the 2nd day of his historic visit to iraq to meet the country's top she experienced grand ayatollah ali sistani at his home before moving on to host an interfaith meeting the pontiff hopes to encourage iraq's muslim and christian communities to work together for the peace also coming up more on rest in myanmar as security forces fired tear gas and stun grenades at protesters this week saw the deadliest day since the military career began and the u.n. is urging action against the violence. past all it seems newquay and e.u. trying tensions threaten to undermine the brics a deal and there are fears it could disrupt the delicate balance of pace on the island of ireland. i'm rebecca ritter's welcome to the program it's day 2 of pope francis as historic visit to iraq his aiming to rally the country's minority christian community whose numbers have dropped significantly after years of war and persecution the pope began the day in the holy city of najaf way he had a private meeting with one of iraq's most powerful figures in shia islam the grand ayatollah ali sistani. a meeting that was months and the

their faith own we understand that the meeting between the pope and the grand ayatollah ali al sistani is now over remind our viewers why is this meeting so important why was it so important. so stunning is some sense the head of the largest community the ship community of iraq on his firm occlusive each instance not that make that many political statements actual but the fact that he's chosen to meet even though that meeting is private and you know there's not not that a lot will all come what's come of it i think the fact that they've they've met it's very strange there's sort of strong connection between between the fight between the 2 eucharistic need to understand shia community chichi community of iraq so i think it's it's symbolic for so many so many different reasons but primarily because it shows it shows a strong dollar between the muslim community and christian community of this country. that's one hauled away in erbil really appreciate your time oh well some wealthy nations have already vaccinated millions of people against covert 19 many african countries are struggling to

the grand ayatollah ali al sistani has been significant in the pivotal moments of iraq's history whether it was the 2005 elections the 2014 religious edict to get fighters to rally against our brother in 2930 told political leaders to make sure that the the the core of the people of iraq when they were protesting against corruption in the government which ended up in the then prime minister the resigning so it is very significant he is a very important leader and obviously the pope looking for some sort of support from the iraqi shia community to make sure that the christian population of iraq is not just protected but gets to flourish as well. some a pinch of aid that bring us the latest from thank you. well in the coming hour the pope will attend an interfaith missing in the ancient city of it's a place of historic importance to both christians and muslims and soon a 14 reports the visits raising hopes the development of development the long neglected sites. or the ancient capital of mesopotamia it was 1st settled 5000 years before christ and became the seat of samarian kings but this

najaf where he had a private meeting with one of iraq's most powerful shiite leaders grand ayatollah ali al sistani. a meeting that was months in the making every detail carefully planned after a photo op the 2 men spoke privately for 40 minutes the ayatollah reportedly telling the pope he also believes christians should be able to live in peace in iraq and enjoy the same rights as other iraqis it's a powerful statement from sistan he who rarely makes his opinions known when he does shiites in iraq and around the world take note. later the pope arrived in the ancient city of moore known as the birthplace of abraham the biblical patriarch revered by christians muslims and jews a fitting place for an interfaith meeting where francis underscored his message for . peace does not demand winners or losers but rather brothers and sisters who for all the misunderstandings and hurts of the past are journeying from conflict to unity. in praying for peace in the middle east the pope singled out syria ravaged by a decade of civil war and he condemned religious extremists who use terrorism to achieve their aims

the leading cleric in shia islam francis is in the city of najaf to hold talks with grand ayatollah ali sistani the meeting will be a major step in deepening ties to shia on friday pope francis met with christians in baghdad iraq's christian community has been growing smaller every year it's now estimated just half a 1000000 iraqi christians remain in the country. the pilgrim of peace as pope francis called himself is aware of the risks he is taking amid an ongoing pandemic and a regional conflict. this is an emblematic trip and it is my duty to a martyred land. but he is not traveling alone he's protected by one of the largest security deployments in recent iraqi history $10000.00 personnel by some estimates including special forces 24 hour drone surveillance and undercover intelligence officers it's the 1st visit by a pope to iraq and comes just 2 days after a rocket attack that seemed to put the trip in doubt. his 1st remarks in baghdad acknowledge the difficult days most iraqis have had to endure without a military escort. over the past several decades iraq has suffered the disastrous effec

pope francis has held talks with the country's influential shiite muslim cleric the grand ayatollah ali sistani the historic meeting took place home in the holy city of. inside for the talks which lasted around 40 minutes but a few white doves were released as the pope underscoring his message of peaceful coexistence between muslims and christians in iraq the christian community there has to win gold after years of war and persecution the christians who remain. the hope of a show of solidarity from sistan e could help secure their place in iraq. for more on this i'm joined by d.w. religious affairs correspondent martin jacques martin what's the pope's schedule for the rest of the day he will be moving around the area and he's being flown. he's being flown to or where he will be meeting there will be an interesting service. sort of the biggest sort of the biggest event in the next for day 6 picked it to be the mass. in the north which is meant to be supposed to attract a few 1000 people the pope of course had a meeting with the grand ayatollah ali al sistani why is the meeting significant. the m

he had a private meeting with one of iraq's most powerful figures in shia islam the grand ayatollah ali sistani. a meeting that was months in the making every detail carefully planned after a photo op the 2 men spoke privately for 40 minutes the ayatollah reportedly telling the pope he also believes christians should be able to live in peace in iraq and enjoy the same rights as other iraqis it's a powerful statement from sistan he who rarely makes his opinions known when he does shiites in iraq and around the world take note. later the pope arrived in the ancient city of moore known as the birthplace of abraham the biblical patriarch revered by christians muslims and jews a fitting place for an interfaith meeting where francis underscored his message for . peace does not demand the winners or losers but rather brothers and sisters who for all the misunderstandings and hurts of the past are journeying from conflict to unity. in praying for peace in the middle east the pope singled out syria ravaged by a decade of civil war and he condemned religious extremists who use terrorism to achieve their

trip to iraq during which he met one of shia islam's most influential figures the grand ayatollah ali al sistani and discuss the plight of iraq's christians as i live in a reports now from the city of najaf where they met. under strict security pope francis enters not just one of the holiest cities for muslims another historic 1st for the leader of the catholic church as he met iraq's grand ayatollah ali al sistani is a reclusive leader who is rarely seen in public he's iraq's most revered cleric and his proclamations have influenced many since the 2003 u.s. invasion the plight of those being persecuted in the region including palestinians and syrians that discussed. short the point of equal rights for christians in iraq and peaceful coexistence the meeting between the pope and grand ayatollah ali sistani is symbolic and significant although the majority or the religious authority says it please no role in politics has played a pivotal part in iraq recently whether it was urging people to take part in politics in elections whether it was to tell them to pick up arms against isis and more recentl

cleric in the coming hours on the 2nd day of his start visit to iraq the meeting with grand ayatollah ali sistani is being held in the city of not just the head of the roman catholic church is the 1st pope to travel to iraq and has pledged to deepen his dialogue with other religions later the pope is expected to hold an interfaith meeting in the ancient city of moore it's a place of historic importance for christians and muslims and it's similar to 14 reports the visit has raised hopes the long ago acted area could be developed. the ancient capital of mesopotamia it was 1st settled 5000 years before christ and became the seat of samarian kings but this was not just the cradle of one of the earliest civilizations in the world according to the biblical book of genesis or is also believed to have been the birthplace of abraham the father of the 3 monotheistic faiths judaize and christianity and islam that is why pope francis will pay a much anticipated visit here. this visit is important in many respects tourism and will become a pilgrimage site for christians of course that will serve our province

day of his historic visit to iraq these pictures just recently of this meeting with grand ayatollah ali sistani has been held in the city of now jeff the head of the roman catholic church is the 1st pope to travel to iraq and has pledged to deepen his dialogue with other religions continuing coverage of that events on al-jazeera later on today next though the latest edition of witness. org. board the. press in the haleigh saw that it matured him. beneath my dentist but you will miss elliot ness a good. that is good to get a a t.v. studio. on a stumble. in hate a so nancy cheek left oh well now i see without a fight and with men naome and mouth i just feel. and i showed you the superleague kind of mind the hacky come a sudden. the sit on the sue me but it could open when the shelter met in the system but i get elected next week. when there be no. i'm gonna miss what you have not gotten me through a lot of. it will be so well. here you finally. get it i. can imagine what the fuck do you mean. the things on the show that. you know about on the show so back in the depths. let me tell. you. carol ho

jobs where he had a private meeting with one of iraq's most powerful shiite leaders grand ayatollah ali al sistani. a meeting that was months in the making every detail carefully planned after a photo op the 2 men spoke privately for 40 minutes the ayatollah reportedly telling the pope he also believes christians should be able to live in peace in iraq and enjoy the same rights as other iraqis it's a powerful statement from sistan he who rarely makes his opinions known when he does shiites in iraq and around the world take note. later the pope arrived in the ancient city of moore known as the birthplace of abraham the biblical patriarch revered by christians muslims and jews a fitting place for an interfaith meeting where francis underscored his message for . peace does not demand winners or losers but rather brothers and sisters who for all the misunderstandings and hurts of the past are journeying from conflict to unity. in praying for peace in the middle east the pope singled out syria ravaged by a decade of civil war and he condemned religious extremists who used terrorism to achieve their aim

on the final day of an historic visit to the region on saturday the senior shiite cleric ayatollah ali al sistani. senegal's opposition party and civil society groups are calling for 3 days of nationwide protests starting on monday they say the arrest and charges against opposition leader. are politically motivated are also denouncing violence by the security forces the reports from dhaka. in decors affluent neighborhood this is what is left of a french supermarket following another night of riots and lost for words i have tears in my eyes laments this cashier as she watches people including young children take away what they can a bag of past there for her and door and unemployed carpenter who in the looting saw an opportunity to find a meal for his family tonight but it's not just about shooting for. the youth are suffering we are jobless countless people have lost their jobs we need a little something to get by and feed our families. protesters set the supermarket on fire following days of nationwide demonstrations it all started after the detention of opposition leader last wednesday. he's ac

day 2 of his trip to iraq during which he met shia islam's most influential figure the grand ayatollah ali sistani and discussed the plight of iraq's christians some avenge of a reports now from the city of najaf where they met. under strict security pope francis enters not just one of the holiest cities for shia muslims another historic 1st for the leader of the catholic church as he met iraq's grand ayatollah ali al sistani is a reclusive leader who is rarely seen in public he's iraq's most revered cleric and his proclamations have influenced many since the 2003 u.s. invasion the plight of those being persecuted in the region including palestinians and syrians that discussed. short of equal rights for christians in iraq and peaceful coexistence the meeting between the pope and grand ayatollah ali al sistani is symbolic and significant although the majority or the religious authority says it believes no rule in politics audiences tony has played a pivotal part in iraq recently whether it was urging people to take part in politics in elections whether it was to tell them to pick up arms against is

us more about the the significance of the pope's visit to iraq and his meeting with grand ayatollah ali sistani well today's a historic day for iraq and for the region it's the 1st night in the press well to to visit iraq iraq a country that has you know several in storage sites and a big history of christianity dating back dozens of years and also the 1st night at the local catholic church this is the you know the ninja and meets the grand ayatollah ali sistani the head of it she. played and so in so close those that is the case this is a very historic and this symbolic visit and you know from the perspective of the rockies members of the iraqi leadership this is a story about iraq that's not what we've often heard about iraq since 2003 at least if not before a story of conflict the story of sectarianism you know a bad story this is the story of meeting in the story of trying to live up to a future to a better future but of course challenges remain and what about the words of the pope and those of the grand ayatollah following that meeting how important are those for christians in iraq. well o

he's the first pope to hold talks with grand ayatollah ali al—sistani, a highly influential figure inf ur where the prophet abraham, central to islam, christianity and judaism, is believed to have been born. that meeting with shia muslin cleric, grand ayatollah ali al—sistani was an unprecedented moment. 0ur rome correspondent mark lowen is travelling with the pope and has this update. after the first day of this trip was focused on the politics, and on meeting iraq's dwindling and persecuted christian minority, today was about outreach and dialogue with other faiths, chief among them the meeting this morning with grand ayatollah ali al—sistani, an extremely symbolic moment, the leader of the catholic church face to face with the leader of iraqi shia islam and one of the most influential figures in this country. this was a meeting years, decades in the making. previous popes had wanted to meet the 90—year—old cleric. they failed to do so, failed to come to iraq, pope francis has come here on the first ever papal trip to iraq and had that meeting in najaf. little was released about det

today, the grand ayatollah ali al—sistani spoke about the christian citizens.an important, not just christian people, important, notjust christian people, christian citizens. that is what we need. a state of citizens, which is not there yet. irate what we need. a state of citizens, which is not there yet.— what we need. a state of citizens, which is not there yet. we have to leave it there. _ which is not there yet. we have to leave it there. thank _ which is not there yet. we have to leave it there. thank you - which is not there yet. we have to leave it there. thank you so - which is not there yet. we have to leave it there. thank you so much | leave it there. thank you so much forjoining us. pressure is mounting on the uk government over its proposed pay offer of 1% for health workers in england — after it was claimed that a long—term plan had assumed an increase of double that. nhs providers — which represents trusts in england — accused ministers of "snatching planned pay rises from the pockets of deserving nhs staff". four health unions have written to th

he's the first pope to hold talks with grand ayatollah ali al—sistani, a highly influential figure inpope francis has now arrived in the ancient city of ur where the prophet abraham — central to islam, christianity and judaism — is believed to have been born. our correspondent mark lowen reports. if the first day of pope francis�* visit to iraq was about the politics and about meeting the country's dwindling christian community, today was about the outreach towards other faiths, most notably a meeting this morning with the country's top shia cleric, grand ayatollah ali al—sistani, bringing together the leader of the world's catholics with perhaps the most powerful and influential figure in shia islam. it's thought that they discussed interfaith dialogue and the violence that iraqi christians have long suffered. then the pope came on here to ur, the ancient birthplace of the prophet abraham, in which he met again with members of other religions and he spoke of how hostility and extremism and violence were, in his words, "the betrayal of religion". he spoke in favour of peace, unity and

people in a stadium there it's been a very busy day for him yesterday he met with shiite leader ayatollah ali sistani and today he is now addressing a christian community so a big big message of what we've been hearing from the pope is really around religious unity as well as also holding iraq to account as it tries to rebuild in the aftermath of so many years of war is the. my. my apologies we are still having technical problems there as pope francis addresses people in the church of the immaculate conception in the city of current we are working on those technical difficulties and will try to bring you that order as soon as possible well earlier pope francis was in mosul today here that was once home to a vibrant christian community as well before that city was destroyed by isis fighters efforts are now underway to rebuild it here's the mona fulton's report. stone by stone morsels christian heritage is being restored but will it be enough to make the city's christians come back this complex of 4 churches was partly destroyed during the war rift i saw 4 years ago now unesco workers are collecting th

this year population worldwide to muslims revere the decide and hold in high esteem the grand ayatollah ali sistani the grand ayatollah for iraq who has played a pivotal role in edicts ranging from elections to recent protests and it's very important a figure in iraq and the pope making sure that he starts his 2nd day. out to the most important religious cleric here in this country and discussing with him diffs a port for christians as well as harmony and peace worldwide you have to realize that there is not just conflicts within iraq but it goes beyond the beyond the boundaries of iraq and within the wider middle east in syria and in the palestinian territories and other parts of the world as well and that is something that both leaders sat down and discussed and the pope discussed also how christians are need to be supported by the population here in iraq and that was something that was a short to him by the grand ayatollahs or that the pope visited as you mentioned the ancient city of or the birthplace of prophet abraham the most important site for religious people a religious site for most inte

iraq pope francis has held talks with the country's influential shia muslim cleric the grand ayatollah ali sistani the historic meeting took place it's astonishing home in the holy city of najaf no press were allowed inside for the talks which lasted around 40 minutes but a few white doves were released as the pope entered underscoring his message of peaceful coexistence between muslims and christians in iraq the christian community there is dwindled after years of war and persecution from those. that remain hope a show of solidarity from sistan could help secure their place in the country. i'm joined now by journalist owen whole the way who's in iraq following the pope's visit oh and the pope has met with the grand ayatollah ali al sistani why is that meeting so significant i think because of the weight psystar he actually has within iraq he's essentially the head of the largest beaten into the shia community of iraq i think the fact that they're doing a dialogue between the 2 of them is is extremely important was the leader also says donna so he's very reclusive and rarely gets political or publ

cleric in the coming hours on the 2nd day of his story visit to iraq the meeting with grand ayatollah ali sistani is being held in the city of. the head of the roman catholic church is the 1st pope to ever travel to iraq u.s. president joe biden's backs a compromise reached by senate democrats and republicans over a key part of his coronavirus relief bill the agreement on extending federal job benefits overcomes at least one of several obstacles the $1.00 trillion dollar package has faced thousands of elderly brazilians in rio de janeiro have been turned away after lining up for hours for their 1st dose of the coronavirus vaccine only a fraction of the doses needed to to cover that designated age group were available while the lines of people and vehicles stretched for several kilometers. those are the headlines next on al-jazeera the fans who make football. millions but where's the money to. billions to women and ethnic minorities are missing out. to avoid. counting the costs on al-jazeera. early 1940 s. a man named paige eagle such a loan at a table in a cafe in casablanca morocco. he was troub

jobs where he had a private meeting with one of iraq's most powerful shiite leaders grand ayatollah ali al sistani. a meeting that business months in the making every detail carefully. planned after a photo op the 2 men spoke privately for 40 minutes the ayatollah reportedly telling the pope he also believes christians should be able to live in peace in iraq and enjoy the same rights as other iraqis it's a powerful statement from says dani who rarely makes his opinions known when he does shiites in iraq and around the world take note. later the pope arrived in the ancient city of moore known as the birthplace of abraham the biblical patriarch revered by christians muslims and jews a fitting place for an interfaith meeting where francis underscored his message for . peace does not demand all winners or losers but rather brothers and sisters who for all the misunderstandings and hurts of the past are journeying from conflict to unity. in praying for peace in the middle east the pope singled out syria ravaged by a decade of civil war and he condemned religious extremists who used terrorism to achieve

the 2nd day of his historic visit to iraq to meet the country's top shia cleric crowned the ayatollah ali sistani at his time before moving on to host an interfaith may take the pontiff.

visit high on the pope met with one of the most powerful thinkers and shiite islam grand ayatollah ali al sistani why was as meeting so important he was extremely important because as you say these words powerful shortly but not soon iraq iran that whole middle east so i think the meeting of them to give a joint message of unity armas streaming importantly and also signals a lot that's cheerful as to you know to actually go along with that with their own christian brethren of iraq sort of a very strong message was additionally the arts for a very private man growing makes political statements or a few of them so the fact that he came out and said so. i think it's really really really powerful so several times since his arrival already pope francis has denounced extremism and violence in the name of religion but realistically what can he achieve on this trip as far as interfaith dialogue goes. i think one of communitarian level you know social level one of these theories very powerful because it suits you but essentially the christians you've been persecuted yes and since the start up arm you can

grand ayatollah ali al—sistani face—to—face with pope francis.ves and generations to get here. the two religious leaders spoke of friendship to overcome oppression, rare unity after iraq's sectarian conflict. that theme of dialogue then spread further to the remains of ur, biblical birthplace of abraham. and in the shadow of its ancient citadel, pope francis met followers of other faiths. gestures of respect to those often sidelined and victims of iraq's wars now brought together in a plea for peace. translation: hostility, _ extremism and violence are not born of a religious heart. they are betrayals of religion. we believers cannot be silent when terrorism abuses religion. from these windswept plains, the pope is using the symbolism of the ancient prophet, evoking the figure of abraham, revered by christians, muslims and jews, to try to spur reconciliation between religions today. and then it was on to mass, pope francis hoping to persuade a dwindling christian community to remain. iraq's patchwork of people came together today. but as this cou

pope francis has met the influential shia muslim cleric — grand ayatollah ali al—sistani — during thee delivered an impassioned condemnation of extremism and violence, saying that believers could not remain silent when terrorism abused religion. later, he celebrated a public mass at stjoseph's cathedral in baghdad. 0ur rome correspondent mark lowen has been travelling with the pope and has sent this report. peace in iraq will take time to flourish. but this visitor is determined to see it. along the narrow alley ways and into an historic meeting of two faiths, catholic and shieh islam, grand ayatollah ali al—sistani face—to—face al—sistani face—to—face with pope francis. at 90 and 84, it has taken long lives and generations to get here. the two religious leaders spoke of friendship to overcome oppression, rare unity after iraq's secretarian and conflict. that theme of dialogue then spread further to the remains of the biblical birthplace of abraham. and in the shadow of its ancient citadel, pope francis met followers of other faiths. gestures respect to those often sidelined and victi

muslim cleric in the coming hours day 2 of his historic visit to iraq a meeting with grand ayatollah ali sistani is being held in the city of najaf head of the roman catholic church is the 1st pope to travel to iraq u.s. president joe biden's back to compromise reached by senate democrats and republicans over a key part of his coronavirus relief bill the agreement is on extending federal jobless benefits and it overcomes one of several obstacles the $1.00 trillion dollars package has faced and as you were just saying nasa is perseverance rove has gone for its 1st drive on mars took 30 minutes for the vehicle to go 6 and a half meters the vehicle also unfurled its arms for the 1st time to make sure it's instruments and cameras are working you're up to date with the headlines on al-jazeera talk to al-jazeera is coming up next. teaching you just the way english streaming on a general. class thousands of our programs will meet with documentaries and didn't. subscribe to eugene. al-jazeera english. what is wrong with. sri lanka's civil war lasted nearly 3 decades although it's under the aegis 1009 de

most notably a meeting this morning with the country's top shia cleric, grand ayatollah ali al—sistanis catholics with perhaps the most powerful and influential figure in shia islam. it's thought that they discussed interfaith dialogue and the violence that iraqi christians have long suffered at the hands of armed shia groups. then the pope came on here to ur, the ancient birthplace of the prophet abraham, in which he met again with members of other religions. he spoke of how hostility and extremism and violence were, in his words, the betrayal of religion. he spoke in favour of peace, unity and against hatred. so, the meeting this morning, perhaps the most symbolic moment of this trip, and then the dialogue here in ur as well, very much the cornerstone of pope francis�*s attempts to reach out to other religions. and using a figure of abraham, revered by christians, muslims and jews, to try to spur reconciliation today. the archbishop bashar matti warda leads the chaldean catholic community in erbil, where the pope will be visiting tomorrow. he said it was an important visit. historica

muslim cleric in the coming hours on day 2 of his historic visit to iraq the meeting with grand ayatollah ali sistani is being held in the city of not just head of the roman catholic church is the 1st pope to travel to iraq on his pledge to deepen his dialogue with other religions and see it from many in our postdoctoral research fellow on the foreign policy program at the brookings institution she tells us the pope will be reestablishing some important relationships on this 4 day trip. at significant for many reasons but this is also his 1st trip during or after the pandemic has started it's also the 1st people trip to iraq the previous one was supposed to occur in 2000 and unfortunately it didn't happen so it's very important very symbolic of course as there have been security concerns and there have been security concerns in iraq for a while now including the rocket attacks you mention and there was a lot of talk about him actually not coming or counseling the trip but i think that he persevered and came and iraqis are very happy to see him i think it's going to be particularly important because t

iraq they are quite extraordinary pictures and they may think as well about him meeting grand ayatollah ali sistani yesterday and now local dignitaries and religious figures in bill as well we'll be keeping across this today just wanted to bring you those pictures of the pope landing disembarking his plane i should say in a veil in iraq saudi arabia says it's destroyed a number of missiles fired from yemen one of them near an oil facility online reports say explosions were heard over and around oil facility near jeddah saudi arabia says its air defenses also intercepted an attack headed towards the city of homs shade it's the 2nd time the kingdom's oil facilities have been targeted in less than a week lebanon's caretaker prime minister is threatening to suspend his duties unless a new government is formed have been demonstrations for a 5th day in the capital beirut lebanon is currently slides to record new lows. politicians to put aside their differences and to address the worsening economic crisis. it's an attempt to avoid responsibility which leaves me with the option of halting work amongst this

the recent years hundreds of thousands of jews to persecution on saturday he'll meet grand ayatollah ali al sistani the highest religious authority for iraq shia muslims some reports of baghdad. a historic trip to a historic land pope francis long held wish to set foot in the homeland of this ancient christian community became reality his visit to boost morale among iraq's christian minority which has dwindled in recent years as a result of war and persecution and he wants to encourage religious coexistence between muslims christians and other religious minorities. the politicians need to promote the spirit of fraternal solidarity there is corruption abuse of power that's not the way at the same time you need to think of justice transparency to strengthen certain values that's how credibility can grow so everyone especially the young people can have hope for the future. this is the 1st time the head of the roman catholic church has visited iraq a country long mired in political economic and security crises most recently the war against eisel and attacks by iranian backed armed groups the iraqi pres

of najaf he had a private meeting with one of iraq's most powerful shiite leaders grand ayatollah ali al sistani. a meeting that was months in the making. every detail carefully planned after a photo op the 2 men spoke privately for 40 minutes the ayatollah reportedly telling the pope he also believes christians should be able to live in peace in iraq and enjoy the same rights as other iraqis it's a powerful statement from sistan he who rarely makes his opinions known when he does shiites in iraq and around the world take note. later the pope arrived in the ancient city of moore known as the birthplace of abraham the biblical patriarch revered by christians muslims and jews a fitting place for an interfaith meeting where francis underscored his message for . peace does not demand the winners or losers but rather brothers and sisters who for all the misunderstandings and hurts of the past are journeying from conflict to unity. in praying for peace in the middle east the pope singled out syria ravaged by a decade of civil war and he condemned religious extremists who used terrorism to achieve thei

muslims another historic 1st for the leader of the catholic church as he met iraq's grand ayatollah ali al sistani is a reclusive leader who is rarely seen in public he's iraq's most revered cleric and his proclamations have influenced many since the 2003 u.s. invasion the plight of those being persecuted in the region including palestinians and syrians discussed. short of equal rights for christians in iraq and peaceful coexistence the meeting between the pope and grand ayatollah ali al sistani is symbolic and significant although the majority of the religious authority says it plays no role in politics audiences danny has played a pivotal part in iraq recently whether it was urging people to take part in politics in elections whether it was to tell them to pick up arms against isis and more recently in the favor of the protestors clerics in najaf say the pope's visit has highlighted iraq's central place for all religions and is a brave gesture from for france's in the face of security challenges and the pandemic rejali dean home. clerics through their words and behavior convert the message of pe

iraq's top shia muslim cleric on the 2nd day of that historic visit the meeting with grand ayatollah ali sistani was held in the city of najaf he's the 1st catholic pope to travel to the country that has pledged to deepen his dialogue with other religions such as he was a solid been job it is following the pontiff visits from much of. well the historic day began in this holy city off now we are right across the strain of. n.i. jeff a significant and important to the shia population worldwide to muslims revere these the site and hold in high esteem the grand ayatollah ali and sustaining the grand ayatollah for iraq who has played a pivotal role in edicts ranging from elections to recent protests and is very important a figure in iraq and the pope making sure that he starts his 2nd day. out to the most important religious cleric here in this country and discussing with him diff support for christians as well as harmony and peace worldwide you have to realize that there is not just conflicts within iraq but it goes beyond the beyond the boundaries of it often in the wider middle east in syria and i

pandemic on saturday the 84 year old pontiff will meet with iraq's eating shiite cleric grand ayatollah ali sistani in the city of najaf that's it for myself and the team here in london counting the cost is the program coming up next and then they'll be more news from doha in about 25 minutes time. 4 months ago financer up to an ivory coast juncture a disputed presidential election now it's time to choose members of parliament on march 6th the constant ballots to vote revive the fortunes of the main opposition and how will this affect the region the ivory coast on a mentor election on al-jazeera. hello i'm doubting obligates of this is counting the cost on al-jazeera your look at the world of business and economics this week millions of people could be forced to move a sea levels rise but as the cost of building sea defenses increase we ask why wealthy nations aren't delivering on promised money. big investors hand out billions to start ups every year but women and ethnic minorities are missing out. possuelo rich americans don't want to pay high taxes they had south to florida despite the pandemic

the presidential palace the next day the pope will fly to the city of najaf and nice grand ayatollah ali al sistani later he'll feller a holy mass in baghdad on sunday pope francis will travel to erbil the capital of iraqi kurdistan in meet with religious sensibilities of the autonomy region osama bin job it reports from baghdad on the security preparations ahead of the pope's visit. baghdad is on high alert for the 1st ever visit to iraq by the leader of the roman catholic church still faces security threats and attacks from isis and militia groups which means iraqi security forces have their work cut out for them or francis will be in 6 cities in 3 days including all requirements have been secured through a plan drawn up by the joint operations command to secure logical and security matters for all the places. the pope will visit whether they are in baghdad not just. all places pope francis has frequently traveled to muslim majority countries and in iraq he will meet one of the world's most influential shiite clerics grand ayatollah ali al sistani the pope's visit is meant to expand on his messag