More than two hundred persons from Deir Al-Asad and surrounding villages attended this cultural evening. The Mayor of the Local Municipal Council welcomed attendees who came to the panel despite the cold and rainy weather. Attorney ‘Ali Rafi’ seconded the President and spoke briefly about Al-Liqa’ Center and its activities and invited everyone, Christians, Druze and Muslims, to participate in Al-Liqa’ activities in Bethlehem / Jerusalem and in Galilee. He then asked Dr. Khoury to deliver his speech. This later focused on how religions helps in strengthening national unity and shared daily living, and emphasized that Arab Christian scientists, thinkers and others enriched our common Arab history and civilization. Very few people know about Christian Arab role in history, and that’s why we are trying always to emphasize it and always asking the authorities to change or add special material about the Arab Christian contributions to the Arabic history and literature throughout the history. Dr. Khoury mentioned also that Al-Liqa’ Center has published many books and hundreds of articles on the subject and reiterated Muslim and Christian Arab role in building Arab civilization.
Attorney ‘Ali Rafi’ thanked Dr. Geries and asked H.E. Bishop Mu’allem to deliver his speech.
Bishop Mu’allem focused on the family as the first element in society including the disintegration in the family that we see today. There is a dire need to educate woman and not to marginalize her in order to play a constructive role in society. He quoted from Poet Ahmad Shawqi concerning the ethical role of woman in raising children.
The teacher and school also played an important ethical role as Shawqi put forth.
We also need to know our heritage and to accept the “other” and to respect his/her opinion. Society needs to preserve human freedom in expressing one’s idea.
Democracy means the respect of the opinion of all and not only the opinion of the majority.
Bishop Mu’allem recently published an article on “Jesus the Rebel” who taught humans how revolution should be and he set the example of how not to be afraid of being a martyr.
Following the panel’s presentation question and an answer followed. Teacher Sameer Yousef from Rama who taught for several years in Deir Al-Asad and Al-Bi’na spoke as well as Attorney Qasem Al-Khatib, vice President of the Locl Municipal Council, Attorney Ibrahim Qasem Al-Asadi; and former Director of the elementary school teacher Faisal Muhammad Asadi, and former Secretary of the elementary school, teacher Saleh Salha. Audiences asked Al-Liqa for more activities of this kind in their communities.
* Deir Al-Asad, a Galilee village, is located 20 Kms from Acres. Its population is more than ten thousands citizens. All follow the Islamic Faith.
