Grand Ayatollah Sistani receives UN High Representative for Alliance of Civilizations

Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani received the UN High-Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, Miguel Angel Moratinos, who is in charge of drawing up the plan of action of the International Organization for the Protection of Religious Sites after the recently-repeated attacks in various places in the world, accompanied by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert.

During the meeting, the Supreme Religious Authority stressed the importance of concerted efforts in promoting a culture of peaceful coexistence, renouncing violence and hatred, and establishing the values of harmony based on maintaining rights and mutual respect among adherents of different religions and intellectual orientations.

The Grand Ayatollah also highlighted the tragedies suffered by many peoples and ethnic and social groups in many parts of the world as a result of the intellectual and religious persecution practiced against them, the suppression of basic freedoms and the absence of social justice.

The Supreme Religious Authority called for addressing these phenomena and working for bringing stability and justice in all the communities in a bid to end extremism.