Kurdistan Region Launches First National Prayer Breakfast, Promoting Interfaith Unity
Erbil, Kurdistan Region – The Kurdistan Region inaugurated its first-ever National Prayer Breakfast on Wednesday, a landmark event dedicated to fostering peace and unity among diverse religious and ethnic communities. Held under the theme “Towards Unity in Faith,” the ceremony began at 8:00 a.m. in Erbil, with President Masoud Barzani, regional leaders, and international dignitaries in attendance.
Organized as the first institutionalized interfaith event of its kind in Kurdistan, the National Prayer Breakfast brought together over 400 participants, including political leaders, diplomats, and religious figures from Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, and around the world. Among the attendees were U.S. and European parliamentarians, ambassadors, and representatives from Islam, Christianity, Yezidism, and other faiths.
President Masoud Barzani, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, and Prime Minister Masrour Barzani delivered keynote speeches, alongside prominent Iraqi and international leaders. The event highlighted Kurdistan’s unique model of interfaith coexistence, where diverse communities live side by side in mutual respect.
Kurdistan National Prayer Breakfast
— Kurdistan Regional Government (@Kurdistan) April 21, 2025
In a special event, under the patronage of President Masoud Barzani, officials and dignitaries from the region and around the world, gather to pray in unity.
Happening for the first time in the Kurdistan Region, The Kurdistan National Prayer… pic.twitter.com/YlfFYkkHzZ
Religious leaders from different faiths united in a powerful display of solidarity, offering joint prayers and symbolic gestures of harmony. The ceremony underscored Kurdistan’s long tradition of peaceful coexistence, even amid regional turmoil.
Following the main event, panel discussions were held with political, religious, and civil society leaders, focusing on religious freedom, social cohesion, and global peacebuilding.
On the final day (April 25), attendees will visit mosques, churches, Yezidi temples, and other sacred sites across Erbil, Duhok, and the Nineveh Plains, showcasing the region’s rich religious landscape.
According to the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs, the region is home to:
5,732 mosques
135 churches
315 Yezidi temples
1 Zoroastrian fire temple
1 Mandaean worship site
For centuries, Kurdistan has been a safe haven for diverse ethnic and religious groups, preserving their languages, traditions, and identities. The National Prayer Breakfast is set to become an annual tradition, reinforcing Kurdistan’s commitment to pluralism and serving as a global model for interfaith harmony.
"This event is not just for Kurdistan—it is a message to the world that unity among faiths is possible," said one attendee.
The ceremony concluded with hopes that this initiative will inspire greater dialogue and cooperation among all communities, both regionally and internationally.
