An Italian pilgrimage group visit

14 November 2015
An Italian pilgrimage group organized by the “UFFICIO
PELLEGRINAGGI – DIOCESI DI VICENZA” visited al-liqa Center and their request was
to learn more about the Christian – Muslim relations in the Holy Land and also
in the region and about their daily life under the Israeli occupation from one
side and the continious mannace of extremist religious groups from the other
side.
Dr. Geries S. Khoury met them and spoke about Al-Liqa experience, programs and
activities and about the daily difficult life under occupation.
He also spoke about exremism or the so called “religious extremism”. He said
that religions are so much different and innocents of those who claim to be
extremist and killing in name of God. Such inhuman groups don’t know God and
they don’t believe in the same God who created us on his immage. They belive in
God who was created by them on their ugly immage.

The group visited al-Liqa a day after the terrible and barbaric terriristic
attack and massacre in Paris. Of course, Dr. Khoury and all participants
condemned such horrible action and paryed for the souls of the many innocent
victims both in Paris and in Beirut.
Dr. Khoury said it’s not enough to pray, but we need an international coalition
to fight poverty, oppresion, socila injustices, to pay atttention to the school
curiculums and to control the religious discourses at the mosques, synagogues
and in churches. Of course,the media could play very important role in a life
together and for a pluralistic and democratic societies. Such coalitions should
replace the war coalitions which is taking place around us and most of them we
can’t justify them.
At the end, it was a question and answer session.
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