On 30 April 2014, Nablus Municipality organized a Conference on:
“Nablus… The City of Shared Living”
To this conference more than ten scholars were asked to present papers on the abovementioned subject. Sheikh Zuheir Dab’i prepared the program.
To this conference tens of personalities, Christian, Muslim and Samaritan religious leaders were present and many scholars and politicians. A delegation of seven persons from Al-Liqa Center attended the conference.
Dr. Sami Kilani served as the moderator of this gathering which was attended by leading religious personalities, Muslims, Christians and Sumerians as well as tens of academicians, politicians and members of Nablus and other communities.
The deputy mayor of Nablus welcomed the gathering. He was followed by a number of academicians who focused their research on national unity and shared living pointing out all negative developments in the Arab world such as the killing and destruction in the name of religion and democracy and with the support of Arabs, Westerners and Israeli.
Dr. Geries S. Khoury represented Al-Liqa’ and in his presentation focused on Al-Liqa’ and its experiences in the last thirty three years in shared living and challenging in the process Israeli occupation and western support of Israel.
Dr. Khoury added that Nablus was and still is the center and encounter of religions and cultures. In Nablus Jesus Christ passed by and met the Sumerian lady at the Jacob’s Well and He carried a dialogue with her who led to building bridges and friendship. Dr. Geries stressed as well the importance of historical gathering of Sophronius and Caliph Omar in 638 A.D. and the impact of the Covenant of Omar on shared living. He focused, in addition, on the Epistle of Saint Justin of Nablus, to Emperor Titus, the Senior Legislative Council and to all people of Rome demanding to lift oppression and hate from everyone without exception. Shared living was seen as well in the dialogue between the monk Al-Tabarani and Prince ‘Abd Al-Rahman Al-Hashimi in Jerusalem in the year 820 A. D.
Dr. Khoury concluded by saying that education, religious discourses, freedom of worship, and full participation in public life are the only way to keep the Palestinian body united and strong stressing that “we either stand together or fall”, that is to be strong in faith, modesty and human values which are taught to us by Christianity and Islam.
Following the presentation of researches, witnessing of shared living was given by Rev. Ibrahim Neiruz, Sheikh Zuheir Dab’i, who by the way prepared to program of the conference and was able to gather these distinguished personalities. At the conclusion of the conference, three religious figures were honored, Samaritan, Christian and a Muslim expressing in the process our unity and love to each other.
The proceeding was covered by many local and national newspapers and TV.
