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Muslims Call for Justice, Christians Call for Peace: Vatican Summit
By Khaled Shoukat
ROME, Oct 4 (IslamOnline) - Prior to the closing session of the Muslim-Christian Summit in Rome, hosted by the Rome-based Community of Sant'Egidio, Muslim scholars and intellectuals stressed on the importance of applying justice around the whole world, while Christian clerics focused on securing peace.
Held October 3-4, the first Muslim-Christian summit since the deadly September 11th attacks in Washington and New York focused on the means by which to spare the world the negative repercussions of the attacks and scourges of an imminent all-out war.
In his opening speech, Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi - a prominent Muslim scholar - said, "we would like to stress the fact that we [Muslims] welcome any approach that might bring Muslim scholars and Christian bishops to common grounds to cooperate to find suitable solutions to contingent or chronic problems that are directly related to the Muslim-Christian world.
"The current critical situation dictates that both wise Muslims and Christians come together to block the attempt of those striving hard to inflame an all-out war between Islam and Christianity, taking advantage of the latest U.S. attacks in Washington and New York."
Meanwhile, Sheikh Nasr Farid Wasel - Egypt's Grand Mufti - said Muslim scholars are stressing the importance of maintaining justice and defending victims of injustice, which would bring peace to the entire world and end conflicts nourished by injustice.
Before the closing session Wasel told IslamOnline.net's correspondent that the summit's final communiqué should include a suggestion that those behind the U.S. attacks should receive a fair trial within the framework of international justice, and not penalize those who have not been convicted.
"Through the fair trial they would be able to get public pleading and lawyers that makes the ruling acceptable by all parties," Wasel said.
"Christians and Muslims agree on the main points discussed through the joint sessions," he added.
Earlier Wednesday, Iranian delegation head, Mohammed Said Al Noamani, heavily criticized Italian Prime Minister, Selvio Berlusconi, for his words against Islam.
Al Noamani criticized Berlusconi for not respecting his position as a prime minister and the fact that any controversial comments given by him would be widespread by the worldwide media, especially if it is related to dialogue between civilizations.
The head of the Iranian delegation also said that the United States is unfit ethically and has lost its credibility to wage a war against terrorism due to its history of war with Vietnam and Japan, and for remaining silent about several acts of terrorism being carried out around the world.
Al Noamani also said that the United States sponsors the largest terrorist country in the world, Israel, which commits daily atrocities against the Palestinian people.
These atrocities have not moved the American conscious; as did the September 11th attacks, he said.
He emphasized that Iran's stance is not based on reaction, but on the basis of Islam's fundamentals.
The U.S., he said, had previously performed acts of terrorism against Iran, by shooting down a civilian aircraft carrying nearly 300 Iranian pilgrims, without showing remorse or apologizing.
The summit will finalize its working sessions Thursday evening with a joint communiqué issued by both Muslim scholars and Christian clerics in an attempt to bridge the gap between people of both faiths.
Muslim communities in the West have recently been subject to a wave of hate crimes and racist oppression, especially by security forces (FBI), following the deadly U.S. attacks blamed by Washington on Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda group - accusations bin Laden has categorically denied.
Western media has further launched an unprecedented campaign against Muslims and Islam, inciting war on world Arabs and Muslims, branding them "terrorists".
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