ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Christians across the Kurdistan Region have started to celebrate Christmas since early Sunday morning, with major events scheduled to take place later at night when many will gather in churches in cities and villages.
The Kurdish government announced that Sunday and Monday will be public holidays on the occasion of the Christian event.
A large mass is to take place in Ankawa in the Kurdish capital of Erbil.
Ankawa is Erbil’s Christian district whose population increased significantly when many Christians from other Iraqi areas found shelter with the rise of ISIS in 2014. The militant group, among others, has persecuted the minority.
Video: Christmas in Ankawa, Erbil.
According to a Kurdish official, some of the religious leaders planned to celebrate the event in Mosul for the first time in four years following its liberation by Kurdish and Iraqi security forces this summer.
In Sulaimani, where there are three churches, two from the Catholic church and one from the Coptic Orthodox church, have decided to begin Christmas celebrations late at night, Abdulmasih Yousif Shamas, a Catholic church official told Rudaw.
He said they will hold two such celebrations, one for locals and the second for foreigners who live in the city.
“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 Sulaimnai.”
Sulaimani, among other cities, was affected by violent anti-government protests that continued for a few days earlier this week.
Shamas said the security situation is “normal,” now. Otherwise they would not have for a late night celebration.
Video: Duhok, northwest of Erbil
In Zakho, near the Turkish borders where there are 24 Christian villages, including some Armenians, the celebration began early in the morning.
Amin Isa, a Christian organizer, said that there are only nine religious leaders in the city who have to cover the entire area including the villages. He said they planned celebrations to take place at different times to cover the shortage of religious leaders. The main event to be held in Zakho with about 1,000 Christian residents will take place at 8:00 a.m. local time Monday morning.
He congratulated all Christians of the world, and in particular those living in the Kurdistan region.
Isa also praised a culture of diversity in Zakho where various religions exist, including Islam and Christianity.
“In some villages, you cannot tell who is Muslim or who is Christian, because both take part in the feast,” Isa said.
Video: Koya, east of Erbil
In Telskuf, one of the few disputed areas still under the control of the Kurdish Peshmerga, Christians also took the chance to enjoy the festive atmosphere despite security concerns.
While many have been displaced as the result of the ISIS persecution, and the fighting between the Iraqi and Kurdish forces in mid-October, some have returned and stayed in the Christian town, north of Mosul.
“We want to feel peace and security. These are the only two things we want,” an old man told a Rudaw crew.
The Kurdish government in a statement congratulated Christmas to the people of Kurdistan.
“As we celebrate Christmas this year, sadly, hundreds of thousands of Christians and members of other religious and ethnic groups are still displaced in the Kurdistan Region because of ISIS’s reign of terror and targeting them in other parts of Iraq,” the KRG’s statement read.
It said the displaced “are hesitant, and unable to go back to their homes,” despite the military defeat of ISIS, mainly because of recent tensions between the Iraqi and Kurdish governments.
Last updated at 8:37 p.m.
