11/13/2020 Iraq (International Christian Concern) – Members of Iraq’s Shi’ite bloc in Parliament are calling for the removal of constitutional article 140 that discusses settling the status of disputed territories between Baghdad and Erbil, says a member of Iraq’s Constitution Amendment Committee
Article 140 refers to areas such as the Nineveh Governorate, the most religiously diverse area of Iraq and also home to most of the country’s Christians before the ISIS genocide. One of the reasons that Nineveh’s displaced persons have not returned home is because the disputed status of Nineveh has led to armed conflict and intimidation, as well as challenges implementing infrastructure repairs.
This article of the constitution was supposed to create a pathway resolving the status of disputed territories. The country was given a deadline of the year 2007 to hold a referendum for residents of these territories to decide whether their governance is administered by Baghdad or Erbil. However, this was never implemented and remains a controversial issue within Iraq. For this reason, many Christians argue that the only solution is for Nineveh to be granted its own autonomy.
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