Al-Liqa’ Center for Religious and Heritage Studies in the Holy Land
The Arab Christian and Muslim
Heritage in the Holy Land Conference
(Christian Muslim Dialogue Conference)
The 20 th Session
Titled
“The Palestinian Reality: Worries and Challenges”
on
10-12 July 2008
Bethlehem Hotel-Bethlehem
Al-Liqa’ Center for Religious and Heritage Studies in the Holy Land held the twentieth conference of the Arab Christian and Muslim Heritage in the Holy Land in the city of Bethlehem under the title of “Palestinian Reality: Worries and Challenges.” The conference called for maintaining national unity and the rejection of all attempts to break it up. It also called for joint Christian and Muslim education in Palestinian schools.
His Beatitude Patriarch Michel Sabbah, Head of the al-Liqa’ Board of Trustees, praised the mission of al-Liqa’ Center. He stated that the center works diligently and perseveringly in order to deepen Christian-Moslem dialog and brotherhood in this blessed land.
Dr Sheikh Tayseer Tamimi, Chief Judge of Palestine, talked about the historical brotherly relations between Palestinian Christians and Moslems.
The Greek Orthodox Bishop Atallah Hanna shared with the participants some of his spiritual messages, and Bishop Boutros Mu’allem talked about the necessity for a spiritual uprising among politicians in order to bring about peace and understanding among people. Mr. Mousa Darwish, Deputy Director of Al-Liqa' Center, moderated the opening session stressing national unity in the process.
The first panel was titled “Challenges facing national unity” and it was delivered by member of the Palestinian National Council, Mr Issa Qaraqe’, and Sheikh Jamil Hamameh. The lecture was moderated by Mr Mousa Darwish. The lectures emphazised the need for Palestinian national unity and the end of the deep friction between Hamas leadership in Gaza and PLO’s leadership in Ramallah.
In the morning of the second day of the conference and following Christian and Muslim invocations a panel session titled “Local and International current challenges facing Christian-Muslem Dialog” took place with the participation of Dr Abdel Rahman 'Abbad and Palestinian Legislative Council member, Dr Bernard Sabella. The session was moderated by Mrs Hanadi Soudah. The speakers stressed the rich heritage of dialogue between Islam and Christianity, and pointed out some present Western negative attitude toward Islam and Muslims as seen in the negative cartoons about Prophet Muhammad.
The third panel session was titled “The role of the media in facing current challenges.” Mr Ziyad Shleweit, Managing Editor of al-Bayan weekly, talked about the progress of Arab press inside Israel and the challenges it faces since the establishment of the state of Israel. According to Mr Shleweit, Palestinian press inside Israel passed through two distinctive periods, the first covered the 1980s of the last century and was characterized by both commitment and opposition to authority inside the Arab society, while the second trend was pluralistic which caused a coup in the concept of challenges that became more of a commercial and recreational nature.
Female journalist Nidal Rafe’, who works in the CNN field investigation section in the Palestinian territories, talked about the Western, especially the American, attitude towards the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people and their suffering under the Israeli occupation. Miss Rafe’ spotlighted the Western aggressive attitude that rejects the Palestinian position and sympathizes with Israel. She leveled severe objective criticism at the Palestinian inertia in addressing critical matters and the negatives of the Palestinian society which in fact nourish the Western aggressive view towards the Palestinians.
Following Miss Rafe', journalist Ibrahim Milhem, former Director-General of the Palestine TV, talked about the changes in Palestinian media discourse after Oslo.
This was followed by a lecture given by Dr Mahdi Abdel Hadi about the regional conflict in the Middle East and its impact on coexistence. He stressed regional influences and rise of alliances such as that of Iran, Turkey and Pakistan. If the Arabs join this alliance their importance becomes greater. Concerning the Palestinian problem, the American coming elections, internal Palestinian frictions and weakness of Israeli government minimize the possibilities of a viable peace. The lecture was moderated by Dr. Amal Jado.
On the third day of the conference and following Christian and Muslim innovations two panels were organized, one titled “Globalization and Its Repercussions on Palestinian Society” delivered by two lecturers from Bethlehem University, Dr Adnasn Musallam and Dr Salim Zoughbi. Dr. Musallam talked about the disadvantages and advantages of globalization on weak nations, especially the Arab and Palestinians, while Dr Zoughbi talked about the advantages of globalization on world economy, calling for making good use of the advantages of globalization instead of cursing it.
The final panel which was moderated by Fr. Dr. Ibrahim Shomali focused on “Ijtihad in Islam and Interpretation in Christianity”. Dr Hamzeh Deeb talked about ijtihad/ interpretive judgment, its fundamentals, meaning, legitimacy, ranks and conditions. Father Rafiq Khoury talked about interpretation in Christianity, stressing that it is based on the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Scriptures and that interpretation demonstrates divine as well as human cooperation and development.
In the conclusion of the conference, Dr. Geries Khoury summarized and reflected on the three-day conference which was rich with lectures, panel sessions and animated discussions. He presented recommendations of the conference in which it called for reinforcing Palestinian national unity and shunning all internal strife and conflict that undermine it. In addition, it encouraged moderate religious discourse and respect for the other. It proposed that Palestinian pupils in local schools should study about both Christianity and Islam.
Final Communique
Al-Liqa’ Center for Religious and Heritage Studies in the Holy Land held the twentieth conference for the Arab Christian and Moslem Heritage in the Holy Land in the city of Bethlehem under the title of “Palestinian Reality: Worries and Challenges.” The conference took place on July 10 – 12, 2008, in Bethlehem Hotel, and its was attended by a number of Christian and Moslem clerics, most notably His Beatitude Patriarch Michel Sabbah and Chief Judge of Palestine Sheikh Tayseer Tamimi. The conference was also attended by a number of academics and intellectuals from local universities and other sectors of society. Participants in the conference focused on what happened and what is now taking place in the Palestinian arena, and called for comprehensive dialog because any delay might increase tension and ignite more division among the Palestinian people and have a negative impact on the Palestinian cause. Both the Christian and Muslim communities stressed the need for patience and common efforts in order to nourish hope and raise spirits of people. It is a long travail that we are living in and birth is imminent: the birth of freedom, the land and the Palestinian and Arab individual. Together we will build a new Palestine and a new Arab world.
Additionally, participants in the conference called for creating a religious discourse that respects the three monotheistic religions and put an end to attacking the other. Participants also wished that al-Liqa’ Center will hold a conference on the common factors between Arabs and the West as well as about the negative and positive relations between them. Participants highlighted the significance of religious culture in schools where pupils ought to study the three monotheistic religions. They emphasized the unity of the Palestinian people in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and the Diaspora. To them the Palestinian cause is so special and efforts must be made not to melt it in the globalization pot that is becoming prevalent worldwide.
In a special statement to the Galellie weekly al-Bayan, Dr Khoury commented on the results of the conference: “I believe that the conference was a great success on more than one level. It addressed various important issues that concern all people, including globalization, its positive and negative repercussions. The conference also talked about interpretation and interpretive judgment in both Christianity and Islam. Other topics addressed by the conference include national unity, coexistence, and deepening the concept of respect for the other.”