Pope Francis' visit to Qaraqosh, referred to as Iraq’s Christian capital, will encourage members of the country’s oldest faith to return to their homes after being driven out by ISIS.
Qaraqosh, a town also known as Hamdaniya, lies east of Mosul in the Nineveh plain. It fell to the insurgents in 2014, pushing its 50,000 residents to seek refuge in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region and other neighbouring states.
"The visit to Qaraqosh will be a sign of solidarity with all Christians in the Nineveh plain and will encourage people to return to their villages with hope for a better future," Auxiliary Bishop Basel Yaldo of Baghdad, who is the Catholic Church's general co-ordinator for the trip, told The National.
Preparations are well under way for the Pope's visit, including a newly crafted statue of the Virgin Mary placed on top of the Immaculate Conception Church in Qaraqosh.
During his trip, Pope Francis will take a helicopter from Mosul to Qaraqosh, where he will visit the community at the church, which is the biggest in the Nineveh plain and was once the heart of Christian worship in the town before being burned by ISIS and subsequently restored.
Most of the Christians in Nineveh are descendants of the Assyrians whose empire spread across Iraq more than 3,000 years ago. They have always felt a strong link to the land that is today Iraq.
The country once hosted around 4 million Christians but years of wars, conflict and economic hardship have eroded their status.
The Christian population shrank to about 500,000 following the US-led invasion in 2003 that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein and again after the onslaught of ISIS in 2014. It is not known exactly how many Christians now remain in Iraq.
ISIS deliberately targeted Christians in Nineveh, giving them an ultimatum – either they convert to Islam, pay a special tax or risk execution. As a result, thousands of families fled the area.
The insurgents spent two years destroying all signs of Christianity in the town, burning churches, smashing statues, and all other reminders of this once-thriving community.
Hundreds of ancient Assyrian artefacts were also destroyed in the process. "Signs of looting and devastation were evident everywhere when some people began returning," local priest Father Paul Thabit Mekko said.
In 2016, Qaraqosh was liberated by the Iraqi army but residents are still hesitant to return due to ongoing security concerns and lack of livelihood opportunities.
Pope Francis's visit to Iraq - daily agenda
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
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This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Tomorrow 2021
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.
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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
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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.
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