Kurdistan
Christians in Erbil's Ainkawa district attend Christmas mass at Mart Shmoni Church on December 24, 2022. Photo: Bilind T. Abdullah/Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Officials in the Kurdistan Region on Christmas Eve emphasized the importance of peaceful coexistence and tolerance between the Region’s different ethnic and religious components.
“On this holy occasion, we reassure once again that the Kurdistan Region will remain a cradle of peaceful coexistence, tolerance and solidarity among all religious and ethnic communities,” President of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani said in a statement on Saturday. “Together with our Christian sisters and brothers and all other communities, we work to build a brighter future for our children and for a country where the rights and freedoms of all citizens of all faiths and nationalities are safeguarded.”
Christians across the world on Saturday celebrated Christmas Eve through attending mass and gathering with their loved ones, and the Kurdistan Region, home to one of Middle East’s largest Christian communities also widely celebrated the holiday.
The call for peaceful coexistence was also shared by the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region.
“On this holy occasion, we emphasize the importance of developing the culture of peaceful coexistence, acceptance, forgiveness, and peace among the different components of Kurdistan,” Masrour Barzani said.
The leader of the Kurdistan Region’s second largest party also congratulated Christians, referring to their historic role in the Region.
“Unity and coexistence have a long history in the Kurdistan Region, and Christians, as an indigenous community of our country, have played an important and influential role in deepening the spirit of tolerance and reconciliation,” Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Bafel Talabani said.
Ainkawa, situated on the northern edge of Erbil, is home to a large Christian population, several churches, and a Catholic university.
Christians across Ainkawa attended mass on Saturday night, celebrating the birth of Jesus.
When the Islamic State group (ISIS) seized control of vast swathes of northern Iraq in the summer of 2014, thousands of Iraqi Christians fled their homes, seeking shelter in the Kurdistan Region. Churches in Ainkawa took in many of their brethren before they were resettled in camps or emigrated abroad.
Iraq’s Christian community has been devastated in the past two decades. Following the US-led invasion in 2003, sectarian warfare prompted followers of Iraq’s multiple Christian denominations to flee, and attacks by ISIS in 2014 hit minority communities especially hard. According to data from Erbil’s Chaldean Archbishop Bashar Warda, there were more than one million Christians in Iraq before 2003. Fewer than 300,000 remain today.
There are around 7,000 Christian families residing in Ainkawa, making up more than 50,000 people, and according to Warda it is the largest Christian community in the Middle East.
“On this holy occasion, we reassure once again that the Kurdistan Region will remain a cradle of peaceful coexistence, tolerance and solidarity among all religious and ethnic communities,” President of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani said in a statement on Saturday. “Together with our Christian sisters and brothers and all other communities, we work to build a brighter future for our children and for a country where the rights and freedoms of all citizens of all faiths and nationalities are safeguarded.”
Christians across the world on Saturday celebrated Christmas Eve through attending mass and gathering with their loved ones, and the Kurdistan Region, home to one of Middle East’s largest Christian communities also widely celebrated the holiday.
The call for peaceful coexistence was also shared by the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region.
“On this holy occasion, we emphasize the importance of developing the culture of peaceful coexistence, acceptance, forgiveness, and peace among the different components of Kurdistan,” Masrour Barzani said.
The leader of the Kurdistan Region’s second largest party also congratulated Christians, referring to their historic role in the Region.
“Unity and coexistence have a long history in the Kurdistan Region, and Christians, as an indigenous community of our country, have played an important and influential role in deepening the spirit of tolerance and reconciliation,” Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Bafel Talabani said.
Ainkawa, situated on the northern edge of Erbil, is home to a large Christian population, several churches, and a Catholic university.
Christians across Ainkawa attended mass on Saturday night, celebrating the birth of Jesus.
Christians in Erbil's Ainkawa district celebrated Christmas Eve on Saturday at the district's Mart Shmoni Church
— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) December 25, 2022
📸: Bilind T. Abdullah pic.twitter.com/SbGhJEYbwm
When the Islamic State group (ISIS) seized control of vast swathes of northern Iraq in the summer of 2014, thousands of Iraqi Christians fled their homes, seeking shelter in the Kurdistan Region. Churches in Ainkawa took in many of their brethren before they were resettled in camps or emigrated abroad.
Iraq’s Christian community has been devastated in the past two decades. Following the US-led invasion in 2003, sectarian warfare prompted followers of Iraq’s multiple Christian denominations to flee, and attacks by ISIS in 2014 hit minority communities especially hard. According to data from Erbil’s Chaldean Archbishop Bashar Warda, there were more than one million Christians in Iraq before 2003. Fewer than 300,000 remain today.
There are around 7,000 Christian families residing in Ainkawa, making up more than 50,000 people, and according to Warda it is the largest Christian community in the Middle East.
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