The first Catholic-Islamic Forum, which ended two days ago in the Vatican, issued a statement condemning persecution, violence and all forms of terrorism, particularly terrorism in the name of religion. The statement highlights the importance of freedom of beliefs and calls for mutual commitment to create a fairer world, which respects people's right to practice their religions in private and public. It also stresses the warm spirit that dominated the closed-door talks around religious, social and moral issues. Addressing 85 participants from several countries, Pope Benedict XVI praised the meeting and described it as “one more step along the way towards greater understanding between Muslims and Christians”.
He said the Catholic-Islamic Forum was the official name of this meeting and that it would be held every two years. He called on Muslims to join Christians in defending joint moral values and human rights. The pope met with the participants in the Vatican's Clementine Hall, used for grand occasions. He expressed hope the meeting would be an occasion to have dialog and walk toward the truth. The Muslim Italian delegate Yahya Pallavicini said talks were marked by “rare frankness” compared to any other meetings between different religions. French Catholic Professor Joseph Maila said sensitive words such as "Islamophobia" were discussed. Muslim American Professor Sayed Hassan Nasr, warned of aggressive proselytism in the name of freedom. Swiss intellectual Tariq Ramadan said: "We agreed that it was impossible to avoid certain sensitive issues" like religious freedom. Participants called for an ethical financial system in which regulatory mechanisms consider the situation of poor and deprived people and of indebted nations. The forum, which focused on the issue of love for God and the Other, is not the only body interested in Muslim-Catholic dialog. But it is the first to be held in the Vatican and to combine such a big number of clergymen and Muslim intellectuals from around the world who belong to different schools and who confirmed they have no political inclination. The forum came after Pope Benedict XVI sent an open message in October 2007 to 138 Muslim scholars and popes of other Christian churches to invite them to an open dialog. The catholic delegation included Vatican officials, Catholic researchers in Islam and bishops heading minorities in Iraq, Syria, Pakistan and Gulf countries. The Islamic side was represented by an independent union of Muslim thinkers and scholars from the Middle East, Africa, Asia and some western countries. Benedict XVI also welcomed the new Egyptian Ambassador to the Vatican, Lamia Ali Hamada Mekhemar. He told her that Egypt is the land of an ancient civilization well-know by the entire world, adding that relations between the Vatican and Egypt are based on deep mutual respect, particularly because there is a common desire to cement unity and peace and develop dialog and co-operation.
