Intervention of Mrs. Huda MUSHER, Director, "Caritas" (JORDAN), auditor

I can participate only as a simple grandmother, speaking out frankly.
What we expect from the Synod is that we go beyond talking about the past and the reality of the situation of Christians in the East to reach a clear vision and program on how to confront the challenges of this reality and overcome them.
Let us start by recognizing the peculiarity of the Eastern Christian identity and the importance of defining it. In fact, the Eastern Christian belongs to the nationality of his country and has contributed and still contributes to the construction of Arab and Islamic civilization, and he is also the successor to the first Christians in these lands.
The peculiarity of the Eastern Christian demands the start of new inter-religious dialogue between the children of the same people, before or at the same time as the dialogue between those who guide its thought, until the Christian’s ignorance about his Muslim brother’s religion vanishes along with the Muslim’s about his Christian brother’s.
The Eastern Christian is a lay person who by “lay” does not mean moving away from religion, but a rejection of a state based on religion, whether it is Christian, Muslim or Jewish.
The peculiarity of the Eastern Christian also demands that Christians should celebrate their feasts together as happens in Jordan where Christians celebrate Christmas according to the Western calender and Easter according to the Eastern calender, and this means that Christians share their celebrations and their sufferings. In this way they become a single heart and a solid unity. I have the strong impression that the happiness of Christ Our Lord will be great if all Christians were to celebrate their feasts together.
Finally the Eastern Christian perceives himself as the best suited to deal with the West, because he takes a position starting from his convictions of defending the causes of his nation and he assumes the responsibility of bringing the concept of moderate Islam to the whole world. And he sees no contradiction in this with his own religion and faith. In Jordan the Christian abides by the “Amman Letter” of 2003 as the basis of the concept of moderate Islam.

[00164-02.03] [UD024] [Original text: Arabic]