Beirut, May 23, 2013
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About 150 experts are taking part in the meeting organized by the World Council of Churches and the Middle East Council of Churches: the WCC secretary general Olav Fykse Tveit, Catholic Archbishop of Abuja Cardinal John Onaiyekan, former Lebanese minister Tarek Mitri, Coptic researcher and former presidential adviser in Egypt Samir Morcos and others are among them.
In the view of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fuad Tual, who spoke with his report on May 22, the Palestine issue is the root of all Middle East problems. The Patriarch called on the countries of the region and the World community to put all their effort to promote peace on the Holy Land.
The participants of the conference noted that the problem
of ecumenical participation in the destiny of Christians
living in the Middle East "has nothing to do with
provoking islamophobia". Christians who have lived in
the region since the time of Apostles are "a sign of
love of God". Without Christian presence in the
Middle East the peaceful co-existence of different
religions and cultures in the region is in danger.