Iraqi Christian leaders says any war in Middle East would be a "disaster"

Speaking to ILNA news agency, he added that any war and conflict will be a disaster and will make life difficult for the people of the region.

"I met U.S. Embassy officials in the past few days in Iraq and told them that the United States should not seek military intervention and exacerbating tensions in the region," he said.

The Chaldean patriarch also sent a letter to the ambassadors of the United States and Iran in Iraq asking their respective leaders to "adopt wisdom" and seek peace.

In the letter, Card Louis Raphael Sako stresses the consequences of “another catastrophic war” and calls on the main players to choose dialogue as the only way to resolve disputes because, as the cardinal noted yesterday, the Middle East cannot take another war.

"As the tension is increasing in the region and due to our national and ecclesiastical responsibility, we are pleading for the decision makers of the Islamic Republic of Iran (our neighboring country) and the United States of America to adopt wisdom and appeasement in containing the current conflict," Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako said.

In response to the question about you and other Christians feel safe in Iraq, he said that the migration of Iraqi Jewish citizens declined in last years, but of course, I think we should separate the Jews from Zionism. They are different.

"The Iraqi Christians endured a lot of hardships. We have endured many hardships from Deash group," Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako added.

Iraq and surrounding areas, ravaged by years of conflict, most recently at the hands of Deash, "cannot tolerate another catastrophic war in which everyone is the "loser", especially the innocent and poor," Sako said, insisting that dialogue is the most effective way to promote "the actual needs of the region," including peaceful coexistence, mutual respect and good relations among different communities.

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