Vatican City, Nov 6, 2008 / 12:38 pm
At the conclusion of the Catholic-Muslim Forum which took place at the Vatican, the participants issued a joint statement underscoring, among other themes, the importance of the defense of life as a gift from God to each person, religious freedom and the promotion of common moral values.
The text states that Christians and Muslims believe that “human life is a very precious gift from God for each person, and therefore it should be preserved and honored in all of its stages.”
After noting that the dignity of the person lies in having been created by God who is love, the participants of the forum underscored that everyone has the right “to the full recognition of their own identity and freedom as individuals, community and government, with the support of civil legislation that guarantees their rights and full citizenship.”
Men and women have the same dignity, the statement continues, and every individual and community has the right “to practice their own religion in private and in public.” It also underscores the right of religious minorities “to be respected in their own convictions and religious practices. They also have the right to their own places of worship and the images and symbols they consider sacred should be not suffer derision or ridicule.”