VATICAN (Agencies): After missiles struck Irbil, the capital of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, on January 15, killing at least four people and wounding six, Pope Francis expressed “my sympathy and solidarity with the victims, all civilians, of the rocket attack.”
CNS reported that at the end of his general audience in the Paul VI Audience Hall on January 17, the pope called for dialogue and cooperation between neighbouring nations and appealed for restraint against any actions that could escalate tensions in the Middle East.
“Good relations between neighbours are not built with such actions but with dialogue and cooperation,” he said.
“I ask everyone to avoid any step that increases tension in the Middle East and other scenarios of war,” he added.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards launched 11 ballistic missiles at the Kurdish region in northern Iraq, late on January 15 targeting what it said were Israeli “spy headquarters” in Irbil and launched four other missiles at locations allegedly linked to the Islamic State group in northern Syria, according to the Associated Press.
Good relations between neighbours are not built with such actions but with dialogue and cooperation
Pope Francis
Louis Cardinal Sako, the Iraq-based patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, said the attack on innocent lives was “reckless and irresponsible … a blatant violation of the country’s sovereignty and people’s lives and a grave sin according to Islamic law.”
Cardinal Sako said, “The responsibility of states, their forums and peoples is to promote the values of peace and coexistence, and to achieve a dignified and happy life for citizens, and not to create wars and conflicts that do not bring peace,” in a statement published on the patriarchate’s website.
“The civilised method for resolving outstanding problems is dialogue, tolerance and mutual respect,” he added.
Meanwhile, AP reported that Masrour Barzani, prime minister of the Kurdish region, told reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 16, “There is no reason for these attacks and there is no excuse. These attacks should not remain without a response.”
At his general audience, the pope asked people to not forget all countries in the world that are at war. “Let us not forget Ukraine, let us not forget Palestine, Israel, let us not forget the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip who are suffering so much.”
The responsibility of states, their forums and peoples is to promote the values of peace and coexistence, and to achieve a dignified and happy life for citizens, and not to create wars and conflicts that do not bring peace
Cardinal Sako
Pope Francis said, “Let us pray for so many victims of war, so many victims. War always destroys, war does not sow love, it sows hatred. War is a true human defeat.”
In related news, on January 17, Pakistan recalled its ambassador from Iran and blocked Tehran’s envoy from returning to Islamabad after an Iranian air strike killed two children in the west of the country on January 16, UCAN reported.
Iranian news agency Mehrnews claimed that the missile and drone attack was targeted at the headquarters of an Iranian terror group in Pakistan, calling it “another decisive step was taken by Iran in response to the aggression against the security of our country.”
Denouncing the attack, a spokesperson for Pakistan Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, said, “Last night’s unprovoked and blatant breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty by Iran is a violation of international law and the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.”
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iran’s foreign minister, speaking on the sidelines of the World Ecomic Forum, insisted the attack was against “Iranian terrorist group” Jaish al-Adl in Pakistan.
“None of the nationals of the friendly and brotherly country of Pakistan were targeted by Iranian missiles and drones,” Abdollahian said.
