The Muslim world in search of "Civil State"
Lebanon promotes a colloquium to boost political impact an momentum of al-Azhar statement on citizenship. Towards the recognition of the " Civil State " (an expression intended to avoid the ambiguity that Muslims harbor for the term "secular state") in which the notion of citizenship, with all its legal implications (equality of rights and duties for all citizens) replaces that of Muslim, Christian, minority and majority religious belonging
Beirut (AsiaNews) – With the explicit aim of boosting the political impact of the statement made by al-Azhar on 28 February-1 March on citizenship and coexistence, the Maronite Patriarchate convened an Islamic-Christian congress whose final statement, the so-called " Louaïzé statement ", expresses full support of the al-Azhar document.
"The Conference of Our Lady of Louaïzé - states the first point of the statement - welcomes and supports the statement by al-Azhar as a sincere appeal from the highest Arab and Islamic religious institution to total cooperation in all Arab countries, for a national civil constitutional state distinguishing between religion and state, and based on the equality of all citizens of the same country; A country that values cultural and religious diversity and plurality and replaces the terms of majority and minority with the word 'citizenship'
The colloquium was held last Saturday, July 1st, at the University of Louaïzé (Kesrouan), promoted by the Maronite religious order to which the patriarch Rai belongs, gathering a number of Muslim and Christian experts who had also taken part in Cairo The work that resulted in the statement of al-Azhar, as well as the leaders of all Muslim communities in Lebanon.
The Louaïzé statement pushes that of al-Azhar the recognition of the " Civil State " (an expression intended to avoid the ambiguity that Muslims harbor for the term "secular state") in which the notion of citizenship, with all its legal implications (equality of rights and duties for all citizens) replaces that of Muslim, Christian, minority and majority religious belonging. This question of terminology may appear secondary in the eyes of some. In fact, it is not at all so. Al-Azhar's statement used the phrase "Constitutional State" to speak of the modern state, which constitutes the definitive overcoming of the concept of "Islamic State" exalted so far in both its moderate and extreme terms. Some had however criticized this ambiguity of formulation. With Louaïzé's statement, this is eliminated because the definition of "state of civil nature" coexists parallel to that of a constitutional state, as the two expressions are equivalent.
Moreover, the same sheik Abbas Choumane, the right-hand man of the great al-Azhar imam, adopted in his speech at the beginning of the conversation the definition of "civil state dynamics" to speak of the state of citizenship defended by al-Azhar's statement.
Drawn up by Patriarch Rai at the end of the meeting, Louaïzé's statement was endorsed by the Sheikh Abdellatif Deriane, the Sunni mufti of the Republic, Sheikh Ahmad Kabalan, jafarita mufti, Sheikh Naïm Hassan, Sheikh Akl of the Drusa community, and Sheikh Mohammad Asfour of the Alauita Superior Council. This statement, on the other hand, expresses the concern of "protecting coexistence" in Lebanon as it is consecrated in the preamble to the Constitution, against "the confessional tensions, fears and positions" that weaken it. It also points out the need to "develop the policy towards a state of a civil nature".
The declaration commits Lebanon and all other Arab countries to strengthen their action against extremism and radicalism "focusing on moderation and balance," and "cooperating for this purpose among religious, educational or cultural institutions", in order to create a "new culture". The proponents of the statement said that they will liaise with the Vatican and other Muslim and Christian religious institutions in the service of their goals "in an effort to coordinate and co-operate."
Participants also approved the invitation to make Lebanon an international center for dialogue between religions, cultures and civilizations. The Louaïzé' statement supports the Palestinian cause and calls on the Arab and international communities to "work hard to stop wars and conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and elsewhere", seeking political solutions. Sheikh Abbas Choumane has proposed Lebanon to imitate one of his initiatives, the formation of a permanent council, the "Egyptian Family House" presided over by the great imam of al-Azhar and the Pope of the Orthodox Copts, Tawadros II, which has the purpose of coexistence in Egypt.
Moderated by former minister Tarek Mitri, the colloquium included interventions by Rabab Sadr, Farès Souhaid, Radwan Sayyed, Abbas Halabi, Antoine Messarra and Antoine Courban. Its continuation will be ensured by a coordinating committee comprising the rector of the University of Louaïzé, Father Walid Moussa and former parliamentarian Farès Souhaid.
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16/06/2017 12:58
