UN special envoy to Iraq met with grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Sistani, senior Shia leader

Martin Kobler, UN special envoy to Iraq met with grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Sistani, senior Iraqi Shia leader and said the UN supports the holy shrine of Imam Ali (AS), first Shia Imam and cousin of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) to be registered in UNESCO World Heritage list. 

Ban Ki-moon’s special envoy to Iraq referred to his different feelings in his visits to the holy city of Najaf and hailed the reconstruction projects around the Shia holy shrine. 

He said the place has to be protected and honored by world communities and vowed to support the necessary measures for the holy place to join World Heritage list soon. 

The UN representative and Ayatollah Sistani are said to have agreed on resolving the crisis in the country through dialogue and away from sectarian approach in political discourse. 

An informed source revealed, Kobler visited Imam Ali shrine before heading meet with the al-Sistani.

By: Mohammed On 4/18/2013 09:44:00 am

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Ban Ki-moon condemns Shias killings in Pakistan

The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned the killing of 20 Shia Muslims in a bus attack in northern Pakistan.

In a released statement on Thursday, Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky said the UN leader slammed the "appalling" attack. 

"The secretary general expresses his outrage over such deliberate attacks on people due to their religious beliefs in Pakistan," said the statement. "He also extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Pakistan." 

Gunmen dragged the Shia passengers off a bus in the northwestern district of Mansehra on Thursday and killed them at point blank range. Several others were injured during the attack. The victims were going from Rawalpindi to Gilgit -- a heavily-Shia-populated area. 

Meanwhile, on the same day at least three more Shia Muslims were killed by gunmen in the city of Quetta in the southwestern Pakistani province of Balochistan. 

Following the attack, hundreds of Pakistani people took to the streets in the southern city of Karachi to protest against the killings of Shia Muslims. 

Hundreds of Shia Muslims have been killed in various parts of the violence-hit country over the past few months.

By: Admin On 8/18/2012 12:09:00 am

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