UAE EMBASSY Holds 'Islamic Christian Dialogue Gathering' Within 'ZAYED YEAR' Initiatives

18 Dec 2018

Lebanon - As part of "Zayed Year" initiatvies, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Embassy on Tuesday held "Muslim-Christian Dialogue Gathering" titled "Aquaintance and Recognition: Towards Citizenship State" at the Hilton Hotel in Beirut's Sin El-Fil.

The Gathering was organized in cooperation with the National Islamic Christian Dialogue Committee.

Attending the Gathering had been Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rahi, Grand Mufti of the Republic Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian, Vice Head of the Islamic Supreme Shiite Council Sheikh Ali Khatib, representing Sheikh Abdel Amir Qabalan, Druze Sheikh Akl Naiim Hassan, and Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon, Archbishop Joseph Spiteri.

Also attending the Gathering had been UAE Ambassador Hamad Saeed Shamsi, Saudi Arabia Ambassador to Lebanon, Walid Bukhari, Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Greek Catholic Council, Caretaker Minister of State for Planning Affairs, Michel Pharoun, and Father Nectarios Khairallah, representing Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Elias Audeh.

Representatives of all Christian and Islamic communities in Lebanon and members of the National Islamic Christian Dialogue Committee were also present.

In his delivered word, Ambassador Shamsi said: "Our message today is a message of love and tolerance based on acquaintance and recognition," underlining that his country embraces the values of tolerance, peace, security, and multiculturalism.

The UAE ambassador stressed that the extremist thinking and the discourse of hatred and ignorance can solely be addressed through the promotion of citizenship identity and sense of belonging to the homeland.

Patriarch Rahi, in turn, underlined the paramount importance of the spirit of national citizenship, saying "citizenship is the true allegiance to the homeland and commitment to serve the public welfare and this requires equality between citizens."

Mufti Derian, for his part, underscored the importance of national coexistence, stressing that citizenship secures a just state at the political, economic, social and legal levels.

The Mufti also stressed the importance of accepting and respecting differences amongst all.

In his delivered word in the name of Sheikh Abdel Amir Qabalan, Sheikh Al-Khatib highlighted the importance of holding today's Gathering to address current challenges facing our nation.

Sheikh Al-Khatib noted that differences in thinking, trends and orientations have given life its richness and beauty, stressing that extremism is a matter rejected by Islam.

He also underlined that national unity can be reinforced by acquaintance and recognition.

Sheikh Hassan, for his part, stressed that citizenship means preserving Islamic- Christian values and ideals based on faith, calling for a just national state.

Father Khairallah, speaking in the name of Metropolitan Audeh, spoke about the concept of "accepting the other," stressing the paramount need for cordiality, affinity and peace as a richness for humanity.