Prime Minister: “Christians are an essential part of Iraqi society”

Baghdad offering incentives for Christians to return to Iraq. Al-Zaidi’s words will be discussed at the upcoming meeting of Catholic bishops.

Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has declared the return of Christian families a national priority and pledged to include returnees in a government program that is offering 1 million residential plots.

“The return of Christians who were forced to leave the country due to the difficult circumstances Iraq endured is a national and government priority. Iraq’s true strength lies in its national, religious, and cultural diversity, and in the unity, integration, and social cohesion of its people. Christians are an active component, an essential part of Iraqi society, and a key partner in building the state and shaping Iraq’s history and future,” said the prime minister.

Iraq was home to around 1.5 million Christians in the year 2000, but successive waves of migration depleted the number to less than 300,000 today.

Besides the instability that resulted from the 2003 invasion and toppling of Saddam Hussein’s regime, Christians were specifically targeted by jihadist groups over the decades, especially in 2014, with the invasion of Mosul and the Nineveh Plains by the Islamic State.

The statements were made during a visit by the newly elected Patriarch of the Chaldean Church, His Beatitude Paul III Nona, to the Prime Minister in Baghdad, on July 11.

Chaldean Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil was also present in the meeting with the Prime Minister, and told Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that the topic will be discussed by bishops during a meeting in a few weeks.

“In August, we will have the Catholic Bishops Conference meeting in Ankawa, which we have not had since 2021, since the Pope visited, and I am sure His Beatitude will address this issue.”

According to Archbishop Warda, the Prime Minister told the Chaldean delegation that he envisioned a greater Christian contribution in specific fields, calling on businessmen in the diaspora to return and invest in the country. “This call was welcomed by the Church,” says Archbishop Warda.

“The Prime Minister has lived among Christians, so he knows them very well,” the archbishop said. “He said he would love to see Christians working in health and education because he trusts them, and knows the quality of the education and the healthcare they provide. He told us to count on him for whatever we need, and that is very encouraging.”

Al-Zaidi, 41, is Iraq’s youngest prime minister. He is a banker and businessman and comes from a prominent Shia Muslim family in the south of the country.

Christian denominations in Iraq operate 18 schools, including some of the most renowned, as well as a Catholic university in Erbil, a project which ACN supports and which has been very successful. Archbishop Warda told the pontifical charity that Patriarch Paul mentioned this to the Prime Minister and expressed the Church’s willingness to collaborate in building a better future for Iraq.

Al-Zaidi said his government is offering concrete incentives to attract Christians back to the country: “The government remains fully committed to consolidating stability and ensuring security, justice, and sustainable civil peace for all citizens. We express the government’s complete readiness to provide all necessary facilities and support to encourage and assist the return of Christian families, which includes ensuring their immediate eligibility and inclusion in the country’s ongoing 1-million-plot residential land project.”

Marco Mencaglia, head of ACN’s project department, said, “We are delighted by the Prime Minister’s remarks. His message is in line with the long-term support our benefactors have shown for the Christian community in Iraq. Following the defeat of Islamic State in 2017, we launched what we call the ‘Marshall Plan’ to help rebuild homes in Christian towns and villages, with the aim of encouraging Christians to remain in their homeland. Our aid has enabled thousands of people to return to their homes.”

Mencaglia said that the Catholic University in Erbil is also helping to maintain the Christian presence. “We hope that these additional incentives will help to ensure a strong Christian presence in the country.”

– Filipe d’Avillez