In a significant step toward improving the situation of Iraq's Christian population, Nineveh Governor Abdul Qader al-Dakhil met with Syriac Orthodox Archbishop Timotheus Mousa al-Shamani, head of the Diocese of Mor Mattai Monastery and Honorary President of the Assyrian Council in Bartella (Baritle).

The meeting was attended by a delegation of priests, former Iraqi MP Raed Ishaq Matti, and Assyrian Council President in Baritle Sabah Abdul Ahad Tuma. Discussions centered on the status of Christians in Nineveh Plains, with particular attention to local government plans to secure their return to Mosul and towns across the region.

Governor al-Dakhil reaffirmed his administration's commitment to strengthening Nineveh's religious and cultural diversity and to preserving its social fabric, emphasizing that Christians are "an indigenous and integral component" of the governorate.

Archbishop al-Shamani expressed his appreciation for the governor's ongoing support for Christian communities and his efforts to rehabilitate places of worship and promote stability in the province.

In a related development, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani received Syriac Catholic Archbishop of Mosul and its Environs Mar Benedict Younan Hinno and his delegation in Baghdad.

During the meeting, the prime minister stressed that his government remains committed to enhancing security and coexistence among all Iraqis and to safeguarding the rights of all components of society, including Christians. He described Iraq's Christians as "indigenous citizens, respected by all," and praised their historic role in promoting coexistence and peace as an inseparable part of Iraq's national identity.

The Christians of Mosul, particularly the Assyrian communities, endured brutal persecution under the Islamic State (ISIS) when the extremist group seized the city between 2014 and 2015. They were given an ultimatum to convert to Islam, pay the jizya tax, flee, or face death. ISIS imposed a 36-hour deadline, beginning at dawn on Friday, 18 July 2014, forcing thousands to flee their ancestral homes.

Mounther Sabah, head of the Assyrian Tribal Council in Nineveh Plains, described the suffering of the displaced to DW's Iraq Today magazine:

"ISIS took all their money, jewelry, cars, and even their identification documents. We hosted them in our homes from Alqosh to Hamdaniya, in Bartella, Qaraqosh, Karamlesh, Ba'shiqa, Tel Kaif, Batmaya, and Mor Mattai Monastery. The number of displaced people reached about 20,000."

The mass displacement marked one of the most devastating demographic shifts in the region's modern history. The ancient city of Mosul, inhabited by Assyrians since 1000 BC, was left desolate -- its once-vibrant neighborhoods emptied, its churches silent, and its streets shrouded in darkness.