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PRESS RELEASE OF THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE, 20.05.2011


PRESS RELEASE OF THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (P.C.I.D.) (Vatican City) and the Royal Institute for Interfaith Studies (R.I.I.F.S.) (Amman, Jordan) held their second Colloquium in Rome from 18 to 19 May, 2011. The meeting was presided over by His Eminence Cardinal Jean-Louis TAURAN, President of the P.C.I.D., and by His Excellency Prof. Kamel ABU JABER, Director of the R.I.I.F.S.

The theme of the Colloquium was "Human and religious values shared by Christians and Muslims for a common education."

The delegation of the P.C.I.D. was composed as follows:

1. His Excellency Archbishop Pier Luigi CELATA

2. Rev. Monsignor Khaled AKASHEH

3. Rev. Monsignor Stefano SANCHIRICO

4. Rev. Fr. Prof. Cesare BISSOLI, S.D.B.

5. Rev. Fr. Christophe ROUCOU

6. Rev. Fr. Hanna KILDANI

7. Rev. Br. Bertrand BOUGÉ, S.M.

8. Prof. Calogero CALTAGIRONE

9. Mr. Paul LEMARIÉ

 

The delegation of the R.I.I.F.S. was composed as follows:

1. H.E. Mr. Hasan Abu Nimah

2. Prof. Saoud El-Mawla

3. Dr. Hanan Ibrahim

4. Dr. Abdul-Rahim Al-Shaikh

5. Dr. Amer Al-Hafi

 

The RI.I.F.S. invited the following guests from Rome:

1. Mrs. Zeinab Ahmed Dolal

2. Mr. Mostafa El Ayoubi

3. Mr. Mustafa Cenap Aydin

The first sub-theme Human Educational Values was presented from a Christian perspective by Prof. Calogero CALTAGIRONE, and from an Islamic perspective by Dr. Hanan IBRAHIM

Dr Amer AL-HAFI and Fr. Prof. Cesare BISSOLI presented the second sub-theme Religious Educational Values respectively from an Islamic and a Christian perspective.

Fr. Christophe ROUCOU presented the third sub-theme For a Common Action in Education on Human and Religious Shared Values from a Christian perspective; Prof. Saoud EL-MAWLA presented the same topic from an Islamic perspective.

The participants highlighted the following:

1) Christians and Muslims share basic human values like the sacred character of human life, human dignity and the fundamental inalienable rights deriving from it.

2) As for the religious values, some of them are common to Christians and Muslims, meanwhile others are specific of each community. It is therefore important to point out commonalities and to identify differences. Respect for differences is in fact an important condition for an authentic dialogue.

3) Education, religious in particular, should not form identities in antagonism or in conflict, but on the contrary, while helping the youth to be well rooted in their own religious identity, it should favor the formation of identities open to other identities.

4) A privileged space of common education is that of the schools, institutions and universities, private and public, where Christian and Muslim children and youth study together. Such an experience is to be conserved and cherished, also because it gives the occasion to create strong and permanent friendships.

The two parties agreed to meet again within two years. A preparatory meeting will precede the colloquium.

[00768-02.01] [Original text: English]