In the days March 27 to 29 was held at the headquarters of the Pontifical Council for Dialogue a three-day debate of the Permanent Committee for Dialogue, between the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the Shiite, Sunnis, Christians, Yazidis, Sabean Endowment from the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Iraq.
To open the second edition of the meeting of the Permanent Committee for Dialogue, the greeting and welcome of His Eminence Card. Jean Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, who wished everyone a good work and that common reflections arising from the Christian and Muslim representatives are harbingers of peace in the Middle East.
The Iraqi delegation included the Ambassador of Iraq to the Holy See, Mr. Omer Berzinji, the Presidents of the Shiite, Sunni and Christian, Yazidi, Sabaean Waqf with their respective delegations. The Catholic delegation was made by the Pontifical Council for Dialogue, Msgr. Santiago Michael, Dr. Kishore Jayabalan, the Reverend Cristopher Clohessy, Dr. Donna Orsuto and other observers.
The talks focused on the pillars of peace from the Christian and Muslim points of view: truth, justice, love and freedom. The parties have agreed that dialogue is essential to introduce a culture of truth leading to peace, aimed at eliminating any kind of discrimination and promoting the equality of every human being. Each of us is responsible for national and international security, and therefore current terrorism represented by Daesh is a threat and a problem not only in the Middle East but throughout the international community. We have to work concretely on the mentality and education of young people to create a better world.
Mrs. Kader intervened arguing the importance of involving, in the next edition, also representatives of other religions in Iraq and not only Christians and Muslims.
The three-day conference ended with the private audience with the Holy Father, during which Mrs. Kader brought President Barzani’s greetings to His Holiness, inviting Him to visit the Kurdistan Region in order to bring a message of support and prayer . The High Representative has delivered to Pope Francis a gift representing the picture of the peshmerga forces who plant the crucifix in Bashiqa area freed by ISIS.