Sri Lanka, a ‘really fantastic country with very great people’ -
Palestinian Religious Affairs Minister
Palestinian Minister of Religious Affairs Dr. Mahmoud Al-Habbash
called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees yesterday.
One of the main topics discussed during the meeting was the
importance of religious tolerance. Speaking about his first visit to the
island, Dr. Al-Habbash said Sri Lanka is a “very fantastic country with
very great people.”
President Rajapaksa and Palestinian Minister also talked about
Palestinian politics and the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Dr. Al-Habbash thanked President Rajapaksa for Sri Lanka’s support to
Palestine during the U.N. General Assembly vote last year on the
resolution to grant “non-member observer state” status to Palestine. Sri
Lanka was among the 138 countries that voted in favor of the resolution.
Dr. Mahmoud Al-Habbash informed President Rajapaksa that he had met
with the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama and advised the organization on
the importance of maintaining dignity and harmony between all
communities.
The Palestinian delegation that also included Director General of the
Minister of Religious Affairs Mr. Taisir Rajabi and Director General of
International Relations at the Ministry of Religious Affairs Motasem
Daqa, along with the Palestinian Ambassador in Sri Lanka Dr. Anwar Al-Agha,
has also visited the Gangaramaya Buddhist Temple and is scheduled to
meet with the Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith as well.
Before the conclusion of the meeting, Dr. Al-Habbash conveyed the
greetings of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and repeated an
invitation for President Rajapaksa to visit Palestine. |