luglio dello scorso anno ed era stato sostituito da Lara Yousif Zara, membro del Partito democratico del Kurdistan. Nell'ottobre del 2017, tuttavia, un tribunale iracheno aveva annullato la decisione e Jahwary era tornato ad assumere l’incarico di primo cittadino.
Lo scorso mese di marzo, l’Alto rappresentante del governo regionale del Kurdistan iracheno in Italia e presso la Santa Sede, Rezan Kader, aveva denunciato la continua persecuzione dei cristiani in Iraq. In un comunicato stampa, la rappresentanza del governo di Erbil aveva spiegato che 15 anni fa i cristiani in Iraq erano circa 1,5 milioni, concentrati soprattutto nella Piana di Ninive, nella provincia di Mosul, mentre oggi si sono ridotti a circa 300 mila di cui due terzi rifugiati nel Kurdistan iracheno. Per la Kader, l’Is (Stato islamico) ha rappresentato “il colpo finale” per la comunità cristiana irachena, osservando tuttavia come l’esodo sia iniziato “molto prima”. Infatti, “i cristiani in questi anni hanno subito le più gravi violenze, venendo privati di tutti loro beni, uccisi, con le loro donne che sono state vittime di violenza e attualmente sono in corso tentativi per cambiare la demografia delle città a maggioranza cristiana. La Kader aveva sottolineato inoltre che “sono state distrutte 163 chiese e luoghi di culto”.

Violenze a Bassora, morti e feriti: la Chiesa sospende attività culturali e catechismo

By Asia News

A causa delle sanguinose proteste che hanno colpito il sud dell’Iraq “abbiamo dovuto interrompere tutte le attività culturali e il catechismo” nelle nostre chiese e parrocchie “per proteggere la vita dei nostri fedeli, in particolare i bambini”. È quanto racconta ad AsiaNews mons. Alnaufali Habib Jajou, arcivescovo caldeo di Bassora, nel sud dell’Iraq, dove da oltre una settimana è in atto una violenta protesta contro corruzione e malgoverno, che ha già causato almeno otto vittime e decine di feriti. “Tuttavia - aggiunge il prelato - messe e altre attività liturgiche proseguono con regolarità”. 

In Iraq è in atto un vasto movimento di protesta sociale che ha colpito, in particolare, la regione meridionale. Lanciata a Bassora, la più importante regione petrolifera del Paese e teatro di recente di una crisi idrica di vaste proporzioni, la contestazione si è presto diffusa a macchia d’olio in gran parte del sud sciita. Nel mirino dei manifestanti l’arretratezza dei servizi pubblici, la disoccupazione (10% secondo i dati ufficiali, ma con punte fino al 60% fra i giovani) e la corruzione endemica.

Alla base degli scontri fra forze di sicurezza e manifestanti, il tentativo di questi ultimi di bloccare prima i pozzi petroliferi a Bassora e alcuni edifici governativi e sedi di partiti politici. In risposta alle violenze è intervenuto anche il premier irakeno Haider al-Abadi, secondo cui approfittare della contestazione per “incendiare edifici pubblici”, è “un tentativo di far indietreggiare il Paese” dietro il quale vi sono “elementi del crimine organizzato”. 

Gli annunci di queste ore da parte di alti funzionari dell’esecutivo, fra i quali lo sbandierato stanziamento di tre miliardi di dollari per la provincia di Bassora e investimenti nella scuola, nell’elettricità, nelle risorse idriche non sono bastati a placare il malcontento. Per limitare le violenze il governo ha emanato un coprifuoco nelle più importanti cittadine del sud. 

Interrotti anche gli accessi a internet e ai social network, uno dei motori di diffusione della protesta, sia a Baghdad che nelle province meridionali. Il timore delle autorità è che la protesta - che ha ricevuto la “benedizione” del grande ayatollah al-Sistani - possa diffondersi ancor più e giungere fino alle strade della capitale. 

La regione di Bassora annovera al suo interno circa il 90% delle risorse di idrocarburi del Paese; tuttavia, solo l’1% della forza lavoro proviene dalla zona, visto che le compagnie petrolifere prediligono manodopera straniera. A questo si aggiunge il divieto di piantare riso e mais, in un’area dalla forte connotazione agricola, a causa della mancanza di acqua. 

“La situazione non è affatto buona - sottolinea mons. Habib - e la tensione è destinata ad aumentare se il governo non introduce cambiamenti significativi alle proprie politiche”. La crisi idrica, prosegue, ha effetti devastanti “nel sud dell’Iraq, una delle regioni più calde al mondo, dove a breve le temperature potranno toccare i 53 gradi”. Il prelato conferma “le numerose vittime e i feriti”, alcuni dei quali “nella stessa Bassora, dove ha preso il via la protesta”. 

“Le persone manifestano contro la disoccupazione - avverte mons. Habib - la povertà, la carenza di servizi pubblici: elettricità, acqua, inquinamento, deterioramento della situazione generale… E questo nonostante il fatto che Bassora sia una delle città più ricche in quanto a petrolio e gas naturali (85% del totale nazionale)”. In questi ultimi giorni, conclude, “abbiamo udito colpi di arma da fuoco e visto con i nostri occhi la polizia usare cannoni ad acqua per impedire ai manifestanti l’ingresso in edifici governativi e nelle sedi delle compagnie petrolifere”.

We've resettled 26,000 Christians in ex-Islamic State city, Iraqi priest claims

By Premier
Alex Williams

It has emerged almost 26,000 Christians have now returned to their homes, nearly two years since Islamic State (IS) was driven from their city in the Nineveh Plains of Iraq.

Some families have come back to Qaraqosh from internal displacement centres, while others have travelled from Turkey or Lebanon - where they fled to seek refuge from Islamic extremists.

The resettlements form part of a massive humanitarian effort - supported by Christian organisations in the West - which as seen repairs made to almost 2,200 or the 6,800 uninhabitable homes in the Christian-majority city.

One of the programme's leaders, Syriac Catholic priest Fr George Jahola said: "If it weren't for the houses, there would already be no one left.

"We would be lost without our fellow Christians in the West."

Last summer, three Christian charities published a report which estimated between half and 80-per-cent of Christians in Syria and Iraq had left since the Syrian civil war broke out in 2011.

More than 4,600 homes in Qaraqosh remain unusable following damage suffered while the city was under IS control, according to Aid to the Church in Need.

The Catholic international development charity says 4,300 properties across the wider Nineveh Plains region have been restored since IS was forced out in October 2016.

Fr Jahola said house repairs are critical in attracting people back, but added: "The [Iraqi] government has no money and other priorities. No one shows their face here."

Archbishop Timotheos Moussa Al-Shamani, abbot of the Syriac Orthodox Mar Matti Monastery near Bartella in the Nineveh Plains, said the international community has largely failed to provide much-needed help.

He said: "We don't need words. I can't even begin to tell you just how many western ambassadors and politicians I have already spoken with.

"What we Christians in Iraq need is action."