The Chaldean Patriarch calls for joint efforts to 'alleviate' an escalation of 'devastating' consequences. The Iraqi Prime Minister in Washington to vigorously seek stability. The cardinal's satisfaction upon returning to the capital after months of voluntary exile in protest at the withdrawal of the presidential decree. The promise of an interfaith prayer for peace.
Milan () – The “fear” that Iraq could also be “overwhelmed” by a total conflict between Israel and Iran is “strong” not only because of the repercussions on a regional and global scale, but because of the country's own internal balance. In fact, there are “militias that do not obey the prime minister”, furthermore “our territory can be the target of Israeli attacks against Iranian targets” or be used by Tehran “as a launching base to hit Israel.” The Patriarch of Baghdad of the Chaldeans, Card. Louis Raphael Sako, who observed with attention – and more than a little fear – the massive operation of drones and missiles from the Islamic Republic towards the Jewish State on the night of April 13 to 14. Hence his call, in this interview with upon his return to Erbil after a few days in the capital, interrupting a forced – and self-imposed – exile of many months, for “international mediation”. Only in this way, he warns, will it be possible to “alleviate the escalation and a crisis with devastating consequences.”
“Absurd wars”
In the most hectic phases of Iranian attack on Israel, retaliation for the assault on the Tehran embassy in Damascus in which several elements of the Pasdaran were killed, including General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, dozens of drones (and missiles) flew over Iraqi airspace. On their way to the Jewish state, they passed through the southern provinces of Maysan and Al-Nasiriyah, as well as the northern part of Kurdistan, in particular Erbil, Sulaymaniyya and Dohuk. In response, the government – as in neighboring Lebanon and Jordan – ordered the closure of airspace temporarily and as a precaution, and then traffic resumed regularly in the following hours, although attention remained high. “What is happening between Israel and Iran, but also between Russia and Ukraine – underlines the Chaldean Primate – are all absurd wars, they make no sense. Even in the Holy Land, in Gaza, there are already more than 33,000 dead, a carnage.” The parties involved, he continues, must “respect international law” taking into account that these victims “are not objects, but people: this is a massacre that also affects infrastructure, houses, schools and hospitals.”
The card. Sako has experienced wars firsthand, from the one between Iran and Iraq in the 1980s to the two Gulf conflicts, including confessional violence and the rise of the Islamic State, to name only the most significant events. In 50 years as a priest, bishop and then patriarch, he has seen innocent blood shed, spending himself personally for peace, dialogue, the silent work of diplomacy in the face of the roar of weapons. “I called the seminarians,” he says, “the night of the attack to tell them not to be afraid” and that, at the Ankawa institute, “we set up a large room as a shelter.” “I hope,” he continues, “in the face of an escalation between Israel and Iran that threatens to plunge the Middle East and the entire world into a clash of opposing alliances, that regional leaders [y mundiales] be guided by wisdom and prudence. The priority must be to avoid an escalation of the war, which benefits neither Israel, nor Iran, nor any regional actor. “Everyone loses in this war.”
A weak and divided West
Meanwhile, international diplomacy is moving to try to contain a military drift with disastrous consequences, with the participation of the Iraqi Prime Minister himself, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, who has arrived in Washington in the last few hours to meet with the US President, Joe Biden. At the center of the discussion are a series of issues ranging from the Iranian attack to the laborious search for regional stability, through economic cooperation between the United States and Iraq or the subsequent deployment of troops for defensive purposes. For the Iraqi government, however, the priorities continue to be energy and bilateral trade to reactivate the economy of a country that seems to continue marking the times, with the Baghdad executive immersed in the delicate balance between the West and Tehran. Analysts and experts recall how the escalation represents a major security challenge for the Middle East, with potential ramifications on several fronts that risk being “indirectly involved” in the game between the Jewish State – which has sworn revenge – and the ayatollahs. And Iraq is one of the nations on the front line, along with Jordan and Lebanon, in facing dangers and complexities.
“One of the few wise voices,” emphasizes Patriarch Sako, “is precisely that of the Prime Minister, who wants to protect the country and its inhabitants.” However, he is forced to act from a position that certainly cannot be described as one of strength, because he “does not have a party to back him, he cannot count on a militia.” That is also why “it is important to support him and be at his side. These wars are a shame for humanity,” accused the cardinal, “but I want to be optimistic, precisely because I have a long experience of conflicts.” Faced with the Iranian attack, even the Iraqi Shiites, the majority in Iraq, seem to “have lost confidence and be disappointed,” but this should not make them stop working for the good of their country. An onerous commitment, the cardinal continues, especially today, when “the international order is no longer stable, the West itself is no longer united and there are clear divergences between the United States and Europe and even within the Europeans.” Divisions, he adds, add up to a certain degree “of indifference and this is very sad.”
The return to Baghdad
In a context of uncertainty, war and tensions, it is a cause for great joy return to Baghdad last week after more than nine months of voluntary exile due to the confrontation with the President of the Republic over the withdrawal of the presidential decree. “It was very good to return,” says the cardinal, “after having carried out this peaceful but firm battle, based on justice. The Christians celebrated, everyone was very happy, but the most beautiful thing was seeing the cathedral packed. of faithful and full of flowers, chocolates, hallelujah songs, candies. Many Muslims, authorities and simple citizens, men and women, were also present, as a sign of a symbolic unity that has a deep value. This means,” he warns, “that. “Iraqis are united, while the problem is with the political class.” Of this “firm and peaceful” protest [conceptos que reitera varias veces y con contundencia] It follows that the Church “should not be afraid, while here at home there are some bishops or priests who are sometimes afraid or allow themselves to be fooled by those who promise them power or money.” “We must be transparent,” she warns, “even more so because we are consecrated, leaving aside earthly goods, otherwise we end up losing our credibility.” There remain critical elements of the matter that concern him, such as the latent division between some Christian confessions and the position of the apostolic nuncio “who defended the State and not the Church.” However, the gaze and commitment of the Chaldean Patriarch – who has returned to Erbil for a few days to finish some pending work – are projected towards the future: “I am waiting for the decree to be officially reestablished,” he concludes, “and then “I will definitely return to Baghdad. And as a first initiative, I would like to promote an interfaith prayer for peace with Muslim leaders and political leaders, with the whole world!”
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