Iraq over this new year period is witnessing a "grass-roots revolt against terrorism", alongside a renewed commitment to the "defense of life, peace [and] joy" as Muslims attended Mass and people celebrated the start of 2017, according to the Chaldean Patriarch there, Mar Raphael Louis Sako.
In an interview with Asia News, the Chaldean primate said that through the spirit of a majority of ordinary people in Iraq "it is possible to defeat those who seek death, destruction, emigration".
Iraq continues to be ravaged by daily violence, including a double suicide bombing in Baghdad – the biggest in months – carried out by ISIS on 31 December which killed at least 27 people.
But according to the patriarch, a festive atmosphere has prevailed. He cited the examples of Christmas trees scattered around different neighborhoods in Baghdad; the visit of a group of young Najafdi Shiite Muslims who attended a mass in the capital; the celebrations for the new year in Basra and the invitation of local authorities for Christians "to return to their homes."
Mar Sako said that on New Year's Eve: "I went out to go to a square in the Mansour neighborhood of Baghdad. We celebrated with a lot of people, nearly a million people took to the streets... We talked with them, we exchanged greetings; these are small things – but are important to reject the Daesh ideology of terror [that] still [targets] the capital with attacks."
He added that the Christmas spirit on display gave him hope that 2017 would be a year of "greater cohesion" for Iraq. The change, Mar Sako said, was evident "especially in Baghdad, dotted with Christmas trees. And then the many letters of greeting from religious, political authorities, but also of Muslim civil activists and many ordinary people... I think 2017... will be another year, maybe not [of] total peace, but certainly greater cohesion, unity. This is my prayer, but it is also the common feeling of the majority of citizens."
According to Asia News, Basra's political, religious and institutional authorities have launched an appeal to Christians, asking the many who have emigrated to return to their homes. In the southern Iraqi city, New Year's Eve was celebrated for the first time, and the police forces in Basra kept watch, while the County Council has also committed itself to the maintenance and renovation of churches.
"The governor and the president of the Municipal Council came to visit me in these days of celebration," Mar Sako said. "A local Christian politician circulated a letter for the new year against the war. We Christians have a lot to do for the local community; I asked the local authorities to show their closeness to the Christian communities, and these appeals and these initiatives [at Christmas] is a first response. "
The most significant of these various events, according to Mar Sako, was the visit of a group of young Shiite Muslims – boys and girls – originating from Najaf who attended a mass in the church of St. George. Afterwards, the group had lunch with the patriarch and exchanged stories about personal and community experiences. "They took part in the church service and then we posed for photographs with a flag of Iraq and banners for peace. They young people were impressed by the songs and prayers," the patriarch said.
"I explained to them our faith, in the one God, the Trinity concept. I explained the basics of our faith, the common descent from Abraham, the figure of Jesus. I invited them to combat ignorance of Christianity, we are not infidels. Reporters of two television channels also came, and I appealed to them to help spread awareness of our culture, to explain it to their audience, because there are many more things that unite us than divide us.
"And even more significant is that [the young Muslims] came on their own initiative. They have seen a few dedicated services to our community in the media, and they wanted to meet us, creating a personal and direct relationship with us that I hope will continue in the future. Here, from this we can also see the importance of newspapers and TV to provide opportunities for interaction and discussion. For this reason, this year, I asked the priests and bishops to think of messages and Christmas homilies that they could apply to everyone. "
The young Muslims from Najaf were joined at the end of the Mass by another group of young Muslims in Baghdad, who brought flowers and wanted to celebrate the new year.
Mar Sako concluded: "From young people to government leaders, you can strive for dialogue, unity and the country's future."
