Iraq: Macron visits Mosul four years after liberation from Islamic State

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French President Emmanuel Macron visited the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Sunday, four years after it was liberated from the Islamic State (IS; formerly ISIS, ISIL).

“Mosul was the heart indeed of the attacks and ISIS terrorism. And it happened on behalf of religion. It is a perversion of religion,” Macron said. “Daesh had for first victims Muslim people, and this is a matter of fact,” he added.

Macron visited the remains of the largely damaged Our Lady of the Hour Church in Mosul, calling for Iraq’s religious communities to ‘work together’ with the UN’s cultural agency UNESCO to rebuild the country.

“We will do whatever we can, shoulder to shoulder with the government of the region and with the Iraqi government to fight IS terrorism,” said Macron.

ISIS controlled the city of Mosul from June 2014 to July 2017, before the Iraqi forces liberated the city after a nine-month battle. The fiercest fighting took place in the old city of Mosul, leaving plenty of buildings, including ancient churches and monasteries, in ruin.

Macron’s visit comes a day after the French President announced his intention to maintain French troops in Iraq regardless of a US decision.

SOUNDBITES:

SOT, Emmanuel Macron, French president: “Mosul was the heart indeed of the attacks and ISIS terrorism. And it happened on behalf of religion. It is a perversion of religion. And Daesh had for first victims Muslim people, and this is a matter of fact. We were heard as French people of Daesh because I will not forget that from this caliphate, from this very region, the terrorist attacks made in France on November 15. Basically, the trial in a few days, for the victims in Paris, was organised from the Iraqi…”

SOT, Emmanuel Macron, French president: “So, all of us were attacked, hurt, with a lot of our brothers and sisters killed by Daesh. And Daesh did it on behalf of our religion, a true perversion. And a message I want to make very clear is that we will do whatever we can, shoulder to shoulder with the government of the region and with the Iraqi government to fight the IS terrorism. Because there is no peace, no stability. Any religion can not live with terrorism.”

SOT, Emmanuel Macron, French president: “Because of a lack of education and respect between people and different religion. And I think this is the work we have to do, at the same time fight the terrorists. It is about restore respect, common knowledge, education, health and economy opportunities in the region.”

SOT, Emmanuel Macron, French president: “We were with the Christians a few minutes ago. We are in the Sunnite mosque, yesterday I was in the Shiite mosque in Bagdad. Before leaving, I wanted to pay this tribute to each community. I spoke, and I will speak with the Jesuits as well, and my message is that we want to work with the different continents with the spirit of respect and the willingness to help, to rebuild, to restore, to refinance schools, and to help of mutual respect and mutual knowledge because this is the only way to work together.”

#Macron #Mosul #Iraq

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