The semiotics of published images of the Pope’s visit to Iraq

Abstract

The visit of the Pope of the Vatican, Pope Francis, to Iraq is considered an important historical event, from March 5 to 8, 2021. This was the first visit of its kind by a Pope of the Vatican to Iraq, and aimed to promote interfaith dialogue and support Christians in Iraq after years of conflict and violence. The Pope met with a number of religious and political figures in Iraq, including Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi and the supreme Shiite authority, Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani. He also visited important religious sites, such as the ancient city of Ur, which is believed to be the birthplace of the Prophet Abraham. The visit was distinguished by the message of peace and reconciliation sent by the Pope, as he called for peaceful coexistence between different sects and religions in Iraq. He also expressed the Vatican’s support for Christians in Iraq who suffered from displacement and violence at the hands of ISIS. Francis’ visit to Iraq was a symbol of hope and understanding between different religions and communities in the region, and was an opportunity to highlight the preservation of cultural and religious diversity in Iraq. The researcher adopted a qualitative approach by analyzing the published images with a semantic analysis according to semiotics. Roland Barthes, eight photos were selected, published in Iraqi, Arab and international channels and institutions, with different meanings and locations, relying on a studied method, and the photos were analyzed on three levels, and the researcher reached the following conclusions: The Pope's visit is one of the important economic doors for the country through the influx of Christians who make pilgrimages to the house of the Prophet Abraham, peace be upon him, in Dhi Qar Governorate, southern Iraq, which encourages investors to invest in many activities that guarantee economic returns that help the country, in addition to analyzing the photographs with a semiotic approach, which interprets symbols as a central term in semiotics, as photographs are in themselves visual symbols and contain symbols that have meaning.