Shafaq News / The local administration of Diyala revealed that 95% of Christians had fled from the governorate to Baghdad, the Kurdistan Region, and outside Iraq over the past 14 years due to violence and extremism.
Baquba commissioner, Abdullah al-Hayali, told Shafaq News agency that the Christian component is an important part of the social system, and we will do everything we can to bring them back to their areas."
Al-Hayali called for "opening a Christian church in the governorate where Christian religious occasions can be held," adding, "Muslims and Christians represent a state of national harmony that supports unity, stability, and security."
According to unofficial estimates, the number of Christians in Iraq is about 450,000, after their number was nearly 1.8 million before the overthrow of the former Iraqi regime in 2003.
Christians immigrated to Europe, America, and other countries to escape the security turmoil Iraq has been going through for many years. Extremist Islamic groups frequently targeted them.
