HOLY LAND: TWAL (PATRIARCH), “INTERRELIGIOUS MEETING ON JERUSALEM IN DOHA”

Next 2 and 3 February an interreligious dialogue on Jerusalem and religious fanaticism is taking place in Doha, Qatar. SIR got the information from Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal, who would take part in it together with other Melchite and Orthodox religious exponents. “We were invited in Doha – declared the Patriarch; – it is an initiative of the Arab League, which wanted to summon Christian and Muslim leaders to discuss about Jerusalem and religious fanaticism”. According to Twal, this appointment “probably originates from the wave of terror and condemnation sprung from the massacres of Baghdad and Alexandria”. The Patriarch actually says: “a conscience of Muslim leaders on the danger of radicalism originated from, or rather, awakened due to the massacres in Iraq and Egypt. Before such facts, the drift which might be caused by fanaticism is clear. Therefore, it must be faced in an adequate way”.
In this respect, said the patriarch, “in these days, in several Arab newspapers, I read beautiful comments of Muslim intellectuals warning about the risk of religious fanaticism. Every attack on the Christians is an attack on the whole mankind without distinction. In this respect, the great gesture of many Muslims must be appreciated: after the massacre in Alexandria, they went to hospital to give blood to injured Christians. In these dramatic events, the whole sense of humanity of believers emerges: on that foundation, we are asked to build life in common and tolerance together”.

© SIR - jenuary 12 2011