

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.