Pope calls for religious freedom, rails against 'fake news' during historic visit to UAE
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pope Francis is flanked by Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, the grand imam of Egypt's Al-Azhar as they arrive for an Interreligious meeting at the Founder's Memorial in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Monday, Feb. 4, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Pope Francis warned against "fake news" and called for full religious freedom at an interfaith meeting in the United Arab Emirates as part of the first-ever papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula, the birthplace of Islam, as part of a three-day trip in a region known for its restrictions on non-Muslims.
On Monday, the pope addressed an interfaith gathering -- aimed at building bridges between Muslims and Christians -- in which the Holy Father called for all religious leaders to reject war and commit themselves to dialogue.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We will either build the future together or there will not be a future," Francis said. "The time has come when religions should more actively exert themselves, with courage and audacity, and without pretense, to help the human family deepen the capacity for reconciliation, the vision of hope and the concrete paths of peace."
Pope Francis hugs Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, the grand imam of Egypt's Al-Azhar, after an Interreligious meeting at the Founder's Memorial in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Monday, Feb. 4, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
The head of the Sunni Islam's highest seat of learning echoed the pope's message, adding that all faiths denounce terrorism in all its forms and that acts of terrorism are carried out by criminals, not by true believers of God.
Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, the head of Al-Azhar, said the media portrayed Islam as a "bloodthirsty" religion after 9/11, adding that Muslims paid a heavy price for the acts of a few.
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The Muslim Council of Elders and the pope met and recognized efforts by Pope Francis and al-Tayeb to foster peace.
Earlier in the day, the Holy Father arrived at the presidential palace in a small Kia hatchback, welcomed by Abu Dhabi's crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Emirati vice president and prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in a pomp-filled welcome ceremony that included horse-mounted guards, canons, and a flyover.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pope Francis and Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, left, attend an Interreligious meeting at the Founder's Memorial in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Monday, Feb. 4, 2019. Pope Francis arrived in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. His visit represents the first papal trip ever to the Arabian Peninsula, the birthplace of Islam. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
The Emirates' support for Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen, which has caused the world's worst humanitarian crisis, and the UAE's problematic record on human rights and labor violations at home likely will get a pass — at least in public.
Prior to his departure, the pope called for an end to Yemen's humanitarian crisis, saying the "cries of these children and their parents rise up" to God.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The UAE professes a moderate form of Islam and has a Ministry of Tolerance. The nation even declared 2019 "The Year of Tolerance," but non-Muslims cannot profess their faith in the media or try to spread it, as conversion from Islam is illegal. Even so, the country stands out in a region where Christians are persecuted and their numbers are dwindling, and the pope hopes his visit encourages UAE to build more churches for the estimated one million Roman Catholic migrants in the country.
Pope Francis is welcomed by Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, upon his arrival at the Abu Dhabi airport, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Feb. 3, 2019. Francis traveled to Abu Dhabi to participate in a conference on interreligious dialogue sponsored the Emirates-based Muslim Council of Elders, an initiative that seeks to counter religious fanaticism by promoting a moderate brand of Islam. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, Pool)
The pope's visit is a "dream come true" for most of the Christian minority that comes from foreign countries working in the UAE as construction workers, housekeepers, and oil-industry employees, according to The National, a state-linked, newspaper in Abu Dhabi.
His trip culminates on Tuesday with a huge papal Mass at the city's sports stadium expected to draw some 135,000 faithful in a never-before-seen display of public Christian worship here.
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Rev. Andrew Thompson of St. Andrew's Anglican Church in Abu Dhabi said his congregation was excited for Pope Francis' Mass on Tuesday.
Thompson said: "My congregation is so happy we are witnessing what will be the biggest Christian act of worship in the history of the Arabian Gulf, and we are excited to be a part of that."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Associated Press contributed to this report.