Christianity in Iraq

The Christians of Iraq are considered to be one of the oldest continuous Christian communities in the world.

The vast majority of Iraqi Christians are indigenous Eastern Aramaic-speaking ethnic Assyrians who descend from ancient Assyria, and follow the Syriac Christian tradition. Some are also known by the name of their religious denomination as well as their ethnic identity, such as Chaldo-Assyrians, Chaldean Catholics or Syriacs (see Terms for Syriac Christians). Non-Assyrian Iraqi Christians are largely Arab Christians and Armenians, and a very small minority of Kurdish, Shabaks and Iraqi Turkmen Christians. Most present-day Iraqi Christians are ethnically, linguistically, historically and genetically distinct from Kurds, Arabs, Iranians, Turks and Turkmens (as well as from fellow Syriac Christians in Western Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and South Western Turkey).^{[citation needed]} Regardless of religious affiliation (Assyrian Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Syriac Catholic Church, Assyrian Pentecostal Church, etc.) the Eastern Aramaic speaking Christians of Iraq and its surroundings are one genetically homogeneous people. They identify themselves as being a separate people, of different origins and with a distinct history of their own harking back to ancient Assyria and Mesopotamia (see Assyrian continuity and History of the Assyrians).^[1] Christian Assyrians also have communities in northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey, and northwestern Iran as well as in the wider worldwide Assyrian diaspora.

Syriac Christianity was first established in Mesopotamia, and certain subsets of that tradition (namely the Church of the East and its successor churches) were established in northern and central-southern Iraq, and would eventually spread to becoming one of the most popular Christian churches in the Middle East and Fertile Crescent Region, and would spread as far as India and China.

Iraq plays a rich and vital contribution to Christian history, and after Israel, Iraq has the most biblical history of any other country in the world.^[2] The patriarch Abraham was from Uruk, in southern Iraq, modern day Nasiriya, and Rebecca was from northwestern Iraq, in Assyria. Additionally, Daniel lived in Iraq most of his life. The prophet Ezekiel was from southern Iraq and his shrine is located there. Shrines of the prophet Jonah and Saint George are also located there, and various other biblical prophets and saints are said to have been originally from there as well. Adam and Eve are also widely thought to have hailed from Iraq, as the biblical Garden of Eden is largely attributed to have been located in southern Iraq.^[2]^[3]

Prior to the Gulf War in 1991, Christians numbered one million in Iraq.^[4] This may be an undercount by half as seen in the 1987 census numbers. The Ba’athist rule under Saddam Hussein kept anti-Christian violence under control but subjected some to "relocation programmes".^[4] Under this regime, the predominantly ethnically and linguistically distinct Assyrian people were pressured to identify as Arabs. The Christian population fell to an estimated 800,000 during the 2003 Iraq War.^[4]

During the 2013–2017 Iraq War, with ISIS rapidly sweeping through Iraq's western lands, Christian Assyrians and Armenians fled as they feared persecution by the terrorist organisation, as they were to ‘execute’ any person who did not believe in their Sunni sect. Thousands of Iraqi Christians fled to Baghdad, the nation's capital, where they found refuge and adequate housing, some of whom have chosen to make Baghdad their new permanent home following the full defeat of ISIS in Iraq.^[5] Thousands have also fled to other parts of southern Iraq, such as the Shia-majority city of Najaf which housed thousands of Christians in holy Islamic shrines once they fled from ISIS, which sought to exterminate them.^[6] A large population have also returned to their homes en masse following the defeat of ISIS and were able to celebrate Christian festivals of Christmas and Easter in safety with the protection of the Assyrian Nineveh Plain Protection Units and its allies.^[7]^[8]

The current number of Christians of Iraq is said to be at around 500,000, according to the EU Research Services on minorities in Iraq,^[9] although numbers vary from source to source due to the last Iraqi census having taken place more than 30 years ago. A census is scheduled to take place in 2020 in which the numbers of Christians in Iraq will be clarified.^[10]^[9]

^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-11-09. Retrieved 2016-10-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ ^a ^b "Northern Iraq 2017: "Unknown too many, after Israel, Iraq is the location of more biblical history than any other country. The great patriarch Abraham came from Ur in southern Iraq, modern Nasiriyah and Rebekah came from northwest Iraq. Additionally, Jacob's sons, the 12 tribes of Israel, were all born in Iraq and Daniel lived in Iraq most of his life."" (PDF).
^ "Where Was the Garden of Eden Located?".
^ ^a ^b ^c Cite error: The named reference history was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "Iraqi Christians displaced by ISIL find solace in Baghdad". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
^ Mamouri, Ali (2014-08-07). "Najaf takes in Christians displaced by Islamic State". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
^ "In Iraq, Christians return home, also for the sake of children of the diaspora". Aid to the Church in Need. 2019-02-21. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
^ NPU (2019-04-14). "Large celebrations were held throughout the Nineveh Plain for Palm Sunday. The NPU will continue to protect our people and defend their way of life.pic.twitter.com/4JcaBBIGIS". @NinevehPU. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
^ ^a ^b "Minorities in Iraq - 500,000 Christians" (PDF).
^ "Iraq prepping to conduct a census in 2020".

[hum.uu.nl-1] "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-11-09. Retrieved 2016-10-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[:1-2] "Northern Iraq 2017: "Unknown too many, after Israel, Iraq is the location of more biblical history than any other country. The great patriarch Abraham came from Ur in southern Iraq, modern Nasiriyah and Rebekah came from northwest Iraq. Additionally, Jacob's sons, the 12 tribes of Israel, were all born in Iraq and Daniel lived in Iraq most of his life."" (PDF).

[3] "Where Was the Garden of Eden Located?".

[history-4] Cite error: The named reference history was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[5] "Iraqi Christians displaced by ISIL find solace in Baghdad". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2019-05-02.

[6] Mamouri, Ali (2014-08-07). "Najaf takes in Christians displaced by Islamic State". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 2019-05-02.

[7] "In Iraq, Christians return home, also for the sake of children of the diaspora". Aid to the Church in Need. 2019-02-21. Retrieved 2019-05-02.

[8] NPU (2019-04-14). "Large celebrations were held throughout the Nineveh Plain for Palm Sunday. The NPU will continue to protect our people and defend their way of life.pic.twitter.com/4JcaBBIGIS". @NinevehPU. Retrieved 2019-05-02.

[:0-9] "Minorities in Iraq - 500,000 Christians" (PDF).

[10] "Iraq prepping to conduct a census in 2020".

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]