CULTURE & HISTORY KDP President Masoud Barzani welcomes Cardinal Louis Sako to Erbil. CULTURE continued from page 23 Cardinal Louis Sako cautions that, “The day will come when Iraq will be void of Christians in light of the continuous discrimination against Christians by various parties including armed militias, corrupt politicians, and the absence of the rule of law, job opportunities, and clear vision for the future of Iraq.” Solidarity Christian leaders condemned and denounced the Presidency’s decision to revoke the decree. Protests came from civil society organizations, the Syriac Catholic bishop of Mosul, Syriac Orthodox bishops, National parties, the Assyrian Democratic Movement, Chaldean Syriac Assyrian People’s Council, Beth Nahrin National Federation, Sons of the Two Rivers Party, Assyrian National Party, the Chaldean league in the USA, and the Iraqi Society for Human Rights in the United States of America. On July 13, <strong>2023</strong>, Christians gathered before the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Ankawa in solidarity with Cardinal Sako. Residents of the town of Al-Qosh joined a stand in solidarity, carrying banners demanding justice for the head of the church and raising large pictures of Patriarch Sako. It’s not just Christians supporting the cardinal. The Association of Muslim Scholars in Iraq and the office of the supreme religious authority, Sayyid Ali al-Sistani in Najaf, expressed solidarity with Sako after the recent public attacks. An official in the office communicated with the patriarch and expressed his regret for the manner in which His Eminence was dealt with recently and his hope that the appropriate conditions would be available for his return to his headquarters in Baghdad as soon as possible. Bishop Basilio Yaldo was another strong voice who issued a statement, along with the Syriac Catholic bishop of Mosul, Orthodox bishops, 11 ambassadors of the European Union, and other Chaldean Catholic leaders.. Statements from the Chaldean Community Foundation were sent to U.S. State and Congressional members, initiating a response from the State Department. Mathew Miller, the official spokesperson for the U.S. State Department held a press conference in which he stated, “We are disturbed by the harassment of Cardinal Sako, the patriarch of the Chaldean Church, and troubled by the news that he has left Baghdad. We look forward to his safe return. The Iraqi Christian community is a vital part of Iraq’s identity and a central part of Iraq’s history of diversity and tolerance. “I will say we are in continuous contact with Iraqi leaders on this matter. We are concerned that the cardinal’s position as a respected leader of the church is under attack from a number of quarters, in particular a militia leader who is sanctioned under the Global Magnitsky Act.” Ano Abdoka, Minister of Transportation and Communications in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), criticized President Rashid’s decision as “unjustifiable” and said that “for the first time since 2003, we are witnessing a dangerous precedent represented by the behavior of the head of a state’s hierarchy.” “Why is one of the most important Christian symbols being unjustly targeted, namely the institution of the Chaldean Patriarchate and the moral highness of the Chaldean Patriarch?” Abdoka said in an open letter. Baghdad without a Patriarch Patriarch Louis Sako announced on July 15, <strong>2023</strong>, in an open letter the decision to withdraw from the patriarchal headquarters located in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, and settle in one of the monasteries of the Kurdistan region. The cardinal apparently no longer feels politically or personally secure in the Iraqi capital. The last time the Chaldean leadership fled Baghdad, according to the Iraqi Christian Foundation, a Mongol army was solidifying its control of the city in 1259 A.D. The clash between Cardinal Sako and Rayan is nothing new. The sharp divisions between the Chaldean Church in Iraq and the Babylon Movement are expected to continue. Christian interests hang in the balance in a country where fewer than 200,000 remain today, a staggering fall from over 1.5 million who used to call Iraq home before the infamous 2003 American invasion. In conclusion, Iraq’s future and the fate of Christianity in Iraq are lights we cannot see. What is done in the dark must come into the light. This may well be the last chapter in the ‘turn the other cheek’ concept. The future will tell if Christianity in our homeland survives this calamity. Sources: Articles by Keely Jahns, Al- Monitor, Al-Ain News, Rudaw News, Asia News, Shafaq News Agency, Ankawa.com, Ishtar TV, Kurdistan24 News, Vatican News, America -The Jesuit Review, and Patriarchal News. 24 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>AUGUST</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
presents 5th Annual Awards Gala Dinner • Awards • Celebration FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, <strong>2023</strong> 6:00PM The Palazzo Grande 54660 Van Dyke Avenue Shelby Twp., MI 48316 HONORING KARAM BAHNAM SUPPORT PROVIDED BY For sponsorship inquiries, please call Jubilee Jackson at 586-722-7253 or Jubilee.Jackson@chaldeanfoundation.org. <strong>AUGUST</strong> <strong>2023</strong> CHALDEAN NEWS 25
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