At Mar Yousuf Church in Sulaimaniyah. There, Saint Aiman Aziz shared his hopes for the future. [Dana Taib Menmy/TNA]
As the holiday season unfolds, Iraqi Christians are placing renewed hope that the new year will bring peace and stability to their communities, Iraq, and the wider world. This sentiment was echoed by political leaders on Tuesday, who offered warm Christmas wishes and affirmed the importance of coexistence in the country.
Before the US and UK’s illegal and devastating invasion in 2003, Iraq’s Christian population numbered close to 1.5 million. However, decades of war, sectarian violence, and displacement drastically shrunk the community, leaving an estimated 150,000 Christians within Iraq’s borders today.
On Tuesday evening, hundreds of Christians from various nationalities convened at Mar Yousuf Church in Sulaimaniyah. There, Saint Aiman Aziz shared his hopes for the future during a press conference attended by The New Arab, “We pray the new year will bring peace and prosperity for Christians in the Kurdistan region, Iraq, and around the world.”
Iraqi Christian residents also expressed hope that the holiday season might signal a fresh start for their embattled community.
“On this feast and the birth of Jesus Christ, I congratulate all the Christians in particular and the world in general,” said Sara Zuhair, who has lived in Sulaimaniyah for a decade. “I hope peace and love reach everyone.”
In a dramatic sign of interfaith solidarity, Paiwand Dilshad, a young Muslim man, also attended the ceremony at Mar Yousuf Church.
“As a Muslim, I am participating in this Christian ceremony because I want to share this happiness with my Christian friend,” Dilshad told TNA. “Islam is the religion of coexistence, and true Muslims should respect believers of all other religions.”
Concerns over representation, rights, and dwindling numbers
While the new year inspires optimism, many Iraqi Christians are voicing concerns over their representation within decision-making sectors.
“We hope in the new year to see more coexistence and respect for our religion, just as we respect others,” explained Yashar Haider, a young Christian from Sulaimaniyah. “Christians in the Kurdistan region are a minority whose voices are often unheard, and my message is that we need coexistence now more than ever.”
Haider, like many others, argue that Christians do not have adequate representation in the Kurdistan Regional parliament and government. Earlier this year, minorities in the region rejected the allocation of five parliamentary seats—down from 11—after Iraq’s top court deemed the original quota “unconstitutional.” According to Haider, such decisions further erode Christian political influence.
With only about 1,000 Christians living in Sulaimaniyah and fewer than half a million throughout Iraq, many consider this decline a humanitarian crisis. Haider cited the 2014 surge of the Islamic State (IS) in Mosul, which forced thousands of Christians to flee, as a turning point.
Since 2003, Christians have seen their lands seized by militias, forcing them from their homes and changing the demographics of traditionally Christian areas like Nineveh.
Haider also lamented recent global conflicts, pointing to the bombing of churches in Gaza and Ukraine as disturbing examples, “Since Christianity is a non-violent faith, we find ourselves targeted worldwide. This does not mean we deserve such tyranny. Historically, churches were places of sanctuary, yet now we see them deliberately targeted.”
Meanwhile, in Rome, Pope Francis marked the start of the 2025 Holy Year by opening the Great Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, an event expected to draw around 32 million pilgrims to the city. In Iraq, prime minister Muhammed Shia’ Al-Sudani participated in Christmas Eve Mass in Baghdad.
Chaldean Patriarch of Iraq and the World, Cardinal Louis Sako, commended the prime minister’s attendance, “We are happy with his participation because Jesus Christ is not only for Christians but for all. It is a sign of respect for the Christian component, which has suffered a lot.”
Sako also praised the decision to recognise Christmas as an official holiday for all Iraqis.
Calls for coexistence and unity
Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region, echoed these sentiments, wishing Iraqi Christians and the global community a peaceful and joyous holiday season.
“It is my sincere hope that this holiday brings peace and solace to all and that everyone enjoys a happy celebration and a year filled with joy and success,” Barzani said in a statement.
Despite the defeat of IS in 2017, a United Nations report released in July estimates that 1,500 to 3,000 jihadists remain active in Iraq and Syria, posing ongoing security challenges. Yet Iraqi Christians continue to pray that 2025 and beyond will usher in genuine coexistence, greater representation for minorities, and freedom from violence.
Pope Francis survived two assassination attempts during his historic trip to Iraq in March 2021, according to excerpts from his forthcoming autobiography released Tuesday by Italian media. The pontiff, who marked his 88th birthday on the same day, revealed that “almost everyone advised me against” travelling to Iraq but said he felt a personal duty: “I wanted to get to the bottom of things. I felt I had to do it.”
His three-day visit in March 2021 took place under intense security conditions. It was the pope’s first trip in 15 months and unfolded during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For many, these hopes for peace and unity transcend religious affiliation and reflect a broader longing for stability—one that resonates with countless Iraqis as they look to the new year.
