The International Conference gathering about forty Muslim and Christian theologians and scholars at the University of Cambridge from 12th to 15th October ended yesterday. The archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, and the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Sheikh Ali Gomaa invited them. There were also the Grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mustafa Ceric, and the Greek Orthodox Melkite Patriarch, His Beatitude Gregorios III. The conference was called one year after the publication of the letter "A Common Word", written by the 138 Muslim sages to the heads of the Christian Churches. The conference ended yesterday with the proclamation of a final statement in which Muslims and Christians defined the Cambridge meeting an "opportunity to grow within mutual understanding, confidence and friendship". In this more and more "interdependent" world it is written in the text -, "the necessity to know and respect each other is more and more urgent, with the aim of finding a solution to our problems". Moreover, as for the Letter by the 138 sages, in the statement it is said: "the spirit of generosity" permeating this letter "allows us to start exploring areas for potential agreements with care and honesty. But it will also allow us to tackle the most difficult questions which at times become points of reference for misunderstandings and hostility".
