Christian Leaders Call for International Probe Into Iraq Wedding Fire, Question Official Findings
In the wake of a tragic wedding fire that claimed the lives of over 100 people in northern Iraq, Christian religious leaders are demanding an international investigation into the incident. They have expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s probe, which attributed the blaze to negligence and a lack of precautionary measures. These leaders argue that corruption and the influence of armed militias on the government are among the factors that enabled the fire.
Father Boutros Sheeto, an Iraqi Syriac Catholic priest, spoke out against the official findings, asserting that the fire was intentional, although he did not provide any evidence to support this claim. He stated that there is a need for an international investigation, rejecting the notion that the fire was merely an accident.
The deadly incident occurred at the Haitham Royal Wedding Hall in the predominantly Christian area of Hamdaniya in Nineveh province. Panicked guests rushed for the exits after the ceiling panels above a pyrotechnic machine caught fire.
While the Iraqi government released the results of its investigation, pointing to unsafe fireworks as the main cause of the blaze, Christian religious leaders remain unconvinced. They question the official narrative and demand an international inquiry to uncover the truth.
The tragic event struck close to home for Father Sheeto, as ten of his relatives, including his sister Faten Sheeto, lost their lives in the fire. Faten had traveled from her home in Arizona to attend the wedding.
Chaldean Catholic Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, who resides in Rome, also expressed doubts about the official findings. He characterized the fire as the deliberate act of someone with a specific agenda, someone who had sold their conscience and nation.
Another religious leader, Syriac Catholic Archbishop of Mosul Benedictus Younan Hanno, echoed the call for an investigation supervised by international investigators. He, along with other Iraqi Christians, rejects the results of the Iraqi probe.
The Nineveh Health Department has updated the death toll to 113, with 41 victims yet to be identified. Twelve individuals with severe burns have been sent abroad for treatment, and eight more are scheduled to follow suit.
This heartbreaking incident is the latest in a series of tragedies that have befallen Iraq’s Christian minority, which has steadily dwindled in size over the past two decades.
The demand for an international investigation into the wedding fire reflects the deep-seated mistrust of the government’s ability to conduct an impartial inquiry. Christian leaders believe that only an independent, internationally supervised probe can uncover the truth behind the tragic incident.
