ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, on Tuesday called on Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani to intervene and halt what he described as violations against sacred Christian sites in the southern province of Najaf. This follows reports that land belonging to historic Christian cemeteries is being considered for investment projects.
In a statement, Cardinal Sako cited a “reliable source” in Najaf indicating that “ongoing attempts are underway to convert historic Christian cemeteries into investment sites.”
He highlighted two specific cemeteries under threat: the al-Manathira Cemetery, which houses “prominent patriarchal tombs,” and the "Umm Khashm Cemetery for Christian Manathira,” both located in Najaf.
Sako urgently appealed to Sudani to ensure that “these archaeological sites are protected and fenced,” and that “no approval is granted for private investment projects that would erase their historical and religious features.” He proposed instead that these Christian heritage sites be preserved and developed into religious and cultural tourism destinations, generating long-term economic benefits for the country.
Beyond threats to their heritage, Iraq’s Christian community has suffered significant decline over the past two decades. Their population has dwindled from an estimated 1.5 million before the 2003 US-led invasion to roughly 250,000 today.
The mass migration of Christians was further accelerated by the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2014, when the extremist group captured large swathes of northern and central Iraq.
