Christians together with other religions in the Kurdish city of Sulaimani commemorated the event of Christmas on Sunday night as the nation passed a day of festivity in villages and major cities.
Religious leaders from the Muslim and Zoroastrian community took part in the mass held in the city’s main church, Saint Joseph, late at night.
There are three churches in the city, two from the Catholic church and one from the Coptic Orthodox church.
Abdulmasih Yousif Shamas, a Catholic church official told Rudaw, they held the meeting at night, like the rest of the Kurdistan Region, because they feel safe to do so.
“People in Sulaimani are different. They [Muslims] come and take part in all our ceremonies. We also take part in their ceremonies,” Shamas said of the nature of the celebration in an otherwise Muslim city. “There is no difference between Christians and Muslims, especially in Sulaimani.”
Christianity, like other religions such as Zoroastrianism, is recognized in the Kurdish laws.
The Kurdish government congratulated the event, and announced that Sunday and Monday will be public holidays on the occasion of the Christian event.
Photos by Rudaw/Sartip Othman
.jpg "24-12-2017 1")
.jpg "24-12-2017 2")
.jpg "24-12-2017 3")
.jpg "24-12-2017 4")
.jpg "24-12-2017 5")
.jpg "24-12-2017 6")
.jpg "24-12-2017 7")
.jpg "24-12-2017 8")
.jpg "24-12-2017 9")
.jpg "24-12-2017 10")
.jpg "24-12-2017 11")
.jpg "24-12-2017 12")
.jpg "24-12-2017 13")
.jpg "24-12-2017 14")
.jpg "24-12-2017 15")
.jpg "24-12-2017 16")