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2022-05-30 Iraq
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Assyrian Peshmerga graduate opens door for further Christian participation
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[Rudaw] In a rare occurrence that earned the high praise of Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, a Christian on Thursday graduated from Zakho Military College in Duhok. The Assyrian’s graduation may have inspired scores of other young Christians in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, many of whom previously viewed the military as an unsuitable option, paving the way for them to enlist in the Peshmerga forces.
Eldad Apraim Yaldakhaei, 25, was always passionate about the military, and hoped to join the Peshmerga forces ever since he was a little boy. While Yaldakhaei was initially concerned that his religion might serve as a tool for discrimination, he decided to chase his dreams anyway and told Rudaw English over the phone on Saturday that "it was all worth it" in the end.
"I thought that they wouldn't prioritize me because I was a Christian and maybe I would be disadvantaged in the college, but I applied and they accepted around 500 students among more than 7,000 applicants for the college," Yaldakhaei said proudly, mentioning that a degree in military sciences is "very special" and will greatly assist him in the future.
While delivering a speech to the graduating class of Zakho Military College on Thursday, President Barzani specifically praised Yaldakhaei for being the only Christian graduate among 499 other Peshmerga officers, and encouraged other minorities, such as Yazidis and Turkmen, to enlist in the force. The president's remarks have served as a source of pride to the young Assyrian Christian and his family.
"I brought pride to my home, my family, my village, and all Christians," he said with delight, when asked about the president’s comments. "It was a very big deal when someone like President Barzani distinctively calls out your name and congratulates you among 499 others."
Yaldakhaei's fears of discrimination were put to rest upon his arrival at the college. Differentiation on the basis of religion or ethnicity was entirely nonexistent in his academy, he explained, and during the nearly two and a half years he spent at the college, he was never discriminated against by his superiors or fellow students.
"I had many friends, and not once did they ask me questions about religion. There, it's all about humanity. Everybody would pray their respective prayers and we had no differences whatsoever," he said, adding that "we are all like brothers."
The unorthodox decision by Yaldakhaei to enlist in the Peshmerga and his subsequent success has set the scene for further Christian participation in the force. After the popularity he attained from being recognized by President Barzani, scores of young Christians who had previously refrained from joining the military due to safety concerns because of their religious background have been calling Yaldakhaei for advice on how to apply to the college, he said.
The decades-long conflict between The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
 ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire...
and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has brought devastation to the Assyrian village of Chalik, which Yaldakhaei is originally from. He expressed concern about his village's state due to frequent Ottoman Turkish bombardments and wished that his people could safely return to their homeland again. 
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Posted by trailing wife 2022-05-30 00:00||
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Posted by Richard Aubrey 2022-05-30 00:26||
2022-05-30 00:26||
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Posted by Mullah Richard 2022-05-30 08:23||
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