Established in 2015, the Catholic University of Erbil, located in the Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq, provides education, scholarships and aid to Iraqi minority groups suffering under the control of ISIS.
Vatican News
Erbil, Thursday, November 14, 2024 (REI): In 2014, the so-called Islamic State established its dominance in northern Iraq, capturing large swaths of territory.
Many people were displaced due to the attack, especially minority groups such as Christians, Yazidis, Turkmens and Shabaks, etc.
Many of these refugees fled to the Kurdish region of northeastern Iraq, where Father Karam Shahmasha of the local Chaldean Catholic archdiocese says the local Church attempted to provide them with shelter, food and medical care.
Establishment of the University
Over time, these charitable efforts gave rise to an even larger project, Father Shahmasha told Vatican News. The creation of the Catholic University of Erbil, or CUE, which aims to be a “beacon of light in the midst of chaos.”
It aims to welcome students from all backgrounds, especially those who have suffered the most from recent violence.
In a talk at Boston College in 2023, Archbishop Bashar Warda, chancellor of CUE and chairman of the board of directors, stressed that “We have opened the doors of CUE to those most affected by ISIS: the forcibly displaced, Christians and Yazidis”. “We are committed to being a strong voice for those who suffer.”
celebration of yazidi culture
Father Shahmasha highlighted that CUE provides support to students from the Yazidi community, who suffered a brutal massacre at the hands of ISIS, which is even worse than the brutal treatment inflicted on Christians in the region.
Father Shahmasha says that thanks to generous benefactors, both Catholic and non-Catholic, CUE is able to offer several scholarships to Yazidi students each year. It also regularly organizes events celebrating Yazidi culture, such as the annual Yazidi New Year celebration, and cooperates with organizations fighting for Yazidi rights. Additionally, with the help of the Pontifical Aid to the Church in Need Foundation, CUE is able to award a large number of “Pope Francis Scholarships” each year, primarily to Christian students.
CUE today
Today, nine years after its creation, the university has more than 600 students of various religions.
Father Shahmasha highlights the university’s latest initiative, an oriental studies program organized by the university’s Faculty of Arts.
Father Shahmasha noted that the program is the first of its kind in the region and offers courses on “the diversity of religions and ethnicities that have long inhabited the Mesopotamian region,” including Kurdish studies, Catholic theology and Torah. The books cover a wide variety. of topics like.
He said his goal was to “promote peaceful coexistence” between Iraq’s different ethnic and religious groups, thus contributing to “the creation of a vibrant community.”
