Christians in Nineveh urge Iraqi Prime Minister to address political strife

Shafaq News/ Christians in Nineveh appealed to Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani on Tuesday to "save" the governorate from what they described as a "war of units' heads" and to put an end to party overreach.

In a statement, Mar Benedictus Younan, Archbishop of Mosul for the Syriac Catholics and its surroundings, expressed "deep pain and sorrow," marking the tenth anniversary of their "forced displacement and uprooting from their ancestral lands by the dark forces of ISIS." He lamented the loss of a large number of their followers "who migrated to Europe, America, Australia, and other diaspora countries due to the severity of ISIS's actions but maintained hope and longing for a return to their homeland."

Addressing PM Al-Sudani, he said, "We have confidence in your firm steps and efforts aimed at achieving your government program, which we support. We do not forget your constant support for the authentic Iraqi components, especially Christians, who continue to suffer. Therefore, we appeal to your government to declare that there are political parties that do not wish for our great state to recover and work against your honest government program."

The Archbishop continued, "Every day, we witness new conflicts leading to fear and anxiety among the remaining Christian components in the plains of Nineveh and Mosul due to the presence of some runaway forces that continually engage in alarming negative actions, such as assaulting church guards and demoting a military officer from his rank. These violations continue unabated without restraint or accountability, shaking the security and stability of the entire region."

Furthermore, he criticized a political party attempting to replace directors of departments who do not belong to their party or follow their directives. He cited recent conflicts over the position of district mayors and managers, which surprised them days ago in the Nineveh Provincial Council. "Such actions are contrary to the law and constitution."

"We ask, how long will these conflicts persist, causing us to lose our sons and daughters who flee Iraq out of fear?" he questioned.

The Archbishop called on the Prime Minister to "halt these transgressions and put an end to this party and those runaway forces to save Nineveh from the real political crisis it is experiencing."