Ano Jawhar Abdulmasih Abdoka has been sworn in as minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) Transportation and Communications using a Holy Bible that was burned by Islamic State (ISIS) militants in Nineveh Plains, wanting to demonstrate that Christians will remain an essential component in the Kurdistan Region.

The new KRG cabinet was sworn in on Wednesday, July 10, during a session will be the only minister who is a Christian in KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani’s new cabinet.

"For me, as a Christian, as the only Christian minister in the new cabinet of the KRG, the Kurdistan Regional Government, I decided to swear on a biblical manuscript, part of which was burnt by ISIS members in the Nineveh Plains," Abdoka told Rudaw.

"It is a challenge that we as Christians, Chaldeans, Assyrians and Syriacs are remaining in the land of our ancestors. The Nineveh Plain, Iraq, Mesopotamia and Kurdistan are our lands, and we are remaining here with the help of our friends in Kurdistan Region," added Abdoka, who also heads the National Unity Alliance party.

Abdoka explained he had borne witness to the “horrible atrocities” committed by ISIS especially against minority components like Christians, Yezidis and Kakais, particularly in Iraq’s Nineveh. Everyone was "affected" by ISIS, Abdoka acknowledged.

In his ministry, Abdoka says he wants to provide services to people in a "modern" and "developed" method. "We are very optimistic about working hand-in-hand, together in the new cabinet with the Prime Minister in order to be able to provide substantial, active, and fully-studied services to the children of the Kurdistani nation," Abdoka detailed.

Christianity is one of the recognized religions of Iraq, but internal disagreements between Orthodox and Catholic sects have left the groups politically fragmented, in a country where religion often aligns with politics.

Iraqi Christians were forced to flee their towns and villages across the Nineveh Plain and from the city of Mosul when ISIS militants launched a lightening campaign through the region.