Patriarch of Jerusalem visits Qatar

The patriarch of Jerusalem and Middle East for the Orthodox Church, Thionoris I, emphasized that his first visit to Qatar comes at the invitation of Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa al-Thani, saying, "My visit to Qatar comes to know this country in which our sons enjoy stability, justice and welfare, and I did not come here to build a church or a house."

He added, "The Islamic - Christian relations will remain fraternal, based on mutual respect and confidence, and we greet our sons who live here as they adhere to the values ... of this country."

Regarding what is seen by some as Israeli attempts to create riots between the Moslems and Christians in Jerusalem, he said, "We in Palestine are intimate brothers, Moslems and Christians, and there were attempts to separate us yet they failed for riots between us and the Moslems are not possible."