Pope Francis was invited to visit the Arabian Peninsula in a campaign to promote tolerance and fight against extremism, the United Arab Emirates' ambassador to the U.S. Yousef Al Otaiba wrote for Politico Magazine.
"The Pope's visit will send a strong signal across the region and world: People with different beliefs can live, work, and worship together," Amb. Al Otaiba wrote. "Reverence, respect and compassion are core common values. Prayer is both uniting and unifying."
He added religion in the Middle East has become "a treacherous fault line," pointing to the "menace of extremism."
"As the birthplace of the three Abrahamic religions, the Middle East today has become a cauldron of conflict among and within them," he wrote. "Religion today is a treacherous fault line that divides the region.
"But the true faith of Muslims, Christians, and Jews has never been about hate or fanaticism. There is no clash of civilizations or ideas – only a rash of ignorance and a deficit of courage and moral leadership."
Amb. Al Otaiba wrote this is the Pope's first UAE visit in history.
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