Pope Francis opened his historic visit to the United Arab Emirates on Monday with a pomp-filled welcome ceremony before he was to address faith leaders in a show of religious tolerance in a Muslim region known for its restrictions on religious freedom. Pope Francis opened his historic visit to the United Arab Emirates on Monday with a pomp-filled welcome ceremony before he was to address faith leaders in a show of religious tolerance in a Muslim region known for its restrictions on religious freedom. Francis stood between Abu Dhabi’s powerful crown prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the Emirati vice president and prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, as the Vatican and Emirati anthems played and delegations were introduced. In a sign that regional politics was playing a not-insignificant role in Francis’ visit, the papal plane flew north of Qatar and around the peninsular, energy-rich nation on his flight Sunday. Four Arab nations — Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — have been boycotting Qatar since June 2017 as part of a regional political dispute.

Source: Irish Independent February 04, 2019 07:18 UTC