IRAQ – Archbishop calls for educational and constitutional reform to combat terrorism
Habib al-Naufali, Chaldean Archbishop of Basra, spoke at the second International Conference on Victims of Ethnic and Religious Violence in the Middle East , which took place in the Royal Palace of El Pardo in Spain.
According to Archbishop Al Naufali, only 10 or 20 per cent of the population of Nineveh has been able to return to their homes because they are afraid of lack of security and need humanitarian aid.
In his address, the Iraqi Archbishop has warned that in addition to Islamic State there are other “criminal minded extremist” people and religious leaders who spread hate speech. He advocated education reform that emphasizes respect among citizens and between religions and religious factions.
Finally, Archbishop Al Naufali called for a reform of the Iraqi Constitution, which guarantees the rights of all, and a law that penalizes individuals and organizations that finance terrorism or encourage it. “This should be considered a crime against humanity, because it threatens the whole world,” he concluded.
ACN Malta