Sunday 5/ 1/ 1429 AH_
13/ 1/ 2008 AD
held in Kafarsusah
Arabic Cultural Centre, Damascus, Syria,
under the patronage of
His Excellency
Dr. Muhammad Abdulsattar
Al-Sayed,
Minister of Endowments
In
collaboration with Hartford Seminary of the USA, Al-Fatih
Islamic Institute in Damascus, held, on 5/ 1/ 1429 AH_ 13/
1/ 2008 AD, in Damascus (the Capital of Arabic Culture for
2008), an intellectual meeting under the banner: "The Mutual
Knowledge of Civilizations and Messages under the Shadow of
One Human Family".
The meeting coincided with the celebration of Damascus as
the Capital of Arabic Culture. It was held under the
patronage of His Excellency Professor Muhammad Abdulsattar
Al-Sayed, Minister of Endowments. The meeting was based on
the Quranic Verse: "O people, We created you all from a male
and a female, and made you into nations and tribes so that
you may come to know one another. Indeed, the noblest ones
among you, in the sight of Allah, are the most righteous of
you. Verily Allah is All-Knowing All-Aware" [49: 13].
The meeting was initially motivated by a strong belief in
the importance of the dialogue between religions in a
troubled world abounding in problems and straying between
two calls, both of which preaches the end of history and the
clash between the civilizations.
The meeting was also characterized with an emphasis on the
Quranic call for (knowledge).
Among the participants were a number of Muslim and Christian
academics and religious scholars as well as intellects and
people of culture from different countries including Syria,
USA, UK, Spain, Singapore, Germany, and Turkey.
The meeting
included six sessions containing forty researches, studies,
worksheets, and commentaries. It dealt with different issues
that have to do with the dialogue and mutual understanding
between civilizations and messages. Most prominent of these
issues are as follows:
1-
Towards a one human family and the calling of the Holy
Quarn to get to know one another.
2-
Honorability of the human being and human rights in the
Divine Messages compared to man-made laws.
3-Co-existence between Muslim and non-Muslim communities
in Syria under a national unity.
4-The
image of the Arabs and Muslims in western media, and
that of the west in Muslim and Arabic media, and the
impact on the international security.
5-Co-existence among different communities in spite of
differences.
6-
Evidences from the Holy Quran and the prophetic sayings
confirming the dialogue and well treatment of the People
of the Book (Christian and Jews).
7- The
role of the Mosque and Church in enhancing the human
relations.
8-
Conditions of Christians in some Islamic societies and
the conditions of Muslims in some Christian societies in
the world (practical examples), and a Study of the way
for mutual understanding and respect.
9-
Diversity, integrity and acceptance of the other in the
shade of the Islamic Law (Sharia).
10-
Mutual understanding is the way to cooperation and
harmony amongst the member of one human family.
The opening
session, which included the speeches of some scholars, went
as follows:
Dr.
Hussam-Eddin Farfour, a Chairman of Graduate Section
in Al-Fatih Islamic Institute.
Professor Dr. Ibrahim Abu-Rabi, a Head of Macdonald
centre for Islamic studies in Hartford Seminary
University.
3-Professor Mustafa Al-Bugha, the Chairman of
Shari'ah's purposes Department in Al-Fatih Islamic
Institute.
4-Professor, Colleen Keyes, Hartford Seminary,
Academic Dean of Tunxis, specialized in American
Muslims' affairs.
5-His Eminence, Professor Ahmad Hassoun, the Grand
Mufti of Syria.
6-His Excellency, Professor Mohammad Abdulsattar
Alsayed, minister of Endowment (the patronage of
this meeting)
The papers,
on one hand, emphasized the importance of dialogue and of
mutual understanding. And on the other, they condemned the
theory of clash of civilizations, presenting pessimistic
outlook of life.
On the top
of that, The Quranic term "Atta'aruf" (Mutual understanding)
was highlighted, as it provides a broad vision of
coexistence, and respects both the cultural and historical
heritage of all peoples.
Recommendations
1-Mutual
understanding is a Quranic method, that calls to cooperation
and love among all people. In addition, it plays an
important role in preventing clash and collision.
2-The
Quran, while stressing on the same origin of all mankind,
acknowledges the existence of many types of differences, and
therefore, addresses all people to come to know each other.
3-The
Prophetic dealing with others should be taken an example to
follow.
4- There is
a need, Participants agreed, to join forces, so as to stand
against Zionist conspiracies, whose aims are to target our
culture and history.
5-
Coexistence and mutual respect among followers of faiths in
Syria serve as an inspiring example. Yet, each has its
distinctive characteristics.
6- Calling
for the unity of harmonious variants not the unity of
disharmonious agreeing.
7- To come
back to the Divine Messages, instead of the human ways which
are far from Allah, in order to lead a noble life which is
committed to the true divine legislation.
8- To
increase the collective efforts to uncover the Zionists
racism and inhuman acts, which are continually trying to
trespass the honorable Jerusalem, Al-aqsa Mosque, and the
cradle of Messiah peace be upon him, and their try to
exterminate the Palestinian people.
9- To try
to find quick solutions for the sectarian and doctrinal
problems wherever they exist. And to employ the way of
dialogue and to know the other in order to strengthen the
bonds of love. And to co-operate in order to achieve the
liberation of the homelands and dignity of citizens and to
praise the indigenous project in Syria under the
guardianship of Mr. President Bashar Al-asad, to strengthen
the bonds of indigenous unity and the co-existence in the
community in Syria.
And our last invocation
is praise be to Allah the Lords of worlds.