The Christians of Iraq who are considered one of the oldest surviving Christian communities in the world are now facing extinction. With Christians packing and leaving, serious concerns are raised over the demographic atrophy of the Middle Eastern Christian community and the fear of its imminent extinction. The violence practiced by Islamic groups on Christians in 2003 did a great job at bolstering the culture of expulsion and the havoc aimed at their towns, churches and monasteries demoted Christian Iraqi nationals to the lowest classes and forced them into exile.

So let us awaken all dormant memories of the cultural and intellectual wealth that Christians have lavished on Iraq throughout history.

Arabic Language and Translation: The Syrians played paramount roles in the fields of translation and sciences under the Abbasids. As translation contributed greatly to the prosperity of the Arab Islamic civilization, Arab scholars, who were Christian more precisely, were keen on mastering the art of translation. They translated from Greek, Syriac and Persian into Arabic and commented on, corrected and added valued to the content of previous foreign works. The foremost translators of their time were Yuhanna Bin Masawaih and Hunayn Bin Ishaq. The former, son of a physician, wrote and translated 50 books, while the latter worked on 95 books. Both of them were appointed by Caliph Al-Ma’moun to head Baghdad’s Bayt Al-Hikmah (library, translation institute and research center). Youhanna Ibn Batriq was entrusted by Al-Ma’moun with the translation of Greek and Syriac philosophical œuvre and passed many works by Aristotle and Hippocrates to the Arabs.

The contributions of Christians to Arabic language manifested best through the works of Anastas Al-Karmali, a Christian linguist hailed for enlarging and enriching Arabic vocabulary and founding the Lughat Al-Arab journal, which was an iconic landmark in the history of modern Nahda and one of the most reliable references on Arabic language.

Press: The Iraqi press established initially in the nineteenth century prospered greatly when Christian intellectuals swept in. Pioneering journalists came mostly from Mosul and were active in diverse journalistic avenues, especially by the end of the Ottoman rule. Among the Christians who stood out in the journalistic field, we mention Salim Hassoun (founder of The Arab World newspaper), Paulina Hassoun (first Iraqi woman to publish a magazine on women) and Mikhael Taysi (satirical journalist).

Education: Christian teachers and instructors were highly regarded for their sound knowledge and superior teaching skills, which they imparted to young Iraqi generations over the course of seventy years. In addition, Iraqi nuns ran a number of Christian nurseries across the country, including the Um Al-Ma’ouna nursery in Al-Dawwasa town, which earned nationwide reputation for its unique educational system.

Medicine: Iraqi Christians left their mark on the medical field as well. Abdollah ibn Bukhtishu was in charge of medical practices in the Abbasid state for three decades and served as a private physician for the Abbasid Caliphs. For two centuries, Dominican fathers have established dispensaries and medical centers across Iraq, not to mention Karada’s Nuns Hospital, which stood unmatched in Baghdad during the twentieth century.

Archaeology: The earliest attempts to start archaeological excavations in Iraq were initiated by French Consul Emile Botta followed by English archeologist Henry Layard in the middle of the nineteenth century. Citizens from Mosul helped in the accomplishment of excavations, including first and foremost Hermes bin Antoine Rassam who provided major assistance and became a prominent figure in archaeology. His four books on archaeology were printed in London and the US, with the first being published in 1879 under the title Archaeological Explorations in Assyria.

Throughout history, Christians have served as a cornerstone in the construction of Iraq, and the modern Arab Nahda of the 19th century will be forever indebted to Christian scholars, scientists, and linguists for its prosperity. Knowing this is essential to set the path for new historical opportunities that would not only promote social and political coexistence inside Iraq, but would prevent the brain drain and provide impetus for Christian communities overseas to return and invest their expertise and skills in their homeland.