Yonadam Kanna, from the Assyrian Democratic Movement, believes Iraq will remain united. Only the Kurds could "break away" at a future date. Moscow’s intervention, he told AsiaNews, is "crucial" in the fight against jihadists. Unity of intent is fundamental in fighting terrorism. Christians are in an increasingly critical situation. They need protection, aid and national reconciliation.

Baghdad (AsiaNews) – Yonadam Kanna is the leader of the Assyrian Democratic Movement. A member of the Iraqi National Assembly, where he sit on the Labour and Social Affairs Committee, he spoke recently to AsiaNews.

“Outside interests,” he said, “are pushing for “a three-way split” in Iraq between Sunnis, Shias and Kurds. Such forces “can create a situation of chaos, tension and conflict,” but "they will not succeed,” except “perhaps the Kurds" who on the long run "might break away" to set up their own autonomous nation; " not now, in the future; perhaps in the distant future."

For Arab Sunnis and Shias, the issue is different, they "will not" break away, especially after "Russia’s airstrikes”, and the “possibility of cooperation between Washington and Moscow" who might together end this conflict. Currently the two countries are engaged in a third round of talks.

The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS),* which has seized large swathes of Syria and Iraq, mostly desert areas except for Mosul, Anbar (Iraq) and Raqqa and Palmyra (Syria), has been stopped in its push by the start of Russian airstrikes.

On 30 September, Russia Moscow began striking ISIS targets in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad, inflicting heavy losses on the jihadists. In Iraq, ISIS is beginning to falter.

Russian airstrikes and international coalition operations, Yonadam Kanna said, have enabled the Iraqi army, the Peshmerga, tribal groups and Popular Mobilisation Groups to gain ground.

“In Kirkuk [province], the Kurds freed 12 villages, while Iraqi forces have surrounded Anbar and Ramadi,” he said. However, "the plunge in oil prices and the lack of money” are a problem. “With winter approaching, the situation is getting critical. For this reason, we need the international community to pay attention, as well as provide aid and fight ISIS with greater vigour”.

For the Christian lawmaker, Russia’s intervention against ISIS is "far more effective" than that of the “international coalition.”

At the same time, Moscow should not “go it alone. Instead, it should coordinate with the other forces on the ground, like the United States. It should not appear to be defending Shias against Sunnis, and America and the West should not appear to be defending Sunnis from Shias.”

Both sides must be "united in the fight against terrorism" and "should not come across as defenders of Christians against Islam . . . This is a joint struggle against terrorism."

So far, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have conditioned US action in Iraq. The Americans “have changed their mind and come to realise that these extremist Islamic movements are terrorist groups.”

"Everything has changed,” Kanna noted. “Some allies in Europe and the US have let us down. They have backed terrorists instead of pro-democracy opposition movements in Syria (and elsewhere), and this is the result." So far, we have had “no good solutions.”

“Now there is an attempt to find some common ground between Moscow and Washington and this is positive. If either side goes it alone, peace will be put at risk. If they work together, the prospects are good.” Otherwise, “there is a real danger that extremism will penetrate massively Europe and the West. This would be a global security risk, not only for Iraq and Syria."

Against this backdrop, the situation is becoming more critical for Christians. Many have left the country or have found refuge in Iraqi Kurdistan. Hastily fleeing ISIS violence, they have abandoned their homes in Mosul and the Nineveh Plain.

In more than ten years, the community has been halved. Recognising minority rights and the Aramaic language in the Constitution and reserving seats in parliament are not enough.

“Discrimination is an obvious fact, especially in employment,” the Christian leader said. “Sixty per cent of the community in the capital has fled, and we are in danger. Our patriarch (Mar Sako) and the bishops are right to raise the issue. Our people must be protected by the international community.”

After two thousand years, bells no longer toll in the Nineveh Plain. Sunday Masses are no longer celebrated. People are suffering, and the government does too little. The economic crisis has made problems worse and there is no hope in the future.

"The survival of the Christian community in Iraq is tied to the weeks and months that it will take to drive ISIS out, before its members can return to Mosul and their villages,” the lawmaker said. This means launching “a Marshall Plan to enable them to rebuild a dignified life.” in fact, what is needed are “jobs, infrastructure, international protection and reconciliation among the country’s various groups.”

Finally, Kanna explained that  solution must found to bridge the gap between Erbil and Baghdad, clearly outlining who runs what in their respective areas of jurisdiction. (DS)

* The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS), Islamic State (IS) group, and Daesh (the Arabic acronym of ad-Dawlah al-Islāmiyah fī 'l-ʿIrāq wa-sh-Shām).

• iraq
• kurdistan
• christains
• nineveh
• plain
• kanna