Erbil…Kurdistan the Cradle of Peaceful Coexistence conference was held in the presence of the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government

Today, June 18, 2023, the Kurdistan Regional Government Ministry of Endowment and Religious Affairs held a conference in Erbil dubbed Kurdistan: Cradle of Peaceful Coexistence to mark the International Day for Countering Hate Speech in the presence of Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government and hundreds of local officials, religious and ethnic community leaders.

"Coexistence and mutual acceptance have become part of our culture and way of life," said the Prime Minister during his remarks at the conference.

"Our region has included different nationalities, religions, and beliefs for thousands of years, and coexistence and mutual acceptance have become part of our culture and way of life," he added. Kurds, Turkmen, Chaldeans, Assyrians, Armenians, Arabs, Muslims, Christians, Yezidis, and Jews have coexisted and helped each other in most sections of Kurdistan. I am from an area where mosques, churches, and synagogues coexist in the same community. I shall always be proud of that culture, and I will do everything in my power to preserve and develop it."

"Although the Kurdistan Region has been the center where all nations, religions, and sects have felt peace and comfort, this peaceful island has always been attacked by hostile thought," he continued. There have always been attempts to distort the region's tradition of cooperation, and even attempts to eliminate and genocide Kurdish tribes and religions."

In response to the unresolved concerns between the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad, the Prime Minister stated, "Our problem is not only a problem of salaries and financial issues; now, most of our constitutional rights have been ignored and violated." The most visible example is that Kurdish and Turkmen farmers in Kirkuk and its environs continue to face threats and have their land seized. However, they intend to limit all of our financial and salary rights and then exploit this issue against us. I urge Baghdad's officials to uphold the constitution and learn from history. What we can do through peace and stability cannot be accomplished through violence, oppression, or self-imposition."