In his meeting with Bishop Carvalho, Adnan Fayhan al-Dulaimi emphasized the progress of peaceful coexistence and harmony between different ethnicities and religions in Iraq, the media office of the first deputy speaker of the Iraqi parliament reported.
He and the Portuguese bishop discussed ways to strengthen religious and cultural dialogue to counter intellectual extremism and consolidate the values of tolerance and peaceful coexistence, which can help strengthen bridges of communication and closeness between nations and cultures.
Al-Dulaimi outlined the most important challenges that Iraq has faced, especially the threat of the Daesh (ISIL or ISIS) terrorist group, which also threatened the nations of the region and the world, and said that Iraqis were able to achieve victory thanks to religious authority and solidarity among themselves.
He also emphasized that Iraq today is experiencing an advanced stage of peaceful coexistence and harmony between different segments of society, and the constitution guarantees parliamentary, governmental and diplomatic representation for all ethnic groups and religions.
He then invited the bishop to travel to Iraq to attend the Arbaeen procession to witness firsthand the outstanding manifestations of solidarity and human cooperation.
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Bishop Carvalho, referring to Iraq’s historical position as the cradle of religions and human civilization, praised the values of common faith and tolerance between Muslims and Christians, and lauded the great sacrifices of Iraqis to defend their Christian brothers and protect their churches from the threat of extremism and terrorism.
