We Aim for Lebanon to be International Center for Interfaith and Cultural Dialogue
President of the Lebanese Republic Michel Suleiman expressed Lebanon”s ambition in being an international center for interfaith and cultural dialogue. He stressed the philosophy of the country in being a place for co-existence, a country functioning as a "Laboratory" of interfaith and cultural dialogue.
Suleiman who earlier addressed the Conference for Religious and Cultural Dialogue; an international gathering in at the United Nations in New York, affirmed that Lebanon is "rich with its diversity, deeply established in its openness to other cultures. Lebanon is qualified in having a wider room for inter-faith dialogue."
Suleiman pointed that dialogue cannot grow where there is occupation, when Palestinian rights are violated, when others seek to settle Palestinians outside their homes.
He stressed that Jerusalem”s message is incapable of achievement unless injustice imposed upon is lifted.
Attending Israeli President Shimon Peres, stressed in his address "the Arab-Israeli conflict cannot be settled militarily, it is better to seek peace, for the sake of our children let us break the bones of this historically stemmed enmity."
Peres saw that comprehensive peace means a return of bilateral negotiations with the Palestinians." We are now making progress in our talks with the Palestinians and bridging gaps with the Syrians." He went on to point to the Saudi Arab peace initiative as the shortest route to peace.
H.M. King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia, who pioneered the conference, said "faiths that God wanted to bless humanity with, should not be cause for their misery." King Abdullah affirmed that religious differentiation has marred humanity with bloody conflicts. He called on conference participants to form a committee to follow up on its resolutions.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon pointed to the Arab peace initiative saying it has "echoed" around the world. He added that he is biased against war and violence."
The conference is at the initiative of King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, it is attended by many world heads of state, including the Israeli president, conference will end its working sessions on Thursday