Symposium on Renovation of Religious Discourse

A symposium on "The Renovation of the Religious Discourse" was opened Tuesday at Damascus University Auditorium sponsored by the University's Center of Strategic Studies and the Damascus-based Center of Islamic Studies under the patronage of the Minister of Higher Education Hani Murtada.

Rector of Damascus University, Mohammad Issam al-Awa, stressed in an opening speech importance of the Symposium under the current delicate international circumstances where changes developments have reached in changing rapidly and "ideologies and dogmas that are being exploited for evil aims."

He said the heavenly religions call for tolerance, harmony and cooperation among peoples of the world, stressing that our Arab history is full of examples of interaction among different civilizations and cultures. Several Arab intellectuals concerned with the renovation of the religious discourse are participating in the 3-day symposium, including figures from Syria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon Palestine and Qatar.

The People's Assembly (Parliament) member and Director of the Center of Islamic Studies, Mohammad al-Habash, said in an address that the endeavor to renovate the religious discourse is a natural and positive response to the message of Islam which aspires to offer proper answers under all occasions. al-Habash also pointed out to the process of modernization and development in Syria. Other speakers calls for more efforts to challenge accusations fielded against the real image of Islam following the 11 September events.