The Chaldean Patriarch of Iraq says he saw signs of a peaceful “grass roots revolt against terrorism” in the country over the Christmas holidays which is uniting Christians and Muslims.
According to AsiaNews, Chaldean Patriarch Mar Raphael Louis Sako said he saw not only a sign of rebellion against the violence of ISIS but a renewed commitment to the “defense of life, of peace, of joy” among both Christians and Muslims over the past few weeks.
Mar Sako cited three main reasons for his optimism. First, he saw Christmas trees standing in various neighborhoods of Baghdad. Second, a visit of young Shiite Muslims attended a Mass in the capital. Third, a New Year celebration brought Iraqis of all faiths together peacefully.
“New Year’s Eve, I went out to go to a square in the Mansour neighborhood of Baghdad. We celebrated with a lot of people, nearly a million people took to the streets. We talked with them, we exchanged greetings; these are small things – but are important to reject the Daesh ideology of terror.” [Daesh is an Arabic acronym of the Islamic state]
Mar Sako says the change is visible, “especially in Baghdad, dotted with Christmas trees. And then the many letters of greeting from religious, political authorities, but also of Muslim civil activists and many ordinary people. I think 2017 will be another year, maybe not total peace, but certainly greater cohesion, unity. This is my prayer, but it is also the common feeling of the majority of citizens.”
The most significant event of the holidays was the visit of a group of young Shiite Muslim boys and girls to a Mass in the church of St. George.
“They took part in the church service,” Mar Sako recalled, “and then we posed for photographs with a flag of Iraq and banners for peace. They young people were impressed by the songs and prayers.”
He continued: “I explained to them our faith, in the one God, the Trinity concept. I explained the basics of our faith, the common descent from Abraham, the figure of Jesus. I invited them to combat ignorance of Christianity, we are not infidels. Reporters of two television channels also came, and I appealed to them to help spread awareness of our culture, to explain it to their audience, because there are many more things that unite us than divide us”.
Even more significant is that the young Muslims came on their own initiative.
“They have seen a few dedicated services to our community in the media, and they wanted to meet us, creating a personal and direct relationship with us that I hope will continue in the future.”
At the end of the Mass, the youth were joined by a group of young Muslims from Baghdad who came to celebrate the beginning of the New Year.
It is time that Muslims “take action and show the positive side of their faith” Mar Sako said, and called upon politicians “to remove the obstacles and think about the common good.”
He concluded: “From young people to government leaders, you can strive for dialogue, unity and the country’s future.”
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