Archbishop from Iraq talks about ‘power of education’ in special event at University of Bolton, Greater Manchester

An archbishop from a city in Iraq talked of the “power of education” at a special event held in the University of Bolton, Greater Manchester’s new £40m Institute of Medical Sciences building.

Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda, the Chaldean Archbishop of Erbil, the capital of Kurdish Iraq, said he believed that religion was not the problem, but part of the solution.

He was in conversation with Professor Mohammed Abdel-Haq, Director of the University’s Centre for Islamic Finance. Baroness Morris of Bolton, Emeritus Chancellor, gave the opening remarks, describing the Institute as a “wonderful facility”.

Archbishop Warda is a leading advocate for the Christian community in the Middle East and a proponent for interfaith dialogue. His life and work have centred on fostering peace and rebuilding the Christian presence in Iraq amid horrific persecution.

He told the members of the audience, who included University Chancellor, Earl of St Andrews and its President and Vice Chancellor, Professor George E Holmes DL, that he believed in the power of education.

“We can work together through education,” he said. “We have established a university in Erbil where students, Christian and Muslim, study together. The people feel it is their university.”

Archbishop Warda added: “We are not aiming for survival, we are aiming for ‘thrival’.”

The state-of-the-art Institute of Medical Sciences, in the grounds of the Royal Bolton Hospital, will be home to the University’s School of Medicine from next year.

Professor George E Holmes DL, President and Vice Chancellor of the University of Bolton, Greater Manchester, thank Archbishop Warda, adding: “This is the first occasion booked into the lecture theatre at the School of Medicine and I can think of no better venue to be talking about the importance of working together.

“This University is massively proud of our diversity. We are now a global organisation and we are able to bring to our community things they cannot get elsewhere. Tonight’s event is the perfect example of that.”