An international delegation is on a special visit to Iraq to reveal the unity of the Iraqi people in their war against ISIS.
The delegation consists of the Chairman of the UK-based Ramadan Foundation His Excellency Sheikh Muhammad Umar ibn Ramadan, Retired Malaysian Army Chief General Dato Mohd Azumi, Director of King Fahad Mosque in America Mohammed Khan and British journalist from the International Business Times (IBTimes) Callum Paton.
“Our visit to Iraq is to help unite the Shias and Sunnis around the world and to dispel the myths portrayed by the enemies of Islam,” stated Khan referring to the Religious Authority’s vital role in unifying and protecting the people of Iraq.
Hassan al-Jouboury, head of International Media Division of Imam Hussein Holy Shrine, said, “We aspire for this visit to uncover the true peaceful face of Islam and at the same time exposing the falsehood and evil ideology of ISIS.”
After attending the Friday Sermon at Karbala, the delegation headed towards Salahuddin Province to formerly-occupied city of Tikrit to the location of the 2014 Speicher Base Massacre in which more than 1700 Iraqi Air force cadets were brutally executed by ISIS. Then a meeting was conducted with the Deputy Secretary-General of al-Askaryain Holy Shrine in the holy city of Samarra clarifying the role of the Sunni and Shia soldiers in protecting the holy shrine.
After Salahuddin province, the delegation toured the shrines of Imam Musa al-Kadhum and Muhammad al-Jawad, Abu Hanifa and Abdul-Qadir al-Gilani in Baghdad. In Karada district at the headquarters of Babelyoon Christian PMU Brigade, Commander Rayan al-Kildani asserted that every citizen regardless of their religion must defend his nation and family and that their Christian volunteer fighters are currently fighting alongside their Muslim brothers at the frontlines against ISIS. The final stop in Baghdad was at the Kasnazan IDP camp in Doura, which houses more than 525 displaced families from Anbar, Salahuddin and even Mosul after ISIS captured their land. The delegation listened to some families’ testimonies that explained how ISIS has no religion and kills anyone without any exceptions.
Lastly, the delegation went to the City of Imam Ali, Najaf. After receiving blessings from the Commander of the Faithful and offering prayers to the deceased and martyred at the Valley of Peace, a seminar on interfaith was held at the University of Kufa with the participation of academics, high-ranking officials and religious figures.
The International Media Division of Imam Hussein Holy Shrine continues with its ‘Revealing Reality Project’, a project launched in the first quarter of 2014 that aims at revealing the unity of Iraqis in the war against ISIS through inviting prominent religious scholars and journalists from around the world on a special visit to Iraq. A tailored program is then implemented where the invited delegation meets with Sunni and Shia scholars, soldiers in the Iraqi Army and the PMU as well as Internally Displaced People (IDP).