Damascus National Arab Forum concludes recommendations
Regional-Syria, Religion, 12/15/2004

The National Arab Forum titled "Moslems and Christians in Face of Existing Challenges" on Tuesday wound up a two-day meeting in Damascus with a final statement condemning Israeli continuous aggression on the Palestinian people and boosting role of clergymen in encouraging moderation and fighting extremism.

The recommendations also condemned daily killings and destruction against the Iraqi people. Participants asserted that "the so-called Zionist Christianity has nothing to do with any Christian sects or churches." They described it as an attempt to undermine the existing Moslem-Christian dialogue and co-existence.

The participants called on the media to beware of the use of some misleading idioms and concepts that could adversely affect cultural awareness and national unity among Moslems and Christians.

The recommendations demanded that such a conference be held regularly every two years in an Arab capital, and called for convening an international conference that groups all walks of life, including politicians, clergymen, sociologists, historians and representatives of international agencies to define the term of "terrorism" to distinguish it from the national legitimate resistance against occupation.

The participants underscored the role of clergymen in "fostering the national unity and coexistence as well as the protection of family and human values to foil enemy plots represented by the Zionism."

Senior Moslem and Christian scholars and clergymen from Syria, Lebanon and Iraq took part in the gathering at Sheikh Ahmad Keftaro Foundation in Damascus. Topics ranged from boosting Moslem-Christian dialogue to cooperation in facing the common enemy: fanaticism, sectarian sedition, racial cleansing and other issues.

Previous Stories:
  Damascus forum on Muslims, Christians in face of challenges   (12/14/2004)
  Damascus hosts Arab Parliamentarians Forum on population   (12/8/2004)
  Islamic Jurisprudence-Forum opened at Damascus's al-Assad library   (4/13/2004)

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