Iranian Cleric Acclaims Ayatollah Sistani’s Prudent Stances in Meeting with Pope

In remarks on Wednesday, deputy head of the Leader’s office for international relations, Hojjatoleslam Mohsen Qomi, said Ayatollah Sistani’s prudent stances expressed in the recent meeting with the Pope brought glory to Islam.

Lauding the Iraqi cleric’s criticism of occupation of Palestine’s holy city of al-Quds (Jerusalem), Qomi said such emphasis given by the popular Shiite cleric has stymied plots for the normalization of ties with the Zionist regime.

The Iranian official also praised Ayatollah Sistani for expressing dissatisfaction with the situation resulting from poverty, underdevelopment, prejudice and sanctions and for stressing that religious leaders need to fulfill their duties.

Pointing to the Pope’s admiration for Ayatollah Sistani for protecting the lives of Christians, Qomi expressed hope for the removal of obstacles to cooperation between Islam and Christianity, including policies fomenting Islamophobia in the West.

Pope Francis concluded his four-day journey to Iraq on Monday. 

The pontiff met with Ayatollah Sistani on Saturday, following which two statements were released by their offices, which caught the attention of many observers.

Ayatollah Sistani, according to the statement, laid emphasis on the observance of equity and the role of belief in God in resolving the predicaments which aggrieve humanity.

He touched on the role played by the religious authority in protecting Christians and all those who have suffered from the criminal acts of terrorists over the past years.

The cleric also expressed his outright rejection of sanctions, and underlined the need to address the plight of the Palestinian people, who have been suffering from decades of Israeli occupation and aggression.