Tuesday, 26 August 2025
Members statements
Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda
Iwan WALTERS
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Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda
Iwan WALTERS (Greenvale) (13:12): I was delighted to welcome His Excellency the Most Reverend Bashar Matti Warda, Archbishop of Erbil, to our Parliament last week. Archbishop Warda is a tireless champion of religious toleration, freedom and interfaith dialogue and respect. His leadership helped to rebuild and sustain shattered communities after the depredations of ISIS, and his passion for education and health care is inspirational and led him to found the Catholic University in Erbil. His visit was a source of great joy for our Chaldean community here in Melbourne, and I thank him for his generosity and unwavering leadership to so many.