2025-12-04T19:23:34+00:00
Shafaq News – Erbil
Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani on Thursday condemned the vandalism of Christian graves in the district of Koya, calling it a serious affront to the principles of coexistence in the Kurdistan Region.
In his statement, Barzani said the damage to headstones “does not reflect the traditions or long-standing culture of Kurdistan’s people and is alien to the society,” and urged authorities to quickly identify those responsible and bring them to justice.
The Kurdish Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs also denounced the incident, after unknown individuals overnight damaged several grave markers in Koya’s Christian cemetery.
Erbil is home to one of the oldest and most resilient Christian communities in the region, comprising Chaldean, Assyrian, Syriac, and Armenian denominations. The city has long been regarded as a safe center for Christians displaced from other parts of Iraq, with community leaders frequently highlighting the Kurdistan Region’s relative stability and its record of protecting religious diversity.
Read more: Christians of Iraq: Where did they go?
Source: Shafaq News
