Assyrian Patriarchs Call for End to Violence and Peace in Iran and Middle East

The Assyrian Patriarchs Mar Awa Royel III and Louis Raphael Sako have issued a call for an end to violence and peace prayers for Iran and the broader Middle East. In a statement released by the Patriarchate of the Assyrian Church of the East, they urged all parties involved in the conflict to exercise restraint, particularly in protecting innocent civilians regardless of their nationality or faith.

The Assyrian Church of the East, led by Patriarch Mar Awa, is based in Erbil, northern Iraq. The church has a significant presence in Iran, with up to 30,000 members. The Chaldean Catholic Church, headed by Patriarch Louis Sako, who resides in Baghdad, also maintains a presence in Iran through its Erzeparchy in Tehran, currently led by Archbishop Imad Khoshaba Gargees.

Iran is home to a diverse Christian community, with the Armenian Apostolic Church being the largest, numbering up to 150,000 members. The country also hosts three dioceses of this church. Human rights organizations estimate that the total number of Christians in Iran could reach 800,000, including those in underground communities. These communities are reported to consist largely of foreign Muslims who have converted to evangelical or Pentecostal Christianity.

In Pakistan, a predominantly Sunni Muslim country, protests erupted following the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which was linked to US and Israeli air attacks on Iran. The protests resulted in at least 23 deaths, with casualties reported in multiple cities, including Karachi, Skardu, and Islamabad. Police used tear gas and firearms to quell the unrest.

Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep regret over the deaths of Khamenei and other Iranian officials, attributing them to the air attacks by the US and Israel. The country’s religious and political landscape is shaped by its Sunni majority and its complex relationship with Iran, a major Shiite power.

Source: Read the original report (translated from German)