(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The summit was convened by Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai at his seat in Bkirki followed with a prayer (Duaa) from Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani. Giving the opening speech, Rai highlighted the reasons for the summit.
“Holding the summit was inevitable in order to confirm national principles and goals that would help officials take national decisions in a free and democratic manner to confirm coexistence between Christians and Muslims,” Rai said.
“The developments in the Arab world and their repercussions on Lebanon, given its current divisions, also drove us to hold this summit,” Rai stated adding that Lebanon must set a precedent of inter-religious dialogue.
“Lebanon is an independent republic with an Arab identity and a sense of belonging and cooperates with Arab and foreign countries … without any tutelage or patronage from any of these countries,” Rai said during his speech. He called on the international community to name Lebanon as a “global forum of cultures.”
Rai concluded that other meetings should follow this summit in order to bolster cooperation between the spiritual and political authorities.
Deputy president of the Higher Shiite Council, Abdel Amir Kabalan, Sunni Mufti Qabbani, Druze spiritual leader, Sheikh Naim Hassan, Armenian Catholicos of Cilicia Aram I Keshishian, Roman Catholic Antioch Patriarch Gregorios III Laham, Greek Orthodox Archbishop Elias Aoude, Roman Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius IV, Father Riad Jarjoura on behalf of the Evangelical Church in Lebanon and members of the Muslim-Christian national dialogue committee attended the summit. Vatican Ambassador to Lebanon Bishop Gabriel Caccia arrived later Thursday.
Closed meetings between different religious leaders were held throughout the morning.
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