To the Reverend Sheikhs, Muftis, Ulema
And Heads of Islamic Religious Centres
Cordial greetings, with my affection, prayer, distinguished
consideration and great esteem.
Very soon now there will be taking place the Geneva 2
Conference for peace in Syria, which is languishing under the burden of the
destructive, bloody, deadly crisis that is now beginning its fourth year.
Dear friends!
I am writing this letter from the World Council of
Churches’ Geneva Ecumenical Centre. Together with a number of patriarchs, bishops, clerics
and lay-persons of various Christian Churches, I was invited to the WCC Ecumenical
Consultation on Syria to address a clear, humane and Christian appeal to the
whole world, especially to the participants and countries who will be taking
part in the Geneva 2 Conference, in order to promote the success of this conference,
and to put an end to the chain of violence, killing and destruction and
re-establish peace in beloved Syria. We are persuaded that the solution of this
bloody, tragic, destructive conflict will have a great, historic impact on the
future of our Arab region, our Arab countries and their unity, peace, stability
and development.
Inspired by this meeting in Geneva, I am acting on my
own initiative in launching this personal appeal to my beloved brothers, the
Sheikhs, Muftis, Ulema and heads of Islamic faith centres, inviting them to take
an initiative similar to that of the WCC by sending, collectively or
individually, letters and appeals based on religious teachings and guidance
from the verses of the venerable Qur’an, for the success of Geneva 2. Its success
would be a source of benefit, blessing, security and peace for all our blessed
Arab countries and for the whole world too, beginning from our Arab world, which
is the cradle of religions and civilizations.
Dear reverend friends!
Our solidarity, as Christian and Muslim religious leaders,
in launching this spiritual appeal based on the convictions of our holy faith, at
this singularly historic juncture in our lives, will have a great impact on those
taking part in Geneva 2 and on the citizens of our Arab countries, and will be
a call to hope and calmness in the hearts of all, helping to rebuild trust and
love among citizens and set aside the resentments associated
with faith riots, and the enmity and hatred that have hitherto, unfortunately, been
on the rise among the children of the same country.
I am hopeful that this appeal that
I am sending to you with great affection, via the media and other means of
communication, will elicit a favourable response! So, through this Christian
appeal from Geneva and through Muslim appeals from Arab countries, we shall set
a shining Muslim-Christian interfaith example to our fellow-citizens and help
realise this great gift for our countries, the gift of peace. Peace is one of
God’s names in Islam. Peace is the programme of the angelic hymn on the day of
the Christmas feast that we have recently been celebrating. I end my letter
with this hymn: “Glory to God in the highest! Peace on earth! Good will
towards men!” We are keen to heed Jesus’ Beatitude addressed to workers
for peace: “Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called the children of God.”
With my affection and great regard
+ Gregorios
Patriarch
of Antioch and All the East
Of
Alexandria and Jerusalem