Hungary alone responded to the request for assistance of the Iraqi town of Tel Askuf to enable Christians living there to return to their homes and to rebuild their town, Father Salar Kajo, parish prient of the settlement destroyed by the organisation Islamic State, said.

According to Miklós Soltész, Minister of State for Church, National Minority and Civil Society Relations at the Ministry of Human Capacities, residents of the Iraqi settlement set an example for Europe and the world by having preserved their Christian identity even amidst the greatest persecutions and difficulties and returning to their native land after the fighting had stopped.

As part of the address entitled “Assistance rendered by the Hungarian government to help Iraqi Christians return to their homes” delivered at the event organised by the Office of the Deputy State Secretariat for Helping Persecuted Christians which was held on 26 April in the ceremonial hall of the Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Mr Soltész stressed that after the terrorist organisation Islamic State plundered and pillaged the town of Tel Askuf, its residents accepted martyrdom, persecution and fleeing, and now they are taking on the difficulties and sacrifices of returning and rebuilding their settlement. The school, church and a number of residential buildings have been rebuilt from funding provided by the Hungarian government, and public roads and public lighting have also been refurbished. This demonstrates that it is possible to start anew and to return, but it takes faith and unity, the Minister of State said.

To be, or not to be – that was the question a year ago, Salar Kajo said. According to the parish priest, this is why they turned to Europe for help, but Hungary alone responded to their appeal. For residents of the town returning was key to continuing their lives which would not have been possible without Hungary’s help. Those living there are grateful to the Hungarian people, they prayed for them as well as for the elections, the priest said.

Anmar Yakoob Yousif Jabboo, a member of the engineering team responsible for the reconstruction works rendered a detailed account of the work completed. The church which is crucial in the community’s life was rebuilt in 2 to 3 months, while the more than 1,000 residential buildings over a period of one year.

Balázs Major, Vice Dean of the Pázmány Péter Catholic University highlighted he was pleased that the University was also able to join the work of helping Christians in the Middle East. Travelling around countries of the Middle East it is greatly rewarding to be a Hungarian, he said, adding that not only bishops and priests, but also civilian experts come to visit Hungary and the University.

The Christian settlement of Tel Askuf (Telskuf, Telesquf, and Telesqopa) in Northern Iraq was captured by terrorists of the organisation Islamic State in 2014. They drove away more than a thousand families. Following the liberation of the small town, the government of Hungary decided to provide help with the rebuilding of the settlement. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán signed an agreement with the Chaldean Catholic Patriarch of Babylon regarding a grant of HUF 580 million provided as part of the Hungary Helps programme on 30 May 2017 in Budapest. According to the experiences of Azbej Tristan, Deputy Sate Secretary for Helping Persecuted Christians, it is important that the Hungarian grants should reach those in need through local churches, rather than through large international organisations. Thanks to the experts of the Chaldean Catholic Church, far more buildings have been refurbished from the grants than planned originally: 950 homes in Tel Askuf and 41 in the neighbouring Baqof. With these grants Hungary helped more than a thousand families return to their homes.

(Ministry of Human Capacities/MTI)