Representative presents UN plan to safeguard religious sites to al-Sistani: official readouts

Shafaq News/ Iraq's top Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani received the the UN High-Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, Miguel Angel Moratinos, im his residence in Najaf, an official readout by his bureau said on Wednesday.

Moratinos, according to the readout, briefed al-Sistani on the UN's plan to protect the religious sites in the world in the aftermath of the recently-repeated attacks and the necessary measures to quell them.

Ayatollah al-Sistani laid emphasis on cooperation in order to promote the "culture of peaceful coexistence, eschewing violence and hatred, and consolidating the values of harmony" between the followers of different religious beliefs.

Al-Sistani shed light on the agony of many ethnic and religious groups subjected to ideological and religious persecution, oppression, and social injustice, and drew a relation between these conditions and the emergence of insurgent movements that assault other people's religious and archeological sites.

The cleric called for addressing the background of these phenomena and working for bringing stability and justice in all the communities in a bid to end extremism.

Ayatollah thanked the UN efforts to achieve this quests and wished Moratinos success in his mission, according to his bureau's statement.

An UNAMI readout said that Moratinos lauded al-Sistani's wisdom, compassion, moderate approach, and consistent appeals for "mutual respect and unity to prevail in support of diversity and peaceful co-existence."

"Recalling the meeting between His Holiness Pope Francis and His Eminence on 6 March 2021, the High Representative and His Eminence exchanged views on the importance of inter- and intra-religious dialogue, which lie at the core of the UNAOC mandate," the readout said.

Moratinos, according to the readout, presented the" United Nations Plan of Action to Safeguard Religious Sites: In Unity and Solidarity for Safe and Peaceful Worship", developed in 2019 in the aftermath of the Christchurch attacks in New Zealand.

"In Iraq also, worshippers and holy sites have suffered tremendously," the readout siad.

The Plan of Action is "a global call to rally around the most basic tenets of humanity, compassion and tolerance, to ensure that people are allowed to practice their faith and observe their rituals in peace. To this end, it is imperative that religious sites and places of worship and contemplation are true safe havens."

Launched in 2019, the plan was presented to Pope Francis and Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb.

"With today's meeting, Moratinos said, three major religious leaders represented through the Vatican, Cairo, and Najaf, have been engaged."

The High Representative extended his "full collaboration and support to any effort that contributes to building a peaceful, just, and cohesive society based on mutual respect and human dignity," the statement concluded.