The Archbishop of the Chaldeans of Erbil, Iraq, Varda, told the Aid Church Organization that in every moment of instability and conflict, the minority groups suffer first.
(Vatican News Network)“In every moment of instability and conflict, the minority groups suffer first.” This is what Bashar Warda, Archbishop of the Chaldeans of Erbil, Iraq, said when talking to the Pontifical Church of Aid for the Suffering. The archbishop was particularly worried about what might happen to the Iraqi territory after the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan.
Archbishop Varda said that in fact, although Afghanistan and Iraq are two “very different” countries, what happened in Kabul “will indeed encourage those who support that kind of regime in Baghdad.” The archbishop explained that in Iraq, “Islamic State” extremists “continue to exist in secret and still have the ability to cause harm.” What’s more serious is that the ideas that contributed to the so-called “Islamic State” organization are still present in the region and certain groups of people today.
Regarding the US White House’s announcement that it will end US combat missions in Iraq by the end of 2021, Archbishop Varda commented, “Any disturbance in the US operations in our country will lead to more violent turmoil, so we must be very worried. May cause further persecution of religious minorities”.
Archbishop Varda reiterated that due to Pope Francis’ visit to Iraq in March this year, the future of Christians in the country is still full of great hope. The archbishop pointed out, “We are not many at present, but we will stick to it no matter where in Iraq, and do our best to show that we are an important part of the national structure.” “I think the Pope’s visit has shown the positive influence of the Christian community to other members of Iraq.” Archbishop Varda finally stated, “We hope that over time, our community will not only survive, but also flourish.”
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