Delegation of Mideast Religious, Academic Leaders Aim to Show Americans a Different View of Muslim-Christian Relations in Region: A Positive One
11 Apr 2005 14:41:00 GMT
Source: NGO latest
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Church World Service (CWS) - USA
Website: http://www.churchworldservice.org
April 7, 2005
NEW YORK – A delegation of Christian and Muslim academic, religious and policy leaders from four countries will visit cities across the U.S. this month (Thurs April 14 – Sat April 30), hoping to counter prevailing American stereotypes of Muslims and Arabs as invariably pitted against Christians in a "clash of civilizations."
Co-hosted by the Church World Service (CWS) Middle East Forum, the eight Christian, Muslim and Druze delegates from Lebanon, Egypt, Palestine and Syria will travel in teams to hold dialogue and make presentations in congregational, academic and public policy settings in cities including:
Chicago (Thurs April 14 – Mon April 18)
Charlotte (Tues April 19– Wed April 20)
New York (Thurs April 21 – Wed April 27)
Washington, D.C (Thurs April 28 – Sat April 30)
"Our desire for this visit is to demonstrate to American Christians and Muslims that there is an alternative reality existing in the Middle East that demonstrates positive, vital models of cooperation between Christians and Muslims," says Rev. Dr. Riad Jarjour, General Secretary of the Arab Group for Christian- Muslim Dialogue, based in Beirut, Lebanon.
David Weaver is director of global humanitarian agency Church World Service's Mission Relationships and Witness Program and a founding member of CWS’s Middle East Forum. Weaver says, "Religious and civil society leaders of both faiths in the Middle East and U.S. are concerned about the persistent images of religious conflict to which the American public is constantly exposed, particularly since September 11 and the Iraq conflict.
"What is less visible," Weaver says, "are the efforts by Christians and Muslims to address jointly the many issues that confront them in this turbulent period."
Weaver says the delegates from Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Palestine will travel in two groups of four, concurrently visiting scheduled major metropolitan areas to engage in dialogues in local Christian, Arab Christian, and Muslim communities, with seminary students and faculty and other community groups. They will reconvene in Washington, D.C., for a consultation at the Center for Christian-Muslim Understanding at Georgetown University, a discussion at the National Baptist Church, and other events.
The delegation – six men and two women – brings together academicians, policy analysts, peace advocates, and religious leaders from the Middle East, including:
Abbas al-Halabi, a Lebanese Druze, President of the Arab Group for Christian-Muslim Dialogue, a legal advisor to the board of the Bank of Beirut & Arab Countries, a former Supreme Court Judge, and author of numerous articles on reconciliation, civil peace, and money laundering.
Muhammad Sammak, a Lebanese Muslim, former advisor to the late Prime Minister Mr. Rafic Hariri, an advisor to the Grand Mufti of Lebanon, Secretary General of The Christian-Muslim Committee for Dialogue, The Islamic Permanent Committee, and The Executive Committee of The Christian-Muslim Arab Group, a member of the Lebanese Press Syndicate, and author of more than 20 books.
Rev. Dr. Riad Jarjour, a Syrian Christian, General Secretary of the Arab Group for Christian-Muslim Dialogue, former General Secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and organizer of the 1996 Muslim-Christian Conference on Jerusalem, held in Beirut.
Dr. Mahdi Abd al-Hadi, a Palestinian Muslim, author of The Question of Palestine and Peaceful Solutions, founder of the Arab Thought Forum, former Secretary General of the Council for Higher Education in the West Bank, and founder of the Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs.
Dr. Antoine Messara, a Lebanese Christian, professor at the Lebanese University Department of Communication, General Director of The Foundation of the Lebanese Association for Permanent Civil Peace in Lebanon, and founder of the Foundation of the Lebanese Association for Permanent Civil Peace in Lebanon, which brought Christians and Muslims together during Lebanon’s civil war.
Dr. Nadia Mahmoud Mustafa, an Egyptian Muslim, professor in the political science department and on the faculty of economics and political science at Cairo University, and author of numerous books including Strategy of the Islamic Cultural Activity in the West.
Samir Morcos, an Egyptian Christian, former Associate General Secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches, a consultant for the Coptic Center for Social Studies, Al Fustat Center for Studies and Consultations, and for The Unit for Citizenship and Dialogue in Cairo, and author of numerous books on development, including The State of Civil Society in Egypt: Preliminary Observations and Future Possibilities.
Abbas al-Halabi, President of the Arab Group for Christian-Muslim Dialogue, says the April delegation has been in the planning stages for the past two years. "Especially after the events of September 11, we were deeply concerned about the misunderstandings and lack of knowledge about our region that existed in the Western countries, especially in the U.S.
"We felt we could not leave people by themselves to sort it out, with no discussion," al-Halabi said. "We hoped then – as we do now, with this delegation – to build bridges, to have someone listen to our point of view.
"We didn’t want Americans to think that all in the Middle East are extremists and hate all Americans."
Al-Halabi says the delegates also "want to inform Americans about the common lives shared by Christians and Muslims in our region. Christianity has been in the Middle East for centuries," he says, "and Christians have been living and working with Muslims for a thousand years – not without problems," he added, "because there is friction with plurality – but also with harmony, because we share the same values and traditions."
CWS's Weaver says the idea for the interfaith delegation was "inspired by the combined interests of the mission directors from CWS member denominations who have ministries in the Middle East."
"From the American public and interfaith leaders we meet, we hope to take back to the Middle East messages of understanding and shared resolves," adds al-Halabi.
Jarjour said the delegation and its hosts believe that "fostering better Christian-Muslim relations in the U.S. – and offering a better understanding of the good Christian-Muslim relations that do exist in the Middle East – will support more positive models for peace elsewhere in the region and globally."
The Arab Group for Christian-Muslim Dialogue, formed in 1995, has members from Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, the Sudan and the Gulf Emirates. The Arab Group affirms “unity and the common heritage of Muslims and Christians," supports "dealing with internal issues through the collaborative efforts of Arab nationals – Muslims and Christians – who belong together to the one homeland."
A faith-based relief and development agency that focuses on advocacy issues, Church World Service is funded in part by and is a ministry of 36 member denominations in the U.S. CWS has supported humanitarian interfaith initiatives and has provided emergency relief and development programs in the Middle East, including aid to victims of pre-and post-war Iraq and the 2004 Bam, Iran, earthquake, support for a community-based program in Old Cairo Egypt addressing child labor issues, and for the Ahli Arab Hospital Mobile Outreach Clinic Program in Gaza.
The Church World Service Middle East Forum is one of five regional forums established by the global humanitarian agency to address issues of common concern to its member denominations. The Middle East Forum supports its member communions (denominations) and related partners through shared information and expertise, coordinated joint action, and recommended humanitarian and related faith-based policy.
For Charlotte only:
Rev. David Jordan, Providence Baptist Church, (704) 366-2784, cell phone: (704) 301-5594
For Chicago only:
Connie Baker, (630) 834-1461, BakerCE@aol.com
Media Contacts:
Ann Walle, CWS/New York, 212-870-2654; awalle@churchworldservice.org
Jan Dragin, CWS, 781-925-1526; jdragin@gis.net
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
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