The situation in Iraq is very difficult for the local Christian population. In recent decades, the number of Christians in Iraq has drastically decreased, mostly due to emigration. The dire security situation is well known. Almost as bad is the economic situation. For this reason ACN is donating €1.5 million to the Catholic University of Erbil, to help secure a future for young Christians in Iraq.

By ACN Staff

The Church has long recognised that young people are the future and that education of the youth is vital for the flourish of the Church. For this reason, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has decided to invest in the future of young Iraqi Christians. ACN has pledged €1.5 million in a new programme for the Catholic University of Erbil, in order to offer support and education to the young Christians in the area. ACN’s new programme is hoped to offer 150 scholarships to the Catholic University of Erbil over the next four years. Erbil is the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq. Much of the Iraqi Christian population fled here after ISIS invaded the traditional Christian heartland in Iraq, the Nineveh Plains.

In a recent discussion with ACN, Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil outlined the main issues facing Iraqi Christians. According to the Chaldean archbishop security is still a concern. It is not as bad in the Kurdish controlled region as in the rest of Iraq but there is still a security threat in the area. Almost as pressing of an issue is the economy. Iraq’s economy is not functioning properly, partly because of the security concern but also because of government corruption. For example, it is very common for those who work for the government to receive less than half of their pay cheques. Education is key to giving young Christians the ability to get a job and to allow them and their families to stay in Iraq. For example, being able to speak Arabic, Kurdish and English gives one a distinct advantage in being hired in the Kurdish region.

This is one of the main reasons why Archbishop Bashar Warda founded the Catholic University of Erbil five years ago. He outlines what ACN’s project means for the university and local Catholics:

“Without a doubt, the Catholic University of Erbil (CUE) is a beacon of light and a symbol of hope, especially for the younger generation. Helping the CUE financially by means of scholarships will be an immense support, and this aid will not only benefit young people, who are hoping for a better future, but at the same time gives a clear future “through education” for the Christians and all the other minorities and the disadvantaged in the region”.

Most of the students at the university are refugees from other parts of Iraq. At the present moment, around 72% of the students in the university are Catholics and other local Christians. Around 18% of the students are Yazidis, a small religious group from the north of Iraq, who were particularly targeted by ISIS and forced to flee into the Kurdish region with the Christians. The remaining 10% are Muslims, mostly from the local Kurdish population who welcomed and protected the Christians and the Yazidis when they were forced to flee from ISIS.  

The Executive President of ACN, Dr. Thomas Heine-Geldern, outlines the importance of the university to ACN:

“The Catholic University of Erbil is a project of crucial importance for those Christians who wish to stay on in northern Iraq and Kurdistan, since it will help them to remain. The Christians would not think of abandoning their country if they did not feel obliged to do so by forces beyond their control. If young Christians can be given an opportunity to gain a good education, then they will remain. ACN has already done everything possible to help the Christians to stay on in their native land, by investing in the reconstruction of their homes, their churches and essential infrastructure. Now is the time to initiate this major project, which is a very ambitious one for us, and invest in the young people of the country.”

Currently there are 170 students in the Catholic University of Erbil. The student body is split almost evenly between male and female, with 54% of the students being female and 46% being male. The university offers a variety of subjects such as architecture and civil engineering, which is hoped will give graduates from the university good career prospects. It is planned that with the help from ACN the university will increase in size, offer more courses and educate more students. Archbishop Bashar Warda hopes that by 2025, the number of students will have increased from 170 to 1,000. ACN intends to help him with this goal.

As Iraq prepares for a Papal visit ACN invites our benefactors to visit our Lenten Campaign page, which focuses on ACN’s work in Iraq. ACN had been working in Iraq since 1972. Between 2011-2020, ACN provided €49.5 million in aid to the Church in Iraq. Through prayer and financial support ACN will help the Iraqi Church maintain a Christian presence in Iraq.