“On the occasion of Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ, I extend my congratulations to all our Christian sisters and brothers in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq and around the world. I hope this occasion brings joy, prosperity, stability and peace for everyone,” said President Barzani in a statement.
“On this day, we reassure the people of Kurdistan that this land will remain a cradle of peaceful coexistence, tolerance and solidarity where human values bring us closer together,” he added.
Christians around the world, including the Kurdistan Region, celebrated the birthday of Jesus Christ late Friday.
The Kurdistan Region hosts many Iraqi Christians who fled their homes when the Islamic State (ISIS) took control of Mosul and the Nineveh Plains in the summer of 2014. Many more have left Iraq altogether, with the number of Christians in Iraq currently estimated at 300,000, down from 1.5 million before 2003, according to Erbil's Chaldean Archbishop Warda.
As part of the first-ever papal visit to Iraq, Pope Francis met with President Barzani and other senior Kurdish officials in March. The pope drove through the predominantly Christian suburb of Ainkawa en route to Erbil's Franso Hariri Stadium where he received a rapturous welcome.
The Kurdistan Region prime minister and leaders of Kurdish political parties also extended their congratulations to Christians on the occasion.
“I wish Christians in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq and throughout the world a blessed and joyous Christmas,” said PM Masrour Barzani in a tweet.
