Shafaq News/ The Christian community in Iraq, particularly in thenorthern city of Kirkuk, has lived for centuries in peaceful coexistence withinthe country's diverse population. Known for their kindness and serene nature,these communities have been an integral part of Iraq's rich history, with theirroots tracing back to ancient civilizations like the Assyrians and Chaldeans.
Mass Displacement And Immigration
The 2003 US-led invasion marked a turning point for Iraq's Christians.Waves of targeted attacks, including bombings of churches and monasteries,kidnappings, and assassinations of clergy members perpetrated by extremistgroups, sent shockwaves through the community. Many Christians found themselvescaught in the crossfire of sectarian violence that engulfed the country between2006 and 2008.
As security deteriorated across Iraq, emigration became a desperatemeasure for many Christians seeking to escape the escalating violence. TheIslamic State (ISIS) group, which emerged in 2014, dealt another devastatingblow to the Christian community, forcing thousands to flee their homes inNineveh Plain and other areas under the extremist group's control. The massdisplacement and persecution inflicted by ISIS have raised serious concernsabout the long-term survival of Iraq's Christian minority.
Baghdad Is My Home
Faiza Johnson, a 65-year-old Christian woman who has called Baghdad homefor over six decades, said she never imagined leaving her hometown despite thenumerous challenges she has faced. Her snow-white hair, she says, is atestament to the sweet and bitter memories she has accumulated over the years,particularly during the US occupation and the sectarian violence that followed.
When ISIS swept through Iraq in 2014, forcing thousands of Christianfamilies to flee their homes, Johnson remained steadfast in her Baghdadneighborhood of al-Karrada. However, the trauma of those years eventually ledher and her siblings to leave the country temporarily. Upon their return, theydiscovered that their family home had been sold, and they were forced toevacuate.
"My love for Baghdad is indescribable," Johnson said. "Inever thought about leaving Baghdad, but my family, a son and a daughter,decided to immigrate to America in 2014. They live there now, but I am stayingwith my sister at our house in al-Karrada. We traveled outside of Iraq for twoyears, and when we returned, we found that a different family was living in ourhome. They told us they had bought the house from a real estate agent. Afteryears of legal battles, we regained ownership of the property and eventuallysold it before settling in Kirkuk."
Less than a thousand in Kirkuk
The Chaldean Catholic Church in Kirkuk and al-Sulaymaniyah has played acrucial role in supporting the Christian community in the region, according toArchbishop Yusuf Toma. Speaking to Shafaq News Agency, Toma said the churchprovided aid and assistance to both displaced Christians and other minoritygroups.
Following the ISIS attacks, nearly 350 Christian families from Ninevehsought refuge in Kirkuk, along with Yazidi, Sabean, and Muslim families."The church provided care for these displaced families," Toma said,adding, "We also supported 700 students from these families and helpedthem complete their higher studies. They have now become leaders in theirhometowns and villages in the Nineveh Plains."
Similarly, the church in al-Sulaymaniyah welcomed around 500 Christianfamilies. While many have returned to the Nineveh Plains now, approximately 70families remain displaced after the destruction of their homes on the leftbank. Additionally, 60 Christian families displaced to al-Sulaymaniyah from theright bank of Nineveh have also been unable to return.
"The Christian presence in Kirkuk is an integral part of thegovernorate's diverse population," Toma emphasized. "Our community ofaround a thousand families lives harmoniously with other communities. However,the exodus of Christians began in earnest after 2003, with hundreds of familiesmigrating to European countries, America, Australia, and elsewhere due toviolence and deteriorating security conditions. The targeting of our communityby terrorist groups has significantly impacted our numbers."
The Role Of Church
"The church has implemented three projects: the first was equippingthe cancer center with modern devices worth 170 million dinars, and the secondwas building an autism center in the children's hospital at a cost of 300million dinars," Toma said.
A third project, a thalassemia center for genetic blood disorders, isnearing completion and will soon be handed over to the Kirkuk HealthDepartment.
These initiatives, Toma asserted, are designed to serve all residents ofKirkuk, regardless of their religious or ethnic affiliation. By addressingpressing healthcare needs, such as cancer, autism, and thalassemia, the churchis making a tangible difference in the lives of countless individuals andfamilies, he said.
Usurping Christian houses
Emad Matti, the media official of the Chaldean Church in Kirkuk, toldShafaq News that "in Kirkuk alone, 89 properties have been seized byindividuals, influential people, and parties. One party is still occupying aChristian's house and refuses to leave."
"The church has managed to recover 63 properties, which are housesand lands abandoned by their owners after they left and traveled outside Iraq.We are working to recover the remaining properties that have been seized inKirkuk and return the rights to their Christian owners."
He assured that "the Chaldean Church is working to prevent anycontinued violations of the properties of displaced Iraqis in Kirkuk and otherprovinces, as there are those who are working with influential parties to sellthe properties of Christians, and this has happened on many occasions."
Wael Korkis, a 72-year-old Christian who fled to Europe, told ShafaqNews that his family home in Baghdad's al-Karrada district was sold illegallywhile they were abroad. "Our signatures were forged," he said."We tried to reclaim it through the courts, but powerful people had forgedthe documents."
"Many houses that have been seized in the same way: by transferringthe ownership from the original owner to a second name who ultimately sells it.They are a network of forgers who buy and sell the properties of Christians inBaghdad and other governorates. On the other hand, trying to recover anyproperty belonging to Christians is a very complicated and cumbersomeprocedure. However, a law prohibits selling and buying properties owned byChristians in Iraq."
Real estate agents, like Salem Shukri, admit the industry has beentainted by corruption. "Many people working in real estate who areinvolved in selling the properties of Christians, in collaboration with corruptgovernment servants," he said. "However, for some time now, bothbuying and selling properties owned by Christians throughout Iraq has beenalmost completely halted."