Iraq’s Christian Endowment Chief rejects isolation – Region’s project

NAJAF / IraqiNews.com: The Chairman of the Christian & Other Religious Minorities Endowment in Iraq has said on Tuesday that “the project to divide Iraq into several Regions does not serve the interest of the country.”  “The Christian community does not want to be isolated in one single area in Iraq,” he reiterated.   “Iraq’s division into regions does not serve the interest of Iraq, as we have to form a unified Iraq, living together with all its sects, communities and religions, because, despite differences among religions, they raise their towards God; so, what is the reason for division and sectarianism?,” Raad al-Shama’a told IraqiNews.com news agency in Najaf on Tuesday.   Iraq’s Christian Cardinal, Emmanuel III Dally, had visited the holy city of Najaf on Monday, where he met the Shiite Authority, Sayid Ali al-Sistany and visited the Shrine of Imam Ali Bin Abi-Taleb.   “We, as Christians, don’t believe in division, because our roots are spread in different parts of Iraq, and we don’t want to be isolated in a single place,” Shama’a said, stressing that “Christians possess a civilization and churches in all areas of Iraq, including Najaf; so, we don’t want to be isolated from our civilization and our brothers in all parts of Iraq.”   Najaf’s Archaeological Department had discovered a Christian Church in its Hira township, was considered as the oldest church for the Christian Community in the world and that was built centuries before the entrance of Islam into Iraq.   Najaf is 160 km to the south of Baghdad.     SKH (TR)/SR 679