Shafaq News/ In a report, the "Episcopal News Service" website stated on Wednesday that Reverend Fayez Beshir George, the only Anglican priest serving the sole Anglican church in Iraq, is embarking on a tour of the United States to highlight the plight of Iraqi Christians and the challenges they face. The aim is to provide financial and spiritual support for them.

The report clarified that the "Stand With Iraqi Christians" organization and the "Episcopal Church's Office of Global Partnerships" are jointly sponsoring Reverend Fayez Beshir George's tour. He is accompanied by Reverend Sanan Hanna Karakash, the director of St. George's Church.

The report quoted the co-president of the "Stand With Iraqi Christians" organization, Buck Blanchard, as saying that the organization welcomes the visit of Reverend Fayez Beshir George and Sanan Hanna to the United States because it raises awareness within the Episcopal Church of "our strong church in Iraq, which provides healing work for the people of Iraq, both spiritually and practically."

According to the report, during his extensive visit to the United States, Reverend Fayez Beshir George will participate in an online seminar discussing the services of St. George's Church and how to deal with religious extremism in Iraq, a country predominantly Shiite with diverse religious minorities, including Yazidis, Zoroastrians, and Christians.

The report highlighted that George, born to a Christian Assyrian family in Baghdad, was ordained as a deacon in 2011, becoming the first Iraqi to be ordained as an Anglican priest. It further noted that St. George's Church is affiliated with the Anglican Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf.

The report mentioned that St. George's Church in Baghdad has around two hundred Christian believers.

The report quoted Reverend George as saying that supporting Christians in Iraq would help alleviate their suffering, enabling them to remain in the country and live a dignified life.

The report further mentioned that Reverend George chose to embark on the American tour because the United States has been directly involved in the Iraqi situation. He said, "The entire system has changed since the United States began the war in 2003," adding, "I look forward to finding resources for the church so that we can have a fully restored Christian community as it was in the past."

In this context, the report drew attention to the fact that approximately 1.5 million Christians were living in Iraq before the US-led war in Iraq in 2003. Over the past 20 years, many Christians have fled Iraq to escape violence and persecution, resulting in their numbers dwindling to a few hundred thousand. This decline persists despite the official end of the war in 2011.

The report also highlighted the significant damage inflicted on the church itself during the war, along with the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the emergence of the Islamic State (ISIS), further deteriorating the church's conditions.

The report quoted Paul Feil, the Episcopal Church's Partnership Officer for the Middle East, as saying that listening to Reverend George would contribute to developing relationships as Christians learn from one another. He added, "The issue is not only about Westerners channeling dollars to the church in Iraq but also about developing these relationships."

The report concluded by noting that as part of his US tour, Reverend George will visit several Episcopal churches and non-governmental organizations. He will also meet with government officials and other organizations throughout the current month to discuss the difficulties faced by Christians in Iraq and how to support church services.

During his stay in Washington, DC, last week, Reverend George also spoke in face-to-face forums at the Washington National Cathedral, Ascension Church, and St. Agnes Church. Additionally, he will speak at the Episcopal Cathedral of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania on May 15 and at the St. Bartholomew's Church and Holy Trinity Church, both located in New York City.

According to Reverend Feil, donating money to St. George's Church and engaging with members of the US Congress, who shape legislation impacting the Iraqi people, are tangible ways to help the Iraqi population. He concluded, "We need to use a faith-based approach in our work, praying and supporting the people in Iraq."