The Pope also won the hearts of Palestinians during his pilgrimage here, when he visited a refugee camp and called for the creation of a Palestinian state. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas described John Paul as "a great religious figure who devoted his life to defending the values of peace, freedom, justice and equality for all races and religions, as well as our people's right to independence." Grand Mufti Ikrima Sabri, the top Moslem cleric in Jerusalem, said the Pope's death is "a loss for the world, the Catholic Church, peace and lovers of freedom."