Some news out of Iraq? Sinan Mahmoud (THE NATIONAL) reports:
Iraq has issued commemorative stamps marking the first papal visit to the country.
On March 5, Pope Francis began a three-day visit to Iraq, where he met senior government officials as well as community leaders from different religions and held prayers and Masses.
One of the stamps announced on Monday by the Iraqi Ministry of Communication, which runs the postal service, shows the smiling Pope raising his right hand, with a map of Iraq in the background.
KIRKUK NOW notes the stamps in question:
Pope Francis made a historic visit to Iraq. It was the first visit ever by a sitting Pope. And yet? The press spent week after week ahead of the visit tut-tutting. It wasn't good for Iraq, they insisted. He was putting people at risk. You'll notice that there's been none of that 'concern' with regards to the 40,000 or so Iranians that the Iraqi government plans to allow entry starting September 27th for Arba'ean. 40,000 people walking through Iraq.
It is a pandemic. Still, it is a pandemic.
But no objection. No outcry. No 'thought' pieces on the wisdom of it.
For the record, we support the rights of anyone to make a religious pilgrimage but we also supported the Pope's visit. We're not being hypocrites. The Western press can't say the same and it's one more example of how they don't play fair and how people are noticing.
