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Press conference and Roundtable discussion on the Peace & Justice Bible

The Bible Society, in partnership with World Vision, organized a press conference and a roundtable discussion around the Peace & Justice Arabic Bible, July 17 & 24, 2014 respectively.

The press conference was held at the Catholic Information Center on July 17 under the leadership of Archbishop Boulos Mattar, head of the Episcopal Commission for Communication and Social Media, represented by Fr. Abdo Bou Kassem. Four panelists presented a different perspective of the Peace & Justice Bible. The General Secretary of the Bible Society, Dr. Mike Bassous, described the uniqueness of this Bible, while Fr. Boutros Azar, General Secretary of the Catholic Schools, emphasized the Catholic Church’s position towards the issues of peace and social justice.

This was followed by Fr. George Massouh, Orthodox priest and lecturer at Balamand University, commenting on the interfaith aspects of peace and justice, and concluding with World Vision’s Director of Interfaith Relations, Dr. Chawkat Mouccary, who emphasized the division of state and religion on these issues. Several televisions and media covered the press conference. Following is one newspaper’s news article:

https://newspaper.annahar.com/article/152184-إطلاق-الكتاب-المقدس-للسلام-والعدالة-أكثر-من-3-آلاف-آية-من-العهدين-القديم-والجديد

The roundtable discussion on “Crafting an Ethic of Peace and Justice in the MENA region” followed by an Iftar was held at Le Royal Hotel on July 24. The participants of the interfaith seminar included:

• Dr. Mike Bassous, General Secretary of the Bible Society
• Sheikh Mohammed Abu Zaid, Judge in the Sunni court
• Fr. Michel Jalkh, General Secretary of Middle East Council of Churches
• Sayed Hani Fahes, Shiite cleric

Dr. Chawkat Mouccary, World Vision’s Director of Interfaith Relations, moderated the seminar.

Dr. Bassous explained three perspectives of the Peace & Justice Bible: “Why the Bible? Why Peace? Why Justice?” while the three religious leaders focused on the importance of peace and justice in each religion. About 50 key persons attended the roundtable discussion and interacted with the panelists, offering additional insights on the importance of peace and justice in all Semitic religions. The seminar attendees partook in an Iftar to conclude the gathering.

To purchase a copy of the Peace & Justice Bible, please visit our bookshops, our partner’s bookshops, Virgin Megastore, or our online store:

https://shop.biblesociety.org.lb

The Bible Society’s vision is for all generations to encounter the life-giving message of God’s Word. As a nonprofit organization, its mission is to publish and achieve the widest possible, effective and meaningful distribution of the Holy Scriptures in a language and media which meets the needs of the people it serves, at prices people can afford, encouraging people to read the Scriptures, and helping them interact with the Word of God. The Bible Society seeks to carry out its task in partnership and cooperation with all the churches and with Christian organizations.