Sistani to the Pope: No to normalization

Baghdad | The historic meeting that brought together the Pope of the Catholic Church, Francis II, and the highest religious authority in Iraq, Ali al-Sistani, in the city of Najaf (south of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad), the day before yesterday, which lasted for more 40 minutes, it was not without political messages, in light of Sistani’s accession, in his “seven no”, to say it from more than one observing source. These no, inspired by the statement issued by Sistani’s office after the meeting, are: No to siege, no to violence, no to injustice, no to poverty, no to the suppression of religious freedoms, no to the absence of social justice, nor of normalization. . The statement indicated that the meeting focused on “the great challenges facing humanity in this era and the role of faith in God and his messages and commitment to high moral values ​​to overcome them,” adding that Sistani spoke about what many people in different countries suffer from “injustice, oppression, poverty, religious and intellectual persecution and suppression of fundamental freedoms”. And the absence of social justice, especially wars, violence, the economic blockade, displacement and other things suffered by many of the peoples of our region, especially the Palestinian people in the occupied territories.

This gesture towards Palestine and its people has received wide praise from various political forces, especially those affiliated with the axis of resistance, which is why Marjaiya’s position was considered very advanced, in the face of the winds of normalization that hit the Eastern region. Middle and religion and religion. Political leaders have bowed to him, which also represents a “fatal blow.” For the dreams of some forces, the dreamer to catch up with the normalization process. In this context, some sources reported that the Vatican delegation “asked Najaf for a blanket that would allow followers of the three religions to make an annual pilgrimage to the city of Ur (the ancient city in which the prophet Ibrahim was born, located in the Nassiriya governorate, in the south of the country) ”. However, the response of the reference was Contrary to the wishes of the guests, according to the same sources, circles familiar with the atmosphere of Najaf refused to confirm or deny his hadith. .

Al-Kazemi declared March 6 of each year as “National Day for Tolerance and Coexistence.”

Al-Sistani also highlighted “the role that great religious and spiritual leaders must play in curbing these tragedies, and urging stakeholders to prioritize reason and wisdom and reject the language of war, and not expand the take care of themselves “. – interest to the detriment of the right of peoples to live in freedom and dignity. He also highlighted “the importance of concerted efforts to consolidate the values ​​of harmony, peaceful coexistence and human solidarity in all societies”, based on “care for rights and mutual respect between followers of different religions and ideological tendencies ”. He praised the “status, history and people of Iraq with all their different affiliations,” and emphasized his concern that “Christian citizens, like all Iraqis, live in security and peace and with full constitutional rights.”
For its part, the Vatican stated, in its statement, that “His Holiness the Pope visited Ayatollah Sistani in Najaf, and during the friendly visit, His Holiness highlighted the importance of cooperation and friendship between religious groups, so that they can contribute to the good of Iraq, the region and all of humanity, strengthening respect. “The exchange and dialogue,” adding that “this meeting was an opportunity for the Pope to thank Ayatollah Sistani for raising his voice, with the Shiite community, on the violence and great difficulties witnessed in recent years, in defense of the weak and oppressed, highlighting the sanctity of human life and the importance of the unity of the Iraqi people. “
In a parallel line, and despite the relief left by the positions of the two authorities, there are those who wanted to take advantage of the Pope’s visit to correct Tehran, saying that “the Vatican has dedicated Najaf as the headquarters of the Shiite leadership at the expense of the Qom seminary. ”(The headquarters of the religious seminary in Iran). They also considered that the visit also seeks to “consecrate the voices of religious moderation against extremism, and here lies the importance of Najaf and Sistani, who represent a barrier to Iran’s projects in Iraq.” In this regard, sources close to Iranian circles concerned about the Iraqi file indicated that these talks were expected, especially since the ongoing media attack against Iran and its allies requires the exploitation of any event in this context.
At this time, it is noteworthy that Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi took advantage of the Pope’s historic visit, declaring March 6 of each year “a national day of tolerance and coexistence.” The Pope continued his tour visiting the ancient city of Ur, the city of Mosul and the city of Erbil, the capital of the “Kurdistan Region”, to conclude his activities today with a meeting with Al-Kazemi in Baghdad.

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