CARDINAL DELLY MEETING WITH PM VERY POSITIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002398 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/31/2018 TAGS: KIRF PGOV PHUM PREL IZ SUBJECT: CARDINAL DELLY MEETING WITH PM VERY POSITIVE REF: BAGHDAD 2175 BAGHDAD 00002398 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Deputy PolCouns Ellen Germain for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d ) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: In a meeting with Cardinal Delly on July 30, Prime Minister Maliki said the GOI would offer protection for Iraqi Christians and would ensure that they live in a stable and secure environment. According to a GOI press statement released after the meeting, the GOI will provide necessary services to Christians and will help rehabilitate churches. Bishop Wardouni, Delly's assistant, affirmed press reports that the PM and Delly agreed to hold a multi-religious conference in Baghdad that will include different sects and nationalities. According to Wardouni, Delly asked the PM for action on improving peace and stability for Christians, increasing job opportunities for Christians, and ensuring that Christians are not marginalized. Wardouni and Minister of Human Rights Wijdan Salim, who spoke to Delly after the meeting, said that it went very well and that Delly was very happy with the PM's promises to help the Christian community. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) On July 30, Prime Minister Maliki hosted the head of the Chaldean Catholic Patriarchate of Babylon, Cardinal Emmanuel Delly in a follow-up meeting to the PM's July 25 meeting with the Pope. A press statement released after the meeting highlighted the GOI's commitment to protecting Iraqi Christians, providing essential services, rehabilitating churches, and building a stable and secure environment that will allow Christians to return and stay in Iraq. The PM also said he would push to hold a religious conference in Baghdad that would include religious leaders from around the world in order to strengthen a sense of community among Iraqis. Iraqi media reports called this meeting and the PM's meeting with the Pope very positive. ¶3. (C) According to several sources among the Iraqi Christian community, the meeting was very positive. Bishop Wardouni, Delly's assistant, told PolOff that Delly felt reassured by the PM's commitment to improving the situation of Christians in Iraq. He thought that this meeting and the PM's meeting with the Pope could mark a real turning point for Iraqi Christians. Minister of Human Rights Wijdan Salim, who spoke to Delly after the meeting, told PolOff that it went very well and that Delly was very happy with the PM. Yonadam Kanna, a member of the Council of Representatives and a Chaldean Christian, said the reports coming from the meeting were optimistic, and he was hopeful that there would be real action on improving the situation. ¶4. (C) During the meeting, Delly emphasized that action needed to be focused on four main points, according to Wardouni: that action needed to be focused on 1) improving peace and stability for Christians; 2) increasing job opportunities for Christians; 3) ensuring that Christians are not marginalized; and 4) reminding Iraqis that Christians were the "original Iraqis." ¶5. (C) According to Wardouni, Delly brought up several issues of concern that needed to be addressed by the PM. He asked the PM to talk to Western and regional governments and encourage them not to accept any more Christian refugees. Delly is concerned that too many Christians are leaving Iraq, and he wants them to stay in the hopes that the security situation will continue to improve, and Iraq wil be a safe and secure place for Christians. (Note: Wardouni said the Pope raised this exact point with the PM on his earlier trip to the Vatican. End Note.) Delly told the PM that Christians are being fired from their jobs and are having trouble finding enough job opportunities. Additionally, he claimed that the Ministry of Education (MoE) is refusing to hire Christian teachers, who graduated from Babil college in Christian studies, to teach Christianity in schools. The MoE is hiring Christian teachers, but not to teach Christianity. Delly said the MoE has been following this practice for a year, and it has had an impact on the continuation of Christian studies. Delly discussed the Iraqi law that says children under 18 are forced to convert to Islam if their parents convert. (Note: This issue has been raised by Delly previously in a letter to the PM. End Note.) Delly also lobbied for ensuring Christian representation in the upcoming provincial council elections, and asked for a 4-5% quota for Christians in each of the provinces. He complained Christians are currently not represented in the provincial councils. ¶6. (U) COMMENT: There seems to be progress in increasing GOI attention on improving the situation of Christians, judging from a recent string of positive meetings and statements from the GOI with and about Iraqi Christians. Leaders in the Christian community in Baghdad were very positive about the Delly-PM meeting and said this was a step BAGHDAD 00002398 002.3 OF 002 in the right direction. They are hopeful about the GOI's statement of action and view the upcoming religious conference as a positive message to Iraqi Christians. END COMMENT. CROCKER