US religious freedom chair praises religious freedom in Kurdistan Region

"The conditions are so much better than most places in the Middle East, including other parts of Iraq."

Wladimir van Wilgenburg 2022/01/23 15:45

Kurdistan USCIRF religious freedom in Kurdistan Region Yezidi Ainkawa Christians in Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani Krg

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Nadine Maenza, the Chair of the official US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), told Kurdistan 24 that the religious freedom for religious minorities in the Kurdistan Region is encouraging.

"The conditions are so much better than most places in the Middle East, including other parts of Iraq," she said.

"It's always a pleasure to visit the Kurdistan Region of Iraq because I'm able to see just how all the religious communities live in peace together and they're able to practice their faith and have houses of worship."

Honored to meet with His Excellency @masoud_barzani to talk about #ReligiousFreedom & the many issues facing the region. Thankful to KRG for fight against ISIS, welcoming fleeing religious minorities & all they continue to do like placing Ankawa under Christian Admin control. pic.twitter.com/gwgtKP5izg
— Nadine Maenza (@nadinemaenza) January 16, 2022

Maenza added she was visiting the Kurdistan Region and northeast Syria in her own capacity, where she met with religious and political leaders from northeast Syria and the Kurdistan Region.

She said it's "clear that there's religious freedom violations in the rest of Iraq and all through the Middle East and most of the countries that neighbor that border."

Maenza met with Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) President Masoud Barzani last week and discussed religious coexistence in the Kurdistan Region.

"I really appreciate how the (Kurdistan Regional) Government is working hard to try to ensure that those religious freedom conditions continue," she said.

She also said there are so many diverse religious communities that live in peace in the Kurdistan Region.

"They're able to register their houses of worship, they're able to participate and it's important that the KRG and those here that are part of this environment, really make sure that also these communities can participate in the economy and be a part of all parts of society."

She underlined, "it's important that everyone continue to ensure that these conditions continue."

Maenza also praised the decision by Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Oct. 4 to make the Christian-majority Ankawa suburb of Erbil a separate district.

"It was really encouraging to see the government do that," she said. "I really think that everyone should have a chance to be a part of their own voice and their own governance."

"To see the Christians in Ainkawa will be able to have administrative control of the areas is encouraging and I'd love to see more of that throughout Iraq."

Maenza also attended the ordination of the new Chaldean Bishop of Duhok, Mgr. Shaba Azad, on Saturday.

Today we participated at the ordination of new Chaldean Bishop of Nohadra-Duhok,I was pleased that @nadinemaenza had the opportunity to participate with us.The rituals of the Chaldean Church are considered as one of most ancient that dates back to the 1st century of Christianity. pic.twitter.com/bJMKySVPjF
— Ano Abdoka ܐܢܘ 𒀭𒀀𒉡 (@AnoAbdoka) January 21, 2022

"I was moved considering how much persecution they have endured through the ages. Humbling to join them in this beautiful celebration," she tweeted. "Thank you (Minister of Transportation & Communication) @AnoAbdoka for arranging."

Maenza said it was also "encouraging" to see Pope Francis visit last March "to see the entire country of Iraq and to be reminded of the importance of all the religious components."

She also said she thinks the Yezidi community in particular "needs a lot of support to be able to go back to Sinjar and Sinjar should be a place that's safe for them and the international community should be developing it and should be helping to make it safe."

ISIS subjected Yezidis of Sinjar to a campaign of genocide beginning in August 2014. Thousands were killed and hundreds of thousands more displaced from their homeland, most of whom still reside in displacement camps in the Kurdistan Region.

Maenza said it's important to push back "the armed forces that are destabilizing the area".

She is also concerned about Turkish airstrikes in that region.

"I'm hopeful that Sinjar at some point will be a place for Yezidi's to go back to," she said. "I appreciate the fact that the KRG welcomed all of those fleeing ISIS here and provided support to them."

She also said there is absolutely no doubt that "what has been built here (in the Kurdistan Region)" shows that it's a "real special place."

"It is really remarkable that all these faith communities can live together and thrive and that's why it's so important that the international community provide that support to the Kurdistan Regional Government to be able to have the resources they need to continue to support these communities, and that these communities are also able to thrive here," she added.