The Kurdistan National Prayer Breakfast ceremony kicked off with the attendance of Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader and former Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani, along with nearly 600 leaders and senior officials from the Region and abroad.
According to its official website, the event will run until Friday.
“This is the first time such a meeting is being held in Kurdistan, with the aim of acquainting the world with the rich culture that exists in Kurdistan. This culture has existed in Kurdistan since ancient times, namely the culture of coexistence and acceptance of one another, freedom of opinion, religion, and sect. This is the culture that we are proud of and advocate for, and we will continue on this path,” Barzani said in the opening speech.
“Throughout history, whenever Kurdistan was attacked, the oppressors made no distinction between Muslims, Christians, and Yezidis. They burned all the villages, displaced all of them, massacred all of them, and buried them alive. Finally, in the war against ISIS, they made no distinction between Muslim, Christian, and Yezidi, and committed serious crimes. In response, the heroic Peshmerga, with unparalleled self-sacrifice, defended all of them and shattered the myth of ISIS, but at a very high cost of nearly 12,000 martyrs and wounded,” he added.
The Islamic State (ISIS) seized control of swathes of Iraqi territory during a brazen offensive in 2014, sweeping through vast stretches of northern and central Iraq.
During the jihadists’ brutal reign, they committed heinous atrocities, such as genocide, sexual slavery, and massacres against non-Muslims, especially the Yazidi ethnoreligious group. Christians and Shiite Muslims were also targets.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, who also gave a speech at the event, described the gathering as “an important initiative that aligns with the Kurdistan Region's vision of establishing a culture of co-existence and understanding, away from tension and division. It creates an all-encompassing ground for spiritual and humanitarian dialogue between nations.”
“Religious and cultural diversity in Kurdistan has never been a burden, but rather a source of strength and stability, and has always been a source of pride for us,” President Barzani added.
During his speech, Yazidi leader Mir Hazim Tahsin Beg expressed his satisfaction with the gathering, saying, “On this historic day in the capital of the Kurdistan Region, we have all gathered for the sake of Kurdistan with all its components.”
ISIS killed and abducted around 9,900 Yazidis. The United Nations later recognized the group’s actions as genocide and reported that up to 200,000 Yazidis were displaced from Shingal, with many taking refuge in camps across Duhok province.
Although nearly 11 years have passed since ISIS launched its attack on Shingal, much of the Yazidi community remains displaced. A combination of security concerns, political disputes, and infrastructure and reconstruction challenges has hindered their return. The presence of various armed groups has also created an unstable environment, further deterring many from returning.
Chaldean Patriarch Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako also addressed the audience, saying, “There is no problem with religions, but with the exploitation of religion for political and economic purposes.”
He commemorated the late Pope Francis as a “significant and supreme human figure and a unique spirit,” praising the Pope’s role in promoting peaceful coexistence, brotherhood, interfaith dialogue, and renouncing war.
Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died at age 88 on Easter Monday following a stroke. The Pope's death follows a period of ill-health that saw him spend five weeks in hospital with double pneumonia. The debate over who his successor would be began shortly after his hospitalization.
In March 2021, Pope Francis made a historic trip to Iraq, becoming the first pontiff to visit the country. His visit included stops in Baghdad, Mosul, and Najaf, where he met Iraq’s highest Shiite authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. He concluded his visit in Erbil, where he held a holy mass and met with Kurdish leaders, including Masoud Barzani, Nechirvan Barzani, and Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.
In Mosul, the Pope held prayers for victims of ISIS and visited other significant Christian sites in the city.
Sako highlighted the continuing significance of the Pope’s visit, saying it underlined the important role of religion in building bridges and fostering mutual understanding and peace. Recalling his last meeting with Pope Francis, the patriarch said, “I remember the last time I saw him, he said: Iraq is in my heart.”
Sako was appointed head of the Chaldean Church by the Pope at the Vatican and was instrumental in organizing the late pontiff’s visit to Iraq.
The Kurdistan Region is predominantly Muslim but takes pride in its commitment to religious freedom. In addition to its Muslim population, the region is home to diverse faith communities, including Christians, Yazidis, Sabean-Mandaeans, Zoroastrians, Kaka’is, and Baha’is.
