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Anti-Empire

offsite link North Korea Increases Aid to Russia, Mos... Tue Nov 19, 2024 12:29 | Marko Marjanovi?

offsite link Trump Assembles a War Cabinet Sat Nov 16, 2024 10:29 | Marko Marjanovi?

offsite link Slavgrinder Ramps Up Into Overdrive Tue Nov 12, 2024 10:29 | Marko Marjanovi?

offsite link ?Existential? Culling to Continue on Com... Mon Nov 11, 2024 10:28 | Marko Marjanovi?

offsite link US to Deploy Military Contractors to Ukr... Sun Nov 10, 2024 02:37 | Field Empty

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The Saker
A bird's eye view of the vineyard

offsite link Alternative Copy of thesaker.is site is available Thu May 25, 2023 14:38 | Ice-Saker-V6bKu3nz
Alternative site: https://thesaker.si/saker-a... Site was created using the downloads provided Regards Herb

offsite link The Saker blog is now frozen Tue Feb 28, 2023 23:55 | The Saker
Dear friends As I have previously announced, we are now “freezing” the blog.? We are also making archives of the blog available for free download in various formats (see below).?

offsite link What do you make of the Russia and China Partnership? Tue Feb 28, 2023 16:26 | The Saker
by Mr. Allen for the Saker blog Over the last few years, we hear leaders from both Russia and China pronouncing that they have formed a relationship where there are

offsite link Moveable Feast Cafe 2023/02/27 ? Open Thread Mon Feb 27, 2023 19:00 | cafe-uploader
2023/02/27 19:00:02Welcome to the ‘Moveable Feast Cafe’. The ‘Moveable Feast’ is an open thread where readers can post wide ranging observations, articles, rants, off topic and have animate discussions of

offsite link The stage is set for Hybrid World War III Mon Feb 27, 2023 15:50 | The Saker
Pepe Escobar for the Saker blog A powerful feeling rhythms your skin and drums up your soul as you?re immersed in a long walk under persistent snow flurries, pinpointed by

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Lockdown Skeptics

The Daily Sceptic

offsite link Disney?s Snow White Projected to Lose Staggering $115 Million Tue Apr 01, 2025 20:00 | Will Jones
Disney's woke Snow White makeover is set to lose a staggering $115 million at the box office, according to distribution sources cited by Deadline.
The post Disney’s Snow White Projected to Lose Staggering $115 Million appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link The Irresponsibility of ?Sex Ed? Providers is Staggering ? Take a Look at Brook Tue Apr 01, 2025 17:57 | Caroline Ffiske
It's no surprise that schoolchildren are being suspended for being 'transphobic', says Caroline Ffiske. Harmful gender pseudoscience is still being taught in schools thanks to taxpayer-funded sex-ed providers like Brook.
The post The Irresponsibility of ‘Sex Ed’ Providers is Staggering ? Take a Look at Brook appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Is the UK Heading Towards a Cultural Collapse? Tue Apr 01, 2025 16:19 | Sallust
A visitor to the UK from Australia is worried, seeing widening social, political and economic fractures that leave the UK in danger of a cultural collapse. Hope is not lost, she says, but it is quickly draining away.
The post Is the UK Heading Towards a Cultural Collapse? appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link No Free Trade with US Without Free Speech, State Department Warns Starmer Tue Apr 01, 2025 14:01 | Will Jones
Keir Starmer?s free trade deal with the US is at risk over free speech after the US State Department warned there would be "no free trade without free speech" ? but Whitehall officials have dismissed it as a bluff.
The post No Free Trade with US Without Free Speech, State Department Warns Starmer appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link April Fools Round-Up Tue Apr 01, 2025 11:54 | Will Jones
The problem with April Fools' Day is half the stories the rest of the year seem like they should appear on April 1st. We've compiled a round-up of joke stories ? and a few real ones that really shouldn't be.
The post April Fools Round-Up appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

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Voltaire Network
Voltaire, international edition

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N?126 Fri Mar 28, 2025 11:39 | en

offsite link The International Conference on Combating Anti-Semitism by Amichai Chikli and Na... Fri Mar 28, 2025 11:31 | en

offsite link Western Europeans Deprived of Defense, by Thierry Meyssan Tue Mar 25, 2025 06:04 | en

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N?125 Fri Mar 21, 2025 11:48 | en

offsite link The London Virtual Summit for Ukraine Fri Mar 21, 2025 11:19 | en

Voltaire Network >>

Pope Visits Iraq Amidst COVID Crisis, Conflict, Soaring Poverty and Struggling Economy

category international | politics / elections | press release author Friday March 05, 2021 21:36author by Zachary Conti - Jubilee USA Report this post to the editors

Shia Muslim Leader and Pope to Meet

Pope Francis kicks off a 3-day Iraq tour and meetings with Muslim leaders, government officials and representatives of the country's dwindling Christian population.

Shia Muslim Leader and Pope to Meet

Pope Francis kicks off a 3-day Iraq tour and meetings with Muslim leaders, government officials and representatives of the country's dwindling Christian population. Since the coronavirus pandemic began, Iraq saw poverty numbers climb to 37% and an estimated 11% contraction in its economy.

"Iraq was already struggling before the pandemic hit and now the suffering is even worse," stated the Executive Director of the religious development group Jubilee USA Network, Eric LeCompte. LeCompte advises the Vatican and Catholic leaders on economic issues. "The coronavirus crisis for Iraq means poverty has doubled and the country can't make debt payments and also pay workers."

In February the International Monetary Fund reported the COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant decline in the country's main revenue source, oil. Coupled with challenges of corruption, the Fund estimated the downturn of Iraq's 2020 economy by 11%.

"The Pope's visit brings hope as Iraq's people suffer from the pandemic, conflict, corruption, soaring food prices and increasing poverty," shared LeCompte. "Like too many countries, it will take Iraq's economy years to rebound to pre-pandemic levels. Iraq's pre-pandemic economy wasn't great and already had too much suffering."

The IMF forecasts that Iraq's debt will steadily rise through 2023 and could see pre-pandemic economic outputs in 2024.

On Saturday, Pope Francis travels to Iraq's holiest city, Najaf, to meet with Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani who leads Iraq's Shia Muslims.

"The meeting between Ayatollah Sistani and Pope Francis signifies the Pope's commitment to tackle world problems with people of all faiths," stated LeCompte whose organization is composed of multiple faith groups including Muslims, Jews and Christians. "The Pope took the name Francis after the famed St. Francis who met with the Muslim Sultan Malek al-Kamil in 1219. The meeting between St. Francis and Sultan al-Kamil is a symbol for Pope Francis of the critical importance of interfaith dialogue."

Iraq is the birthplace of the Prophet Abraham, an important figure for Jews, Muslims and Christians.

Read the IMF's recent report on Iraq here.

Related Link: https://www.jubileeusa.org/pr_pope_iraq_covid_poverty
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