Kirkuk (AsiaNews) – Drawing a "common line" about conditions and problems of Christians in Iraq, "uniting demands" for political and civil rights and duties, researching "development projects" for villages in a bid to contain growing emigration. This would be the agenda of a meeting of all political and religious leaders of the Iraqi Christian community called by the Archbishop of Kirkuk, Mgr Louis Sako.

The bishop told AsiaNews such a meeting needed to be held urgently, especially in view of the "difficult and risky" idea of creating a "safe zone for Christians" in Iraq. In fact, the possibility of creating a new "administrative region" around the northern province of Nineveh is being discussed more and more, recently winning the support of the US Church. Such a region would be directly linked to the central government of Baghdad and would aim to offer Christians more security and control over their activities.

Mgr Sako launched his appeal from the columns of the Arab-language website ankawa.com. The bishop himself sent AsiaNews the translation of his appeal, which we publish below.

Appeal for a conference of the state of Christians in Iraq!

The current tragic situation of Iraqi Christians calls for the organization of a general conference in which all parties will take part: leaders of Christian parties (at least eight), religious leaders (their role consists in guiding and conserving human values, Christian and national, not to indulge in politics), intellectuals and experts. Some experts could be Muslims, in order to study the Iraqi situation in general and the Christian one in particular. At the end of the meeting, it would be necessary to draw up an official document on the Iraqi situation and the position of Christians in this regard.

The meeting should be prepared in serious, prudent and global way, and with the consensus of all participants. Points to be discussed:

- Choosing a name that unites all Iraqi Christians. For example: Assyrian-Chaldeans, Chaldeans, Syrians, Assyrians, or Armenians. Or else Christians, including everyone. Their strength lies in their unity and in their cultural and economic clout: division leads to a loss of their rights and diminishes their national role in the construction of the country.

- Clarify an objective and integral vision of the future of Christians of Iraq. In fact, they reveal themselves to be marginalized and weak. But the fault is theirs, because they are divided.

- Unite demands about their rights and duties as citizens, both as regards the Iraqi Constitution as well as that of Kurdistan, so that both texts will be to the satisfaction of all.

- Agree on a plan to develop Christian villages, where the majority of people are unemployed and paying high rent. The project should evaluate factors like lodging, agriculture, schools, private universities, and cultural and social centres. Thus the problem of emigration, with the consequent drain of human capabilities, could be resolved. European religious institutions could help and open missions at least in the safe zone.

- Forming a committee (a sort of League) that unites diverse Christian activities and that could become the mouthpiece of Iraqi Christians, respecting the unique aspects of each party and church without getting lost in details.

The aim would be to draft a clear official document that outlines the history of Christians in Iraq and their contribution to cultures – Arab, Kurdish, Muslim – and articulates their stand on the current situation.

+ Louis Sako

Archbishop of Kirkuk