Middle East Churches to Monitor Regional Human Rights
For the full story, go to Ekkleisa. The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) and Catholic leaders in the region are discussing the possible formation of a series of forums to monitor the human rights situation in the Middle East, starting in the Lebanon .
On the second day of the Catholic Patriarchs’ Conference, the MECC General Secretary and Justice, Peace and Human Rights Programme Coordinator participated in a special session dedicated to discuss the development of a project proposal on these lines, prepared in response to a recommendation issued by the previous meeting of the Patriarchs’ Assembly, held in Amman, Jordan.
Mr Guirguis Saleh stressed the importance of the idea in relation to the plight of religious and ethnic minorities. The way forward, he reported, is to establish a forum in Lebanon , composed of key scholars and thinkers. Its aim would be to identify human rights concerns that need to be monitored, analyzed and reported to the churches and partners for appropriate advocacy action.
A spokesperson explained: “This forum could constitute a model for similar initiatives [across] the Middle East region. Great interest was expressed by the meeting for the proposal which will be studied for decision and implementation.”
The Church was born in the Middle East , and here the early controversies in the Christian movement played themselves out, alongside growth and development. The people and churches which form the MECC are the direct heirs of all of this, but are often overlooked in discussions about the globally strategic area.