Higher Committee Of Human Fraternity Praises Visit Of Pope Francis To Iraq

ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 08th Mar, 2021) The Higher Committee of Human Fraternity has praised Pope Francis' historic visit to Iraq, considering that it is an important moment for the world and a true promotion of the values advocated by the document on human fraternity.

During his four-day trip to Iraq, Pope Francis visited a number of Iraqi cities, including Baghdad, Najaf, Erbil, and Mosul. His Holiness also attended a meeting for interfaith dialogue in the city of Ur. During a speech he delivered in the city of Ur, the Pope emphasized the importance of promoting human fraternity and called on all believers to revive the values of human fraternity".

Cardinal Ayusu Geksot, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and a member of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, who accompanied the Pope on his visit to Iraq, said that Pope Francis aims to "promote cultural dialogue and a culture of convergence and inclusiveness so that everyone in our society can enjoy peace in his life regardless of his race, culture or religion."

In turn, Prof. Mohamed al-Mahrasawi, President of Al-Azhar University and a member of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, said that Pope Francis’s visit was a healing for the wounds of the Iraqi people after years of wars and destruction, and that it would act as a call for tolerance and convergence on the values of citizenship and coexistence between all Iraqis and all peoples of the region, and it is the best response to the calls for hatred and extremism that took the lives of many and displaced millions of innocent people.

Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, a member of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, praised the results of the papal visit to Iraq, emphasizing that His Holiness’s keenness to complete the visit reflects his belief in the need to apply the principles of human fraternity, as the visit is a practical application of the fraternity document and an example for what human fraternity can achieve by in the face of calls for division, hatred and extremism.

For his part, Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary General of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, stressed that Pope Francis historic visit to Iraq brought to light the religious and cultural diversity in Iraq and the region, and how could this diversity be a way for achieving peace and cohesion among communities, and it also carried a powerful message that the whole world should support the victims of wars and extremism, not to abandon them under any circumstances, indicating that the Committee will prepare a study on the results of this visit to depend on it in its future plans and programs, to the benefit of all Iraqis.