The Catholic Center celebrates the World Interfaith Harmony Week
By Munir Bayouk/ en.abouna.org :
The Catholic Center for Studies and Media (CCSM) in Jordan celebrated on Thursday, February 4, through the Visual Communication Technology, the World Interfaith Harmony Week, (February 1-7) under the title, "Harmony and Brotherhood" and the International Day of Human Fraternity (February 4).
The participants in the celebration included Latin Patriarchal Vicar for Jordan Bishop William Shomali, United Arab Emirates Ambassador Ahmad Ali Mohammad Al Baloushi, Ambassadors of Egypt Sharif Kamel, Charge d'Affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature in Amman Monsignor Mauro Lalli, Chief Islamic Justice Abdul-Hafez Irbita, representative of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Dr. Bassam Qawasmi, representative of the Ifta' Department Sheikh Dr. Hassan Abu Arqoub, Head of the Sebastia Diocese of the Greek Orthodox Church Archbishop Hanna Atallah, and representative of the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies Dr. Amer Al-Hafi in addition to a number of academicians, journalists, and others who are concerned with interfaith dialogue.
At the outset of the celebration, verses from the Holy Bible and the Holy Koran were recited by Fr. Basher Bader and Sheikh Omar Rosan respectively.
In an opening address, CCSM Director Fr. Dr. Rif’at Bader welcomed the participants in the celebration and recalled the 4th of February 2021, in its capacity as the first day of the celebration of the Day of Human Fraternity, which was adopted by the UN on October 20, 2010, and the first week of February, every year, has been declared a UN World Interfaith Harmony Week with a Jordanian initiative. He noted that on this day His Holiness Pope Francis and Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed Tayeb signed in Abu Dhabi "the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together" to serve as a distinctive sign of human cooperation and solidarity, and to be based on monotheistic religions that call for the love of God, the Creator and the love for people.
For his part, Patriarchal Vicar in Jordan Bishop William Shomali noted that the brotherhood is based on the culture of dialogue, acceptance of others, the sharing of responsibility in the homeland, loving one another, the assertion that what unites us is more than what divides us, never branding others as apostates, defending the common human values, in addition to addressing the causes of the current global crisis which is attributed to ignoring religious morality and the exploitation of religionin politics. He also called for spreading the message of brotherhood at every time and in every place, especially in schools and universities as part of a structured curriculum education.
On the other hand, United Arab Emirates Ambassador Ahmad Ali Mohammad Al Baloushi said that the United Arab Emirates takes pride in signing the document "Human Fraternity for World Peace and Coexistence" two years ago by Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmed Tayeb, thus contributing to spreading and consolidating the values of tolerance globally. He pointing out that this initiative comes within the UAE’s policy to uphold the common values that unite all human beings.
In another address by Charge d'Affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature in Amman Monsignor Mauro Lalli, said, "This celebration, the First International Day of Human Fraternity, established by a recent Resolution of the United Nations General Assembly, responds to the clear invitation addressed by Pope Francis to all humanity to build a present of peac e in the encounter with the other. These encounters are a way to create authentic social friendship, as the Holy Father requests from us". He continued that “this document that represents a proposal and a project of relationship between Christians and Muslims, and it stands for both the goal and the starting point of a progressive reciprocal opening between the Islamic world and the other monotheistic faiths to dialogue.
He added that the date is not a coincidence, namely on fourth February 2019, during the apostolic trip to the United Arab Emirates, the Pope and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar (Cairo) signed the Document on human brotherhood(Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together).
For his part, representative of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Dr. Bassam Al-Qawasmi, extended his thanks and appreciation to the Catholic Center for Studies and Media whose director is Fr. Dr. Rif’at Bader, saying: “Our celebration marking the World Interfaith Harmony Week, is titled, 'Harmony and Brotherhood' represents a state of religious common living where our country is party of these standards.” "Emphasizing that the state of religious common living in Jordan constitutes a nonpareil situation where we live as one family and serve each other's issues thanks to the wise leadership. He called for the continuation of democratic empowerment that provides us with the tools of active citizenship based on three main foundations, namely the right to participate, the duty to participate, and the responsibility for participation committed to mutual peace and respect. He also implored that God would keepJordan safe, and secure as well as free from calamity, pestilence, high prices, strife and tribulations under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah.
On the other hand, Chief Justice Abdul-Hafez Irbita thanked the Catholic Center for Studies and Media for holding this meeting. He said that this meeting upholds the Royal vision that Islam holds noble values that call for the prevention of bloodshed, preservation of wealth. He pointed to the common denominators between the two religions that people, regardless of their beliefs, are children of a single homeland …
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