Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani inaugurated the “Mother of Light Church” in the Ankawa district of Erbil on Sunday, in a ceremony attended by prominent religious leaders and officials.

Among the attendees were Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako, Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Iraq and the world, along with a number of government officials, clergy, and citizens.

In his speech, Prime Minister Barzani highlighted the religious and social significance of the church’s name, noting that “Mother of Light” is one of the titles of the Virgin Mary (peace be upon her) — a revered figure in both Christianity and Islam — and a name well known in Kurdish culture.

He expressed hope that the new church would become an important center of worship for Christians in Ankawa, and a symbol of unity and coexistence among followers of all faiths in the Kurdistan Region.

Barzani recalled that the region had sheltered tens of thousands of Christian families displaced from Mosul and the Nineveh Plain during ISIS attacks, saying they found in Kurdistan, and particularly in Ankawa, a safe and peaceful home. He described the new church as a gift from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to the displaced and refugees from the Nineveh Plain, providing them with a place for worship and spiritual comfort.

The Prime Minister reaffirmed the KRG’s determination to end the imposed situation in the Nineveh Plain and to help create conditions for the voluntary and dignified return of all residents to their towns and churches.

He also mentioned the recent opening of a major road project near the Lalish Temple, aimed at improving services for the Yazidi community, and announced that the foundation stone for the Al-Azhar Religious Institute would be laid later in the day, alongside his participation in the graduation ceremony of the Institute of Imams and Preachers in Erbil.

Barzani concluded by stressing that the Kurdistan Regional Government remains committed to promoting peace, coexistence, and respect for all religions, not only within the region but throughout the Middle East.