October 17 , 2008

Patriarch says Palestinian Muslims, Christians must work
on relations

By Judith Sudilovsky Catholic News Service (Oct-16-2008)

BETHLEHEM , West Bank (CNS) -- Though Palestinians would like to be a role model for Christian-Muslim tolerance and brotherhood, they have not yet reached that stage, said the retired Latin patriarch of Jerusalem . “Our society is made up of freedom and despotism, and we are trying to chart a path toward freedom. In Palestinian society there are Palestinians of different faces but on one single path,” said Patriarch Michel Sabbah, who retired in June. “If we stumble on that path we can fall to despotism.”

Religion for some of the faithful “can become a sort of despotism when it does not take into consideration respect for the other believer,” he said at the Oct. 15 opening of a conference at Bethlehem University . The two-day conference brought together about 100 European and Palestinian experts to discuss the role of the media and education in Christian-Muslim relations.

Though Patriarch Sabbah said kinship among Palestinian Muslims and Christians does exist, he blamed “developments abroad” for “shaking that affinity.” The issue of Muslim-Christian relations is “serious and sensitive,” he said. He recommended small workshops where participants are able to "face reality" and be self-critical.

Patriarch Sabbah said some Palestinians misuse their religion to promote disunity among Palestinians.

"This is where the discrepancy begins in the unity of Palestinian society," he said. What can be called politely "not the norm of dialogue" is beginning to seep into society, he said, and is a "form of ignorance toward the other and disrespect toward the other."

"Religion shows us what God expects from us: Acknowledging the dignity of fellow believers. Dialogue means starting to know and understand the other while acknowledging the religion of those people which make us a community," he said, noting the leading role educators and intellectuals should take in teaching tolerance and respect.

"The task in front of us is the responsibility of religious education. It is difficult and it means sometimes going against the tide," he said. Muslims and Christians must be reminded that they are brothers and will "regain a united homeland" together, he said. "We must not let those who are ignorant in (our) society create tension and violence," said Patriarch Sabbah.

Father Jamal Khader, chairman of the religious studies department at Bethlehem University and the conference organizer, said, "We are mature enough in our Christian-Muslim relations where we can talk of all issues no matter how sensitive." He noted the importance of religious education for children and their perception of others. Both local and international media play a complex role in how they present Palestinian Muslim-Christian relations, he added.

Sheik Taysir Tamimi, chief Palestinian justice, said he "took pride" in relations between Palestinian Muslims and Christians but also acknowledged the need to reinforce the relationship through educational and religious institutions as well as the media. "There are things which endanger this relationship," he said. "There is extremism all over the world."

He "strongly denounced" the recent killings of Christian Iraqis by Islamic extremists, calling the murders "crimes against Iraqi people."

"These crimes are far from our Islamic religion. What is happening has nothing to do with Islam. There are (foreign) parties who are trying to stir and incite these contradictions we have in our society," said Sheik Tamimi. "This violence serves a foreign agenda which has nothing to do with our religion or beliefs."

Therefore it is important, he said, to support educational and media institutions to "nurture (Muslim-Christian) relations and protect it from extremism and foreign voices."

END

10/16/2008 3:24 PM ET

Copyright (c) 2008 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops