ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A joint delegation of United States and local church leaders was received by Erbil's governor on Wednesday to discuss regional stability, humanitarian efforts, and religious coexistence.
"Erbil is a global model in the region for peaceful coexistence between Muslims, Christians, Yazidis, and all other [ethnic and religious] components, and it will remain that way," Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw told a delegation led by Pastor Jim Brown of Grace Church in the US and Pastor Malaz Baisoon of the Alliance Church in Erbil.
The Islamic State (ISIS) seized large swathes of territory across Iraq's north and west in 2014, proclaiming a so-called caliphate spanning Iraq and Syria and naming Mosul, capital of Iraq's northern Nineveh province, as its own capital.
The group targeted ethnic and religious minorities - including Christians, Shiite Muslims, and Yazidis - carrying out mass executions, abductions, and sexual slavery.
Khoshnaw on Wednesday said that as the extremist group's campaign unfolded and security collapsed, “Erbil opened its doors to welcome thousands of Christian families who were displaced from the areas of the Nineveh Plains and other regions, providing them with all the necessary services."
For their part, the visiting church leaders expressed appreciation to the Kurdistan Region’s leadership, valuing its upholding religious freedom. The delegation further praised Erbil as a capital of peace and a protector of those facing persecution over their beliefs, affirming their readiness for continuous humanitarian coordination.
Of note, ISIS was defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in neighboring Syria two years later. Yet despite nearly a decade having passed since its defeat in the country, remnant cells and militants affiliated with the extremist group continue to carry out security violations in different parts of Iraq, often acting as lone wolves.
