SYRIA’S GRAND MUFTI: SYRIA COUNTRY OF RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE, PLACE FROM WHICH CHRISTIANITY SPREAD

SANA – Syrian Arab News Agency, Syria
Sept 6 2006

The Grand Mufti of the Republic in Syria Dr. Ahamd Badruddin Hassoun
stressed that Syria id the country of religious tolerance and the
place from which Christianity spread to the world.

The Grand Mufti, during a banquet given in his honor by the Armenian
Apostolic Catholicos Karekin II in Yerevan overnight, said that Syria
was also the country to which the Armenian people immigrated in the
past and found amity and hospitality.

He also conveyed best greetings of President Bashar al-Assad to the
friendly people and government of Armenia, the President and Catholicos
Karekin II in person.

For his part, Catholicos Karekin II highly appreciated the visit by
the Grand Mufti of Syria and the accompanying delegation to Armenia.

Armenia’s Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian who attended the banquet
stressed that the visit of Syria’s Grand Mufti is an expression
of the Arab friendship, particularly the Syrian, and for enhancing
Islamic-Christian dialogue.

Mr. Oskanian said "I lived in Aleppo ( north of Syria) which received
the Armenians in the past…there we led a good life, and we didn’t
feel one day that we were aliens…We also didn’t find any problems
in this hospital country."

For his part, Professor Philin Hagobian, former Head of the State
Medical University and member of the Armenian Scientific Academy,
voiced gratitude to the Syrian people who received and offered all
available assistance to the Armenians.

Rev. Armash Nalbandian, bishop of the Armenian Apostolic of Damascus,
stressed that Damascus is a sacred land as it is the cradle of the
civilization and religions, expressing high appreciation of the
relations between the two peoples of Syria and Armenia.