Faithful Muslims and Christians are the hope of the nation, says Al-Awa

By Hany Mohammad, IOL Staff

CAIRO, December 18 (IslamOnline)  - Participants in the three-day Islamic-Christian dialogue, which kicked  off Tuesday, December 17, agreed on forming an Arab-Islamic Dialogue Society to be based in Lebanon.

Abbas el-Halabi, who was elected president of the new body, said Riady Gregour, Secretary General of the Middle East Churches Council, was appointed vice president.

Lebanese writer Mohammad el-Samak was chosen the body’s secretary, added  el-Halabi.

He said that a small panel of the founders was charged with drafting the new body’s by-laws, adding that the legal procedures will be finalized within the coming weeks.

Choosing Lebanon to host the body, el-Halabi said, was attributed to several factors including the easiness in obtaining the necessary permits and the co-existence of Muslims and Christians in the country.

He noted that the new body will have branches in other Arab countries such as Egypt, Syria, Sudan and the Gulf countries to implement its charter.

According to the charter, Islamic-Christian dialogue aims at achieving better coexistence between the followers of the two divine religions.

The charter also denied any attempt to unify both faiths and values dialogue and discussions in solving national issues of common interest.

Mohammad Salim el-Awa, a member of the dialogue team, underlined that Muslims and Christians, still abiding by the teachings of their religions, are the hope of the nation.

Peoples of divine faiths must not disagree on issues that can be reformed and settled in the future, he said.

Gregour, for his part, cautioned against the negative repercussions of globalization on religious values, highlighting the importance of dialogue on how to salvage these values.

He accused the western media of reporting on conflicts between people of different faiths in various parts of the world without clarifying the geographical and historical backgrounds.

This, he said, creates a negative image that every one should work to rectify.

Islamic scholar and thinker Fahmi Howeidi complained the world was heading for absolute chaos and disorder.

He underlined the importance of  capitalizing on the modern means of telecommunications in pumping new bloods into the nation.