What place for Christians in Iraq?

What place will there be for Christians in Iraq?

Christians are confronted with increasing difficulties. For some time, some
people have been thinking of gathering them in a specific area, the Nineveh
plain. They would have their own territory, but to be viable the idea of a
protected zone, a safe haven, which is viewed sympathetically by the Kurds and
even the Americans, needs an end to the violence and remains in any event a
dangerous plan. The Nineveh plain is largely surrounded by Arabs and Christians
would serve as a useful and undefended buffer zone between Arabs and Kurds. In
my opinion it would be preferable to work at the constitutional level and each
area to guarantee religious freedom and equal rights for believers of all faiths
throughout the land, including Christians who can be found everywhere.

From an interview with Mgr Louis Sako, Chaldean Archbishop of Kirkuk

Examination of Iraq Policy

At this critical juncture as our nation seeks a new way forward in Iraq, our leaders have a moral obligation to examine where things genuinely stand in pursuing justice and peace in Iraq, to assess what is actually achievable there, and to evaluate the moral and human consequences of alternative courses of action and whether they truly contribute to a responsible transition. At this difficult moment, let us pray for our nation, for the people of Iraq and for all those who bear the responsibility and burden of these difficult choices. We ask God for courage, humility and wisdom as we seek a path to a responsible transition in Iraq.

A Statement of the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishop William S. Skylstad, January 12, 2007