加色丁宗主教：伊拉克基督徒的未来经尼尼微平原而过

作者 Louis Raphael Sako*

将临期之际，萨科枢机请求为伊拉克和北部省份祈祷，该地区亦是该国基督徒的摇篮。他向近年来逃亡的人们发出呼吁：「为你们幸福快乐的和平生活」，请回来重建家园。需要从医疗开始着手，制定「全面发展计划」。

巴格达（亚洲新闻）- 在将临期期间，「我呼吁全世界的信徒为伊拉克祈祷」，尤其是「为尼尼微平原」祈祷，因为「基督徒的未来将经此而过」。这就是他在呼吁书中写的内容，加色丁宗主教路易·拉斐尔·萨科（Louis Raphael Sako）在其呼吁书中所写的内容，并将此发送给《亚洲新闻》，他在信中呼吁「所有希望归国重建家园，过上幸福和平生活的人」。

近期，枢机主教已经强调说过，支持基督徒在平原上的生存和生活是伊拉克政府及全体人民「人道主义、道德和国家」的责任，他们是全国社会结构必不可缺的部分。该地区被视为伊拉克基督徒的「摇篮」，该地区先是遭到伊斯兰国圣战分子的冲击，如今又受到什叶派民兵和战斗团体的威胁。

自10月以来，该国局势便日益紧张，发生了一系列反政府和国家当局的大规模抗议运动，当局政府亦被指控犯有腐败、渎职、不良治理等行为，使大多数人口陷入贫困，导致失业率上升，尤其是青年失业，加色丁宗主教也为此发表了讲话。抗议活动遭到了警方强力镇压，并直接造成了总理阿德尔·阿卜杜勒·马赫迪（Adel Abdul Mahdi）辞职，但示威者的目的是促使整个政治阶层垮台，不论种族、宗派或宗教。随着伊朗驻纳杰夫领事馆接连两次遭到袭击，警方于11月下旬加强了铁拳政策，并造成了450多人死亡和2万人受伤。

以下便是加色丁宗主教为平原基督徒所发出的呼吁：

On the eve of two noticeable holidays in Nineveh Plain area, the feast of St. Barbara and St. Behnam, I would like to thank all the social institutions and organizations concerned with helping Churches, as well as the non-governmental bodies (NGOs) that have energetically contributed to the return of Christians in this region, which is the Historical cradle of Christians.

Whether we are descended from the mountains of northern Iraq, or residents of Baghdad or even Basrah, each of us, as an Iraqi Christian, feels that Nineveh Plain is part of his/her being. It is still so painful to remember the ISIS “jihadist” attack in 2014 forcing Christians to leave their home, followed by looting and destruction of houses, Churches, Schools etc. The only condolences for us at that time was to find a reliable support from different parts of the world.

Today, after two years of its liberation from ISIS, the Nineveh Plain area still needs the help of our brothers and sisters who can pray and give us a hand. Therefore, I am addressing this appeal to all NGOs; social institutions; Churches, and governments: We need your help so that all the people of the Nineveh Plain remain in their homes, and those who have been displaced outside the region can return to it. Knowing that ISIS defeat from the region does not mean that there is no need to help its inhabitants anymore.

In the contrary, there is a crucial need for helping youth to secure their future in their homeland. In order for the families to survive and settle down in the area, there is a vital need to have a comprehensive health services network starting from small clinic to hospital. I strongly urge all “actors” to work specifically to restore life to the Nineveh Plain, for instance, by encouraging projects in agriculture, livestock, trade, etc. This can be achieved in cooperation with the bishops of Mosul and the Nineveh Plain and their teams. It is worth mentioning that the Chaldeans have a new bishop of Mosul and Akra, residing currently in the town of Karmles.

As we are at the beginning of the advent, I would like to call upon all Christians of the world to pray for Iraq, and in particular for the people of Nineveh Plain: O Jesus Christ, grant energy to all those who have the desire to return, so that to rebuild themselves and live peacefully in the beautiful Nineveh Plain. Since the future of Iraqi Christians passes through Nineveh Plain.