Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

top
The pope returns to Rome on Sunday evening/AFP

World

Pope calls for Christian-Muslim harmony in Mideast

Without pointing fingers, he said “some ideologies undermine the foundations of society. We need to be conscious of these attacks on our efforts to build harmonious coexistence.”

Benedict noted that Christians and Muslims have lived side by side in the Middle East for centuries and that there is room for a pluralistic society.

“It is not uncommon to see the two religions within the same family. If this is possible within the same family, why should it not be possible at the level of the whole of society?

“The particular character of the Middle East consists in the centuries-old mix of diverse elements. Admittedly, they have fought one another, sadly that is also true. A pluralistic society can only exist on the basis of mutual respect, the desire to know the other and continuous dialogue.”

Central to that, the freedom “to profess and practice one’s religion without danger to life and liberty must be possible to everyone.”

Echoing his words Lebanon’s Sunni mufti, or spiritual leader, Mohammed Rashid Kabbani, said the events rocking the Arab world “bring us Muslims and Christians a light that shows us the path to a better tomorrow, though they also bring many dangers that are a threat to us.

“But just as we made our history together in the past, we will also make our future together, based on coexistence.”

“But just as we made our history together in the past, we will also make our future together, based on coexistence.”

The pope’s outreach to Muslims is particularly poignant as the region is rocked by the deadly violence over the anti-Islamist film that cost the lives of the US ambassador to Libya and three other Americans on Tuesday.

On Saturday, the pope met with thousands of youth, urging Muslims and Christians to “live side by side without hatred, with respect for the beliefs of each person, so as to build together a free and humane society.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Addressing a number of Syrians among them, he said: “I want to tell you how much I admire your courage,” adding that he was “sad because of your suffering and your bereavement.”

The pope returns to Rome on Sunday evening.

About The Author

Pages: 1 2

Comments
Advertisement

More on Capital News