Future of Coexistence Post ISIS Conference

On September 21, 2019, which was also the International Day of Peace, the Barzani Charity Foundation (BCF) hosted “Future of Coexistence Post ISIS Conference”, and presented two different researches. The ministers of Interior and Religious Affairs of KRG attended the conference, alongside the international organizations’ representatives, minorities and religious dignitaries in the Kurdistan Region. The conference consisted of two panels, in each panel the future coexistence and the role of the religions in coexistence in the Kurdistan region were highlighted. In the opening, Head of BCF, Musa Ahmad delivered a speech and said, “Today, 21^st September, is observed as the International Day of Peace by United Nations (UN), to inaugurate the day, every year the UN Peace Bell is rung at UN Headquarter. The bell is cast from coins donated by children from all continents for humanitarian activities. This day is dedicated to preventing war and humanitarian aid access for civils.” “We, as BCF, wanted to have an efficient role in enhancing the attempts for peace and coexistence in the region. Conducting such researches and conferences is only a part of BCF’s humanitarian projects. Certainly, our area, more than any other place, requires peace education to prevent war and violence, to bring back the real face of coexistence,” Mr. Ahmad added. Besides, in another section of the conference, Mr. Pshtiwan Sadq, Minister of Endowments & Religious Affairs in Kurdistan regional government (KRG) stated, “Barzani Charity Foundation (BCF) has always been the first to come forward in hard times and assisted displaced and refugees across Iraq.” Regarding the history of coexistence in the Kurdistan region, Mr. Pshtiwan Sadq said, “Coexistence is deeply rooted in the Kurdistan Region, and religions have a great role in developing civilization in the region.” Within the conference, BCF presented two researches which are published by Media & Research Department of BCF, (44 ISIS Survived Women) and (Christians’ Future in Iraq). The researches are now available on the BCF’s official website to be read and used as humanitarian sources. The conference combined in two panels, the first panel was “Future of Coexistence” by (Mr. Abdulrahman, Sidiq writer and researcher, Mr. Hamid Murad, Iraqi Committee Secretary of Human Rights, Dr. Dindar Zebari, KRG Coordinator for International Advocacy) and the moderator of the first panel was Dr. Chewas Hassan. The second panel was “Religions’ Role in Coexistence” and the panelists were “Pir Khdir, Member of Yazidis Research Committee in Germany, Mullah Jaafar, Member of Fatwa Committee, Bishop Raban al-Qis, Bishop of the Amadiyah and Zakho Diocese), and Dr. Adam Bedar was the moderator of the panel. Another part of the conference was dedicated to the book signing event for Risala Sharkani, the author of “ISIS Hell Stories”, which is printed and published by the BCF.