<\/p>\n
The spreading of terrorist waves has given rise to the need for achieving peace nowadays. Through peace, humanity enjoys quietude and safety. Thus, they work and produce. Yet, in the absence of peace, the world becomes a jungle, and humans monsters that lost the gift of humanity. In effect, we have to cooperate in order to achieve the desired peace.<\/strong><\/span> \nPeace and Pluralism<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Our current reality either articulates or insinuates the immediate renunciation of fanaticism and terrorism which the world is about to fall into. As I mentioned in a speech, peace is a core teaching of religions. In Islam, it is one of God\u2019s beatific names: \u201cHe is All\u0152h, other than whom there is no deity, the Sovereign, the Pure, the Peace.\u201d In Christianity, we call God, \u201cThe God of Peace,\u201d \u201cKing of Peace,\u201d and \u201cSource of Peace to everybody.\u201d All religions have agreed about the importance of peace for man. Peace is a strong pillar of Islamic teaching in which many chapters (Surahs) assert that, \u201cO believers, enter into peace all.\u201d In Christianity, we read, \u201cBlessed are the peacemakers,\u201d and \u201cNow the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace.\u201d<\/strong><\/span> In Christianity<\/strong><\/span> \nGeneral Bishop<\/strong><\/span> <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The spreading of terrorist waves has given rise to the need for achieving peace nowadays. Through peace, humanity enjoys quietude and safety. Thus, they work and produce. Yet, in the absence of peace, the world becomes a jungle, and humans monsters that lost the gift of humanity. In effect, we have to cooperate in order […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":19638,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[14114,10242,682],"class_list":["post-53225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","tag-14114","tag-10242","tag-682"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53225"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/58"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53225"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53225\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53393,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53225\/revisions\/53393"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19638"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53225"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53225"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nLast week, the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), especially that of Abu Dhabi, hosted the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies which theme was, \u201cGlobal Peace and Fear of Islam: Cutting the Road to Extremism” in which 700 Christian and Muslim scholars from various parts of the world took part. I was cordially invited to that annual forum which was full of tolerance, peace, and fraternity.<\/strong><\/span>
\nImam Hassan bin Ali Award for Peace<\/strong><\/span>
\nThe Egyptian Family House was given the \u201cInternational Imam Hassan bin Ali Award for Peace\u201d this year. His Eminence, Dr. Mohammed Hamdy Zakzouk, member of the grand scholars\u2019 assembly, member of the Muslim Council of Elders, and Secretary General of the Egyptian Family House received the award, together with Bishop Ermia, Assistant Secretary General of the Egyptian Family House. The award was given by his Highness, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan, U.A.E. Foreign Minister, his Highness Nahayan bin Mubarak al-Nahayan, Emirati Minister of Culture, Youth and Social Development and Sheikh Abdallah Bin Bayyah, President of the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies and member of the Muslim Council of Elders.<\/strong><\/span>
\nImam Hassan bin Ali International Award for Peace was launched in the second Annual Forum of Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies in 2015. It was dedicated to honoring thinkers and scholars who had scientific endeavors and initiatives, and attempt rooting the culture of peace and its values in Muslim societies.<\/strong><\/span>
\nGoals of the Award<\/strong><\/span>
\n– Encouraging the scientific rooting of correcting the concepts of peace and human fraternity.<\/strong><\/span>
\n– Rooting awareness of the purpose of peace and the importance of achieving it through dialogue and ideology.<\/strong><\/span>
\n– Honoring persona and organizations which have achievements in spreading the culture of peace.<\/strong><\/span>
\n– Connecting Muslim youth with the ideology that promotes the peace culture and joyful coexistence.<\/strong><\/span>
\n– Updating the tools and methods of convincing Muslim youth not to fall in the pit of violence.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\nAccepting pluralism in societies is a core principle for achieving the desired peace, be it among individuals in one society or among global societies with diverse creeds, ideologies, deities, and races. Pluralism is, \u201ca concept that expresses the right of all humans to coexist in the local or international society despite their difference in opinion. Likewise, they should positively and edifyingly participate\u2026 Mutual Coexistence or acceptance of others does not mean imposing one\u2019s ideas on them. Nor does it mean renouncing one\u2019s principles and creeds or adopting the others\u2019 religion. Rather, it simply means leading a good life together.<\/strong><\/span>
\nThus, promoting the value of versatility in our societies has to manifest itself in religious teachings in accordance with core religious concepts and values which exalt love and mercy and prevent haughtiness.<\/strong><\/span>
\nIn Islam<\/strong><\/span>
\n– Islam presents an image of man\u2019s relationship with the other whoever he might be as one that is based on peace. We read, \u201cO people! We have created you males and females, and made you tribes and peoples that you might know one another that the best of you is the most pious.\u201d The phrase, \u201cthat you might know one another\u201d has a deep significance. God wants people to know one another and live with love and affection.<\/strong><\/span>
\n– Also, \u201cIf Allah wants, He could make you one nation. But you are different.\u201d<\/strong><\/span>
\n– We read still, \u201cIf your God wants, all on earth will be faithful. Do you compel people to become believers?\u201d<\/strong><\/span>
\n– In effect, killing is legitimized to resist attacking: \u201cGod does not forbid you from those who do not fight you in religion nor get you out of your homes except if you do not be good and just to them.\u201d Meanwhile, God forbids killing an innocent soul: \u201cWhoever kills a soul without a soul or corruption in earth, it is as if he killed all people. Whoever makes it live, it is as if he made all people live.\u201d<\/strong><\/span>
\n– Moreover, \u201cYou shall not kill the soul that God forbade killing, except justly, and whoever kills a wronged man We make his friend authorized: but he should not kill excessively as he is victorious.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\nChrist presented acceptance of the Pluralist ideology through His dealing with all people despite their difference in ideologies and creed. He dealt with all Jewish sects. Likewise, He healed whoever resorted to Him, be he a Jew, Gentile, or Roman. Also, He offered His teachings to everybody. So, He went to Samaria, accepted tax collectors\u2019 invitations, and presented the parable of the \u201cgood Samaritan\u201d which is expressive of the loftiest human values, namely, love and service without differentiation.<\/strong><\/span>
\n– Christianity teaches love for all, and prohibits hatred, \u201cWhoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.\u201d It calls for loving, even one\u2019s enemies, \u201c\u2026 love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you..\u201d<\/strong><\/span>
\n– Likewise, it forbids killing. One of the ten commandments reads, \u201cYou shall not kill.\u201d<\/strong><\/span>
\nIn Judaism\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>
\nGod commanded the people to accept strangers, and not to persecute or mistreat them. This stranger is one who holds a culture or ideology different from a Jew\u2019s:<\/strong><\/span>
\nPreventing Persecution or Annoyance:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>
\n\u201cYou shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.\u201d<\/strong><\/span>
\nLoving Strangers:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>
\n\u201cTherefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.\u201d<\/strong><\/span>
\nThe Law Itself:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>
\n\u201cYou shall have the same law for the stranger and for one from your own country\u201d<\/strong><\/span>
\nWorks of Mercy:<\/strong><\/span>
\n\u201cWhen you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field when you reap, nor shall you gather any gleaning from your harvest.\u201d<\/strong><\/span>
\nJustice:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>
\n\u201cAnd if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him. The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you\u2026\u201d<\/strong><\/span>
\nImplanting the concept of Pluralism and coexistence for peace and edification of homelands cannot be achieved through words, but by hard work for rooting this ideology that seeks the development of societies and nations, as well as presenting the core of religion that respects man\u2019s humanity through deeds that make us steadfastly strive for peace, edification, and happiness in life. What a great story! Stories never end in Beautiful Egypt.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\nHead of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n