“On the occasion of Christmas, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to those celebrating in Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, and around the globe,” read a statement from Barzani.
He described the Region as a sanctuary where “diverse beliefs can be celebrated” without persecution.
“We remain committed to ensuring our Christian communities have the safe space to practice and celebrate their beliefs in peace, harmony, and in dignity,” he said.
Christians around the world on Sunday observed Christmas Eve, attending mass to celebrate the birth of Jesus and gathering with their loved ones. The holiday is widely celebrated in the Kurdistan Region, home to one of the Middle East’s largest Christian communities.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani also extended his well-wishes for the holiday.
“I extend my warmest congratulations to all Christians in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and the world. I hope you spend the holidays in happiness and peace,” he said.
For Christians in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, Christmas this year comes under a dark cloud of grief, as they are still recovering from September’s deadly fire in Hamdaniya that took the lives of 132 people at a wedding banquet.
In addition, relations have frayed between Iraq’s Christians and Baghdad. This summer, the Chaldean Patriarch Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako relocated to Erbil after Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid stripped him of his powers to control Christian endowment affairs.
