International Religious Conference Begins

Over the coming three days the International Religious Conference “Exploring the Christian Muslim Relations in the Middle East and the West” will start its first session tomorrow the 5 th of Sept. at 10:00 a.m.

The conference will present over fifteen sessions focusing on different issues related to the nature of relations between Christian and Muslim communities in the Middle East and the West. Several experiences and personal accounts from more than 10 countries will also be shared and examined in an attempt to address and promote values that foster coexistence.

“It is high time that we openly examine the nature of our interaction with the other and vice-versa, especially when we face a wave of hijacking of religion,” said Fr. Jamal Khader, the Chairperson of the Department of Religious Studies at Bethlehem University . He added, “The main objective of the conference is to confront the attitudes of suspicion and xenophobia and encourage dialogue and coexistence.”

It is important to mention that the conference would not have been possible without the generous support of the International Federation of Catholic Universities and the Friends of Bethlehem University in England and Wales, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and an annonymous donor.

For more inforamtion visit the conference website at
http://www.religiousconference.bethlehem.edu