Iraq's Prime Minister Ali Falih al Zaidi has urged Christians who fled the country during years of conflict and persecution to return home, describing their return as a national priority and pledging support for families and investors willing to rebuild their communities.
But Nadim Nasser, director of the Awareness Foundation, believes many Christians remain cautious after years of unmet commitments.
“We welcome such an announcement,” he told Premier Christian News. “But we have to be very cautious because it can be political noise.”
Nasser said Iraqi authorities had previously acknowledged that Christians lost homes and land during years of conflict, including during consultations with officials in London before the Covid-19 pandemic.
“At that time, I thought it was a good step forward,” he said. “But since then, nothing happened.”
He said returning Christians needed guarantees that they could reclaim their properties, particularly in the Nineveh Plain, rather than simply being offered new housing.
“They have the right to go back to their homes and to their land,” he added.
Church leaders have also welcomed the announcement while warning that the reasons Christians left must be addressed, including insecurity, corruption, poor services and a lack of political representation.
Nasser said the challenge was part of a wider Middle East issue, where governments must recognise the region’s diverse religious and ethnic communities.
“The majority does not mean a new form of dictatorship and oppression,” he said, arguing that Christians and other minorities are an essential part of the region’s history.
He also called on the Christian diaspora to play a role in rebuilding civil society and holding governments accountable.
“Big words are not attractive enough anymore,” he said. “We have heard so much, but now let’s see on the ground what’s happening.”
Open Doors, which monitors Christian persecution worldwide, ranks Iraq among the countries where Christians continue to face serious pressure. While ISIS no longer controls territory in Iraq, Christians still report discrimination, threats from extremist and militia groups, property seizures, and difficulties practising their faith openly.
Converts from Islam to Christianity remain particularly vulnerable to social and family pressure, leaving many Christians uncertain about their future in a country where their ancient community has dramatically declined.
Iraq currently ranks 18th on the Open Door's World Watch, a list of nations where Christians face the most extreme persecution.