Patriarch Sako urges halt to investment on historic Christian cemeteries
Shafaq News – Najaf
Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, called on Tuesday the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, to stop what he described as a serious violation of sacred Christian heritage sites near Najaf.
In a statement, the Patriarch warned of attempts to allocate historic Christian cemeteries in the outskirts of the city — particularly the al-Manathera Cemetery, which holds the graves of prominent patriarchs, and the Umm Khashm Cemetery — for private investment projects.
“These are sacred and historical sites that must be protected and fenced, not erased through commercial development,” Sako said.
He emphasized that Iraq’s civilizational history extends far beyond the Islamic era, encompassing Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Persians, Christians, and eventually Muslims, noting that the Lakhmid dynasty, based in al-Manathera, was fully Christian and left behind religious landmarks including churches and monasteries such as al-Aqiser Church in Ain Tamr (Karbala Province), Deir Hind al-Kubra, Deir Hind al-Sughra, Deir al-Jamajem, and Deir al-Masih.
The Patriarch added that this Christian legacy was also enriched by celebrated Arab Christian poets like Imru' al-Qais and al-Nabigha al-Dhubyani, who played a pivotal role in shaping Arabic literature.
Sako urged the government to consider these historic Christian sites as national heritage alongside the Shiite shrines in Najaf and Karbala, suggesting they could be responsibly developed into religious and cultural tourism destinations.
“If protected and properly promoted, these sites could become pilgrimage landmarks that generate long-term revenue for the country — especially in a future when oil may no longer be a dependable resource,” the Patriarch concluded.
