In recent months, the Prime Minister of Iraq, Mustafa Al-Kazemi, urged Assyrians to return to Iraq and resettle the land in which they once lived. This invitation comes after the defeat of the Islamic State, which heavily controlled the region and is responsible for much of the persecution experienced by Assyrian Christians in recent years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among this invitation was a call to unite the people of Iraq to build a better future. In an official statement, Prime Minister Al-Kazemi said, \u201cIraq 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. 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.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A notable Bishop living in Baghdad, Patriarch Saint Louis Raphael I Sako, the Chaldean Catholic Patriarch, issued a response to the Prime Minister\u2019s statement saying, \u201cThe Church supports Al-Kazemi\u2019s steps towards achieving security and stability throughout Iraq.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He continued by stating, \u201c[Assyrian] Christians are proud of their Iraqi identity, and they feel more reassured, in light of the serious handling of the Al-Kazemi government with the Christian file,\u201d adding that there are \u201ca large number of them wanting to return to Iraq.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This statement was issued during a time where we remember the 1933 Simmele Massacre which took place in Iraq 87 years ago this month, killing and displacing thousands of Assyrian Christians. (You can learn more about this is my most recent post here.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Could this be a new turning point for the Assyrian people? Could this perhaps be the beginning of a new era of peace between displaced Assyrian Christians and those living in Iraq? We should continue to pray for reconciliation, peace, and an end to the persecution and displacement of the Assyrian people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n