The grants provided from the Hungarian government’s Hungary Helps Programme gives Assyrian Christians in Iraq hope for a new start, the Minister of State for helping persecuted Christians and the implementation of the Hungary Helps Programme at the Prime Minister’s Office said on Wednesday, giving the Hungarian news agency MTI an interview by telephone about his visit to Iraqi Kurdistan. As part of the visit, he attended, inter alia, the inauguration of Saint George’s Church coming under the authority of the Assyrian Church of the East which was built with the assistance of the programme.

At the consecration of the church, the Minister of State relayed Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s message in which he affirms the importance of the protection of Christian communities and Christian culture.

In addition to several other Assyrian Christian church leaders, the event was also attended by Patriarch Gewargis III, head of the Assyrian Church of the East.

Regarding the presence of Assyrian Christian church dignitaries who gathered together for the event from all over the world, Tristan Azbej said their attendance also relays the message of returning home to believers who were driven away from their homes.

He added in connection with the church inaugurated on Wednesday that construction costs did not reach half a million euros.

The Minister of State pointed out that, due to persecution, the majority of the congregation founded in Iraq now live abroad. He added, however, that members of the congregation would like to return home, and the Hungary Helps Programme – which professes responsibility for supporting the world’s most persecuted religious group, Christians – wishes to help with this.

He also said this is in harmony with the Hungarian government’s migration policy which holds that everyone must be enabled to remain in their native land instead of migrating to foreign countries.

He stressed that the Christians living here did not only suffer from the destruction caused by terrorists, but equally from the world’s indifference: They feel that they have been let down, and they are particularly grateful to Hungary and the Hungarian people for their help which they described as something that gives them hope.

During the day, the Minister of State will visit the school named after the Virgin Mary in Erbil which was built from the state aid provided for the Iraqi Chaldean Catholic Church and the donations of the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference. The students of the school – both Christians and non-Christians – are mostly internal refugees from Mosul and the Nineveh plains.

Regarding the educational institution, he said Hungary would like to contribute to families with children remaining in the region, and to enabling those who fled earlier to return here.

During his visit, the Minister of State will also meet with representatives of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with whom he will talk about starting joint programmes in Iraq.

Hungary Helps and USAID agreed on helping persecuted religious groups in Iraq in December. During their meeting on Monday, US President Donald Trump also confirmed their commitment to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and further spoke about the efforts Hungary is making in the interest of helping persecuted Christians in words of praise.

(MTI)