(From Chiara Biagioni, SIR’s correspondent in Malines/Brussels) – Last night, Malines (Brussels) hosted the European Christian-Muslim Conference that from 20th to 23rd October will be gathering about fifty participants: delegates of the European Christian Churches (Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and Protestant) and members of the Islam communities of several countries (Austria, Luxembourg, Romania, France, Portugal, Italy, Turkey, Norway and Belgium). The conference Being a citizen of Europe and a person of Faith. Christians and Muslims as active partners in European societies" is promoted by the Committee for Relations with Muslims in Europe, a body of the European Church Conference (Kek) and the Council of European Bishops Conferences (Ccee). "Our conference said Jean Arnold de Clermont, president of Kek, at the opening is at the heart of a plan: to exchange our spiritual heritages to offer them better to a world that s trying to be better. In this sense, our meeting is a source of hope". After all, "the Europe that talks with Turkey, the Europe that is in contact with the Mediterranean countries, from which it has inherited what is essential about its culture, this Europe cannot do without the dialogue with Islam, as much as the Muslim countries cannot help talking with the Europe of human rights and independent politics and religion".
