Francis in Mesopotamia: The Dimensions of Pope’s Visit to Iraq

Prepared by the researche

• Dr. Saad Salloum/Faculty of Political Science -Mustansiriya University
• Muhtadi Alabyadh/Centre for Policy Research and International Studies (CenPRIS) Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
• Dr. Mohammad Reevany binBustami/Associate Professor ,at Centre for Policy Research & International Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)

Democratic Arabic Center

Journal of Political Trends : Twenty-Eighth Issue – September 2024

A Periodical International Journal published by the “Democratic Arab Center” Germany – Berlin

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Abstract

The paper reevaluates the significance of Abrahamic Covenant in light of Pope Francis’ historic visit to Iraq and his pilgrimage to Ur city, traditionally associated with the Prophet Abraham. This visit, an extension of his previous trip to the United Arab Emirates where he signed the Document on Human Fraternity, highlights the historical and contextual importance of the Abrahamic Covenant while exploring potential commonalities and differences among the monotheistic religions.

         Using mixed methods and a sample of 160 participants, the study gauged perceptions of the visit. The findings indicate a warm reception of the Pope’s visit in Iraq, celebrated as a tribute to the nation’s cultural heritage and diverse civilizational legacy. Moreover, the study uncovers the impact of the 2021 papal visit on the status of religious minorities that were not officially recognized after two decades marked by events such as the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, the 2011 Arab Spring, and the 2014 ISIS invasion. It has revitalized hope for positive political change with international support for democratic systems.

         This visit offers a vision of a post-secular society, aiming to strike a balance between political Islam and secular nationalism following the Arab Spring and the ISIS crisis. It underscores the potential for harmonious coexistence among Christians, religious minorities, and Muslims under the banner of human fraternity.

Introduction:

On March 5, 2021, Pope Francis visited Iraq, a historic event in itself. This marked the first visit of a Pope to Iraq and also served as a revival of the nearly forgotten Mesopotamian civilization. The primary purpose of the visit was to promote the project of Human Fraternity under the umbrella of the Abrahamic brotherhood.

         Despite previous popes expressing their desire to visit Iraq, the opportunity had not materialized until Pope Francis made it a reality. His insistence on the visit was driven by the belief that Abraham was born in Ur city, Iraq.

         Thus, this paper aims to study Pope Francis’ visit to Iraq from a sociological perspective, highlighting its social, religious, and political dimensions. The main focus is to explore the concept of the Abrahamic Covenant in the three religions and trace its historical significance. The study seeks to identify potential differences and commonalities, examining a socio-political approach to monotheistic religions as a third path, as a post-secular stance between political Islam and secular nationalism. This approach aims to create a neutral space where Christians and Muslims can coexist in harmony under the umbrella of Human Fraternity in faith.

         Additionally, the research delves into the opinions of Iraqis about the visit, its purpose, and its potential impact on Iraq. Key questions include: Can these religions overcome their differences for the sake of peace? How will this visit impact the Iraqi reality on social, religious and political dimension?

         Consequently, this study uncovers these questions and highlights the significance of the meeting between Pope Francis and Sistani, also known as the Shia Pope. This visitation holds historical importance and may be the subject of the first research on this topic.

         The research utilized an inductive research strategy, which involved combining quantitative qualitative approaches, observations, historical references, scriptures, and an online questionnaire. Subsequently, these data were analyzed and conclusions drawn.

         The inductive research technique begins with data collection and subsequently employs so-called inductive logic to draw generalizations. The purpose is to figure out the regularities in nature and networks within social life. Once these regularities have been identified, they can be utilized to rationalize the occurrence of particular events by placing them within the established sequence of regularities (Blaikie, 2009).

Figure 1: Ziggurat Ur in the city of Nasiriyah now

Abrahamic Brotherhood and Literature Review

Abrahamic Brotherhood appeared after the second world war and the establishment of the Israel state. Institutions have been installed with workshops in Europe and USA for peace among Monotheistic religions (Hughes, 2012). However, after the attacks of September 11, 2001, the full-scale “Abrahamic religions” discourse was created as an ecumenical notion. This is to promote peaceful relations among the three religions. Here, they were perceived to be increasingly hostile to one another. Taken as an antidote against the “clash of civilizations” thesis proposed by the likes of Bernard Lewis and Samuel Huntington (Huntington, 2000), this full-scale “Abrahamic religions” discourse was intended to demonstrate the shared history and origins of all three religions in the hopes of fostering future harmony. There is a sort of parallel with Fukuyama’s thesis (The End of History and the Last Man) (Fukuyama, 2006) to promote liberal democracy. This indicates that religion does not separate from politics. In other words, although there is a separation between religion and the state, religion is still used as an ideology of the state. This occurred as early as 1952. For example, President Dwight Eisenhower proclaimed: “Our idea of governance has no meaning unless it is grounded in profoundly religious beliefs, and I don’t bother what it is” (Hughes, 2012). We also saw Joe Biden go to church to pray before his inauguration.

          A book titled, Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths, was published as the American people were progressing to heal from the devastation of 9/11. Bruce Feiler, a well-known journalist and New York Times best-selling author, attempted to chart a path of worldwide rapprochement between Muslims, Christians, and Jews. He bravely declared that what we most desired was a “foundation”, a bedrock, things that will further exemplify “the monotheistic ideals of faith in God and virtuous behavior toward civilization”. According to Feiler, having a foundation was required since it had the capacity to transport us to an ideal “that originated prior the faiths themselves began.” In another sense, Abraham was just what the world wanted (Feiler, 2002).

          Therefore, when the Pope visited Iraq as a pilgrimage to Abraham’s house in Ur city, he arrived on March 6, 2021, meeting with Iraqi religions and denominations as well as performing the Assisi Prayer^([1]) as a way of asking for peace together. In his speech, which preceded prayers with representatives of Shiites, Sunnis, Yazidis, Sabeans, Kaka’is, and Zoroastrians, the Pope stated:

           “Violence, extremism, and hostility do not spring from a religious spirit. Instead, they are all betrayals of religion […] We, believers, cannot remain silent when terrorism offends religion. Rather, we must eliminate misunderstanding […] We must walk from “conflict to unity” for the sake of “peace for the whole of the Middle East.”

           The Pope, in this step, wanted Ur city to be a holy place for all three religions. He highlighted the idea of common denominator and peace in the Abrahamic Brotherhood after the 9/11 attacks.

           Academically, we don’t have historical sources about the Prophet Abraham, our only knowledge about him is from the Bible and Quran. Although there is a common denominator between these holy books about Abraham’s story, there are also fundamental differences.

          In the long term, we have observed a controversy between Sunni and Shia regarding the succession after Prophet Muhammad, questioning whether it should be Abu Bakr or Ali Bin Abi Talib. Each group refers to the Abrahamic Covenant in the Quran to support their claim. Furthermore, when we examined the Bible, we encountered a similar issue between Judaism and Christianity, as the covenants mentioned in the Bible and the Quran are different.

          Regarding the Jews, Abraham’s readiness to step into a covenant with God, symbolized by the circumcision act, which was passed down through the generations from Abraham to Isaac, Isaac to Jacob, Jacob to his twelve sons, and ultimately to the Jewish folks. Also, this covenant includes the law of the ten commandments for Moses (Hughes, 2012).

         Concerning Christianity, Paul tells his congregation that Abraham’s faith was not only the Jewish people’s legacy but also the heritage of everyone who has faith and believes as Abraham was doing. “So, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham,” writes Paul in Galatians 3:7, expressing his wish to initiate the method of transmitting the components of the Old Testament to those who follow Jesus, against those Jews who are clouded by their legalism’s constrictions. They are also incapable of viewing or understanding reality. It is Abraham’s faith, which foreshadows that of Jesus. Only now the table have turned since Jesus has become the sacrificial son, the one whose death is meant as an atonement for the world. It is faith, not the law that now represents the virtue of the true believer. The covenant that God strikes with Abraham neither finds fulfillment in the Mosaic covenant at Sinai nor Judaism but lives eternally in the believers in Jesus, who now become the true descendants of the “children of Abraham”. The stubborn Jews have, for all intents and purposes, been written out of the covenant (Hughes, 2012).

         For Islam, Abraham is  one of  Muhammad’s ancestors, referred to as the so-called Seal of the Prophets (khātam al-nabiyyīn), which is equally important. However, it also means that Abraham’s religion was perceived as a pure form of monotheism, a form that subsequent Jews and Christians have corrupted, and that Muhammad sought to restore. Hence, the Muslim notion of the “Abrahamic” religion resembles a purity built on faith, an expression of authenticity that surpasses anything before it (Friedmann, 2003). As the Quran argues that Abraham is not Jewish or Christian, he was Hanifa (this means belief by the one God) and we Muslim (submission to God). Thus, Quran says in surat Āl-‘Imrān (65-68) “Why do you quarrel over Abraham, O People of the Scripture, since the Gospel and Torah were not disclosed until after him? Will you refuse to give evidence? Abraham was neither a Christian nor a Jew; rather, he was a seeker of truth, a Muslim [submitting to Allāh]. He was also not a polytheist. Those who obeyed Abraham [in surrender to Allāh] and his Prophet [Muhammad], as well as those who trust [in his message], are the worthiest of Abraham among humankind. And Allāh is the Believers’ Ally”. According to the Quranic vision, Islam is the only religion that all prophets came through, and the Prophet Muhammad stamped the God mission with the Quran. Thus, Judaism and Christianity departed from the teachings of their prophets and the Abrahamic covenant. Muhammad, with the Quran, came to restore this covenant.

         As a result, the paper observed there are three Abrahamic covenants through three holy books and religions. Consequently, the problem is that these religions unite on one idea or agree about one covenant regarding Abraham, but they differ about the concept. In addition to that not everyone agrees about Abraham’s birthplace in Ur city.

        Aaron W. Hughes says: “Although certain family resemblances or commonalities among the three religions, there are no compelling reasons for creating an omnibus canopy under which manifold Jewish, Christians, and Muslims neatly cohabit. Their resemblances or commonalities have nothing to do with a shared essence or religious patrimony” (Hughes, 2012).

       Thus, researchers point out the differences between the Sacred Books regarding the Abrahamic covenant in the table below:

Figure 2: The Abrahamic Covenant for the Three Religions

We see that the aim of establishing Human Fraternity was to avoid the clash between Islamic civilization and western civilization. This idea has also been touched upon by Samuel Huntington (The Clash of Civilizations). Christian theology found that the Prophet Abraham is a common denominator among these religions. Therefore, this idea was promoted for peace. However, this peace or interfaith dialogue starts from within the religious and political ideologies, which are not entirely trusted. In addition, The Pope came for love because the first Commandment to Jesus is to devote God. The second Commandment is to cherish your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:29-31). Priests give a broader meaning to neighbors not only in the region but also in civilization, state, or religion, as in the story of Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37). Therefore, Muslims and Christians are neighbors, whether in the common denominator between us, or our proximity to each other, such as civilizations or countries, or peaceful coexistence with each other.

Empirical Findings

The researcher obtained 160 responses. The questionnaire consists of the basic data and other dimensions mentioned in the research title. The sample was random, exploratory, and distributed over several Iraqi governorates. As for the time of the questionnaire, it was in the month of March 2021, after the Pope’s visit, as the event was a trend in the social media, where the questionnaire was conducted through Google Drive Online.

Basic Data

Figure 3 indicates age and gender

Figure 4 indicates academic achievement, religious, and sectarian affiliation

Study Data
Data related to the religious dimension

Figure 5 indicates the religious dimension

Despite the Pope carrying humanitarian values and peace, the Christian faith encouraged him to come to Iraq as one of the essential Christianity beliefs is evangelism. After 2003, Christians have emigrated because of terrorist attacks against them. In 2010, during the Baghdad church massacre (Lady of Deliverance) on a Sunday evening worship in Baghdad, a group of six suicide bomber jihadists from al-Qaeda assaulted a Syriac Catholics. Then ISIS bombed the Church of the Holy Spirit and Al-Taherah, a few of the oldest churches in Nineveh 2014-2017. The Pope visited those churches and spoke about peace. Francis sent a message to the world to contribute to the reconstruction of Nineveh, the second-largest city in Iraq, whose history extends to six thousand years BC, when the Assyrian Empire was the center for the worship of the God Ishtar. Thus, the Pope felt concerned because the number of Christians in Iraq decreased from 1,500,000 to 300,000 (CIA World Factbook, 2018). The Pope invited the Iraqi Christians to return to Iraq, fearing their extinction as Jewish before, where 130,000 Iraqi Jewish had been displaced due to Zionism and the State of Israel during 1950-1973.

         Therefore, there were positive Christian expectations that the papal visit could impact divisions among Christians of different denominations and between Iraqi Christians at home and abroad on crucial issues such as land, identity, and effective political representation. Additionally, it could affect the relationship with other components of Iraqi society, including the following issues: the establishment of a province for Christians in the Nineveh Plain and the division between Baghdad and Erbil regarding the administration of disputed Christian areas (Salloum, 2023a).

          Signs of positive anticipation of the Holy See’s stance and its effects on Christians and their presence in Iraq began years before the papal visit. The appointment of the Patriarch of the Chaldean Church, Mar Louis Raphael I Sako, as a cardinal was a significant development in this context. This decision will give Iraq a voice in choosing the next pope and an opportunity to convey its aspirations to the international community. Moreover, it may be a decisive factor in uniting Christians around unified demands (Salloum, 2018).

          The visit reflects the nature of the challenges that Christians faced after the ISIS invasion of Iraq. This revealed further fractures in the identity of Christian sects, divisions in their demands, and the depth of divisions among their political and religious elites. The papal visit was seen as a potential turning point in the relationship between the Iraqi state and its Christian citizens, as well as in the relationship between the religious minority and the Muslim majority.

          On the contrary, there were many Christian that voiced their pessimism about the Pope’s ability to change the reality of the suffering Christian community. They saw the visit as providing legitimacy to the crimes committed against Christians and other minorities in the aftermath of the indiscriminate violence that erupted after the U.S. invasion of the country. Critics questioned what the papacy had to offer to the disillusioned Christian public beyond holding masses and calling for peace. In this regard, they viewed the Pope’s role as that of a pilgrim in a holy land rather than a shadow of an influential global power bearing a hidden weapon capable of transforming the ongoing conflict into a lasting peace.

          One of the harshest critics of the papal visit was the former Assyrian MP, Joseph Slewa. In a statement reported by the Iraqi News Agency, he said, “We are not in favor of His Holiness the Pope’s visit under the current circumstances. Christians are marginalized, and the state does not protect them, neither in Baghdad nor in Kurdistan nor in the central and southern regions” (Slewa, 2021). In another context, Slewa lowered his expectations for the papal visit, emphasizing that “the Pope’s visit is disorganized and has no relationship with supporting Christians in Iraq.” He questioned whether the Pope could ensure the rights of Christians in Iraqi legislation, and whether he could protect them from racism, stating, “Certainly not” (Slewa, n.d.).

         A year after the Pope’s visit, Slewa stated that it ” has not brought about any change in the lives of Christians, as they still suffer from the absence of legal protection that should safeguard them, in addition to the continued presence of foreign-backed armed forces seizing their properties and assets.” He continued, “All Iraqi political parties and successive governments bear the responsibility for persecuting Christians in Iraq, and there are political agendas of armed factions working to empty Iraq of its minorities in the silence of the government” (Salim, 2022).

Figure 6 indicates the Pope’s meeting with Sistani

Figure 7 indicates the Pope’s meeting with Sistani

        The Pope is considered as the supreme leader for Catholics, while the Vatican is considered as the holy city because Peter’s grave is there and he is considered as the first leader after Jesus Christ according to Catholic belief (Matthew, 16:18-19): “Now I announce to you that you are Peter (which implies ‘rock’), and that I will build my church on this rock, and that all the forces of hell will not be able to destroy it. And I’ll hand over the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven to you. Everything you restrict on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and everything you allow on earth will be allowed in heaven”.

       In contrast, Ali Sistani is considered as the highest Marja’iyyah (authority) for Shia. Here, there are almost 200 million Shiites who follow him. According to Shia belief, Najaf city is deemed to be holy because Ali bin Abi Talib’s grave is considered the successor of Prophet Muhammad. There is a Hadith where Prophet Muhammad says: “Who I am is his lord, this is Ali, his lord”.

         For continuation of the Human Fraternity project according to the Abrahamic Religions signed by the Pope with Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Sheikh of Al-Azhar in the UAE in 2019, the Pope met with Sistani on March 6, 2021.

         According to the questionnaire, it turns out that Iraqis consider Sistani a lot. He is enormously respected among Iraqis because he defended Sunni, Shia, and Christians alike.

         Many Christian religious leaders (Catholics and other Christian denominations) believe that the papal visit can have positive effects on the rights of Christians and their relationship with the Iraqi state. They see it as a catalyst for unifying the demands of different Christian sects amid persistent divisions. The Pope’s visit to Najaf and his meeting with Sistani could have a positive impact on Christian-Muslim relations, especially with influential Islamic religious authorities involved in the political process^([2]).

         It was notable that after the theology rule finished in the West, the church dealt with liberal democratic governance. It found a peaceful and tolerant separation of religion from the state. Consequently, I asked a question, “would you consider the visit by the Pope to Iraq during the democratic era system to support democracy at the expense of dictatorship?” (Yes, 36%; No, 32%; Perhaps, 32%). Therefore, the Pope selected Sunni Ahmed Al-Tayeb and Shia Ali Sistani, who represent the moderate side. Sistani supported the democratic system in Iraq because he adopted people’s rule, and he believed in separating religion from politics (Al Hawazi, 2008; Kadhim, 2010; Nasr, 2006; Sayej, 2018).

         This Sistani’s vision is not compatible with absolute Wilayat al-Faqih in Iran. In addition, there is competition between Najaf and Qom city in Iran about the most learned religion study (Walbridge, 2001).

         Post-2003, Sistani supported the democratic system, where he did not want theocratic rule in Iraq because he sees Iraq as a diverse country (Al-Khfaf, 2009). Therefore, the people choose the type of governance. In this duration, Najaf rose again under Sistani’s political vision. This happened since Sistani is a sort of preacher that Khomeini vehemently opposed throughout his existence. Today, Najaf became a Shiite center for peace and tolerance. Thus, when the Pope decided to visit Najaf and meet with Sistani, there were counterattacks by some media that used this visit for conspiracy theories.

        On the other hand, religious dialogue is often exploited politically and ideologically. According to the vision of political Islam, America is the Great Satan, the West is infidel, and Israel is the colonizer. As for political western vision, Islam is the source of terrorism (islamophobia). Thus, where does the dialogue begin? The researcher Ali Al-Modon, a religious philosophy professor, says that Sheikh Jawad al-Balaghi’s position was to link Western colonialism with Christian evangelization during the twentieth century.

        To highlight Sistani’s statement after he met with the Pope, he spoke about the various countries that suffer from injustice, oppression, poverty and persecution. This occurs especially among the Middle Eastern region, including wars, acts of violence, economic blockades, and many more, especially the Palestinian people in the occupied territories. He urged the great powers to prioritize reason and wisdom, reject the language of war, and not expand caring for their self-interests at the expense of peoples’ rights to live in freedom and dignity (Sistani’s Office Website, n.d.).
Why Iraq?

       On the one hand, Iraq holds a spiritual center for Eastern Christianity. The Church of the East, until the late 4th century AD, spread from its center in Iraq to the east, bringing Christianity to regions as far as India, China, and Southeast Asia. Its highest spiritual authority, the Patriarch of the Church of the East, had his seat in Ctesiphon (Qasr-e Shirin) and later in Baghdad. Even today, the inhabitants of Malabar (in the state of Kerala) in southern India follow its spiritual leadership (Salloum, 2014).

       On the other hand, Iraq suffered from many plagues, such as wars, terrorism, corruption, political and sectarian conflict. Pope Francis is of Argentine origin, so he is the most qualified person to know what Iraq is going through or neighboring countries such as Syria and Lebanon. Because he grew up in the same conditions as those countries, which is a melting pot of the most diverse nationalities, social levels, religions, and intellectual currents. In this regard, he is not a newcomer at all “from the ends of the earth”. On the contrary, he lived and worked in the center of globalization and realized the conflicts and discontent over privileges. Iraq, like Argentina, is at the center of a global struggle. It is a witness to the negatives of globalization, the outputs of the failed state, and the struggle for domination worldwide (Salloum, 2021). As for Qasim Hussein Salih, founder of the Iraqi Psychological Association, he believes that Pope Francis differs from his predecessors. He is sympathetic to the poor, whatever their religions, against the authorities that persecute their people, a supporter of the defeated people, for everyone of all faiths and sects, which included even Kaka’is (Saleh, 2021).

        Regarding this visit, the Vatican issued a medal bearing the map of Iraq, the Tigris and the Euphrates, a palm tree, and the Prophet Abraham’s image, who emigrated from Iraq. As for Iraqis, they were happy on this visit and believed in a kind of hope for salvation. Moreover, in within tweet, the Pope said:

        “I have always looked forward to meeting those who have been through so much. I beg for your prayers to follow this apostolic adventure in order for it to blossom in the greatest conceivable manner and produce the desired results.”

Figure 8: Vatican Medal on Iraq

After the Pope’s visit to Iraq, UNESCO considered that Iraq was on the throne of history (Alsharqiya, 2021). This is because the Pope believes the spiritual leader for Catholics is the biggest sect in Christianity. Therefore, the Iraqi culture ministry received 1000 journalists from various parts of the world to cover this visitation.

         Hence, our question was, will there be a major political change in Iraq after the Pope’s visit? The answers indicate that Iraqis have been frustrated because they suffered from internal and external policies. In contrast, the next question was: if the answer is yes, will the change be positive or negative? (Positive, 58%; negative, 43%) They believe that the Pope’s international community attention will be directed to helping Iraq build its democratic state.

Figure 9 indicates normalization with the State of Israel

Regarding the normalization with Israel, the percentage confirms that Iraqis view the Pope’s peaceful motives rather than a political purpose. This is due to the normalization that has been between the Israel state and some Arabs countries. The Iraqi file came on the table because there are many Iraqi Jewish in Israel. Furthermore, there is still an ideology in Iraq against Zionism and the Israel state. Therefore, in order to protect itself, Israel tries to normalize with Iraq. A page on Facebook has been created called “Israel in the Iraqi dialect”. It aims to establish relationships between Iraqi society and Iraqi Jewish in Israel to pave social normalization before political normalization.

        For this reason, the absence of Jews from the event shed light on the grim reality of the disappearance of a millennia-old religious minority. Despite the Vatican News indicating that the Pope met “representatives of the three Abrahamic religions in Ur of the Chaldeans in Iraq and encouraged Christians, Muslims, and Jews to travel on the path of peace under the stars of the promise made by God to Abraham”, a general delegation of Jews representatives was unable to attend the event. According to the Jerusalem Post, the lack of representation of Iraqi Jews at the Assisi prayer in Ur led to accusations against the Iraqi government, suggesting that it prevented Jews from participating in the historic visit by the Pope.

        Edwin Shuker, an Iraqi-born Baghdadi who emigrated from Iraq in the 1970s, commented, “Baghdad missed a historic opportunity for reconciliation with its Jews by inviting them to attend the prayer in Ur. The Iraqi government ignored the history of Iraqi Jews during Pope Francis’ visit and missed an opportunity to shed light on the Jewish part of Iraq’s history” (Frantzman, 2021).

        A prominent Iraqi Jewish individual living in the UK for many years wondered, “the absence of Jews from the event highlights the Vatican’s historical silence when it comes to ethnic cleansing of Jews, not only in Europe but also in the Middle East”. Observers noted that the Vatican “was eager to inform the media” that it had invited representatives of the Jewish community in Iraq to attend but did not take the trouble to inform reporters why none of them appeared.

        Rabbi Elchanan Poupko of the American Rabbinical Council expressed his sadness over the Iraqi government preventing Jews, the descendants of Abraham, from participating in what was supposed to be a prayer for peace. When asked about the absence of Jews in Ur, Middle East analyst, writer, and peace activist Yoni Michanie stated that Pope Francis should have spoken and remembered the “tens of thousands of Iraqi Jews who faced ethnic cleansing in the late 1940s” (Gomes, 2021).

        In reality, the Iraqi constitution of 2005 bypassed mentioning Jews as part of religious minorities in Iraq. Moreover, there is no representation of Jews in the Diwan of Endowments for Christians, Yazidis, and Mandaean Sabaeans. It seems that there is no official recognition of Judaism as one of the major religions in Iraq, particularly given the lack of representation of this faith within Iraq.

National Dialogue

The Pope arrived in Iraq on March 5, 2021, and in a speech he held with the President of the Republic, Barham Salih, he said: “In this perspective, the religious, cultural, and ethnic variety that has long been a feature of Iraqi society is a valuable resource to pull, not an impediment to overcome […]. Combating the plague of bribery, abuse of authority, and contempt for the law is vital but not adequate […]. In the name of Christ, the Prince of Peace, I come as a peace pilgrim […]. The global community must also serve to assist peace in this country and throughout the Middle East […]. Acts of slaughter, banishment, terrorism, and tyranny cannot be justified in God’s name. God, on the other hand, who created humankind with equal rights and dignity, exhorts us to promote the ideals of love, goodwill, and peace […]” (Pope Francis’s Speech at Iraq Presidential Palace, 2021).

          We have mentioned the important points in the Pope’s speech. The survival of diversity depends on eliminating corruption, the rule of law, and armed manifestations in the name of God or religion. Therefore, the Pope’s visit and his speeches had a positive role for the Iraqi people. In just two days after his visit, Iraq’s image in the world changed from a country like a battlefield to a homeland of civilizations and a peaceful society.

Figure 10: Indicates the social and national dimension

The Iraqi PM Mustafa Al-Kazemi tried to take advantage of this opportunity for national dialogue. He called for one that includes all the different political forces, popular movements. It also includes opponents of the government, calling for “giving priority to the country’s interests and moving away from the language of convulsive rhetoric and political failure to make early elections successful”. He declared the adoption of March 6 of every year (the meeting between the Pope and Sistani) as Iraq’s National Day of Coexistence and tolerance.

As a result, we questioned respondents in the questionnaire about national dialogue after the Pope’s visit.

These responses signify that Iraqis don’t trust all political classes due to corruption, failure, terrorism, and violence. When we asked them about the return of Christians to the homeland after this visit, the responses were: Yes, 18.5%; No, 39%; Perhaps, 42.5%. This result signifies that Iraq is not ready to reunite nowadays. Slewa said, “the Pope is unable to stop the emigration of Christians from Iraq, as Christians continue to emigrate from the country to Europe, America, and Australia” (Slewa, n.d.). Dr. Qassim Hussein Salih believes that the political class is afflicted by “Dogmatism”. Here, psychologists and sociologists consider the main reason for political disagreements and “illness” of the makers of crises among political leaders. The problem of dogmatism is that those affected by it reject new ideas regardless of the evidence that supports them and cling to their old beliefs. Unless proven wrong, they will impose their opinions by force of power even if it requires killing the other offender. The evidence depends on what happened in the October 2019 uprising, with the killing of more than six hundred and wounding more than twenty thousand people. Young men and women were treated as if they were enemy invaders and not peaceful demonstrators demanding legitimate rights. That is why their firm belief and absolute certainty of the validity of their beliefs will not allow the Pope’s messages to enter their minds because they are closed to any new ideas (Salih, 2021). There is a public rejection for national dialogue with the political class, who are accused of corruption and killing.

           The scene of the Pope’s meeting with Iraqi politicians, some of whom had blood on their hands, was a disgrace and an affront to the feelings of the Iraqi people and their Muslim citizens. According to figures published by the Center for Combating Hate Speech (in the Masarat Foundation), the reception of the President of Iraq, Barham Salih, for the Pope increased the rates of hate speech against the papal visit. About 42% of Facebook users who initially welcomed the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis and interacted positively with the Prime Minister’s reception turned their discourse into a critical one containing messages of hatred after politicians participated in the President’s reception of the Pope.

 The Papal Visit and the Challenges of Religious Diversity in Iraq

       Regarding the Pope’s visit, the Iraqis were optimistic. They consider the Pope an important person in the international community. He also carries a peace message for Iraq, the Middle East, and the world. Thus, when we asked the respondents about the impact of the visit in support of national cohesion and community peace among Iraqi society components. The percentage was positive as shown in figure 12.

     Figure 12 indicates the reinforcement of citizenship and national dialogue

Most Iraqis are tolerant, peaceful, and respectful of others. They overcame the sectarian conflict, and now want a homeland just like other countries. They saw that the Pope’s visit would enhance the unity among components of Iraqis’ people. The Pope came with a new project, Human Fraternity. Most Iraqis religious components derived from the Prophet Abraham (Muslims Sunni and Shia, Christians, Sabean, Bahai and the Iraqi Jewish community in Israel). Thus, Abraham is a common denominator among them. Suppose we employed this term for peace and peaceful coexistence, it will have a positive effect on unity and citizenship. Moreover, the visit of the Pope took the character of a pilgrimage to the Prophet Abraham’s house, in Ur of the Chaldeans, in the south. Here, the father of the prophets and the monotheistic believers came in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The move constitutes a highly symbolic event that affirms the factor of unity among Iraqis of all religious affiliations and establishes a Christian, Islamic, and Jewish tradition of pilgrimage to a place that brings them together. Based on spirituality and dynasticity, all the Middle East inhabitants are followers of the three great religions (Salloum, 2021b).

         Pope Francis’ visit to Iraq posed a test for learning about the complexities of the Mesopotamian region, which is home to 22 religious sects, including 14 officially recognized Christian sects. The visit raised challenging questions for the Holy See. If there were plans to include representatives of religions in Ur for the prayer of Assisi, would this involve representatives of religions not officially recognized? What about non-Catholic Christian denominations?

         According to the supplementary text of the Law of Religious Denominations (Officially Recognized Religious Denominations in Iraq, Law No. 32 of 1981)^([5]), the officially recognized Christian denominations as shown in the table below:

  The participation of different Christian denominations in welcoming the Pope and the Assisi prayer presented a significant opportunity to showcase the cohesion of the multi-denominational Christian community and serve as an example of Christian-Muslim dialogue regarding the importance of religious diversity in the country^([6]).

         As for representatives of other religions that participated in the Assisi prayer in Ur, particularly the religious minorities that do not enjoy official recognition, their participation in the joint prayer was a realistic step toward acknowledgment. For example, the Zoroastrians, who resurfaced publicly in the Kurdistan Region in 2015, have been actively reviving their religious practices and advocating for the construction of temples to perform their religious rituals. They have also sought to revive several ancient temples and bring them back to life while pushing for official recognition, especially after having an official representative within the Ministry of Endowments in the region. Recognition of Zoroastrianism as one of the religious beliefs in the Kurdistan Region was encouraged by the Law on Protecting Components in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in 2015^([7]).

        The recognition of Zoroastrianism as one of the religious beliefs in the Kurdistan Region and the presence of an official representative for Zoroastrianism within the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs is another step towards official acknowledgment. However, it’s important to note that there are still challenges related to religious conversion for Zoroastrians since the law does not recognize the transition from Islam to other religions (Salloum, 2023b).

         Regarding the Bahá’ís, the Iraqi constitution of 2005 did not mention them among the recognized religious minorities (Article 2-2)^([8]). In 1970, Law No. 105 was enacted, known as the Law Prohibiting Bahá’í Activities. This law-imposed imprisonment for those who promoted Bahá’í beliefs, affiliated with any organization advocating Bahá’í teachings, or engaged in any form of Bahá’í propagation. It led to the closure of Bahá’í institutions, the cessation of their activities, and the liquidation of their assets and properties, with security agencies retaining all their documents and records. Violators were subject to a minimum of ten years’ imprisonment^([9]). Thus, this legal framework effectively suppressed any Bahá’í activity in Iraq, considering this faith a hostile movement, particularly in the context of the Arab-Israeli conflict and following the example of actions taken against Bahá’ís by leaders like Abdel Nasser in Egypt until 1979, when the punishment was elevated from imprisonment to the death penalty^([10]). The participation of Bahá’ís in the event was, therefore, a highly significant step aimed at normalizing their relationship with both other religious minorities and the Iraqi government.

        Finally, the Kakaiyah community presents another example of the challenges associated with the papal visit. The Iraqi Federal Constitution of 2005 does not contain any reference to the Kakaiyah as a religious component, and so far, there is no official representative for the Kakaiyah as a religious minority. This issue can be attributed to an internal conflict within the Kakaiyah community. One group asserts that Kakaiyah is an independent religion separate from Islam and demands recognition of Kakaiyah as an independent religion. They seek the assurance of their rights in laws, legislation, and political representation. The other faction emphasizes the Islamic identity of the Kakaiyah and works to thwart the efforts of the first faction (Salloum, 2017).

       As a result, the participation of the Kakaiyah in the prayer and the appearance of a Kakaiyah representative alongside the Pope serve as an expression of the Kakaiyah asserting their religious distinctiveness and recognition of their independent religious identity. One of the significant positive outcomes of the papal visit in this context is that, despite the Iraqi Constitution of 2005 not officially recognizing the Zoroastrians, Kakaiyah, and Bahá’ís as religious minorities in the country, there was representation of these unofficially recognized religious minorities in the prayer in Ur. This can be seen as a form of recognition for the first time within the context of Iraq’s rich religious diversity.

Although the papal visit supported the cultural and religious diversity. However, the questions that involve national identity, the responses fluctuated.

Figure 14 indicates the importance of the Pope’s visit to Iraq

One of Iraq’s problems is that they belong to sub-identities more than national identity. Therefore, there are problems in citizenship and the democratic system. Thus, Iraqis need to enhance social democracy and enhance the active trust among them (Giddens, 1998; Keman, 2011).

       Therefore, the papal visit did not effectively leverage Christian consensus or drive an internal Christian dialogue. In the broader context of Christian-Muslim dialogue in the country, the visit’s potential impact was not realized. It was expected that the Iraqi government would play a role in ensuring the future of Christians after the papal visit by encouraging a Christian-Christian dialogue on the key issues defining their future in the country. This dialogue would also help prevent conflicts between Christian denominations and their political representatives or between religious and political elites. It would contribute to the normalization of relations between Christians and their Muslim minority neighbors in the Nineveh Plains.

      Cardinal Sako, on the occasion of the one-year anniversary of the visit, pointed to the regrettable reality of Iraq, stating, “after 19 years, we are still facing a state of anarchy caused by the fact that everything is subject to the political class and interests”. He reiterated his call for the need to “find good solutions by focusing on the diversity of traditions, cultural heritage, language, and religion in Iraq, which is a source for dialogue and unity among its components. Therefore, it should be recognized, accepted, protected, and handed down to future generations” (Sako, 2022).

Key Findings:

1- The Pope’s visit to Iraq was motivated by the Christian faith based on evangelism. The Pope feared that Iraqi Christians would emigrate in large numbers from Iraq and leave churches. This is a great danger to the future of Christianity in the Middle East. Especially Iraq is an important country for Christians because the civilization of Mesopotamia was part of their Holy Book, whether in the Old Testament or the New Testament, wherein Iraq is the shrines of the Children of Israel’s prophets, besides the fact that Christians inhabited Iraq before the Arabs and Muslims. In addition, Babylon is considered an important city related to the return of Christ, as mentioned in the Book of Revelation.

2- Pope Francis’ visit to Iraq, following his landmark visit to Abu Dhabi and the signing of the Human Fraternity Document, is a significant event. It symbolizes the positive relationship between the Papacy and the Muslim community in the Middle East, emphasizing values like religious freedom and gender equality. During the visit, the Pope celebrated Mass with a substantial attendance, highlighting the Christian presence in the region. Iraq is a diverse country at a geopolitical crossroads with various ethnic groups. However, the visit should lead to more than just celebrations. Iraq needs concrete policies to manage its diversity, enact legislation supporting it, and ensure the meaningful participation of religious minorities in decision-making.

3- The visit also has the potential to inspire economic reform, focusing on cultural diversity as a national asset. This could offer an alternative to the oil-dependent economy, harnessing the creative potential of Iraq’s 22 religious communities, including 14 Christian denominations. It’s an opportunity to transition from an oil-driven economy associated with division and corruption to one built on diversity and inclusivity.

Conclusion:

The purpose of the Pope’s visit to Iraq is the pilgrimage to the Ur city, the Prophet Abraham’s birthplace according to the Bible, for Human Fraternity. Here, Abraham is the grandfather of Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. However, we did not have sources outside the religious text about Prophet Abraham, except the Bible and the Quran. Each book has a vision that is different from others about the Abrahamic covenant. On the one hand, Abraham is a different source, while on the other hand, he is a common denominator among monotheistic religions.

        Regarding the empirical side, religious dimension, Iraqis see that the Pope carries peaceful motives for the region regardless of whether it was religious or Christianity or not. As they see, the meeting between the Pope and Sistani was the most important point in this visitation because Sistani is an Islamic and Shiite symbol. Furthermore, visions coincide between them in peace and policy. Regarding the political dimension, Iraqis see that the Pope supports the democratic system, and there will be a positive political change after the Pope visit. They did not see the Pope coming for normalization with Israel. On the other hand, they lost hope in the political class to reform the country’s situation and didn’t want a corrupt political class dialogue. Finally, regarding the social and national dimension, Iraqis see that this visit will reinforce social cohesion among the Iraqi people’s components and reinforce the culture of acceptance of others. However, they are fluctuating in terms of strengthening the national identity at the expense of other identities. Hence, as a conclusion, we see that Iraq before the Pope is not like Iraq after him.

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[1] Pope John Paul II, the 264th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, whose papacy lasted for 26 years from October 16, 1978, to April 2, 2005. During his pontificate, Pope John Paul II traveled extensively, covering hundreds of thousands of miles to meet with believers and build bridges with other religions. He became one of the most widely traveled world leaders in history, visiting 129 countries during his tenure and fostering dialogue between the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglican Church, as well as with the Jewish and Islamic faiths. He aimed to promote a culture of dialogue among various religions and met with religious groups and leaders from different faiths in an effort to find common ground.

                Pope John Paul II initiated the tradition of the Assisi Prayer Meeting (World Day of Prayer for Peace), which was first held in Assisi on October 27, 1986. The event brought together representatives from various religions and denominations, with over 120 participants, for the purpose of praying and fasting for peace. On May 6, 2001, he became the first Catholic Pope to enter and pray in a mosque during his visit to Syria when he visited the Umayyad Mosque. He adhered to Islamic customs by removing his shoes when entering the mosque and kissed the Quran, which garnered widespread popularity among Muslims. He prayed at the shrine of John the Baptist, known as the Prophet Yahya in Islam, and delivered a speech in which he acknowledged historical grievances between Muslims and Christians, offering an apology for past wrongs.

                In 2004, Pope John Paul II organized the “Papal Reconciliation Summit,” bringing together Muslim, Jewish, and Catholic leaders at the Vatican in an effort to promote dialogue and reconciliation among the three Abrahamic faiths (Salloum, 2023a).

[2] Exclusive interview with father Dr. Amir Jajji, a consultant at the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue in the Vatican, in Baghdad, on October 20, 2023.

[3] Monitoring and Combating Hate Speech Center at Masarat Foundation, March 6, 2021.

[4] Al-Joubi is a traditional Iraqi dance performed by a group in a circular formation. It is often practiced during festivals, celebrations, and weddings.

[5] An annex to the regulation on the “care and protection for religious communities” which officially recognized religious communities in Iraq (No. 32 of 1981).

[6] Exclusive interview with Father Dr. Amir Gigi, a consultant at the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue in the Vatican, in Baghdad, on October 20, 2023.

[7] Law No. (5) of 2015 (protection of the rights of components in the Iraqi Kurdistan), issued by a decision taken by Law No. 5 the presidency of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, No. 9 of 2015

[8] Article 2-2 of the Iraqi Constitution recognizes four religions: Islam, Christianity, Yazidi, and Mandaeanism.

[9] Law No. 105 of 1970 on the ban of Baha’i activity, published in the al-Waqae al-Iraqiyah (official gazette of the Republic of Iraq), No. 1880 dated June 2, 1970.

[10] Law No. 141 amending the law on the ban of Baha’i activity No. 105 of 1970, published in the al-Waqae al-Iraqiyah (official gazette of the Republic of Iraq), issue No. 2741, 1979.