Chaldean Bishop: Christians divided, but the preferred candidate is Allawi
An interview with Msgr Rabban Al Qas, Bishop of Amadiyah and Erbil (northern Iraq)
Amadiyah (AsiaNews) On the eve of parliamentary elections, Christians and Muslims find themselves at a crossroads which can take them beyond sectarian interests in order to support the country's reconstruction and a coexistence that is free of fearing the other. This according to Monsignor Rabban Al Qas, Chaldean Bishop of Amadiyah and Erbil, in an interview with AsiaNews. Bishop Rabban criticizes the "political narcissism" of Christians who confine themselves to various confessional parties and that of Muslims who prefer to support Islamic unity at the expense of national interests. According to the Bishop, the candidate who holds most promise for the country's future is Iyad Allawi. In any case, the elections are an occasion to rethink the mission of Christians in Iraq. Here is his interview:
Bishop Rabban, on the eve of elections, a BBC survey shows that at least 70% of Iraqis are content with their situation. At the 1000-day mark from the war against Saddam Hussein, and despite the on-going violence and terrorism, over 60% of the population is hopeful for the country's future Do you share this optimism?
Above all, people are enthusiastic about the elections. Even if divisions exist between small groups and parties, the majority has more or less gathered around one big party, the Iraqi National List. Whether they live in Kurdistan, in the Shi'ite south or among the Sunnis, the person that everyone wants as leader is Iyad Allawi, along with the Kurds.
Unfortunately the Christians are closed in on various little groups that have no future. As I have always said to everyone, the future of Christians is not to close themselves off and to defend the few odd privileges of the past. The country's future lies in working with others. Even constitutional reform, to defend their right to religious freedom, passes through cooperation with other communities.
Christians are worried about the pull of Islamic fundamentalism that could reduce their freedom
In a heterogeneous Iraq, the words that Christians must defend are not those of religion as identity and a closed world, but those of peace, love, justice and respect for others. Our faith must express itself through the service to and the welcoming of others.
The future of Christians will not come from corporative fanaticism, put forward by political groups such as the Assyrian-Christians, but from coexistence with all Iraqis. From this point of view, the people of Kurdistan have been prepared by at least 14 years of autonomy to live together, Christians and Muslims, to look at the bigger picture, and not at small partisan interests.
Furthermore, the Church does not have to go in with its own party to defend its interests. We have to take advantage of the experience of the Church in Europe: it does not get directly involved in politics, but is a source of messages, options, values, commitment that informs politics as well.
Has the Chaldean Church given any indications to help the faithful with the election?
There is no clear convergence. In fact, there is considerable divergence: there are at least 4 slates of candidates among Christians, which I fear will have no political clout. It seems at first sight that these groups are defending their religion, but actually they are not concerned about this because they are not concerned about the country. These groups are out to vote for one of their representatives: a Christian for a Christian, the Chaldeans for a Chaldean, the Assyrians for an Assyrian; but, this way, they are only putting into play a form of political narcissism that creates no future. An Iraq which is closed within its various communities can never revive itself. As I have always said, let's look at Iraq, at the country, at its future. Even for the Church, the primary problem is currently not preserving the Chaldean language, or its rites, but helping the country to rise from the massacres, the violence of these past years, from the bitterness, helping people to reject fundamentalism.
It is said that political parties hold no hope for young people Will they refrain from voting.
No, on the contrary. Of course, I speak mainly for Kurdistan, but I see analogies with other parts of Iraq. The other day, I took part in a conference in Hankawa. We were in a big cultural centre along with 1,500 young university students of Christian and Sunni Muslim faith. The head of the centre is a Muslim, but he invited me to speak about welcoming others, of the richness of diversity. To these Muslims, I said: I, a Christian, am more your brother than someone from Saudi Arabia. You must defeat religious fundamentalism: I, who suffered along with you for decades under Saddam Hussein, am closer, more a friend to your life than any other foreign Muslim. It is time to correct the abstract membership in a community that risks destroying rather than building. Iraq can grow only with inter-ethnic coexistence, getting rid of fundamentalism.
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07/02/2019 17:28
27/05/2019 13:46
