Encroachment of Kerkeslokh’s (Kirkuk) oldest Christian cemetery sparks outrage among Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian community

KERKESLOKH, Iraq — The implementation of a municipal project in Kerkeslokh (Kirkuk), Iraq, has led to encroachment on the city’s oldest Christian cemetery, sparking widespread condemnation from Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian communities and organizations.

Joseph Sliwa, head of the Bethnahrin Patriotic Union (Huyodo Bethnahrin Athroyo, HBA), expressed his outrage in a statement to Syriac Press. He condemned the incident as part of an ongoing pattern of marginalization and erasure faced by Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrians and Iraqi Christians.

“After enduring killings, displacement, and the seizure of our properties, we now witness even the graves of our ancestors being violated,” Sliwa said. He criticized what he described as a “chauvinistic, inhuman, and barbaric mentality” guiding such actions in Iraq.

Sliwa further highlighted that this attack on Christian heritage reflects a broader issue, pointing to similar instances of disrespect and neglect in Christian regions of both Iraq’s Kurdistan and federal areas. “Under the guise of development, investment, and public service, these encroachments occur with alarming frequency,” he added.

In his statement, Sliwa lamented the lack of unity among Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian political and religious representatives, attributing this division as a factor enabling such violations. “I cannot describe what is happening to the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrians in Iraq with anything but grief and outrage,” he concluded.

The desecration has reignited calls for stronger protections of Christian heritage sites and a unified response from the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian leadership.