Francis condemned the [[persecution of Christians by ISIL]], and supported the use of force to stop Islamic militants from attacking religious minorities in Iraq.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.businessinsider.com/pope-francis-endorses-use-of-force-against-isis-in-iraq-2014-8?IR=T|title= Pope Francis Endorses Use Of Force Against ISIS In Iraq|first= Nicole|last= Winfield|date= 18 August 2014|website= [[Business Insider]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140822013237/http://www.businessinsider.com/pope-francis-endorses-use-of-force-against-isis-in-iraq-2014-8?IR=T|archive-date= 22 August 2014|url-status=live|access-date= 3 June 2015}}</ref> In January 2018, Francis met with a group of [[Yazidi people|Yazidi]] refugees in Europe and, expressed his support for their right to freelyreligious profess their own faith without limitations. In the meetingfreedom, heand alsocalled urgedupon the international community "not to remain a silent and unresponsive spectator" into the face[[Yazidi of [yourgenocide]] tragedy".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bordoni |first1=Linda |title=Pope Francis calls for respect for the rights of the Yazidis |url=https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-01/pope-francis-yazidi-persecuted.html |work=[[Vatican News]] |date=24 January 2018}}</ref>
In February 2019, Francis visited [[Abu Dhabi]], United Arab Emirates, on the invitation of [[Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan]]. Francis became the first pope to hold a papalcelebrate Mass on the [[Arabian Peninsula]], attended by more than 120,000 attendees at the [[Zayed Sports City Stadium]].<ref>{{cite news |work=[[Reuters]]|date=5 February 2019 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pope-emirates/tens-of-thousands-pack-stadium-for-first-papal-mass-on-arabian-peninsula-idUSKCN1PU0H9?il=0|title=Tens of thousands pack stadium for first papal mass on Arabian Peninsula}}</ref>
In March 2021, Pope Francis held a [[Pope Francis's visit to Iraq|historic meeting]] with Iraq's top [[Shi'ite]] cleric, [[Grand Ayatollah]] [[Ali al-Sistani]], and visited [[Ur of the Chaldees|Ur]], a site traditionally identified as the birthplace of the prophet [[Abraham]]. He and the Iraqi cleric urged the Muslim and Christian communities to work together for peaceful coexistence.<ref>{{cite news|author=Philip Pullella|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pope-iraq/pope-francis-holds-historic-meeting-with-iraqs-top-shiite-cleric-idUSKBN2AY07Y|title=Pope, on Iraq visit, decries violence in the name of God as 'greatest blasphemy'|date=6 March 2021|agency=[[Reuters]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/pope-francis-meets-top-shiite-cleric-iraq-76292195 |title=Pope, top Iraq Shiite cleric hold historic, symbolic meeting|access-date=6 March 2021}}</ref>
