The President of the Kurdistan Region pledged to protect Christians, who he believes are an "integral part" of the region's culture.
Christian rights will be protected under the new constitution of the Kurdistan Region, according to its president, Nechirvan Barzani. The Kurdish president recently met with the Vatican ambassador to Iraq, Ambassador Mitja Leskovar to discuss how the rights of Christians will be protected under the upcoming institution. The meeting was held following Pope Francis' historic visit to Iraq in March.
"Christians are an integral part of the Kurdistan Region and play a significant role in serving, building, developing and fostering a culture of coexistence in the Kurdistan Region," President Barzani said in a statement, as per International Christian Concern. "Guaranteeing the rights of Christians and other ethnic and religious groups will be protected in the new constitution that is being prepared."
The Kurdistan Region is made up of southeastern Turkey, northern Iraq, northwestern Iran, and northern Syria, making it a melting pot of different Middle Eastern cultures. It is made up of six governorates with three under control of the Kurdistan Regional Government.
The region also operates under laws and norms that have been agreed to. The Kurdish parliament began drafting a constitution in 2019, but was later stalled. It moved to restart drafting the constitution in May.
The Vatican had shown gratitude to the Kurdistan Region for accepting internally displaced persons who are Christians or Christian IDPs during ISIS reign of terror. In northern Iraq, the Nineveh plains are home to the country's remaining Christians and the protection of their rights will encourage many to come home to their land.
Meanwhile in the southeastern part of the Kurdistan Region, Christians continue to spread their faith to those who have been victims of political unrest, especially in the Syrian border. According to Mission Network News, Syrian Kurds may have lost their home to political complexities and armed forces from different sides, but God promises never to abandon them.
"Many families have fled to Iraqi Kurdistan and Lebanon. These Kurds have come in contact with Christians, [who] faithfully communicated the Gospel to them," Samuel of Redemptive Stories told MNN. "Many have come to faith, and there's a real openness. It's honestly a movement of God's Spirit among them."
It was between 2014 to 2017 that the Kurdistan Region defended their territory from ISIS. In fact, it was President Nechirvan Barzani's cousin, Masoud Barzani who became what The Atlantic called an "influential U.S. partner in the war against ISIS as the top security official in the Iraq's Kurdish region." Masoud Barzani was the first president of the Kurdistan Region and was succeeded by his cousin, Nechirvan.
"Even amid ISIS and the atrocities that have happened over the past 10-plus years in Syria, even though God has allowed terrible things to happen, He is still making beautiful things," Samuel recounted. "There are churches in Lebanon completely made up of Syrian Kurds. So many of them have come to faith, which is a beautiful, beautiful testimony to the Spirit of God."
