ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Monday said that the Kurdish government always supports the rights and demands of Christians, adding that Iraq is in need of a law that guarantees the personal status of the community.
“We consistently advocate for the rights and demands of Christians and all communities. Our support is rooted in the Kurdistan Region’s rich history of faith and culture, which promotes harmonious and equitable coexistence,” President Barzani said during his speech at the Personal Status Law Conference at the Catholic University in Erbil (CUE).
“Our assistance is additionally connected to the Iraqi Constitution, which underwent a voting process and received the approval of the Iraqi people. According to Article 41 of the Iraqi Constitution, individuals in Iraq possess the freedom to practice their personal status in accordance with their religion, sect, belief, and preference, subject to regulation by law,” he added.
The CUE conference, attended by Kurdish, Iraqi and regional figures, aims at encouraging the federal authorities to draft a law that can guarantee the rights of Christians when it comes to inheritance, divorce and choice of religion.
“Christians are subjected to a legal system that does not align with their religious beliefs due to the absence of a dedicated personal status law for them. This situation has detrimental effects on families and the Christian community in Iraq. Numerous distressing cases, particularly regarding the well-being and rights of children, girls, and women, have been reported, especially in matters concerning inheritance, divorce, and coerced religious conversion when a Christian parent changes their faith.,” President Barzani stressed.
He noted that the Iraqi parliament should pass a law which guarantees the rights of all religious groups in the country.
“This assembly marks a significant and tangible step forward as it lays the groundwork for discussions and the identification of suitable resolutions to address the needs and rights of Christians. We wholeheartedly support the constitutional requests of these groups as well as those of all other communities,” he said.
Iraq’s Christian community has been devastated in the past two decades. Following the US-led invasion in 2003, sectarian warfare prompted followers of Iraq’s multiple Christian denominations to flee, and attacks by the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2014 hit minority communities especially hard.
Fewer than 300,000 Christians remain in Iraq today, according to data obtained by Rudaw English from Erbil's Chaldean Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda in 2022.
Basra province was once home to a significant Christian minority, with over 7,000 families calling it home. That number has significantly dwindled to 350, according to data from the Basra Churches Council.
Five quota seats were reserved for Christians in the Kurdish parliament but a top federal court has ruled this allocation “unconstitutional.” Many Christian political parties have decided to boycott the upcoming parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region as a reaction to the ruling.
“We firmly hold the belief that individuals under the age of 18, raised within non-Christian religious environments, should not face coercion to convert. Thus, we advocate for granting these individuals the autonomy to choose their religious beliefs upon reaching adulthood, typically at the age of 18. Additionally, legislation concerning inheritance should be anchored in Christian principles,” President Barzani said.
“In every aspect of personal status, it is imperative to find a resolution that aligns with the desires of Christians while upholding the values of coexistence and equal rights for all Iraqi communities. The law should not be used to sow discord or create difficulties within the Christian population. We firmly oppose any form of injustice or discrimination. Christians are constitutionally entitled to autonomy in their personal matters, rooted in their faith and religious convictions,” he added.
He called on “all stakeholders involved in shaping the Constitution of Iraq, including the various factions within the Iraqi parliament to approach this matter with the utmost seriousness and endeavor to find a prompt resolution. It is essential that they thoroughly consider the aspirations and entitlements of Christians and other religious communities.”
President Barzani touched on the coexistence found in the Kurdistan Region.
“I was raised in a region where religious temples coexisted harmoniously, with followers of various faiths living together in unity. Tragically, in 1983, a number of Assyrian Christians were brutally killed alongside the Barzanis during the Anfal campaigns. The courageous Christian Peshmergas, who played a vital role in the Kurdistan Revolution, became renowned throughout the nation for their bravery. Throughout history, the people of Kurdistan have shared a common destiny, living together in harmony. Despite the numerous atrocities that have taken place in the region, Kurdistan has consistently been a bastion of ethnic and religious coexistence.”
