February 16, 2011. The community of Sant'Egidio has called on religious representatives from the Middle East to meet in Rome to speak about two main points. The first being to recognize that Christians in the region are in need of help and secondly how to provide this help. Mohammed Sammak presented this meeting. He is an adviser to religious leaders in Lebanon as well as the country's Secretary of the Committee for Muslim-Christian Dialogue.

He participated in a special Synod for Lebanon in 1995, held in the Vatican with John Paul II.  

Mohammed Sammak
Secretary, Committee for Muslim-Christian Dialogue (Lebanon)
“The Lebanese are following what's happening now in Egypt and Tunisia.  With big tensions, we know that Egypt is not just this small country, FLASH Egypt is very important in the Middle East and what happens in Egypt will have it's implications all over the Middle East.”

Sant'Egidio has worked directly with NGO's and grassroots movements in the Middle East.  Because of this Secretary Sammak believes that they have been able to gain support from local Muslim leaders.

He hopes to push forward in improving many of the broken relationships between religious groups throughout the region, despite what he calls the “current shadow” hanging over many governments in the Middle East.

Mohammed Sammak
Secretary, Committee for Muslim-Christian Dialogue (Lebanon)
“We really have question marks, what will be the outcome of what's happening now in Egypt on the peaceful agreement between Egypt and Israel?  What will be the next role of the United States and how to deal with the problems of the Middle East?”

Secretary Sammak says that the problem is the divide between Muslims, as Sunnis and Shiites struggle for power, which in the past has often resulted in violence.  

The community of Sant'Egidio is committed to being a partner in building peace in Lebanon and the entire Middle East.  To achieve this they hope at the end of February to meet with religious leaders from throughout the region.