Protest Stand in Nineveh Governorate Highlights Demands Amidst Media Restrictions
Shafaq News/ The Bishops of the "Nineveh Council," who belong to different Churches, held a protest stand on Friday to voice a series of "legitimate" demands directed at the Iraqi government.
Notably, the demonstrators called for an end to attempts at demographic change and the protection of religious figures from attacks. However, the event was marred by media restrictions imposed by security authorities from the Mobilization Forces, who prevented journalists from covering the stand.
The Council organized the protest standups in the town of Qaraqosh of the Al-Hamdaniya district to the east of Mosul. They called for enacting a fair electoral law that upholds equal representation for all components of the Iraqi population and safeguards the compensatory ranks for the Christian community. The Council further emphasized the imperative of respecting holy books and religious symbols and strongly condemned any aggression against them.
While the bishops and their supporters aimed to raise awareness about these pressing concerns, journalists encountered obstacles in covering the event. At the Al-Hamdaniya Junction checkpoint, manned by the 50th Brigade of the Popular Mobilization Forces, journalists were prevented from entering Qaraqosh. Their press identities were confiscated and subjected to a lengthy delay under the sun.
Following interventions by Christian clerics and a verbal altercation involving Rayan al-Kaldani, the head of the Babylon Bloc, the journalists were eventually permitted to enter the district. However, their equipment was seized at a subsequent control point, prompting an order for them to leave the district.
Tensions have escalated between Christian clerics and Rayan al-Kaldani, with past demonstrations staged against him in the Al-Hamdaniya district. The dispute stems from accusations surrounding a republican decree that curtailed the powers of Chaldean Patriarch Louis Sako. Al-Kaldani, linked to the Popular Mobilization Authority, has been accused of attempting to control Christian property.
