Archbishop meets President Assad: CEN 10.05.07 p 8. October 6, 2007
Posted by geoconger in Archbishop of Canterbury, Church of England Newspaper, Episcopal Church in Jerusalem & the Middle East, Israel.trackback
The Archbishop of Canterbury held talks last week in Damascus with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on the Middle East, Islam and terrorism, and Muslim-Christians relations, the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported.
Accompanied by the Primate of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East, Dr. Mouneer Anis of Egypt, Dr. Williams’ Sept 27 talks with the Syrian president centered the Arab-Israeli “peace process , and the important position that Syria enjoys geographically, historically, politically and religiously” in the region, SANA said.
Assad “stressed the necessity to clarify the concept of Islam in the world, to distinguish between Islam and terrorism, and to conduct a dialogue among the various cultures,” the official communiqué stated. Dr. Williams was said to have praised Syria for fostering peaceful relations between Christians and Moslems.
Following his morning meeting with President Assad, Dr. Williams and the Anglican delegation joined the Grand Mufti of Syria Amad Badruddin Hassoun at a banquet celebrating the end of Ramadan.
While calling for the necessity of “developing and unifying” interfaith discourse, Dr. Hassoun also attacked Anglo-American policies in Iraq and denounced Israel as an aggressor state.
SANA reported that the Grand Mufti “pointed out the Israeli suppressive practices in the occupied Palestinian territories which violated all religious laws and international norms, reviewing what Iraq is witnessing of ordeals and catastrophes under the occupation.”
Dr. Williams offered a circumspect response to the Grand Mufti’s speech, agreeing to the necessity of “dialogue among religions” whilst also warning against the “dangers of extremism.”
Initial statements from the Syrian capital indicate Dr. Williams was able to avoid entanglement in the region’s tortuous political intrigues, escaping the imbroglio that befell Pope John Paul II’s during his 2001 visit to Syria, when President Assad was able to use the frail pontiff’s silence in the face of a fierce anti-Semitic official diatribe as a sign of tacit approval for the regime.
President Assad’s words to Dr. Williams were reported by SANA as measured and cordial. The official news agency recounted Dr. Williams’ impressions of his visit and said that what he had “touched and seen of traditions in Syria supported the beautiful idea he got that Syrian society takes care of human heart, mind and soul” and that “Syria is a blessed land that witnessed the radiation of heavenly messages.”
Spokesmen traveling with Dr. Williams were unable to respond to our queries at press time.
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