Friday, November 11, 2005

Iraqi President Talabani meets Pope Benedict; assures Iraq constitution will protect Christians

AP via Yahoo! News

Iraqi President Meets Pope Benedict XVI
Thu Nov 10, 8:40 AM ET

VATICAN CITY - Iraqi President Jalal Talabani met Thursday with Pope Benedict XVI amid tight security that closed down the main boulevard leading to the Vatican.

Talabani is on a weeklong visit to Italy and has met with the country's top officials, including Premier Silvio Berlusconi.

Benedict met with Iraq's foreign minister in August and discussed religious freedom in Iraq and the country's constitution.

The Vatican has expressed concern about Iraq's constitution, fearing that any legal system based on Islamic law might not guarantee the rights of religious minorities.

Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said after his Aug. 25 meeting with the pope that he had sought to assure the pontiff that the constitution would aim to safeguard religious freedom for all Iraqis.
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FOXNews.com

Iraqi President Makes Assurances to Pope
Thursday, November 10, 2005

VATICAN CITY — Iraqi President Jalal Talabani met with Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday and sought to assure him that the rights of Christians and other religious minorities are guaranteed under Iraq's new constitution.

The Vatican has expressed concern about the constitution, which promises religious freedom for all, but says Islam is "a fundamental source" of legislation for Iraq. The Vatican fears that any legal system based on Islamic law might not protect the rights of religious minorities.
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