Iraqi authorities declared March 6 as the National Day of Tolerance and Coexistence after Pope Francis met with Iraq's top Shiite cleric Ali al-Sistani in the city of Najaf during his historic first-ever visit to the Middle Eastern country, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi said on Saturday
BEIRUT (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th March, 2021) Iraqi authorities declared March 6 as the National Day of Tolerance and Coexistence after Pope Francis met with Iraq's top Shiite cleric Ali al-Sistani in the city of Najaf during his historic first-ever visit to the middle Eastern country, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi said on Saturday.
The pontiff arrived for his four-day visit to Iraq on Friday. On Saturday, the pope also visited Ur, the ancient Iraqi city where Christians, Muslims and Jews believe prophet Abraham was born.
"In connection with the historic meeting of the poles of tolerance and peace Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani and Pope Francis, and the meeting of religions in the ancient city of Ur, we declare March 6 as the National Day for Tolerance and Coexistence in Iraq," the prime minister tweeted.
Nechirvan Barzani, the president of the Iraqi Kurdistan autonomous region, welcomed Baghdad's decision to declare March 6 as the national tolerance day.
