Iraqi Christians say they despair about ever returning to the homes they fled after the rise of ISIS, despite government assurances about their safety.
Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi praised the minority community's contribution to Iraq during a meeting with Chaldean Patriarch Louis Raphael Sako on Sunday and promised his government's support to help Christians return home.
“The presence of Christians in Iraq is one of the most important pillars of the deep diversity in Iraqi society which today contributes to protecting the democratic system and provides solutions to political differences,” Mr Al Kadhimi said.
“Full support will be provided to facilitate the safe return and stability of Christians.”
The struggles of Iraq’s Christians came into focus as ISIS swept through the country's north in June 2014 after seizing Mosul, the region's main city.
The extremists committed atrocities against Christians and other religious and ethnic groups in the area, forcing thousands to seek refuge in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region as well as neighbouring countries.
We appreciate the call made by Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi, but we are scared
Eva Putros,
Iraqi Christian living in Erbil
“I wish I could return home to Mosul and we appreciate the call made by Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi, but we are scared,” said Eva Putros, an Iraqi Christian living in the Kurdish city of Erbil.
“We left Mosul a few weeks after ISIS took over and we were allowed entry into the Kurdish region because of my car’s license plate. I bought it in Erbil a few years before the takeover,” she told The National.
Ms Putros and her family left their home and belongings in the care of neighbours until they could return. However, she learnt that other people moved in soon after they left, claiming to be the new owners.
Several years later, armed groups turned her home into a command centre.
“My family and I have set up our lives in Erbil. I’ve put the past behind me and what happened to us. We lost everything – it’s all gone – but at least we have each other,” Ms Putros said.
She has not returned to Mosul since July 2014.
The Iraqi government has repeatedly called for Christians to return to their homes following the defeat of ISIS in 2017. However, many say they have lost hope in the state's ability to protect them.
Charles Hanna, an internally displaced Iraqi Christian, said the government was unable to provide the public with security or even basic services such as electricity or water.
“We are searching for a better future than the one the Iraqi government can provide us. This will unfortunately mean that we need to leave the land of our ancestors,” Mr Hanna, 65, told The National.
Since 2003, when a US-led invasion toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, Iraq's Christian population has dropped from about 1.5 million to an estimated 250,000.
Mr Hanna, a retired schoolteacher, fled Mosul two years after ISIS took over. He lived in the Virgin Mary Refugee Camp in Baghdad with his family until it closed earlier this year.
The camp has now been turned into an unofficial residential area for those displaced Christians who preferred to stay put rather than return to their region of origin.
Many displaced Iraqis prefer to live in modest camps rather than go back to the places they fled.
“We have no one and fear for Iraqi Christians who are still inside the country,” Mr Hanna said.
Cardinal Sako and his delegation also met President Barham Salih, who said the Christian community of Iraq was a vital component of the region.
“Christians stood by their brothers from all sects in Iraq’s society to face challenges, and their contributions had a profound impact. The East cannot be imagined without Christians,” Mr Salih said.
In March, Pope Francis made a historic four-day trip to Iraq, where he preached inter-faith coexistence.
The pontiff's visit was intended to boost the morale of Iraq's Christians and encourage those who fled abroad to return home.
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Expert input
If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?
“There are a few shoes that have ‘grail’ status for me. But the one I have always wanted is the Nike x Patta x Parra Air Max 1 - Cherrywood. To get a pair in my size brand new is would cost me between Dh8,000 and Dh 10,000.” Jack Brett
“If I had all the money, I would approach Nike and ask them to do my own Air Force 1, that’s one of my dreams.” Yaseen Benchouche
“There’s nothing out there yet that I’d pay an insane amount for, but I’d love to create my own shoe with Tinker Hatfield and Jordan.” Joshua Cox
“I think I’d buy a defunct footwear brand; I’d like the challenge of reinterpreting a brand’s history and changing options.” Kris Balerite
“I’d stir up a creative collaboration with designers Martin Margiela of the mixed patchwork sneakers, and Yohji Yamamoto.” Hussain Moloobhoy
“If I had all the money in the world, I’d live somewhere where I’d never have to wear shoes again.” Raj Malhotra
Aggro%20Dr1ft
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
T20 World Cup Qualifier
October 18 – November 2
Opening fixtures
Friday, October 18
ICC Academy: 10am, Scotland v Singapore, 2.10pm, Netherlands v Kenya
Zayed Cricket Stadium: 2.10pm, Hong Kong v Ireland, 7.30pm, Oman v UAE
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Rameez Shahzad, Darius D’Silva, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zawar Farid, Ghulam Shabber, Junaid Siddique, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Waheed Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Zahoor Khan
Players out: Mohammed Naveed, Shaiman Anwar, Qadeer Ahmed
Players in: Junaid Siddique, Darius D’Silva, Waheed Ahmed
ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company%C2%A0profile
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Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
Company%20Profile
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Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
