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ANTELIAS CONFERENCE UNDERSCORES GROWING CONCERNS OF CHRISTIANS IN A CHANGING ISLAMIC WORLD
hetq
12:34, January 25, 2012
Against the backdrop of political transition now taking place in
many countries of the Middle East and North Africa, the Armenian
Catholicosate of Antelias is hosting a Christian-Islamic conference
organized by the World Council of Churches.
Over 70 participants from various Christian and Islamic communities
from around the world have been invited to attend the January 24-28
event, the brainchild of His Holiness Aram I, the Catholicos of
Antelias.
In his opening remarks to the international conference on "The
Christian Presence and Witness in the Arab World", His Holiness Aram
I said that "in view of the changing political landscape in the Arab
world, the Christian communities are called to engage in dialogue
with all trends of Islam which advocates democracy, coexistence and
non-violence".
He reminded the conference that he Middle East" is at a crucial
juncture of its modern history", and that "although the present
situation is depicted by some as Arab spring or Arab revival and
by others, the end of autocracies and emergence of democratic
processes or simply regime change, the common denominator in all
these characterizations is that the region is in a process of
transformation".
Aram I warned the conference of misleading approaches which "may
distance us from concrete realities, such as conceptualizing,
westernizing and generalizing this process of transformation". He
advocated "an existential, not conceptual, a Middle Eastern, not
Western, a contextual, not general approach to the events that are
taking place in the region". According to His Holiness "the region
is still facing uncertainties, ambiguities and polarizations. Hence,
if this process of transformation is not sustained by a strategy of
active non-violence and if it is not led by people with a clear vision,
the region may be exposed to even greater and far-reaching dangers".
Among challenges and priorities before the Christian communities,
Catholicos Aram believes that "the Christian unity must acquire a top
priority; and the Middle East Council of Churches provides the proper
framework for the churches to speak with one voice and act together".
His Holiness challenged Christians and Muslims "to move from being
good neighbors to real partnership as co-citizens. This partnership
must be articulated: by building together democratic societies,
by ensuring for Christians a broader space for active and full
participation in decision-making structures and processes; and by
providing for Christians all the possibilities to preserve their own
values and traditions and organize their community life, being at
the same time integral and inseparable part of larger society".
Catholicos Aram I reminded the conference that "the Christians are
deeply concerned about their future in the Middle East. Uncertainty,
anxiety and fear are increasingly dominating their life. But the
Christians should not turn to their Christian brothers and sisters in
the West; they should turn to their Muslim co-citizens and partners
to share with them their concerns and expectations". It is the firm
expectation of Aram I that "Muslims respond frankly and realistically
to the growing concerns of Christians".
From: A. Papazian
hetq
12:34, January 25, 2012
Against the backdrop of political transition now taking place in
many countries of the Middle East and North Africa, the Armenian
Catholicosate of Antelias is hosting a Christian-Islamic conference
organized by the World Council of Churches.
Over 70 participants from various Christian and Islamic communities
from around the world have been invited to attend the January 24-28
event, the brainchild of His Holiness Aram I, the Catholicos of
Antelias.
In his opening remarks to the international conference on "The
Christian Presence and Witness in the Arab World", His Holiness Aram
I said that "in view of the changing political landscape in the Arab
world, the Christian communities are called to engage in dialogue
with all trends of Islam which advocates democracy, coexistence and
non-violence".
He reminded the conference that he Middle East" is at a crucial
juncture of its modern history", and that "although the present
situation is depicted by some as Arab spring or Arab revival and
by others, the end of autocracies and emergence of democratic
processes or simply regime change, the common denominator in all
these characterizations is that the region is in a process of
transformation".
Aram I warned the conference of misleading approaches which "may
distance us from concrete realities, such as conceptualizing,
westernizing and generalizing this process of transformation". He
advocated "an existential, not conceptual, a Middle Eastern, not
Western, a contextual, not general approach to the events that are
taking place in the region". According to His Holiness "the region
is still facing uncertainties, ambiguities and polarizations. Hence,
if this process of transformation is not sustained by a strategy of
active non-violence and if it is not led by people with a clear vision,
the region may be exposed to even greater and far-reaching dangers".
Among challenges and priorities before the Christian communities,
Catholicos Aram believes that "the Christian unity must acquire a top
priority; and the Middle East Council of Churches provides the proper
framework for the churches to speak with one voice and act together".
His Holiness challenged Christians and Muslims "to move from being
good neighbors to real partnership as co-citizens. This partnership
must be articulated: by building together democratic societies,
by ensuring for Christians a broader space for active and full
participation in decision-making structures and processes; and by
providing for Christians all the possibilities to preserve their own
values and traditions and organize their community life, being at
the same time integral and inseparable part of larger society".
Catholicos Aram I reminded the conference that "the Christians are
deeply concerned about their future in the Middle East. Uncertainty,
anxiety and fear are increasingly dominating their life. But the
Christians should not turn to their Christian brothers and sisters in
the West; they should turn to their Muslim co-citizens and partners
to share with them their concerns and expectations". It is the firm
expectation of Aram I that "Muslims respond frankly and realistically
to the growing concerns of Christians".
From: A. Papazian