Message by Dr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, past U.N. Secretary General,
To the MECHRIC Leadership Meeting (Brussels, Nov. 5-6),
On: “Middle East Christians: Challenges and Strategies“
Christians constitute indigenous national minorities in Middle Eastern societies. Their history and positive contributions, over thousands of years, are intimately associated with the history, civilization and the renaissance of their nations.
These messages have recently been confirmed by His Majesty King Abdullah of Jordan at the conference on “Challenges Facing Arab Christians,” when he said, “Christians existed in this region before Muslims. They are not strangers, colonizers or foreigners, but the People of this land.”
With the emergence of the modern state, Middle Eastern countries placed citizenship as the basis for the creation of their states and for the coexistence amongst its sons. The countries with large Christian minorities, such as Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, participated in building the contemporary international and regional system. They have endorsed the international conventions and treaties that establish equality and freedoms, and the rights of women and minorities.
In this important meeting, let your emphasis be on calling for the application of these international conventions signed by Middle Eastern countries. Such application would preserve the rights of the majority and the minority alike. It would also help establish a modern state and its progress on all fronts, as well as openness to globalization and what it offers by way of accepting differences, diversity and cultural richness.
We hope that your commendable efforts will help instill the values of citizenship, equality, and coexistence of all citizens across the Middle East.
Cairo, Nov. 3rd, 2013