Michael Theurer Hosts Inter-Religious Dialogue: Increasing the Understanding Between Islam and the West
BRUSSELS, June 12, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- "It will be fundamental for Europeans to stop viewing their Muslim neighbours as different and start understanding them as Europeans - as us", so Theurer (German Liberal Member of the European Parliament and member of the Delegation for the relations between the European Parliament and Israel) during today's half-day hearing organized by the International Council for Inter-Religious Cooperation (ICIRC) in the European Parliament.
Besides Theurer, Prof. Dr. Reinhard Bettzuge (German Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg.....), Sri Hartanti Kustiningsih (Charge d'Affaire of the Indonesian Embassy), Sheikh Abdulaziz Alyahyah (Director of the Islamic Centre of Belgium) and the Romanian Liberal Member of the European Parliament, Cristian Silviu Busoi, contributed to the lively discussion.
"Continuous dialogue between the EU and its Muslim minority population will have to be our ambition now and in the future", so Theurer. The other speakers agreed in the need to further bring together an increasingly polarised Muslim and Western society. "Both sides need to battle the extremists in their midst and move towards the centre in order for our dream of a tolerant, pluralistic society to function", said Johan Maertens, Vice President of the ICIRC, in his closing speech.
After the discussion, Prakash Goossens, Chief Advisor to the ICIRC, welcomed the various Imams, Ambassadors and other attendees to a genuine hallal lunch in the European Parliament.
SOURCE International Council for Inter-Religious
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