Pope calls for Christians and Muslims to unite against violence

2012-09-19

Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday (September 19th) called for Christians and Muslims to unite against violence, following a trip to Lebanon last week in which he condemned fundamentalism in any religion.

"I think the time has come […] for us together to issue a determined rejection of violence and wars," AFP quoted the pope as saying to an audience at the Vatican.

The pope thanked the Muslim leaders he met in Lebanon for their hospitality, adding, "I proposed a message of dialogue and collaboration."

"I was able to speak from the heart, to stand before the suffering and the dramatic events in the Middle East and to express my prayerful encouragement for the legitimate aspirations for peace there," he said.

The pontiff also asked the Christian minorities in the Middle East to find strength "amid trying circumstances to celebrate the victory of love over hate, of forgiveness over revenge and of unity over division".

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ناصر حبيب

2012-9-24

God Almighty did not ask anything from man but love. In the current circumstances, we must be as one hand and work to strengthen the social and religious ties to strengthen the architecture of any home, tolerance and coexistence that remain in the essence of religious freedoms in the contemporary world. Most reports indicate that the religious freedoms are vulnerable to repression in many countries around the world.
راشد

2012-9-24

All religions call for religious tolerance but some ignorant people abuse their religion. If they understand their religion, they will not deal with it and every religion will be an enemy of the other. Some people only bear religions by whim and choose specific texts to show while they hide other texts. Voices rise from time to time from all global religious institutions, statutory bodies, and innovative approaches to call for tolerance and its importance. Indeed, these calls had responses, especially at the global level of multi-ideological orientations and trends. However, what the Arab arena sees today is the opposite. These concepts have no longer such real presence because of greed and materialism.
سعيد محسن

2012-9-24

The Egyptian Church has taken a great and positive stance towards the Western film which offended the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him. The reaction of both Copts and Muslims was actually natural as they make only one people and only one nation. Many spiteful people tried to undermine their solidarity, but they could not do so. Muslims and Copts in Egypt must stand united and show enough solidarity to prevent any party from inflicting harm to Egypt through inciting hatred, bloodshed and divisiveness. The Crescent and the Star should be as mighty as the sword.