Prime Minister: Kurdistan Regional Government Will Continue to Further Develop the Culture of Peaceful Coexistence and Respect for All Religions
On Sunday, October 12, Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, inaugurated the (Umm Al-Noor) Church in Ankawa district.
In a speech delivered at the church's opening ceremony, the Prime Minister expressed his hope that Christian brothers and sisters would benefit from the church, which was built by the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs of the Kurdistan Regional Government.
He also stated that the Kurdistan Regional Government will continue its efforts to end the imposed situation in the Nineveh Plain so that Christian brothers and sisters can return to their homes.
This is the full text of the speech:
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
His Holiness Patriarch Mar Ignatius Aphrem II
His Holiness Patriarch Cardinal Louis Sako
Dear esteemed attendees, I am very pleased to participate in this ceremony today, which is the opening of the (Umm Al-Noor) Church, built by the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs of the Kurdistan Regional Government.
This church is named (Umm Al-Noor), meaning "Mother of Light," which is one of the titles of the pure Virgin Mary (peace be upon her). Hazrat Maryam has a very special status not only in Christianity but also in Islam, and her name is mentioned with great respect in dozens of verses in the Holy Quran. In Kurdish society, many women are named after her.
I hope this church becomes an important place of worship for Christian brothers and sisters in Ankawa and a center for further development of brotherhood and friendship among religions and the promotion of a culture of coexistence in the Kurdistan Region.
In recent years, especially after the attack by ISIS terrorists on the Kurdistan Region, Mosul, and the Nineveh Plain, thousands of Christian brothers and sisters from those areas were forced to leave their homes and seek refuge in the Kurdistan Region, particularly settling in Ankawa and living in peace and tranquility.
This church is a gift from the Kurdistan Regional Government to those brothers and sisters who, as I heard, a large number of them are displaced from the Nineveh Plain and have remained here due to the instability of their region, benefiting from this church and worshipping in it.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The Kurdistan Regional Government will continue its efforts to end the imposed situation in the Nineveh Plain and to create a calm and stable environment so that our brothers and sisters can return to their homes and churches with dignity and according to their wishes. A few days ago, we inaugurated a road project near the Lalish Temple, which was a great facility for our Yazidi brothers and sisters. Also, today, after opening this church, we are laying the foundation stone for the Al-Azhar Religious Institute and participating in the graduation ceremony of the Institute for Imams and Preachers in Erbil.
All of this is evidence and a sign of the diversity of Kurdish society and the
Kurdistan Regional Government's concern for all religions and for further deepening peaceful coexistence and religious freedom in the Kurdistan Region.
The Kurdistan Regional Government will continue to promote the message of peace, coexistence, and respect for all religions, not only in the Kurdistan Region but throughout the Middle East.
I congratulate you again on the opening of this church, and may God protect Kurdistan, and may you always live in joy, brotherhood, and harmony.
Thank you again.
