Ano Abdoka

Ano Jawhar Abdulmaseeh Abdoka, or Ano Abdoka (, ئانۆ عەبدۆكا, أنو عبدوكا, is an Assyrian politician who serves as the Minister of Transportations and Communications of the autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq since July 2019. Before serving as a minister, Abdoka led the Shlama Trend for Christian Affairs in Kurdistan and Iraq, and also leading the biggest Christian Chaldean Assyrian Syriac Alliance and block in the Kurdistan Parliament, and he previously led the local committee of the Kurdistan Democratic Party in Ankawa.

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. He attended the University of Kurdistan Hewler, where he subsequently held a bachelor's, master's, and PhD candidacy in Politics and International Relations.

Career
Abdoka took his oath on a centuries-old manuscript damaged by ISIS as a symbolic gesture. During his tenure as Minister of Transportations and Communications, the Ministry began reforming the transportation sector by outlawing smoking in taxis and buses. Moreover, the Ministry successfully pushed internet companies to reduce the price of internet and also improve its speed.

In February 2020, Abdoka took part in an official Kurdish delegation to the Vatican City to meet Pope Francis and strengthen relations.

Abdoka currently serves as the head of the Shlama Trend for Christian Affairs, and has also played a role in the cultural and economic development of the Assyrian people living in the Kurdistan Region.

Personal life
Abdoka is a Chaldean Catholic and is fluent in Syriac, English, Kurdish and Arabic. Abdoka is also married.