In June, we allowed ourselves to feel a cautious sense of hope. An end to Trump’s war on Iran seemed reachable, as did a fragile agreement to reformulate the future of the region.
In his arrogance, Trump showed us once again how little he cares: not just about peace and decency but also about the many million lives across Iran and the region, or the future of the world itself. He showed us too how little his own allies mean to him.
During the writing of these prayers, Iran has surfaced from the thirteenth consecutive night of US attacks. And the night sky over Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, is again being lit up, every once in a while, by Iranian drones exploding when hit by the air defence systems.
Retaliatory attacks are somewhat measured but quickly escalating. While the ceasefire held, Iran allegedly targeted several ships in the Hormuz strait as they tried to bypass its control. In response to that, the US forces began bombarding Iranian bases, in retaliation to which Iran targeted US and other facilities in neighboring countries, where two US soldiers were killed. In retaliation, Trump ordered more attacks and threatened to expand bombings to target civilians yet again. Moreover, Iran-allied armed groups in Iraq and Yemen began speaking of joining the war. Where will this end?
Sulaimani, where the CPT Iraqi Kurdistan office is located, does not have a US Consulate or US military bases, nor the same air defence systems as Erbil. Iranian missiles and drones have killed nine members of Komala, an Iranian Kurdish opposition group, and caused a large explosion at a Kurdish military base outside of Sulaimani that damaged nearby houses and wounded several civilians alongside Peshmerga members. Another Iranian drone exploded at a football field near the city.
Today, we would like to ask for prayers for concrete action – and voices of reason – that can interrupt this spiralling violence once and for all. When an agreement reached with so much effort fails, how much more effort, diplomacy, and especially goodwill, are required to reach a new one? We need a ceasefire that can not only last but turn into a true and just peace.
Today we also pray for the family of Rebaz Suleiman Salih, a nomadic shepherd from the highlands of Kurdistan. Two weeks ago, Rebaz and his brother Bewar tried to recover their sheep which were grazing on a high mountain plateau near the border with Iran. Iranian forces opened fire and killed Rebaz. After two days, the Iranian soldiers returned Rebaz’s body to the family for burial but kept the family’s livestock.
We need a peace that goes far beyond the absence of fear of an attack; we pray for a reality in which the future is defined not by arrogant rulers, oppressive regimes and colonial borders, but rather by the family of Rebaz and others around them.
