Iraqi PM Calls for Return of Christians
Iraq (International Christian Concern) – Over the weekend, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi called for the return of Iraqi Christians to their home. With ISIS declared militarily defeated, Al-Kadhimi hopes Christians will feel more comfortable returning. He expressed these hopes to Chaldean Catholic Patriarch Louis Raphael I Sako, as well as a number of other bishops from Iraq.
Al-Kadhimi stated that “Iraq is the country for everyone, and that Christians are the original children of the country, and there is no difference between the people of the same country, as everyone is a partner in building the future of Iraq.”
“We are serious about providing assistance to our Christian families and solving their problems,” he continued. “We are glad that Christians will return to Iraq and contribute to its reconstruction. Iraqis of all sects are yearning for a new Iraq that believes in peace and rejects violence.”
In response, Patriarch Sako pledged the Church’s support for Al-Kadhimi, noting his hope that Iraq will achieve security and stability as displaced Christians make their returns. “Christians are proud of their Iraqi identity, and they feel more reassured, in light of the serious handling of the Al-Kadhimi government with the Christian file.” The patriarch stated that there is a large number of Iraqi Christians wanting to return, and that Al-Kadhimi’s work has encouraged them greatly.
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