Ano Abdoka

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific_prefix = Minister

| name = Ano Jawhar Abdoka
{{lang|syr|ܐܢܘܓܘܗܪܥܒܕܘܟܐ}}
{{lang|ar|أنو عبدوكا}}

|image = ئانۆ جەوھەر عەبدولمەسیح.jpg

| office = Minister of Transportations and Communications / Kurdistan Region

| term_start = 11 July 2019

| party = National Unity Alliance, Kurdistan Democratic Party

| otherparty = Shlama Trend for Christians Affairs

| predecessor =

| birth_date = 1984

| education = PhD in Politics and International Relations

| website = {{Twitter | id= AnoAbdoka }}

}}

Ano Jawhar Abdulmaseeh Abdoka, or Ano Abdoka ({{langx|syr|ܐܢܘ ܥܒܕܘܟܐ}},{{Cite news|title=Ano Abdoka (Anu) ܐܢܘ ܥܒܕܘܟܐ|work=Twitter|url=https://twitter.com/anoabdoka|access-date=4 December 2020}} {{langx|ar|أنو عبدوكا}},) is an Assyrian politician{{cite web |title=Ano Jawhar Abdulmaseeh Abdoka - Minister of Transport and Communications |url=https://gov.krd/english/government/the-cabinet/ano-jawhar-abdulmaseeh-abdoka/ |publisher=Government of Kurdistan Region |access-date=15 April 2020}} who serves as the Minister of Transportations and Communications of the autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq since July 2019. Abdoka leads the Shlama Trend for Christian Affairs in the Kurdish region, and he previously led the local committee of the Kurdistan Democratic Party in Ankawa.{{cite web |title=Interview: Ano Abdoka Political Leader in Ankawa |url=http://english.ankawa.com/?p=17065 |website=Ankawa.com |access-date=11 July 2019}} He is currently the only Assyrian and Christian member of the Kurdish Government's cabinet.

Early life

Abdoka was born in 1984 in the city of Ankawa, Erbil, where he grew up. While his father's side of his family was directly from Ankawa, his mother's family come from the Assyrian town of Alqosh.{{cite podcast|url= https://providencemag.com/video/season-1-episode-10-a-christians-view-from-the-cabinet/|title=Season 1, Episode 10: A Christian’s View from the Cabinet|website=|publisher=Providence Magazine|date=18 April 2024|access-date=30 May 2024}} He attended the University of Kurdistan Hewler, where he subsequently held a bachelor's, master's, and PhD candidacy in Politics and International Relations.

Abdoka has been a lifelong member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, first encountering the party through his involvement in the Kurdistan Student Union organization when he was a teenager.

Career

Before swearing in to his position as Transportation and Communications Minister, Abdoka took his oath on a centuries-old manuscript damaged by ISIS as a symbolic gesture.{{cite news |title=Christian minister of the new Kurdistan government swears on a Bible burned by Isis |url=http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Christian-minister-of-the-new-Kurdistan-government-swears-on-a-Bible-burned-by-Isis-47510.html |access-date=15 April 2020 |work=www.asianews.it |date=7 November 2019}} Ano stated prior to his ceremony, "It is a challenge that we as Christians, Chaldeans, Assyrians, and Syrians are remaining in the land of our ancestors...The Nineveh Plains, Iraq, Mesopotamia, and Kurdistan are our lands, and we are remaining here with the help of our friends in the Kurdistan Region.”{{cite news |title=New Kurdish Government Official Swears On A Bible Burnt By ISIS|url=https://www.christianlearning.com/tag/ano-jawhar/#google_vignette |work=christianlearning.com |date=17 July 2019}} During his tenure as Minister, the Ministry began reforming the transportation sector by outlawing smoking in taxis and buses.{{cite news |title=Taxi reform in Kurdistan continues with smoking ban, new radio laws |url=https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/976df9c7-a917-4466-919f-23e38ab6de3b |access-date=15 April 2020 |work=www.kurdistan24.net |date=9 December 2019}} Moreover, the Ministry successfully pushed internet companies to reduce the price of internet and also improve its speed.{{cite news |date=23 March 2020 |title=بارازني يحذر شركات الأنترنيت من رفع الاسعار او تقليل مستوى الخدمة |language=ar |trans-title=Barzani warns Internet companies against raising prices or reducing the level of service |agency=Awla |url=https://www.awla.news/%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%AB%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%82-%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%86%D9%8A-%D9%8A%D8%AD%D8%B0%D8%B1-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3/ |access-date=15 April 2020}}{{cite news |date=23 March 2020 |title=کوردستان شركتان للإنترنت تستجيبان لمطالبة حكومة كوردستان وتخفضان الرسوم |language=ar |trans-title=Kurdistan, two Internet companies respond to the request of the Kurdistan Government and reduce fees |work=Kurdistan24 |url=https://www.kurdistan24.net/ar/news/80a370d6-c48c-41cb-88cd-5193bc1ea462 |access-date=15 April 2020}}

In February 2020, Abdoka took part in an official Kurdish delegation to the Vatican City to meet Pope Francis and strengthen relations.{{cite news |title=Prime Minister Masrour Barzani meets Pope Francis at the Vatican |url=http://www.krgspain.org/prime-minister-masrour-barzani-meets-pope-francis-at-the-vatican/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030023012/http://www.krgspain.org/prime-minister-masrour-barzani-meets-pope-francis-at-the-vatican/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=October 30, 2020 |access-date=15 April 2020 |work=Kurdistan Region Representation in Spain |date=19 February 2020}}

Abdoka currently serves as the head of the Shlama Trend for Christian Affairs, and has also been a government representative of the KRG's Assyrian community in the past. He has attended several ceremonies promoting cultural and autonomous development of Assyrians in the Kurdish region, including the inauguration of Ankawa as a dedicated district. {{cite news |last=Miri |first=Adhid |date=29 October 2021 |title=Finding Their Voice |url=https://www.chaldeannews.com/features-1/2021/10/29/finding-their-voice |work=Chaldean News }location=Ankawa |access-date=14 September 2024}} Other events that he has attended include the inauguration of a Syriac language library at Salahaddin University,{{cite news |author= |date=18 May 2023 |title=Salahaddin University inaugurates Syriac language library, promoting cultural diversity and knowledge dissemination |url=https://syriacpress.com/blog/2023/05/18/salahaddin-university-inaugurates-syriac-language-library-promoting-cultural-diversity-and-knowledge-dissemination/ |work=Syriac Press |location=Erbil}} and ordinations for new bishops in the Chaldean Catholic Church{{cite news |author= |date=22 January 2022 |title=Syriac Chaldean Church ordains new bishop for Nohadra Eparchy |url=https://syriacpress.com/blog/2022/01/22/syriac-chaldean-church-ordains-new-bishop-for-nohadra-eparchy/ |work=Syriac Press |location=Nohadra}} {{cite news |author= |date=22 November 2022 |title=New Chaldean archbishop for Archdiocese of Alqosh in Nineveh Plains, Iraq, inaugurated |url=https://syriacpress.com/blog/2022/11/22/new-chaldean-archbishop-for-archdiocese-of-alqosh-in-nineveh-plains-iraq-inaugurated/ |work=Syriac Press |location=Alqosh}} and the Assyrian Church of the East.{{cite news |author= |date=14 September 2021 |title=IRAQ: Catholicos-Patriarch Mar Awa Royel ordained in Ankawa as 122nd Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East |url=https://syriacpress.com/blog/2021/09/14/iraq-catholicos-patriarch-mar-awa-royel-ordained-in-ankawa-as-122nd-catholicos-patriarch-of-the-assyrian-church-of-the-east/ |work=Syriac Press |location=Ankawa}} In 2024, he had participated in the arrest of an unnamed Kurdish man who posted a Tiktok video of himself desecrating a Christian cemetery in Shaqlawa, an event which sparked outrage in Iraq.{{cite news |author= |date=12 February 2024 |title=Outrage in Iraq over video showing desecration of Christian graves in Shaqlawa Cemetery, suspect arrested |url=https://syriacpress.com/blog/2024/02/12/outrage-in-iraq-over-video-showing-desecration-of-christian-graves-in-shaqlawa-cemetery-suspect-arrested/ |work=Syriac Press |location=Erbil}}

Controversy

Abdoka has been previously criticized by Assyrian communities due to his role in the Kurdish Regional Government. In 2022, a picture of Abdoka presenting a picture of Mar Shimun XIX Benyamin surfaced, in which Assyrian communities took offense due to the historical implications surrounding Shimun's death by Simko Shikak.{{cite web |url=https://www.kurdistan24.net/ckb/story/216921 |title=وەزیری گواستنەوە به‌ شێوەزاری هەورامی سەرەخۆشی لە وەزیری رۆشنبیری دەكات |author= |location=Hewler |date=11 February 2022 |website=Kurdistan24 |language=Kurdish |publisher=Kurdistan24 |access-date=14 September 2024}}

In May 2024, Abdoka created a new Christian alliance composed of several organizations and political parties representing Armenians and Assyrians.{{cite web |url=https://kurdistanchronicle.com/babat/3084 |title=Christian Alliance Files Lawsuit in Iraqi Supreme Court |last=van Wilgenburg |first=Wladimir |date=15 May 2024 |website=Kurdistan Chronicle |publisher=Kurdistan Chronicle |access-date= |quote=}} The alliance was created following the removal of minority seats in the 2024 Kurdistan Region parliamentary election, which caused criticism and boycott of the elections by the Kurdistan Democratic Party. The formed alliance was built off of Abdoka's Hammurabi Alliance, which includes the Syriac Assembly Movement, Chaldean National Congress and Chaldean Democratic Party, and the Chaldean League, and starting with the Christian alliance, additional representatives from the Armenian Orthodox Church and Armenian Culture Association. The alliance has previously been criticized for the lack of support of the political parties that were involved, and the formation of the Christian alliance renewed these criticisms against Abdoka.

In 2024, Abdoka continued to face criticism over continued corruption in the Kurdish region and the presence of land grabbing against Assyrians in Ankawa. Speaking to Channel 8, Joseph Sliwa, former member of Parliament, expressed his frustrations with the KDP and land grabbing, including personal regret over his family's involvement in the Iraqi-Kurdish conflict due to the persecution of Assyrians that followed after. Following the rampant criticism, Abdoka made a public statement promising structural and governmental changes to the city of Ankawa, including promotion of the city's municipality and the establishment of a health directorate, among other changes.{{cite web |url=https://ankawatoday.com/2024/08/06/%d8%b9%d9%86%d9%83%d8%a7%d9%88%d8%a7-%d8%ad%d8%a7%d8%b6%d8%b1%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%83%d9%84%d8%af%d8%a7%d9%86-%d9%88%d8%ac%d9%88%d9%87%d8%b1%d8%a9-%d9%83%d9%88%d8%b1%d8%af%d8%b3%d8%aa%d8%a7%d9%86/?fbclid=IwY2xjawFSgChleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHVCGMT0PKMnTv9XtEJRsxFEb15ajkt1zZHMd-wiT6vRcfq1W8uSRPsnkGA_aem_U3sJePp8V8Voa8TfkGmfZA |title=Ankawa, the capital of the Chaldeans, the jewel of Kurdistan, and the pride of Christians everywhere |date=6 August 2024 |website=Ankawa Today |location=Erbil |language=Arabic }}

Personal life

Abdoka is a Chaldean Catholic and is fluent in Syriac, English, Kurdish and Arabic.{{cite news |date=2 August 2019 |title=السيد سرمد ياس رئيس الرابطة الكلدانية فرع السليمانية يزور وزير النقل والمواصالات لحكومة اقليم كوردستان العراق |language=ar |trans-title=Sarmad Yas, President of the Chaldean Association, Sulaymaniyah Branch, visits the Minister of Transport and Communications of the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq |work=Iraqiminorities.org |url=http://www.iraqiminorities.org/ar/detail-page?postId=455 |access-date=15 April 2020}} Abdoka is also married.