Iraqi Christians not "infidels" or a "minority" in their country, says Chaldean patriarch

The Chaldean Catholic patriarch has made a strong case to show that Iraqi Christians are not a "minority" or "infidels" in their country but who have been present in the region well before Islam and contributed much to the original civilization.

Iraqi Christians represent an indigenous community, present in the lands of Mesopotamia and with their dedication and creativity have contributed in a decisive way to the original civilization that developed in the region, said Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, the patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church. 

Labeling Christians as "infidels" and "polytheists" is an offense to humanity and also to intelligence, said Cardinal Sako, commenting on content over digital platforms of the national education system. 

The cardinal pointed out that such comments have to be combated and offered as contribution a discussion with exponents and representatives of other local groups that jeopardize the life of Christian communities in the Middle East and their millennial presence in that region of the world. 

Cardinal Sako also pointed out that "since the fall of the previous regime, in April 2003, a normal political life has not yet seen the light in Iraq, given the continuous failures of governments in achieving what the people need". 

The primate of the Chaldean Church also criticized the fact that the Constitution cites only Islam as the source of legislation, offering that religion as the legal basis for political and social practices that inevitably end up discriminating against Christians and members of other faith communities as "second-class citizens".  

The mentality that aims to impose a religion on consciences does not favor respect, coexistence and tolerance, Cardinal Sako said. 

He did acknowledge that in the past even Christianity held to this mentality, but that now any speech that instigates discrimination, exclusion and hatred among citizens for reasons related to religious sectarianism "should be legally condemned". 

Cardinal Sako also criticized the view that identifies the various faith communities as separate “components” of Iraqi society, a view that "nourishes tribal and sectarian identities, and does not help to establish a modern nation state" founded on the principles of citizenship and equal rights, he said.

"Christians are indigenous Iraqis and are not a community from another country. They are people of this land, so it is not acceptable to label them as a ‘minority'."

People of this land

He also criticized the so-called “Christian parties”, the small group of Iraqi leaders who aspire to present themselves as political projections of local Christian communities. 

"These parties serve only to foment regional nationalisms,” he said.

This is not the first time that Cardinal Sako has spoken out against those use social media networks to attack Chaldean communities by those he said were unfamiliar with Christian doctrine or authentic knowledge.

Their aim is to "replace the facts with their new and controversial ideas" the cardinal said advising Christians to "separate the wheat from the chaff", the cardinal had said past November.

There are fewer than one million Christians in Iraq, and they have been targeted by Muslim terrorists and criminal groups.

Thousands have fled due to sectarian violence.

Islamic State that ruled Mosul from 2014 to 2016, damaged or destroyed every church in the city. Islamic State also drove out local Christians from the area.

On the eve of the second Gulf War, Christians in Iraq were estimated between 1 and 1.4 million, approximately 6% of the population. Since then, their numbers have plunged to barely 300-400.000.

Christianity has been in Iraq from its earliest times, as the Acts of the Apostles testify.

Its origins go back to the preaching of St Thomas the Apostle and his disciples Addai and Mari in the first century A.D..

Iraq is biblically and historically, an important land for all Christians who have played an important role in its history.The Iraqi Christian community is composed today of Chaldeans, Assyrians, Armenians, Latins, Melkites, Orthodox and Protestants.