Iraqi PM calls Christians back to their homeland

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi on Saturday called on all Christians, who had left the country, to return to their homeland, and take part in its revival, TASS quoted the news portal El Nashra as saying that the prime minister attended the Christmas service at St. Joseph Cathedral in the central Baghdad, Report informs.

“Christians have a prominent role in Iraq and should be encouraged to stay in the country,” al-Kadhimi stressed. I call on all Christians, who have left Iraq to return to their homeland and take part in its revival.

Certain forces are not abandoning their attempts to weaken the religious and cultural diversity of Iraq, the prime minister said.

“Under these circumstances, the authorities are faced with the task of instilling hopes in people and strengthening the country’s independence,” he said.

He also pointed out that dialogue is the only path that will determine the future for all Iraqis, regardless of religious affiliation.

According to a census conducted by the National Human Rights Commission last March, there are 250,000 Christians in Iraq out of the 1.5 million who lived there until 2003.

According to the commission, 130,000 Christians were forcibly displaced, 115 were killed and 161 were kidnapped during the control of the Islamic State (IS, banned in Russia) terrorist group over the city of Mosul in 2014-2017.