On the first day of the Theology and the Local Church Conference, an evening honoring the memory of the founder of Al-Liqa’ Center and its first director, the late Dr. Geries Sa’ad Khoury, was held. It was introduced by Mr. Ziad Shlewit, member of Al-Liqa’ Center in the Galilee. He began by saying: “Who among us was not bereaved of his sudden death? Who among us was not shocked by his unexpected departure? Who among us did not stand helpless before fate and God’s will? Who among us did not wish that what he is passing through is a hideous nightmare? Ten months have passed and we do not believe yet that you left us and that you are no longer among us? Ten months have passed and we cannot imagine that Al-Liqa’ Center, its conferences and its activities are done without you! Ten months have passed and we have been waiting for a telephone call from you… a consultation session… an invitation… is this an evening honoring you… oh you who did well honoring others? Or is this a commemorative evening and you are still present among us?”
In the evening, a number of the friends of the late Dr. Khoury talked. The first speaker was his eminence Bishop Butros Al-Mu’allem who recalled the song of Fayrouz “People Asked Me about You?” which she presented to her husband Asi after his departure, in which she says: “For the first time we are not together.” He said: “We for the first time hold Al-Liqa’ Conference without D. Geries whom sudden death made him disappear from us.”
He was followed by Mr. Mousa Darwish, deputy director of Al-Liqa’ Center who said about his friend that “he enjoyed moral audacity. He said what should be said… He had one face. He continuously sought respecting the other. National unity was his obsession and he sought respecting the other.”
His friend, lawyer Ali Rafi’ said: “Despite his many and permanent preoccupations, he was interested in picking olives in his village in its season. We discovered that this man did not neglect his family and his house.” Mr. Yousef Matar talked about his relationship with Dr. Geries which goes back to the time before the establishment of Al-Liqa’ Center. He enumerated some of his outstanding traits. He conveyed condolences to his family and to Al-Liqa’ family on this enormous loss. Sheikh Fawwaz Hussein emphasized the importance of what the late Dr. Khoury had achieved for his society and for thought and he called for continuing the march of Al-Liqa’. Dr. Muhammad Habib-Allah recalled his relationship with the late Dr. Khoury when he was deputy director of the Arabic College of Education in Haifa, and Dr. Geries came to teach Christian education in it, and the dialogues which took place between the two of them, and the late Dr. Khoury’s emphasis on dialogue and shared living. Poet Attallah Jaber and Mr. Nathmat Khamayse delivered poems elegizing the late Dr. Khoury. The poems were replete with personal feelings and lauding the outstanding personal traits of the late Dr. Khoury.
The final speech was by lawyer Bishara Geries Khoury, son of the late Dr. Khoury. He thanked Al-Liqa’ Center and its Board of Trustees for all what they did in order to continue the march which his father had begun. He emphasized that he will continue on the national and human method.
During the evening, pictured sections of a number of the speeches of Dr. Geries in Al-Liqa’ Conferences were shown. At the conclusion of the evening, the Board of Trustees of Al-Liqa’ Center and its administration presented a special plaque to the wife of Dr. Geries and his family.
Bethlehem, 3 December 2016
