Clergymen Gearing Up to Hold Conference to Defend Christian Presence in Region

Clergymen are preparing for a Muslim-Christian conference to denounce extremism and defend the presence of Christians in the Middle East, As Safir newspaper reported on Saturday.

According to the newspaper, the Muslim Scholars Coalition and the Muslim Scholars of the Levant are holding talks with various religious and political figures in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Egypt and Jordan to prepare for the conference.

The head of the Muslim Scholars Coalition administrative board, sheikh Hassan Abdullah, told As Safir that the “developments in the Arab countries, in particular, Syria and Iraq and the assaults against Christians in these countries... compelled us to push forward the holding of this conference.”

“We are seeking a strong stance against extremism and the adoption of pluralism and sectarian diversity,” Abdullah said.

Some 1.8 million Christians live in Syria, they make up around 10 percent of the country's population.

Many have remained neutral in a conflict that erupted in March 2011. Others have rallied to President Bashar Assad's side, fearing the harsh Islamist ideology of some rebel fighters.

Abdullah considered that the conference will constitute a roadmap to defend the presence of Christians in the Middle East.

“We have been met with an overwhelming response from religious and political figures,” he pointed out.

The conference is set to be held at the end of April.