Shafaq News/ On Monday, Iraqi Minister of Justice, Khalid Shwani, met with Catholicos-Patriarch Mar Gewargis III Younan of the Ancient Church of the East in Iraq and worldwide.
According to a statement by the Justice Ministry, the meeting discussed measures taken by the ministry to safeguard Christian properties and ensure their property rights.
“Minister Shwani stated that the ministry has implemented all necessary measures to protect private properties by forming specialized committees and providing the required facilitation for real estate transactions, particularly for Christians residing abroad,” the statement added.
Shwani further revealed that the ministry had issued a set of directives to safeguard the property rights of the Christian community as part of efforts “to preserve their assets and strengthen their legal protections.”
“For his part, the patriarch commended the ministry's efforts in providing the necessary facilitations for Christians,” the statement continued.
Notably, before the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, Iraq was home to a Christian population of approximately 1.5 million. Today, that number has declined to an estimated 200,000 to 300,000.
The rise of ISIS in Iraq was a key factor in the sharp decline of the country’s Christian population. When the group overran vast territories in 2014, including the historically Christian Nineveh Plains, it issued an ultimatum: convert to Islam, pay a punitive tax (jizya), or face execution.
This forced tens of thousands of Christians to flee, as ISIS militants systematically destroyed churches, monasteries, and centuries-old Christian heritage sites while seizing homes and businesses belonging to Christian families.
Iraq officially recognizes 14 Christian sects, with most of the community concentrated in Baghdad, the northern Nineveh Plains, and the Kurdistan region.
Chaldeans make up the largest share, accounting for up to 80% of Iraq’s Christians. Syriacs represent around 10%, Assyrians approximately 5%, and Armenians and Arab Christians constitute about 3% and 2%, respectively.