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By Nick, May 21, 2013 1:15 am

Baghdad — Unity is a fundamental good for the Church, even Iraq’s Chaldean church, which is “wounded and lost,” but wants to continue to pursue its core mission, to proclaim the Gospel to all, without distinction. This means that the church cannot and will not involved in disputes of a political nature, which instead belongs to the sphere of competence of the lay faithful. This is the message of the Chaldean Patriarch Raphael I Louis Sako in a letter to clergy, which was published on May 19.

“Our Church – the Patriarch writes – is wounded, dispersed, suffering for many reasons, including: the destabilization of our country since the fall of Saddam’s regime in 2003, the lack of vision for the present reality of our nation and its future; the exodus of Christians, and fleeing of some priests to the West where some have joined other churches; the absence of authority (leadership) in the Church, the lack of respect for the canons”. “This legacy is a very heavy one” and requires “a serious contemplative pause to reflect on our current situation and gather for the progress of our Church,” so she can resume her role “as marked out by the Lord Jesus. Now is the ideal opportunity to work together as a team and in an evangelical spirit to serve our people without exception.This will not be a waste of time or effort”.

The document then goes on to address the current campaign of nationalism and the position of the Chaldean Patriarchate on this issue, who states that “love for and pride in our nation is not a defect, but it is a defect to consider it the best and above all, even worse when this leads to some insulting others who do not share in its identity. Something like this happened in recent times, so much so that the Chaldean Patriarchate was questioned on its position regarding nationalism and politics. Some voices have tried to destroy the identity of our Chaldean Catholic Church, of which we are proud, through the media, on the pretense of “freedom of expression.” Unfortunately, a website of the Church was behind this drift. These are people who see things with one eye only and try to push the Church towards their specific interests, but this will never happen! We are a Church and see things with both eyes wide open, in their global context and with great responsibility. Such people can not make us abandon our Christian principles”. “Our path to authenticity is the return to our origins and our renewal.” “Unity, however, is a big challenge, without it there is no future. I insist on unity and ask everyone to take responsibility to achieve this, going beyond controversies and divisions.” “We must all work for the unity of the Church of the East, because every division is a sin. In our pastoral visit to the diocese of Australia (2 to 16 May) we witnessed encounters of unity with the Assyrian Church of the East, which are etched in our memory and in our hearts, and gave us an impetus to move forward with confidence. “

“The strength of the Church – reads the letter – is its mission, not its money, nor the number of her followers. Many are those who have spoken recently about the majority and the minority in the Church, the rich and the poor, the powerful and the weak, and “victory” as if we were at war. This is a shame. If we return to the Gospel, we see that strength lies in the elite and the little things like salt and light, leaven, little flock! Our staying in Iraq and in the Middle East is a sign of hope and coexistence despite the threats of death!”.

“The Chaldean Catholic Church has been and always will be open to all nations and languages ​​because Christ has sent us to proclaim the Gospel to all nations. And today, there are Assyrians, Arabs and Kurds in it, do we have to make them all Chaldeans? And what should we say then about the Chaldeans Muslims! We are the Chaldean Catholic Church, open to Christians and Muslims and others. We believe in unity and pluralism, and that friendship is at the heart of the Divine life and our Christian life should be marked by it. We clergy, in all our positions, we must not abandon our evangelical mission to become supporters of nationalist politics. “

“We affirm that politics is the responsibility of competent lay people. We encourage them to open schools to teach the Chaldean language, cultural and social centers for culture and art, political parties that defend rights, but we can not insert ourselves as members or supporters. This is the thin red line. We must remain attached to our priestly vocation in service of all people without exception”.

“The Church – recalls the Patriarch – is Mother and Teacher and there is no conflict between the two. Teaching is an activity that enters deep into motherhood. The mother teaches her child to become part of the human community with love and patience, and part of the Church with faith, trust and hope. The Church is a mother full of goodness and forgiveness, She teaches her children the truth and guides them towards the right path, illuminated by the light of the Gospel throughout life, with the Spirit of love, wisdom and challenge! The Code of Canon Law of the Eastern Churches clearly states: “The Christian faithful, conscious of their own responsibility, are bound by Christian obedience to accept what the Church’s Pastors, who represent Christ, declare as teachers of the faith or determine as leaders of the Church”. As consecrated persons, our main role is always to proclaim the Gospel and to transmit the faith through the power of the Holy Spirit and with love and brotherhood among men and women”. “Our vocation is not compromise or exploitation, but to always point to the image of Christ. “

“Dear friends – concludes the letter – it is time to understand that our Chaldean Catholic Church is invited in consciousness to transform present reality in the light of the resurrection, life and renewal, with a generous commitment, and to help her children, men and women, to draw her future with clear lines, not words or criticism, but with actions and suggestions and with a scientific methodology that can be transformed into an active force in society. Such work requires the efforts of all, and will be the substance of the next Chaldean synod.”

By Joseph Mahmoud
Asia News

Assyrian International News Agency

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By Nick, May 12, 2013 12:02 pm

When Pope Francis met with Pope Tawadros II, the head of Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church spoke an urgent need for unity among Christians in the Middle East.

The Egyptian is only the second Coptic pope to visit the Vatican.

On the day he visited, however, there were three popes in the Italian holy city including Pope Emeritus Benedict. His visit to the Vatican and Italy which started on May 9 ends on Monday.

With 11 million members, the Egyptian Coptics are the country’s biggest Christian church in a country where the 85-million population is overwhelmingly Muslim.

“We must prepare our people for this very real and needed unity that we know and live, we must work quickly and seriously,” said Pope Tawadros in his May 10 remarks provided to Catholic News Agency by his office.

Pope Francis in his reply said, “Let me assure you that your efforts to build communion among believers in Christ, and your lively interest in the future of your country and the role of the Christian communities within the Egyptian society find a deep echo in the heart of the Successor of Peter and of the entire Catholic community.

The Catholic pontiff said “the sharing of daily sufferings can become an effective instrument of unity.”

He added, “From shared suffering can blossom forth forgiveness and reconciliation, with God’s help.

Tall black-clad Tawadros, aged 60 and white-robed Francis, 76, made no mention in their public statements of recent violence in in Egypt between majority Muslims and Christians.

Such sectarian violence that is replicated in other Middle Eastern countries has provoked many utterances about how dangerous it is for Christians in the region and that is an endangered faith there.

Tawadros invited Francis to visit Egypt and suggested the two churches should observe May 10 as “a celebration of brotherly love between the Catholic Church and the Coptic Orthodox Church.”

The meeting between the Catholic and Oriental Orthodox Popes came 40 years to the day after the historic encounter between Pope Paul VI and Tawadros’ predecessor, Shenouda III. They signed a joint statement pledging the two churches to the search for reconciliation and unity.

Pope John Paul II returned the visit to Egypt in 2000.

The Egyptian Coptic Church is currently a member of the World Council of Churches, which groups mainly Anglican, Orthodox and Protestant Christians and does not include the Roman Catholic Church, although it cooperates with it on many levels.

On April 21 the head of the World Council of Churches met in Cairo with Tawadros where they discussed the situation of Arab Christians and ways to strengthen Christian-Muslim relations following Egypt’s 2011 revolution

WCC general secretary, Rev.Olav Fykse Tveit, met Pope Tawadros at St. Mark’s Cathedral, Cario, site of attacks earlier in April following a funeral for Christians killed in a northern Egyptian town only a few days earlier.

By Peter Kenny
http://www.ecumenicalnews.com

Assyrian International News Agency

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By Nick, April 16, 2013 2:30 pm

The KRG’s Natural Resources Minister, Ashti Hawrami (pictured), has said that the Kurdish region could export 250,000 barrels of oil a day this year and is “on track” to ship 1 million bpd by 2015 and 2 million by 2019.

“We need to get oil from the Kurdistan region — and more widely from northern Iraq — to market,” he said. “By 2019, over three million barrels per day of oil could flow through Iraq’s northern energy corridor to Turkey and the international market. Export infrastructure must be built, but this requires tackling bottlenecks through additional feeder and export pipelines.”

He continued:

“We wish to remain part of a democratic and federal Iraq, but given the country’s troubled history of authoritarian rule, we believe a decentralized oil policy and the sharing of power and wealth is essential to Iraq’s unity.“

Hawrami’s comments came amid increasing speculation that the KRG may be preparing to build its own pipeline network to export oil and natural gas to neighboring Turkey, as a step toward economic self- sufficiency and, possibly, political independence, reports Bloomberg.

“The KRG is entitled to and can make the oil and gas exports happen and prefers to do this with Baghdad,” Hawrami said. “But sadly, those in charge there refuse to honor agreements.”

(Source: Bloomberg)

Iraq Business News

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By Nick, February 7, 2013 4:27 am

Hamas, Fatah in unity talks, Khaled Meshaal says
By: Press TV on: 07.02.2013 [08:08 ] (46 reads)

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By Nick, January 4, 2013 11:10 pm

Fatah rally in Gaza looks toward unity with Hamas
By: ap on: 05.01.2013 [02:55 ] (97 reads)

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By Nick, May 25, 2012 11:12 pm

Pope Tells U.S. Bishops to Build Church Unity

Assyrian International News Agency

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By Nick, May 4, 2012 7:52 pm

Erbil, Iraq — In the capital of the Kurdish region, a gleaming new international airport welcomes visitors to a part of the country that is increasingly striking out on its own amid mounting questions over whether a united Iraq will survive.

Unlike Baghdad, foreign visitors landing on one of the ever-growing number of international flights to Erbil need no prior visa. That’s just one of the signs of autonomy in Iraqi Kurdistan, the country’s most prosperous and secure region.

Newly discovered oil has fueled the prosperity underpinning Kurdistan’s boldness. But it has also heightened tensions with Baghdad that have simmered for decades over land and identity. As Iraqi Kurdistan ramps up oil production that officials say could surpass Libya’s output by 2019, Kurdish leaders have warned they could seek full independence if disputes over oil revenues and power-sharing aren’t resolved.

“The Kurds will not live in the shadow of a dictatorial regime,” Massoud Barzani, the powerful president of the Kurdish region said in a speech in Erbil Friday. “The right to decide our destiny is a legitimate one and we ask others not to try to take this right from us.”

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, told the Monitor in a recent interview he believes differences between Baghdad and Erbil can be solved.

“We can reach agreement on this,” he said, referring to the wider issue of Iraq’s fragile coalition government and increasingly bitter relations between Kurdish President Barzani and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. “We Iraqis had experiences many times on the brink of civil war — we retreated from that and we came back to dialogue and national unity.”

Not everyone agrees with the president’s assessment, however. Maliki’s far-reaching consolidation of power has rankled other regions and even his political allies, with Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr recently visiting Erbil for the first time in a sign of solidarity with the Kurds. Southern, oil-rich regions also pressing for more control

Nine years after Saddam Hussein was toppled, and two decades after breaking away from Baghdad, Iraqi Kurdistan is far more prosperous and secure than any other part of the country. Security has been maintained by the regional government’s strict controls on its de facto borders, including those ostensibly under the jurisdiction of the central government.

Kurdish support two years ago for Maliki’s coalition government was essential to the Shiite prime minister retaining his post after failing to win a majority of seats. Since then a power-sharing agreement which included the Kurds and the major Sunni political bloc has fallen apart with almost none of the provisions implemented.

Because of the political wrangling, Iraq has no interior or defense minister. Instead Maliki effectively oversees both, as well as an increasing number of intelligence and security services reorganized to fall directly under his command. In a country with some of the world’s biggest oil reserves, a proposed oil law mandating how revenue is shared between the provinces has never reached Parliament for a vote.

“We have to clearly define the oil law,” says Latif Rasheed, senior adviser to President Talabani. “Not only regarding central authorities but regional authorities — this is happening in Kurdistan now; tomorrow it might happen in Basra if it’s not clear.”

In addition to Kurdistan, other regions, including the south — which has seen little benefit from its vast oil reserves — have been pressing for more control. Some local government officials in Basra and Diyala have even raised the prospect of seeking autonomy.

Mr. Barzani, who next to Mr. Maliki has emerged as the most powerful politician in Iraq, has warned that the Kurds could “resort to other decisions” if the prime minister does not follow through on a power-sharing agreement. Barzani’s comments are widely seen as an implied threat to seek independence. Legacy of Saddam’s genocidal campaign

The legacy of Saddam Hussein’s military campaigns against the Kurds in the 1970s and 1980s has rekindled fears in Iraqi Kurdistan that a central government with unchecked powers could again pose a threat. That worry has been heightened by the withdrawal of US troops that served as a buffer between Erbil and Baghdad.

American protection in the form of a no-fly zone in 1991 created the semi-autonomous Kurdish region after the Kurds rose up against Mr. Hussein’s weakened regime when he was driven out of Kuwait. Deeply traumatized by Saddam’s genocidal campaign, two decades later Kurdish leaders have raised concerns in Washington over Iraq’s purchase of American F-16 fighter jets.

“It’s normal for Iraq to have an army, to have advanced weaponry but the concept of against whom that would be used this is what worries us,” says Falah Mustafa, the Kurdish regional government’s de facto foreign minister. “When we have worries about the nature of that army and the loyalty of that army we have all the right to be afraid because planes have been used against Kurdish people … so our tragic history tells us to be careful.”

Kurdish officials are adamant that they won’t seek the breakup of Iraq but many seem prepared for the possibility that Sunni-Shiite tension could splinter the country on its own.

Feeding into Iraq’s sectarian tensions, Sunni vice president Tariq al-Hashemi, wanted on terrorism charges, was given refuge in Iraqi Kurdistan and then allowed by the Kurdish government to leave the country, despite a no-travel order. He is now being tried in absentia in Baghdad.

As Kurdish political and economic power grows, ties with the rest of Iraq weaken. Most younger Kurds don’t speak Arabic and few feel a strong connection to the rest of the country.

“What is not independent about Kurdistan today?” says one Kurdish official speaking on condition of anonymity. “The fact that we get our money from Baghdad — that’s the only thing that’s left.” Kurdish ties with Turkey improve

Kurds are looking at the possibility of replacing that revenue from an unlikely source. Opposition from powerful Turkey has been one of the main reasons the Kurds have not sought more autonomy. But as Baghdad’s relations with Ankara have soured over accusations of Turkish interference in Iraqi affairs, Erbil’s ties with Turkey have improved dramatically.

Kurdish officials maintain they are discussing with Turkey plans to build crude oil and natural gas pipelines that would carry fuel directly from Iraqi Kurdistan to the neighboring country.

Talabani, who last month hosted Baghdad’s first Arab League summit in more than 20 years, maintains that it would be unrealistic for Kurds to push for independence despite calls by the younger generation to seek it.

The older Kurdish political elite spent years as mountain fighters followed by years in exile but Talabani says that for all Kurds in the region seeking control over their destiny, that era is over.

“Armed struggle is past — now we are in a parliamentarian struggle … we are always telling this to our [Kurdish] brothers in Turkey to understand the spirit of a new era,” he says. “This is not the time of partisan war or armed struggle. Look to the countries that use popular struggle; even they get freedom from dictatorship from other places, so through this kind of struggle people can achieve their goals.” 2 million barrels per day by 2019

The dispute over oil — potentially worth billions of dollars as new fields come on stream in Iraqi Kurdistan — is entangled in the wider issue of land, towns, and cities claimed by both the Iraqi and Kurdish governments — including the disputed city of Kirkuk. Kurds claim oil-rich Kirkuk as their historic capital, as do the Turkmen and other groups. Tens of thousands of non-Arabs were expelled from that city during Hussein’s campaign to Arabize the country.

“There are a number of issues that have to be sorted out — one is the disputed territories, which I think is much more serious than the oil,” says Mr. Rasheed, the Iraqi president’s adviser.

Oil though has become the driving force behind Kurdish aspirations. Since Barzani turned the tap on the first oil well in the Taq Taq field three years ago, Kurdish officials expect production to rise to 500,000 barrels per day in the next 1-1/2 years. They say it could reach 2 million barrels per day by 2019 — a higher output than oil producers such as Libya.

Reflecting the rising tension, the Kurdish government in April shut off oil exports bound for the Iraqi government pipeline to Turkey. Foreign companies have cut back production and are selling the remaining fuel within Iraqi Kurdistan — a move that contravenes long-standing agreement under which oil revenue is distributed by Baghdad. The companies and Kurdish authorities say it’s a necessary step to recover their costs after months of not being paid under existing agreements with the central government.

For many Iraqi Kurds, the question is whether the autonomy they have gained is enough or whether they should aim for more and risk losing it.

“It’s a tough one for any Kurd to balance their natural desire for any independence, which every Kurd has deep down, even Jalal Talabani, with a reality that puts what we have today in danger,” says Qubad Talabani, the Kurdish government’s representative in Washington and the president’s son. “I think that’s what every Kurd grapples with — what their heart tells them and what their head tells them.”

By Jane Arraf
Christian Science Monitor

Assyrian International News Agency

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By Nick, February 10, 2012 7:56 pm

Baghdad (Reuters) — Anti-U.S. cleric Moqtada al-Sadr presented himself on Thursday as a statesman who can unite a fractured Iraq, drawing tens of thousands of supporters to celebrate the departure of U. View full post on Assyrian International News Agency

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By Nick, February 6, 2012 12:22 pm

Hamas endorses proposal in which Palestinian president will assume PM role in interim body to prepare for upcoming poll. View full post on AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (AJE)

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By Nick, February 6, 2012 1:19 am

Hamas endorses proposal in which Palestinian Authority President Abbas will asume prime minister role, officials say. View full post on AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (AJE)