The Prime Minister of Iraq, Ali Falih al-Zaidi, has invited Iraqi Christians who left the country in recent decades to return to their homeland, stating that his Government considers this goal a “national priority.” During a meeting with Chaldean Patriarch Mar Paul III Nona, the head of the Executive promised to facilitate the return of Christian families through various support measures, including their inclusion in the state program distributing one million residential plots.
Al-Zaidi affirmed that Christians constitute “an active component and a fundamental partner in building the State and in the history and future of Iraq,” and insisted that the country’s wealth lies in its religious, ethnic, and cultural diversity.
Appeal also to entrepreneurs and investors
The Prime Minister also addressed a message to Christian entrepreneurs and investors established abroad, inviting them to return to participate in the country’s reconstruction and take advantage of investment opportunities, especially in the fields of health and education.
He explained that the Government is working to consolidate stability and provide the necessary conditions to promote new business projects, foster economic development, and create employment.
For his part, Chaldean Patriarch Mar Paul III Nona thanked the Executive’s initiatives and expressed his hope that they will help strengthen the confidence of Christians in the diaspora and encourage their return, as well as the involvement of Christian entrepreneurs in the country’s development.
The Church recalls that the causes of the exodus are still present
The Government’s invitation has been favorably received by various church leaders, although it has also been accompanied by a call to address the problems that caused the mass emigration of Iraqi Christians.
The Syriac Orthodox Archbishop of Mosul, Kirkuk, and Kurdistan, Mons. Nicodemos Matta Sharaf, described the initiative as “an official recognition of Christians’ right to live in the land of their fathers and ancestors.” However, he warned that the invitation is unlikely to succeed unless the causes that forced thousands of families to leave the country are eliminated.
Among these, he mentioned political marginalization, insufficient Christian representation in institutions, corruption, precarious infrastructure, deficiencies in health and education services, and lack of job opportunities.
The prelate also expressed hope that the Government’s anti-corruption campaign will continue and produce tangible results. In his view, only the effective improvement of these conditions will restore the confidence of those who emigrated and make a stable return of the Christian community to Iraq possible.