SHIA MUSLIM FOUNDATION APPLAUDS POPE LEO XIV'S CALL FOR CEASEFIRE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

SMF Joins the Pontiff in Urging an Immediate End to Violence and a Return to Dialogue

WASHINGTON, D.C. The Shia Muslim Foundation (SMF) today praised Pope Leo XIV for his bold and morally unambiguous call for a ceasefire in the ongoing U.S. and Israeli war against Iran. Speaking during his Sunday Angelus prayer at the Vatican, the Pope delivered his strongest statement since the conflict began seventeen days ago, and SMF stands fully behind it.

“On behalf of the Christians of the Middle East and all women and men of good will, I appeal to those responsible for this conflict. Cease fire so that avenues for dialogue may be reopened. Violence can never lead to the justice, stability, and peace that the people are waiting for." — Pope Leo XIV, Angelus Address, March 15, 2026

The Pope’s remarks arrive as civilian casualties mount across the region. Iranian authorities and rights organizations estimate that between 1,200 and 1,300 civilians have been killed since hostilities began on February 28. Among the most devastating incidents was a missile strike on a girls’ elementary school in Minab, Iran, on the first day of the conflict, which killed an estimated 165 to 180 people, most of them children. The Vatican’s own newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, ran an aerial photograph of the mass grave being dug for those young victims under the headline “The Face of War.” The Pope specifically referenced attacks on schools, hospitals, and residential areas, and renewed his closeness to the families of those killed.

As an organization rooted in the Shia Muslim tradition and committed to the dignity of all human life, SMF echoes the Pope’s appeal without reservation. The killing of civilians, regardless of nationality, religion, or political affiliation, is intolerable. The destruction of schools and hospitals is not a military strategy; it is a moral catastrophe. We call on the United States, Israel, and Iran to heed this call for a ceasefire and to pursue every available avenue of diplomacy before more lives are lost.

“The Pope has said plainly what many world leaders have been unwilling to say: this violence has to stop,” said Rahat Husain, Executive Director of the Shia Muslim Foundation. “We share his conviction that no lasting justice, no genuine stability, and no real peace can emerge from the barrel of a gun. The people of Iran, Lebanon, and the entire Middle East deserve better than this. We add our voice to the chorus rising from every faith and every corner of the world: the bloodshed must end.”

SMF also shares the Pope’s deep concern for Lebanon, where the spillover from the Iran conflict has triggered what aid organizations are describing as a humanitarian crisis. More than 800,000 people have been displaced. The Pope called for paths of dialogue that can support Lebanon’s authorities in finding lasting solutions, and SMF joins in that appeal, particularly on behalf of the vulnerable civilian populations caught in the crossfire.

The Shia Muslim Foundation was founded in 2020 and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., dedicated to Shia Muslim civic rights, policy advocacy, and humanitarian welfare. SMF urges all parties to the conflict to immediately pursue a ceasefire and return to the negotiating table.