ROME (AP) — Pope Francis broke his silence on Monday over the nationwide protests roiling Iran, condemning its resort to the death penalty there and describing the rallies as demonstrations “demanding greater respect for the dignity of women”. legalized as such.
Francis made the remarks in an annual address to ambassadors accredited to the Vatican, a foreign policy speech that the pope gives at the beginning of each year outlining the areas of greatest concern to the Holy See.
In his remarks, Francis linked the Vatican’s opposition to abortion to the death penalty, saying that both violate the fundamental right to life. Francis has changed church teaching on the death penalty, ruling it is “unacceptable” under all circumstances.
“The right to life is at risk even in places where the death penalty is being carried out, as is happening these days in Iran, following recent demonstrations demanding greater respect for the dignity of women,” Francis said. “
“The death penalty cannot be employed for a purported state justice, as it neither constitutes a deterrent nor renders justice to the victims, but only kindles the thirst for vengeance.”
His comments marked his first public comments regarding the protests that erupted in Iran in mid-September over the death of Mahsa Amini. A 22-year-old woman has died after being arrested by Iran’s morality police for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code. Women have played a prominent role in the protests, with many publicly removing the mandatory Islamic headscarf known as the hijab.
People gather near a burning motorcycle on October 8, 2022 in Tehran, Iran. (AFP)
At least four people have been killed since the demonstrations began, following an internationally criticized, rapid, closed-door trial.
At least 519 people have been killed in months of protests in Iran, while more than 19,200 others have been arrested, according to human rights activists in Iran, a group that has been monitoring the protests since their beginning. It poses one of the biggest challenges to Iran’s Shia theocracy since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Given his efforts to promote dialogue with the Muslim world, Francis has been careful not to call out Iran’s government. Francis has built a strong relationship with the imam of Al-Azhar University in Cairo, the seat of Sunni learning. But his efforts to negotiate with the Shia world have been more circumspect, although he did hold a historic meeting in 2021 with the Iranian-born Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the top Shia cleric in Iraq.
There was no immediate reaction to Francis’ remarks, although Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for a “strong” response to the ongoing demonstrations in Tehran on Monday. He said those who set fire to public places had “without a doubt” committed treason – a crime that carries the death penalty in the Islamic republic. He also reiterated an allegation that foreign powers had fueled the unrest, without providing evidence to support the claim.
Khamenei’s comments may encourage authorities to continue harshly punishing detainees.
Francis noted Iran’s opposition to the overall lament that women are treated as “second-class citizens” in many parts of the world.
A demonstrator holds a portrait of Mahsa Amini during a demonstration in support of Amini, a young Iranian woman who was killed after being arrested in Tehran by the Islamic Republic’s morality police on Istiklal Avenue in Istanbul on September 20, 2022. (Ozan Kos/AFP)
“They are subject to violence and abuse, and are denied the opportunity to study, work, employ their talents, and access health care and even food,” he said. While Francis has appointed women to several high-ranking jobs in the Vatican, some women say they too are treated as second-class citizens in the Catholic Church because they cannot be ordained priests.
Francis mentioned Iran in his remarks, lamenting the continued threat posed by nuclear weapons in Russia’s war in Ukraine, but also in the breakdown of talks over Iran’s nuclear program. Francis has changed church teaching to declare that not only the use of nuclear weapons, but their possession is immoral.
He said the stalling of Iran talks was a matter of “particular concern”. “It is my hope that a concrete solution can be reached as soon as possible to ensure a more secure future,” the Pope said.
Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful, although it now enriches uranium to near weapons-grade levels and has evaded international monitoring of its nuclear activities in recent years since the collapse of its nuclear deal with world powers. quite limited.
In his remarks, Francis listed conflicts, natural disasters and migration crises affecting the planet, but also threats to democracy – particularly in the US.
Demonstrators, supporters of Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro, storm the Supreme Court building in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023. (AP/Eraldo Perez)
Making a last-minute change to his speech, he added “the events taking place in Brazil in recent hours”, a reference to the thousands of former President Jair Bolsonaro’s supporters who stormed Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace in the country. ruined the highest seats of power.
“In many areas, a sign of the weakening of democracy is the growing political and social polarization, which does not help solve the immediate problems of citizens,” he said. “I think of various countries in the Americas where political crises are fueled by tensions and forms of violence that escalate social conflicts.”
In addition to Brazil, he cited Peru and Haiti as saying “there is a continuing need to overcome partisan modes of thought and work to promote the common good.”
