the ‘pain’ of Christians who fled ISIS is still alive

Eight years have passed since the advance of the Islamic State in the plain. Families are still waiting to return to their homes and land. The political and institutional paralysis and the links with conflicting interests. The Chaldean Primate recalls the value of citizenship and equal rights. It is necessary to undertake a “national dialogue with courage”.

Milan () – Eight years have passed since the exodus of Christians from the Nineveh plain following the advance of the Islamic State (IS, former ISIS). The pain “remains always alive” and the lack of prospects feeds feelings of “anxiety and disappointment”. This is what the Patriarch of Baghdad of the Chaldeans, Card. Louis Raphael Sako, in a message to the faithful. In his letter, he denounces the lack of “a minimum level of citizenship” and respect for “human rights.” So much so that, despite the time that has elapsed, the houses and lands have still not been returned. They live in a general climate “of violations, humiliations, exclusion from the labor market and there is no real representation in Parliament.”

On the night of August 6-7, when the Church celebrated the Feast of the Transfiguration, tens of thousands of christians they left the lands of the Nineveh plain to flee the ISIS offensive. The Islamic extremist group had already conquered Mosul in June, marking houses and confiscating property. The advance was favored by the collapse of the regular Iraqi army, by the fundamentalist ideology that had permeated much of society, and by the sudden withdrawal of the Peshmerga militias. In that terrible August of 2014, the men of the “caliphate” seized the lands that the Christians had inhabited for centuries, leaving them only the possibility of fleeing to Kurdistan, taking with them what they were wearing and not much else.

The Chaldean primate asks that Christians be “recognized” as citizens, so that they enjoy equal rights, since they represent, in number, “the second monotheistic religion in Iraq.” He hopes that the state reform projects put forward by the Sadrist bloc and the Erbil government “may also include Christians, Yazidis and Mandaeans” under the banner of “a common national spirit”. And that the call for “security, dignity and freedom” be answered, made by Pope Francis himself during his visit in March 2021. “They hope to obtain the rights that were denied to them”, and that speeches be combated -even from the pulpits – that feed hatred. In addition, they await an “education reform” that gives a “positive” image of religions. Because coexistence “demands respect.”

However, the situation after so many years remains difficult, except for the timid return of some families to Mosul and the attempt to restore their land and houses. According to the latest statistics, only 40% of the Christians who fled the metropolis and the Nineveh plain have returned; Meanwhile, the incessant migration from Erbil continues, leading entire families to expatriate in Europe, the United States or Australia to ensure a future of peace -and opportunities- for their children. Those who stayed, or those who returned after the military defeat of ISIS, strive to rebuild the social and economic fabric and places of worship, restoring centuries-old churches or historic monasteries.

The situation is part of a political and institutional stalemate that, 10 months before the vote, prevents the election of the President of the Republic and the emergence of a new Executive. A paralysis fueled by the resignation of deputies close to the Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr, whose faction had obtained the largest number of seats. That is why an early dissolution of Parliament is emerging – a reason for protests and occupations – and new elections, a more viable option than stagnation. The current scenario, Patriarch Sako underlines, seems “closed” and “devoid of public interest”. Dialogue and negotiations are necessary to draw “a roadmap for reforms” that citizens have been “waiting for 19 years.” The cardinal concludes his message by saying: “I strongly support the initiative of Prime Minister al-Kazemi”, who promotes a “national dialogue with courage”.

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