Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

I want to bring to the House's attention a couple of very significant matters that are of deep concern to me and, I think, would be of deep concern to the whole House, and that is the plight of both the Chaldean and the Assyrian people in Iraq. I, as you know, Madam Deputy Speaker Chesters, represent many Australians of Assyrian and Chaldean background, and both have issues which need to be addressed.

I want to deal first with the matter of the Chaldean people and particularly the Chaldean church. The Chaldean church—

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

Proceedings suspended from 16:28 to 16:41

As I was saying, the Chaldean church is going through a crisis. Cardinal Louis Sako is the patriarch of the Chaldean church. I was honoured to meet him on his visit to Australia and I was honoured to meet him on my visit to Iraq. But I have to report that the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani, took an unprecedented step earlier this month to end the recognition of the Chaldean patriarch. The repealing of decree 147 essentially strips Cardinal Sako of his place as the Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church.

The decision about who the patriarch of the Chaldean church is isn't one for the Prime Minister of Iraq, it's one for the Chaldean church and it's one for the Pope. This has been made even more egregious by the appointment of Rayan al-Kildani as the church's administrator, somebody who does not have the support or confidence of the Chaldean church and who has run the Babylon Movement. He has received official sanctions by the United Nations for corrupt dealings and human rights violations.

I want to say very clearly to the Chaldean people, whether they be in Iraq or in Australia, that this is not on. Religious freedom is important, and the rights of the head of the Chaldean church should be protected and respected. An attack on the head of the Chaldean church is an attack on all Chaldeans and, indeed, on people of all faiths. The Chaldean people deserve that support, and so we send this message strongly from the Australian parliament.

I also want to touch on the situation for Assyrians, who are of course another Christian group in Iraq. Like the Chaldeans, the Assyrian people have been oppressed for many years—for many decades and many generations. But we're seeing this today with the persecution against Assyrians in the Nahla region. There are reports of checkpoints heavily disrupting the lives of Assyrians simply going about their daily lives in the villages. I've had constituents write to me about this just this week. Again, we send a strong message to the Assyrians of the Nahla region that we are with you, that you should not be oppressed or disturbed and that your human rights are important.

To the Chaldean and Assyrian peoples, both of whom have their human rights under attack in Iraq, we say that this isn't on. We say to the Prime Minister of Iraq that Iraq needs to lift its game and needs to support the Chaldean and Assyrian peoples—to protect their basic rights—and to protect, particularly, the rights of Cardinal Louis Sako, who is the rightful head of the Chaldean church and a rightful cardinal of the Catholic Church. His rights should be respected, and the rights of all Chaldeans should be respected. I say this on behalf of all Australians in a very strong message to Iraq.

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