Iraqis in Lebanon say Pope's visit to homeland gives them hope

Christians who fled violence yearn for peace that will allow them to return to Iraq

Pope Francis's trip to Iraq is fuelling hope among members of Lebanon’s Iraqi community that the first-ever papal visit to their home country will bring stability and an end to years of violence that prompted many to flee.

“This is a very important visit, especially during these difficult times when Arab countries are generally going through crisis, turbulences and protests,” said Layla Hamadan, an Iraqi immigrant.

The Pope’s visit comes at a time of rising coronavirus infections and renewed violence in Iraq, which is caught in the middle of rising tensions between Iran and the United States.

Volunteers finalise preparations to recieve Pope Francis in the ruins of the Syriac Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception (al-Tahira) in the old city of Iraq's northern city of Mosul ahead of the pontiff's visit later in the week. AFP

Volunteers stand holding posters welcoming Pope Francis in the ruins of the Syriac Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception (al-Tahira) in the old city of Iraq's northern city of Mosul ahead of the pontiff's visit later in the week. AFP

Posters welcoming Pope Francis are prepared at St. Joseph's Chaldean Church ahead of the Pope's visit, in Baghdad, Iraq. AP Photo

Men stand holding a poster by UNESCO welcoming Pope Francis at a cultural centre in the old city of Iraq's northern city of Mosul ahead of the pontiff's visit later in the week. AFP

Pope Francis is preparing for what the Vatican website describes as the "apostolic journey of the holy father" to Iraq this week. Francis' visit will be the first by a pope to Iraq, and Roman Catholics are busy preparing for his arrival. Here, work is done on the roof of St Mary Al Tahira Church at Qaraqosh near Mosul, one of the churches on the Pope's schedule. Getty Images

A worker helps to prepare Erbil international Stadium, also known as the Franso Hariri Stadium, for the visit of Pope Francis to the capital of the Kurdistan region in Iraq. EPA

An Iraqi Christian visits a building in Qaraqosh, Iraq, that bears the scars of ISIS violence. Reuters

Father Ammar Altony Yako leads prayers as Christians attend mass at the Grand Immaculate Old Church in Qaraqosh, the largest church in Iraq. Pope Francis is scheduled to visit on Sunday as part of his tour. Reuters

The town of Qaraqosh was ravaged by ISIS after 2014 and liberated from the extremists in 2017. Christians of all denominations have joined in an effort to encourage their communities to return. Reuters

Christian militiamen and police officers stand guard at a gate in Qaraqosh, Iraq. Reuters

Staff at a shop in Arbil, the capital of Iraq's northern autonomous Kurdish region, print flyers for Pope Francis's visit. AFP

Workers print flyers of Pope Francis at a shop in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's northern autonomous Kurdish region, ahead of the first-ever papal visit to Iraq. AFP

Musicians from a joint Kurdish and Christians orchestra and choir rehearse at Erbil international Stadium, also known as the Franso Hariri Stadium, for the visit of Pope Francis to the capital of the Kurdistan region in Iraq. EPA

Choristers from a joint Kurdish and Christians orchestra and choir rehearse at Erbil international Stadium for the visit of Pope Francis to the capital of the Kurdistan region in Iraq. EPA

Banners and Iraqi and Vatican flags go up in central Baghdad to welcome Pope Francis. EPA

The security instability that has engulfed the country since the toppling of Saddam Hussein in 2003 saw the country’s Christian community dwindle from around 1.5 million to less than 400,000 today, according to some estimates.

The Vatican described the Pope’s four-day visit, which kicks off on Friday, as an act of solidarity with Iraqi people of all backgrounds, a message that appeared to resonate with Iraqi immigrants in Lebanon.

"The Pope's visit is [a message] of support for not only Iraq but to the whole Arab nation," Mustapha Al Shammari told The National. "I hope the country will once again enjoy a sense of normalcy without killings and explosions."

Sporadic security incidents have been a recurring theme in Iraq in recent years. Only days ahead of the Pope’s visit, a US civilian contractor died from a heart attack when rockets landed on an airbase housing US and Iraqi troops. The attack on Wednesday came less than a week after US airstrikes on Iran-backed militias in neighbouring Syria.

“We wish for security and stability so we will be able to go back to Iraq. No one is happy to live abroad,” Mr Al Shammari said.

Like hundreds of thousands of other refugees in Lebanon, many Iraqis are struggling to make ends meet. The small Mediterranean nation, home to more than 1.5 million refugees from countries across the region, is facing its worst economic crisis in decades. The crisis has been compounded by rampant corruption and bickering between Iran’s allies and their political rivals.

But Riad Al Najafi, another Iraqi immigrant, is hopeful that change will follow the first visit by a leader of the Catholic Church to Iraq.

"It's not out of the blue," he told The National. "I think it will pave the road for a new positive phase for countries across the region."