Al-Liqa’ Center for Religious and Heritage Studies in the Holy Land
Celebrates the Silver Jubilee 1982-2007
Dr.
Geries S. Khoury
Director, Al-Liqa' Center
Al-Liqa’ Center and the Future
We conducted an objective study to evaluate the programs and activities of al-Liqa’ Center during the past twenty-five years, and we agreed to keep up the conferences and meetings because they are extremely important in the field of inter-religious and inter-cultural dialog. We found it is necessary for us to go deeper into local theology, to continue Wednesday meetings, to hold study days and activities for the youth, stressing at the same time the need to renew our work mechanism.
Those in charge of al-Liqa’ Center stressed the significance of its Arabic and English publications, including the journal and newsletters. They stressed the need for timely publications, and called for content that reflect the mission and objectives of the center. Concerning al-Liqa’ Journal in Arabic, everyone praised the positive role that the richness of the files it contains presents to readers.
1. The Youth Program
It was decided to intensify youth programs and meetings because we believe the youth have an important role to play in their society. It is therefore our duty to educate them about openness, mutual coexistence and solidarity among themselves. The youth need to be made aware of their true participation in building their society and consolidating the concepts of freedom, pluralism and democracy, while at the same time preserving moral and human values. It is imperative that we encourage the Palestinian youth to push forward the peace process until we reach a just and comprehensive peace, and achieve security to all peoples of the region.
2. The Woman and Her Role in Mutual Co-existence
Everybody praised the role of women and their participation in social life and in the activities and programs of al-Liqa’ Center. It was also decided to set up a section in the center run by Christian and Moslem women whose goal will be to meet and discuss issues that are crucial to our society at all levels, such as education, politics, religion and economy.
3. Al-Liqa’ Center Library
A crucial matter that everybody called for insistently was the expansion of the library of al-Liqa’ Center through the purchase of Islamic and Christian books, manuscripts, old books, and periodicals. This will help local researchers in their studies and researches.
4. International Activities
All participants stressed the need for al-Liqa’ Center to establish connections with local and regional universities and institutions that are concerned about inter-religious and inter-cultural dialog as well as the role of religion in peace making. In this manner the al-Liqa’ Center will be able to design programs, panel sessions and joint conferences for the purpose of consolidating relations among peoples of different faiths and for the dignity and service of man.
5. Educational Curriculum
Participants stressed the need to conduct an objective and serious study of the curricula especially those of history, literature, social studies, and religious education, and recommend modifications and changes that reinforce respect for the other and deepen mutual coexistence.
6. Scientific Research
Everybody agreed that the sustenance and credibility of al-Liqa’ Center largely depends on encouraging local researchers to write researches and studies and books on mutual coexistence and respect and understanding of the other, as well as on self understanding, the understanding of our history and the fundamentals of our identity.
Thus researches will focus on these areas:
- Inter-religious and inter-cultural dialog, and co-existence.
- Religious and cultural values that preserve the dignity of man.
- Islam and modern challenges: globalization, democracy, freedom, violence, religion and politics, human rights, education, communication with others, etc.
- Contextual theology in the Holy Land:
i) early ages of Christianity;
ii) in the writings of Church fathers;
iii) in Christian Arab though and theology during the Middle Ages;
iv) the role of the church and Arab Christians in history; and
v) topics and characteristics of contextual theology.