President Barzani reaffirms support for Christians in Kurdistan

2026-06-15T11:24:41+00:00

Shafaq News- Erbil

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Monday reaffirmed the Region's commitment to protecting its Christian community and promoting peaceful coexistence, describing Christians as an integral component of Kurdistan and Iraq.

سەرۆک نێچیرڤان بارزانی پیرۆزبایی لە پاتریارک مار پۆڵسى سێيه‌م نۆنا دەکاتhttps://t.co/2t5tpUn4Kn pic.twitter.com/eHx9GJDiks
— Kurdistan Region Presidency (@KurdistanRegion) June 15, 2026

During Barzani's visit to St. Joseph Chaldean Cathedral in Ankawa, he was received by Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Iraq and worldwide, along with senior Christian clerics.

The Kurdistan Region is home to around 150,000 Christians, making it one of the last strongholds of Iraq’s ancient Christian presence. Nearly 99% of them live in Erbil and Duhok, where churches and community schools have expanded with government support. By contrast, Iraq’s Christian population nationwide has declined from about 1.5 million before 2003 to less than 250,000 today.

President Barzani reaffirms support for Christians in Kurdistan

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