MELKITE - GREEK
CATHOLIC PATRIARCHATE

H.B. attends International Forum on Jerusalem in Istanbul 15-17 November, 2007

 More than 5000 individuals from over 60 countries, among them Christian and Muslim religious leaders, political and intellectual leaders, as well as representatives of trades unions and civil institutions, the media and the literary world, attended this TGTV-organised conference in Istanbul, entitled “Protecting the Face of Civilization,” to consider the situation of Jerusalem (al-Quds) and the Palestinian people, in the light of the forthcoming peace talks. His Beatitude was one of the leaders of an inter-faith delegation from Syria.

Among those giving “Insiders’ Testimony” to the current situation in Jerusalem were
Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, the grand mufti of Jerusalem; Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, senior preacher of the Al-Aqsa Mosque; and Archbishop Theodosios (Attallah) Hanna, spokesman for the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

There follows a summary of conclusions from the conference’s published Declaration in Support of al-Quds on 17 November:

• Al-Quds, city of peace, cradle of civilization and sacred and holy land…must remain as a model of dialogue between civilizations and symbol for the most holy values of forgiveness, justice and tolerance.
• The Palestinian people, including refugees and deportees, have an historic right to live in their country and exercise their civic rights. These they cannot do while suffocated by a Wall of Separation and while illegal settlements are being built that isolate them and al-Quds from the broader Palestinian context.
• All peace-loving countries should support economic, social, cultural, educational and media-related projects that help to preserve the Arab identity of occupied al-Quds and its Christian and Islamic holy sites.
• There is a responsibility for all nations desirous of promoting peace and stability in the region and preserving the historic heritage of civilization to end the excavations on Temple Mount that undermine the fabric of al-Aqsa mosque and to prevent further encroachments upon Muslim and Christian holy places.
• The United Nations should activate the role of the Committee on the Protection of Jerusalem, established sixty years ago, in 1947. This Forum in support of Al-Quds and its Palestinian people hopes that its gathering would be an incentive for dialogue and understanding among supporters of the same cause, both in Palestine and throughout the world.

The Forum concluded with a prayer, “Today we meet for Al-Quds and tomorrow may we meet in Al-Quds, insh’Allah.” Amen.