The Vice-President of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council His Eminence Sheikh Ali Al-Khatib
Receiving a Delegation from the Middle East Council of Churches:
“Every action that divides people contradicts religion, and religious affiliation does not give distinction in rights and duties and should be the criteria for competence and assuming national responsibility in serving the nation and its people”
You can find some photos at the end of the text.
The Vice-President of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council His Eminence Sheikh Ali Al-Khatib, received the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Dr. Michel Abs, at the head of an MECC delegation, on Tuesday 23 July 2024, at the headquarters of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council in Beirut. The meeting was held in the presence of Dr. Mohammad Rizk, Director General of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council and Special Secretary of the Council, and Dr. Ghazi Kanso, Advisor to His Eminence Sheikh Ali Al-Khatib, and Dean of the Faculty of Islamic Studies at the Islamic University in Lebanon.
During the meeting, the attendees discussed issues related to Islamic-Christian dialogue, national and religious affairs, and developments concerning the situation in Lebanon and the region. Attendees also stressed the importance of promoting Islamic-Christian dialogue and consolidating human values , as they emphasized the necessity of working to spread the spirit of peace, fraternity and love among all components of society. The attendees also denounced the difficult security and social conditions taking place in the region, especially the ongoing war in Gaza.
Firstly, Dr. Michel Abs thanked His Eminence Sheikh Ali Al-Khatib for the reception, praising the importance of the role played by the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council, and presented to His Eminence a detailed overview about the mission of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), its founding, and the most important historical milestones it went through, in addition to its most prominent ecumenical, humanitarian, and social programs, as well as future projects intended to be implemented.
Dr. Abs also highlighted the human dignity program that MECC is working to achieve, especially through the series of seminars it holds monthly, stressing the necessity of preserving human dignity and human rights without any discrimination. In addition, he pointed out that highlighting common spaces between religions and building bridges between them are among the most important goals of MECC, which it seeks to implement successively. Dr. Abs said that the people of the region are one and live with each other in harmony and love, despite all the challenges that surround them.
From his side, His Eminence Sheikh Ali Al-Khatib welcomed the visiting delegation, mentioning that dialogue is life, and religions share human and faith values and work to deepen and consolidate them, stressing that Lebanese society is united but diverse in its religions and communities. He also said that “we are as keen on the Lebanese components as we are on ourselves. The Lebanese must be more open to each other, as they are one people and their issues are common in confronting the Zionist aggression.”
His Eminence emphasized that religions and communities are a state of faith between Man and his God, and in political society there are no religions and communities, but rather joint work that preserves human rights, dignity and freedom, far from injustice, injustice and tyranny. He considered that every action that divides people contradicts religion, and religious affiliation does not give distinction in rights and duties and should be the criteria for competence and assuming national responsibility in serving the nation and its people.
His Eminence saw that the state based on citizenship protects citizens and communities, while the sectarian system achieves the interests of a political class at the expense of oppressing citizens and communities. Therefore, “we call for the completion of the implementation of the Taif Agreement, starting with the abolition of political sectarianism and approving an electoral law outside the sectarian restriction in preparation for the establishment of a state of citizenship that achieves the aspirations of all Lebanese and eliminate sectarian distinction.”
His Eminence praised the Vatican’s position, which affirms the Palestinian right to Palestine and refutes the Jews’ claim to the Promised Land, stressing the necessity of activating Islamic-Christian cooperation in the face of the war of extermination against the Palestinian people, who courageously face the Zionist war machine.
At the end of the meeting, Dr. Abs delivered a statement in which he said, “It was a visit of affection and love to the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council, and a meeting with the Vice President His Eminence Sheikh Ali Al-Khatib..., during which we stressed the necessity of Islamic-Christian cohesion and the necessity of preserving civil peace, national cohesion and everything that leads to social cohesion in order to avoid strife so that those fishing in troubled waters in this country do not interfere. We affirmed that our homeland, Lebanon, is part of the Arab world and deserves to be defended, as well as its future, entity, economy, its land, and people, forever and ever. We also agreed to hold successive meetings with the elites belonging to this noble community and this great and generous Lebanese group called the Shiites, and we are very pleased with our friendship with many of them and we are honored by that.”
