Brothers with Islam, yes to peace - pope

(ANSA) - Vatican City, February 4 - Pope Francis tweeted Tuesday, the first anniversary of a historic document he signed with the grand imam of Al-Azhar Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, that "the Document on Human Fraternity, signed a year ago, wrote a new page in the dialogue between religions and persons of good will.
    "As sisters and brothers we want to say no to violence and promote together peace, life and religious freedom".
    The pope also said humanity should hope for a future "free from hatred".
    "Today we celebrate the first anniversary of this great humanitarian event, hoping for a better future for humanity, a future free from hate, rancour, extremism and terrorism, in which the values of peace, love and fraternity may prevail". Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar signed the Document on Human Fraternity on 4 February 2019.
    It highlights the need for a sense of fraternity amongst all men and women of goodwill who are invited to promote justice and peace, guaranteeing human rights and religious freedom.
    The "Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together", signed in Abu Dhabi a year ago by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, was widely hailed as a milestone, not only regarding relations between Christianity and Islam, but as a blue-print indicating the way to a culture of dialogue and collaboration between faiths.
    It is an appeal to put an end to wars and condemns the scourges of terrorism and violence, especially those perpetrated by religious motivations. "Faith," the preface reads, "leads a believer to see in the other a brother or sister to be supported and loved".
    "It is a text that has been given honest and serious thought so as to be a joint declaration of good and heartfelt aspirations. "It is a document that invites all persons who have faith in God and faith in human fraternity to unite and work together so that it may serve as a guide for future generations to advance a culture of mutual respect in the awareness of the great divine grace that makes all human beings brothers and sisters.
    "(Document on Human Fraternity)".