Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Baghdad (Fides Service) – In the new post-war Iraq all the different political parties and ethnic and religious groups are anxious to play a part in the rebuilding of the new nation. Chaldean Catholics, 80% of the entire Christian presence in Iraq, are also asking for recognition and a representative in Iraq’s Temporary Council of Government, as the Chaldean leaders say in a statement addressed to Mr Paul Bremer civil administrator in Iraq. The 19 Chaldean Bishops who signed the statement ask the administration to “guarantee religious, social and political rights of all Christian in Iraq”. Fides Service spoke with Bishop ShelmonWardoni apostolic administrator of the Patriarchate of Babylon of the Chaldeans in Baghdad.
In this statement you say your rights are neglected in the new administration. Why?
We sent this letter to Mr Bremer asking why Chaldeans, who are the absolute majority of Christians in Iraq since the first century of Christianity, are not represented in the new government. We feel our rights are not respected, they are neglected. From the beginning we asked for respect for our rights, religious, political social and ethnic rights. We ask only for respect for our rights, nothing more. If we look back to when Iraq was still a monarchy, we see that our Patriarch was a senator in the government. Today we are the third largest group after Arabs and Kurds.
What role can Iraqi Christians play in the country today?
Iraqi Christians are citizens like all the others. They must be given a role in the rebuilding of the country, a task in which they must cooperate with all the other citizens. There is no difference from this point of view between Muslims and Christians. A true Iraqi will cooperate with others to build his country. As Christians we were afraid of fanatics: although there are some, the majority of Muslims want to cooperate and they want a democratic pluralist nation.
Iraq is often the centre of media attention
The media must report the truth and avoid creating problems. On behalf of all Iraqis I ask the media to tell the truth, not to enlarge problems and to tell also positive news not only negative news.
Tells us about Muslim/Christian relations since the war?
We cannot complain about relations and contact with our Muslim brothers. Indeed, today a new door for dialogue is open. On May 22 we Chaldean Bishops of Iraq had a meeting with Muslim leaders, Shiites and Sunni, at Najaf the Shiite holy city. We met Ayatollah Hakim, who was assassinated recently and Ayatollah Sistani: both men welcomed us warmly with great joy and they stressed that we must work together to build the new Democratic Iraq in which the rights of all citizens are guaranteed. BM (Fides Service 17/9/2003 EM lines 38 Words: 478)
