INTERCULTURAL & RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE ACTIVITY REPORT 2017 INTERCULTURAL & RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE Activity Report 2017 INTERCULTURAL & RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE ACTIVITY REPORT 2017 3 INTERCULTURAL & RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE INTERCULTURAL & RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE Activity Report 2017 Activity Report 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS WORKING GROPUP MEETING ON FIGHTING RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM MEETING WITH THE MARONITE COMMUNITY OF BELGIUM 10 IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE MANCHESTER AND LONDON ATTACKS 27 WORKING GROUP MEETING ON THE EUROPE-WIDE BURQA DEBATE 12 CONFERENCE ON WOMEN IN ISLAM: BETWEEN REPRESSION AND EMANCIPATION 28 WORKING GROUP MEETING WITH PROF. OLIVIER ROY ON ISLAM AND EUROPEAN IDENTITY 13 CONFERENCE ON RELIGIOUS ORGANISATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT 30 WORKING GROUP MEETING ON WORKING GROUP MEETING ON WORKING GROUP MEETING ON MIGRATION TO THE EU "2017 OPEN DOORS WORLD WATCH LIST" 14 AND THE CONSEQUENCES ON RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY 32 EPP GROUP FACT FINDING MISSION TO LEBANON 15 WORKING GORUP MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE GULF 33 WORKING GROUP MEETING ON THE SITUATION OF REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS IN LEBANON AND THE MIDDLE EAST 16 CONFERENCE ON THE ROLE OF THE RELIGION IN THE EUROPEAN INTEGRATION - UKRAINE AND EU PERSPECTIVES 34 WORKING GROUP MEETING ON THE HARASSMENT OF CHRISTIANS IN EUROPEAN REFUGEE CENTRES 20 WORKING GROUP MEETING WITH HIGH-LEVEL DELEGATION OF RELIGIOUS REPRESENTATIVES FROM AZERBAIJAN 38 CONFERENCE ON RELIGION AND EU EXTERNAL ACTION 21 WORKING GROUP MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE SAHEL REGION 39 EPP GROUP ANNUAL DINNER WITH AMBASSADORS OF OIC COUNTRIES 23 WORKING GROUP MEETING ON DE-RADICALISATION WORKING GROUP MEETING WITH HIGH-LEVEL DELEGATION OF RELIGIOUS AND FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM 40 REPRESENTATIVES FROM UKRAINE 24 WORKING GROUP MEETING ON “PERSECUTED AND FORGOTTEN? A REPORT CONFERENCE ON THE PEACE POTENTIAL OF RELIGIONS 26 OF CHRISTIANS PERSECUTION AND OPPRESSION IN THE WORLD 2015 – 2017” BY AID TO THE CHURCH IN NEED (ACN) 41 4 5 INTERCULTURAL & RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE INTERCULTURAL & RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE Activity Report 2017 Activity Report 2017 XVII INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE ROLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE PROCESS OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION 43 WORKING GROUP MEETING WITH A HIGH-LEVEL INTERRELIGIOUS DELEGATION FROM INDONESIA 46 VISIT OF THE COLLÈGE DES BERNARDINS 47 WORKING GROUP MEETING ABOUT THE CONFERENCE ON "RETHINKING EUROPE: CHRISTIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FUTURE OF THE EUROPEAN PROJECT" HELD AT THE VATICAN CITY, 27-29 OCTOBER 2017 48 WORKING GROUP MEETING WITH SPEAKERS OF THE CONFERENCE "CHRISTMAS AFTER DAESH: HOPE REBORN FOR CHRISTIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST" 49 CONFERENCE ON "CHRISTMAS AFTER DAESH: HOPE REBORN FOR CHRISTIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST" 50 20TH ANNUAL EPP GROUP INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE WITH CHURCHES AND RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS 52 VADEMECUM 60 6 7 INTERCULTURAL & RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE INTERCULTURAL & RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE Activity Report 2017 Activity Report 2017 INTERCULTURAL Mr Jan Olbrycht MEP & RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE ACTIVITY REPORT 2017 Mr György Hölvényi MEP 8 9 INTERCULTURAL & RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE INTERCULTURAL & RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE Activity Report 2017 Activity Report 2017 INTERCULTURAL ACTIVITIES AND INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE INTERCULTURAL ACTIVITIES AND INTERRELIGIUS DIALOGUE MEETING WITH THE MARONITE COMMUNITY OF BELGIUM MINUTES OF MEETING Meeting with the Maronite Community of Belgium and representatives of Kurd government “20 years of EPP Wednesday, 8 February 2017, Brussels Group Interreligious Dialogue with Churches and religious communities” Wednesday, 8 February 2017, Brussels. AGENDA The President of the League of Maronite community in Belgium, Maroun Karam, gave some facts and OPENING stressed that there are 14 million of Lebanese spread in the World (70% are Maronite, 20% Muslims) and only 4 million in Lebanon. They represent the biggest Catholic community in the Middle East. Opening by the Co-Chairman of the Working Group György Hölvényi, MEP Today, Lebanon includes 42 % of Christians of which 39 % are Maronite. Maronite communities are also present in Syria, Cyprus and Turkey. INTRODUCTION Introduction by Maroun Karam, President of the Maronite League in Belgium György HÖLVÉNYI stressed the role of the Christians in the World and the need to look towards the future and Exchange of views with Special Guests and Members of the EPP Group in the European Parliament to find a peaceful solutions in this chaotic world. CONCLUDING REMARKS 10 11 INTERCULTURAL & RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE INTERCULTURAL & RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE Activity Report 2017 Activity Report 2017 EPP WORKING GROUP EPP WORKING GROUP INTERCULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE INTERCULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE WORKING BREAKFAST WORKING BREAKFAST Strasbourg, Tuesday, 14 FEBRUARY 2017 Wednesday, 8 March 2017 AGENDA AGENDA 1. Opening by the Co-Chairmen of the Working Group Mr György Hölvényi MEP and Mr Jan Olbrycht MEP 1.Opening by the Co-Chairman of the Working Group Mr Jan Olbrycht MEP 2. Presentation by and exchange of views with Prof. Olivier Roy, Joint Chair at the RSCAS and SPS department 2. Presentation by and exchange of views with Mgr. Paolo Rudelli, Special Envoy and Permanent Observer of of the European University Institute on: the Holy See to the Council of Europe, on “IS ISLAM COMPATIBLE WITH EUROPEAN IDENTITY?” THE EUROPE-WIDE DEBATE ON BURQA AND RELATED QUESTIONS 14 February –WG meeting with Mons. RUDELLI: Olivier Roy Joint Chair Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, Chair in Mediter- Mgr. Paolo Rudelli, Special Envoy and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the Council of Europe met with ranean Studies EPP Group MEP to exchange views on the so called religious cloth question (often referred to in the press as Burqa European University Institute or Niqab dispute) that is widely debated in many EU member states. Beyond the demographic aspect of a growing Muslim population in Europe; the fact that Islam is taking hold in Europe seems to put into question European identity. What does the rise of Islam is Europe entail in terms of shared culture and values? 12 13 INTERCULTURAL & RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE INTERCULTURAL & RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE Activity Report 2017 Activity Report 2017 EPP WORKING GROUP EPP INTERCULTURAL GROUP EPP GROUP FACT FINDING MISSION INTERCULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE TO BEIRUT, LEBANON WORKING BREAKFAST 22 - 26 March 2017 Strasbourg, Thursday, 16 March 2017 SUMMARY OF THE GROUP’S MISSION AGENDA Composition of the delegation: György HÖLVÉNYI, Lars ADAKTUSSON, Lorenzo CESA, Teresa JIME- NES BECERRIL BARRIO and Željana ZOVKO 1.Opening by the Co-Chairman of the Working Group Mr Jan Olbrycht MEP 2. Presentation by and exchange of views with Mr Michel Varton, Director of Open Doors France, on key findings of the “2017 Open Doors World Watch List” (Freedom of Religion and the Persecution of Christians) Wednesday, 22 March OPEN DOORS WORLD WATCH LIST REPORT 2017: THE PERSECUTION OF CHRIS- > MEETING WITH PIERRE BOU ASSI, MINISTER OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS AND MEMBER OF TIANS AND GLOBAL DISPLACEMENT. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. LEBANESE FORCES The Minister briefed the delegation on the current situation in Lebanon and raised main problems of the country. In its 25th year, the Open Doors World Watch List (WWL) highlights the alarming increase in religious persecu- tion and its central role in the global displacement crisis. Never before have so many Christians been on the move as conflict and religious persecution have combined, leading to devastating consequences. The persecution of Christians, the threat represented by ISIS, the Syrian crisis, are affecting the Middle East, and Lebanon could be hit by a new and critical political crisis and possible new internal and external threats. Around the world, 53 per cent of refugees come from Somalia, Afghanistan and Syria – numbers two, three and six on the WWL. Overall, eight out of the top ten refugee-producing countries as listed by the UNHCR feature He added that Lebanon, as a host country for about 1.5 million registered refugees (UNHCR stopped the in this year’s WWL. In each of these countries, being a Christian compounds the pressure they are under from registration in 2015), mainly Syrians and Palestinians, is preparing a master employment plan for Lebanese other more obvious drivers of displacement – and often the trouble for Christians does not end when they reach people and refugees. The plan will include a 10 billion dollar project and some 1.2 billion dollars from Al the refugee camps. Madad Fund. This can be seen on a large scale in countries such as Syria and Nigeria. Open Doors estimates that approximately 50 per cent of Syria’s Christians have left the country. Aleppo, which prior to the war included one of Syria’s lar- gest Christian populations, has seen around 90 per cent of its Christians fleeing the city as war and persecution > WORKING DINNER WITH THE HEAD OF PROTOCOL OF THE FOREIGN MINISTRY AND have made it impossible to stay. Nigeria is also suffering mass displacement – last year the Internal Displacement SELECTED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CIVIL SOCIETY Monitoring Centre estimated that there were more than 2.1 million internally displaced persons in Nigeria. While a number of factors are leading to this high-level of displacement, religious identity is clearly a significant com- ponent. This is most evident in the attacks on Christians by Boko Haram in the north east and Hausa-Fulani herdsmen in the Middle Belt region. 14 15 INTERCULTURAL & RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE INTERCULTURAL & RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE Activity Report 2017 Activity Report 2017 Thursday, 23 March > MEETING WITH MICHEL AOUN, PRESIDENT OF