Politics

Former US Ambassador: Kurdistan Shows the World What Tolerance ‘Actually Means’

Former US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad praised the Kurdistan Region's "uniquely impressive record" of interfaith relations and sheltering minorities.

Former US Amb. Zalmay Khalilzad. (AP)
Former US Amb. Zalmay Khalilzad. (AP)
World Zalmay Khalilzad PM Masrour Barzani Religious Coexistence Religious tolerance Umm al-Nour Cathedral Al-Azhar Institute in Kurdistan

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - In a powerful and deeply personal endorsement, Zalmay Khalilzad, a veteran American diplomat and former U.S. ambassador to both Afghanistan and Iraq, has lauded the Kurdistan Region and its leadership for their "uniquely impressive record of positive interfaith relations," a commitment that he says is not just a "fashionable slogan" but a lived reality demonstrated through decades of tangible and often risky action.

In a statement posted on the social media platform X on Sunday, Khalilzad, who also served as the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, drew a stark and poignant contrast between the empty rhetoric of "tolerance" often heard on the world stage and the concrete sacrifices made by the Kurdish people to protect and shelter religious minorities.

"Many people throw around the term 'tolerance' - I am proud of my Kurdish friends for showing us what it actually means," he declared.

Ambassador Khalilzad's unsolicited and powerful praise came on a day that perfectly and vividly illustrated the very principles he was lauding.

On Sunday, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and its Prime Minister, Masrour Barzani, presided over two major, back-to-back events that showcased a deep and active commitment to the region's diverse religious landscape.

The day began with the historic inauguration of the magnificent new Umm al-Nour (Mother of Light) Cathedral in the Christian enclave of Ankawa, a grand house of worship built entirely by the KRG for the Christian community, many of whom are displaced from other parts of Iraq.

Just hours later, the Prime Minister was in another part of Erbil, laying the foundation stone for a new, expanded Al-Azhar Institute, the only branch in all of Iraq of the world-renowned center of moderate Islamic learning.

This deliberate and powerful juxtaposition of a Christian and an Islamic project on the same day was a clear and tangible embodiment of the KRG's policy of even-handed support and respect for all its religious components.

In his own remarks at the Al-Azhar ceremony, as previously reported by Kurdistan24, Prime Minister Barzani explicitly stated that this sequence of events was "evidence and a sign of the diversity of Kurdistan's society and the importance the Kurdistan Regional Government places on all religions and on the further deepening of peaceful coexistence."

It is this tangible, on-the-ground action that Ambassador Khalilzad so powerfully highlighted in his statement.

"The Kurdistan Region and its leadership have a uniquely impressive record of positive interfaith relations," he wrote.

"For them, it’s not just a fashionable slogan or a conference topic. Over decades, they have rescued, protected, and sheltered members of minority religions, which was, in many cases, risky and burdensome," Ambassador Khalilzad stated.

The ambassador then provided a specific and dramatic example of this sacrifice, a story that powerfully illustrates the depth of the Kurdish people's commitment to this principle.

"At one time," he recounted, "they had to postpone the opening of their school year because they needed the classrooms to house Christians fleeing from violent persecution."

This extraordinary act of solidarity, which saw the educational needs of the region's own children temporarily set aside to provide emergency shelter for a persecuted minority, is a profound and moving example of the "actual meaning" of tolerance that the ambassador was praising.

The context for this remarkable act of generosity was the dark summer of 2014, when the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) launched its genocidal campaign across the Nineveh Plains, forcing hundreds of thousands of Christians and other minorities to flee for their lives.

The Kurdistan Region opened its doors, welcoming an unprecedented wave of displaced people and becoming a safe haven in a region consumed by sectarian violence.

At the inauguration of the Umm al-Nour Cathedral on Sunday, both the Prime Minister and the church's leaders spoke of this history with deep emotion. The cathedral itself was described by the Prime Minister as a "gift from the Kurdistan Regional Government to those sisters and brothers" who had sought refuge in Ankawa.

The church's leader, Metropolitan Mar Nicodemus Daoud Matti Sharaf, in his own address, recounted the powerful and unforgettable words of President Masoud Barzani, who at the height of the crisis had told the displaced Christians, "You are not guests here, you are in your own homes and land. Your situation is our situation; we live together and we die together."

It is this deep-seated and foundational belief in a shared destiny, a belief that transcends religious and ethnic divides, that Ambassador Khalilzad was so clearly celebrating in his statement.

The KRG's commitment to fostering this culture of coexistence extends beyond simply providing refuge. As the events of Sunday demonstrated, it involves the active promotion and support of the religious and educational institutions that form the bedrock of each community's identity.

The construction of the Umm al-Nour Cathedral, a 4.29 billion dinar project funded entirely by the KRG's Ministry of Endowment and Religious Affairs, is a powerful statement of support for the Christian community. Similarly, the expansion of the Al-Azhar Institute, which currently has over 350 students and sends dozens more to complete their advanced studies in Egypt, is a strategic investment in promoting a moderate and tolerant interpretation of Islam.

As Dr. Pishtiwan Sadiq, the KRG Minister of Endowment and Religious Affairs, explained at the Al-Azhar ceremony, the curriculum at the KRG's religious institutes has been deliberately modernized to include "topics that are related to coexistence, human rights, love of the homeland, and mutual acceptance," which have been added to the traditional subjects of religious sciences.

This integration of modern civic values into the heart of religious education is a key component of the KRG's strategy to combat extremism and to nurture a generation of religious leaders who will champion the message of peace and mutual respect.

In his own speech, Prime Minister Barzani issued a direct and urgent appeal to these future leaders, asking them to "continue to spread that message of moderation... and not to allow the message of extremism, violence, intolerance of one another, and opposition to one another to have a chance to spread in Kurdistan."

He called on them to show the world the "true face of Islam," stating, "Religious scholars must make people love Islam, not fear it."

He then drew a direct line from the historical example of the Prophet of Islam, "where everyone accepted one another, all worshipers had a place," to the modern reality of the Kurdistan Region, which he said "has proudly become a place of residence and coexistence for all religions and faiths."

Ambassador Khalilzad's public endorsement, coming from a figure of his stature and experience in the region, serves as a powerful international validation of this unique and precious culture. His words cut through the often-cynical discourse of international relations to highlight a simple but profound truth: that in a world so often torn apart by religious and ethnic strife, the Kurdistan Region has, through real and tangible sacrifice, shown what it truly means to live together in peace.

 
 
Dr. Kamaran Aziz ,
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