The meeting - scheduled some time ago - between French cardinal Tauran and the French Muslim spiritual leaders took place in the wake of the attack on Charlie Hebdo: “May the media offer information that is respectful of religions”.
“Without freedom of speech, the world is in danger”: this was the message sent out in a joint declaration signed by French cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and four French imams. Their meeting, which had been scheduled some time ago, happened to fall on the day after the Islamist terrorist attack on Paris-based satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. The meeting was taken as an opportunity to reiterate the importance of dialogue as “the only path to follow together to dissipate prejudice,” “denounce cruelty and blind violence” and urge the mass media to “offer information that is respectful of religions, their followers and their practices, thus favouring a culture of encounter.”
The text, which the Holy See Press Office published by in the early afternoon, reads:“As we reach the end of the meeting in Rome of the four Imams of France, who attended yesterday’s general audience along with the delegation from the French Episcopal Conference, the participants, shocked by the heinous attack on 7 January 2015 on the offices of the publication “Charlie Hebdo”, wish once more to echo the words pronounced by the Pope yesterday and this morning, denouncing this cruelty and blind violence. Like him, we invite believers to show through friendship and prayer their human and spiritual solidarity towards the victims and their families. In these circumstances, it should be noted that, without freedom of speech, the world is in danger: it is imperative,” the text continues, quoting the words used by the Pope in a message issued yesterday evening by Vatican spokesman, Fr. Federico Lombardi, “to oppose hate and every form of violence that destroys human life, violates the dignity of the person and radically undermines the foundation of peaceful co-existence between persons and peoples, notwithstanding differences of nationality, religion and culture. Religious leaders are called upon to further promote a “culture of peace and hope” able to conquer fear and to build bridges between people. Considering the impact of the media, their leaders are invited to offer information that is respectful of religions, their followers and their practices, thus favouring a culture of encounter. Interreligious dialogue remains the only path to follow together to dissipate prejudice,” the text concludes by saying.
The declaration was signed by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Bishop Michel Dubost, President of the Council for Interreligious Relations of the Bishops' Conference of France, Fr. Roucou, Director of the National Service for Relations with Islam, France, the Imams Tareq Oubrou, Rector of the Grand Mosque of Bordeaux, Azzedine Gaci, Rector of Othman Mosque in Villeurbanne, Mohammed Moussaoui, President of the Union of French Mosques and Djelloul Seddiki, Director of the Al Ghazali Institute of the Grand Mosque of Paris.
