“Towards a Better Understanding for the Relation with the West ”
HOW and Ministry of Waqf and Religious Affairs Organize a Scientific Conference
HOW- Gaza
On 27 June, 2019, House of Wisdom Institute for Conflict Resolution and Consultations, in cooperation with the ministry of Waqf and religious affairs, organized a scientific conference entitled: “Towards a Better Understanding of Relations between Palestine and the West”. Eng. Mahmoud Almadhoun, general secretary of HOW, Dr AbdalHadi Alagha, the ministry of waqf and religious affairs under-secretary, and Dr Mohammed Awad, vice president of the previous cabinet, in addition to many preachers, intellectuals, academics and others.
In his speech, Eng. Mahmoud Almadhoun welcomed the attendees, pointing out that this conference was held as a commitment of HOW through continual discussions for the sake of the Palestinian cause. This conference was organized by HOW and the ministry of waqf and religious affairs in cooperation with the Forward Thinking Institute.
Al-Madhoun said: “In light of the doubts and anxieties societies in the east and west are experiencing, and the intellectual and cultural breakdowns that have caused a split between state and society, peoples and nations are fighting each other with no reason. At this moment, the voice of the wise has to be raised. This conference is held to give them this.”
In his speech, Dr AbdalHadi stressed that Islam has lofty and noble goals. Islam has called for freedom from slavery, and it has rejected the humiliation of people. He assured us that the Palestinian cause is not related to the East-West dichotomy or to race relations.
In his speech entitled: “Islam and the West: Cooperation not confrontation?”, Dr Alagha mentioned that the real conflict was not between Islam and the West or Islam and the other religions. However, the real conflict was between the people carrying a message asserting the freedom of human beings and the necessity of maintaining personal and societal rights, and the people who plunder common wealth and claim they are just.
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The conference included two sessions that carried very important papers. The speeches focused on the relation between Islam and the West, terrorism and islamophobia, religious conflict and politics in Palestine and on the role of Christians in defending Islam.
Dr Ahmed Yousef concluded his speech by saying that Arab countries and Muslims have rejected terrorism. Consequently, supporting Islam represented by, for example, Muslim brotherhoods would help get rid of extremism and terrorism.
In his speech, Dr Hassan Alsaifi discussed some axes, such as the conflict, justifications, Western and Israeli interests in Palestine and the Balfour Declaration.
In his speech, Father Manuell Musallam pointed out the role of Palestinian Christians in defending Islam, and that the change should start by writing a new Islamic manifesto or declaration so that a reconciliation and understanding between East and West could be reached.
In his speech, Mr Oliver McTernan said: “We know that confrontations between Islam and the West have been going on for decades, and that both of them is a considered a threat to the other’s nationality and beliefs. From the Muslims’ perspective, excessive political intervention from the West, especially after the collapse of the Ottoman empire, was a reason for that. On the other hand, from the West’s perspective, there were many terrorism incidents that promote such negative beliefs.”
