Armenian community of Iraq calls on authorities to allocate them a seat in parliament

Armenians consider themselves deprived of the opportunity to exercise their rights and call on the ruling authorities of Iraq to allocate them a seat in parliament, the statement of the Armenian community of Iraq reads.

“Armenians have a long-standing and historical presence in Iraq. From the very beginning of our stay in this country, we considered Iraq our homeland. Negotiations are underway for Armenians to become part of Christians in the quota system of the parliament,” Hakob Sugahakayan, a representative of the Armenian Orthodox Church of Baghdad, told Rudav.

Until 2004, about 350 Armenian families lived in Basra. Their number has been reduced to less than 150. Only three are now left of the 120 families who lived in Mosul in the past, and the number of Armenians in Baghdad has sharply decreased from 6,000 to 500. The reason is the successive wars, instability and violence against ethnic minority groups.

“We pray all the time for stability, peace and security, first of all for the Iraqis and the world as a whole. We don’t want wars to break out, because their consequences for any country are nothing but destruction,” said Gevorg Kashakyan, an Armenian cleric from Baghdad.

Unlike other parts of Iraq, Kurdistan has become a safe haven for Armenians and other minority groups fleeing displacement and violence in other parts of the country.

The Constitution of Kurdistan recognizes Armenians as an ethnic component, grants the right to education in their native Armenian language and one seat in parliament.
There are six Armenian churches in Kurdistan: four in Duhok province, and one each in Erbil and Kirkuk.

Armenian churches in the region have memorials erected in memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide.