Vatican urges visiting Iraqi president to protect Christians


  • English
  • Arabic

The Vatican on Saturday urged Iraqi President Barham Salih to guarantee the safety of Christians and ensure they have a future place in the war-battered country.

Mr Salih met with Pope Francis, the Vatican secretary of state and foreign minister during back-to-back audiences on his second visit to the Vatican.

Mr Salih's office said he and the pope discussed a papal visit to Iraq, but said only that it was "scheduled to be paid at a later date."

Francis had expressed hope of visiting Iraq this year, but no trip was ever confirmed and it's unclear if it will be given the turmoil unleashed by the US drone strike on Iraqi soil that killed a top Iranian general.

The attack provoked the ire of Iraqi officials and led to the passing of a non-binding resolution by Iraqi lawmakers to oust US troops.

The Holy See said the meetings focused on promoting peace and security in Iraq, especially for Christian minorities, many of whom have fled communities that date from the time of Christ to escape persecution by Islamic State militants.

In a statement, the Vatican said the meetings covered the "importance of preserving the historical presence of Christians in the country, of which they are an integral part, and the significant contribution they bring to the reconstruction of the social fabric, highlighting the need to guarantee their security and a place in the future of Iraq."

Mr Salih's office said peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians was the only way to eradicate extremism.

The Vatican hinted at the rising tensions stemming from the US drone attack, saying the discussions underlined the need for the international community to "re-establish trust and peaceful co-existence."

During the meeting, Mr Salih gave Francis a replica of the Code of Hammurabi, the ancient set of Babylonian laws, calling it a "symbol of peace."

Francis, for his part, gave Mr Salih a medallion and a set of his major teaching documents, including one on Christian-Muslim fraternity. He told Mr Salih he wanted an Iraqi identity card identifying him as a descendant of Abraham, a figure common to Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

MATCH INFO

Manchester City 1 (Gundogan 56')

Shakhtar Donetsk 1 (Solomon 69')

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

 

 

The bio

Favourite vegetable: Broccoli

Favourite food: Seafood

Favourite thing to cook: Duck l'orange

Favourite book: Give and Take by Adam Grant, one of his professors at University of Pennsylvania

Favourite place to travel: Home in Kuwait.

Favourite place in the UAE: Al Qudra lakes

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

COMPANY PROFILE

Founders: Sebastian Stefan, Sebastian Morar and Claudia Pacurar

Based: Dubai, UAE

Founded: 2014

Number of employees: 36

Sector: Logistics

Raised: $2.5 million

Investors: DP World, Prime Venture Partners and family offices in Saudi Arabia and the UAE

THE%20SPECS
%3Cp%3EBattery%3A%2060kW%20lithium-ion%20phosphate%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20Up%20to%20201bhp%3Cbr%3E0%20to%20100kph%3A%207.3%20seconds%3Cbr%3ERange%3A%20418km%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh149%2C900%3Cbr%3EAvailable%3A%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A