LONDON: Bahrain’s King Hamad on Thursday sent a message to Pope Francis that included an official invitation to visit the kingdom.
The message was delivered by Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed, the king’s adviser for diplomatic affairs, during a meeting with the pope at the Vatican.
Sheikh Khalid expressed King Hamad’s appreciation for the pontiff’s “pivotal and prominent role in establishing and strengthening interfaith dialogue and understanding between different cultures and civilizations, and spreading the values of human brotherhood and coexistence among all,” Bahrain News Agency reported.
He reiterated the king’s support for the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, also known as the Abu Dhabi declaration, and the importance of building on it to ensure a more prosperous future for all of humanity.
Pope Francis thanked King Hamad for the invitation to visit Bahrain.
He said the invitation embodies the kingdom’s “character as a role model for openness and coexistence among all components of society,” praising King Hamad’s constant keenness to promote a culture of dialogue and tolerance, and his initiatives to spread the principles of coexistence and brotherhood among all countries and peoples.
The Abu Dhabi agreement was signed by Pope Francis on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church, and the grand imam of Egypt’s Al-Azhar in 2019 in the UAE, during the pope’s historic visit to the Arabian Peninsula.
Bahrain’s King Hamad invites Pope Francis to visit Manama
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Bahrain’s King Hamad invites Pope Francis to visit Manama
- Pope Francis thanked King Hamad for the invitation to visit Bahrain
Iran says students have right to protest but must know ‘red lines’
- University students in Iran started a new semester Saturday with pro- and anti-government rallies, according to local media
Tehran: University students have the right to protest but everyone must “understand the red lines,” the Iranian government’s spokeswoman said Tuesday, in the first official reaction to renewed rallies on campuses since the weekend.
“Sacred things and the flag are two examples of these red lines that we must protect and not cross or deviate from, even at the height of anger,” Fatemeh MoHajjerani said.
She said Iran’s students “have wounds in their hearts and have seen scenes that may upset and anger them; this anger is understandable.”
University students in Iran started a new semester Saturday with pro- and anti-government rallies, according to local media, reviving slogans from nationwide demonstrations that peaked in January and led to thousands of deaths.
Protests first began in December sparked by economic woes in the sanctions-hit country, but grew into nationwide demonstrations on January 8 and 9.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has recorded more than 7,000 deaths, while warning the full toll is likely far higher.
Iranian officials acknowledge more than 3,000 deaths, but say the violence was caused by “terrorist acts” fueled by the United States and Israel.
MoHajjerani on Tuesday said a fact-finding mission is investigating “the causes and factors” of the protests and will provide reports.
