ASIA/IRAQ - The Leaders of Christian Churches: every adult citizen has to be free to choose his own religion

Baghdad (Agenzia Fides) - The leaders of the Christian churches in Iraq hope that the right to freely choose one’s own religion when they reach adulthood is guaranteed to all citizens. This was reported in a statement published after the last meeting of the Council of Christian Church - Leaders of Iraq, CCCLI, which was held on Saturday, January 25 at the Armenian Orthodox church in Baghdad. In the document, sent to Fides Agency, it is asked to explicitly guarantee, at a legal level, the right to freely choose one's religion, also modifying the existing legislation on the civil status of the child with regards to religious matters.
During the meeting - reports the statement - the heads of Churches and Christian communities also dicussed the issue regarding the unification of the date for the celebration of Easter in all the churches of the Country, and stressed the opportunity for a prompt participation of Christian citizens in the coming elections, in a season in which the institutional and democratic solidity of the country is in crisis due to attacks and sectarian pressures. (GV) (Agenzia Fides 31/01/2014)