An Article by HRH The Prince of Wales on Christians in the Middle East

[cinrit]

This article was published in the pan-Arabic newspaper 'Asharq Alawsat' on Monday 26 May 2014:

For more than twenty years, I have tried to build bridges between Islam and Christianity and to dispel ignorance and misunderstanding between them. Islam is the second largest faith community in the world and the second largest in Britain, and so bridges between Islam and Christianity are something that must concern every responsible person.  That is one of the reasons I have been happy to be involved in many faith bridge-building projects, including helping establish the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies and setting up the Prince's School for Traditional Arts in 2004.  In 2008, I was honoured to be the first Westerner and Christian to receive an honorary doctorate from the 1000 year-old Al-Azhar University in Cairo, and will continue, God willing, to build bridges whenever possible.

I have for some time felt great concern about those of all faith communities in the Middle East who are suffering so grievously at the present time.  The rights of all people of faith in the Middle East should be respected.  But it saddens me deeply that the ancient Christian communities are among those facing growing difficulties, despite the fact that part of their long and deeply-rooted history in the region is testimony to the tolerance and understanding Muslim leaders have shown in the past.  It seems to me that the bridges of understanding which matter to us all are being deliberately destroyed by militant fundamentalists with a vested interest in doing so – and this is achieved through intimidation, false accusation and organized persecution.  It is my fervent hope and prayer that this should cease.

More: Speech

Cindy

[Limabeany]

I have noticed his fondness for the word 'fervent'...  :P

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