Sunday, September 30, 2012

DISCUSSION WITH MOTHER SUPERIOR AGNES MARIAM, FROM HOMS, SYRIA



PGPF will be holding a discussion with Mother Superior Agnes Mariam, from Homs, Syria on Tuesday, 2nd Oct at 10am at our PGPF office. Mother Agnes Mariam, born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, has worked in Syria with the Melkite Catholic church for the last 18 years. She currently resides in Lebanon, given the crisis and threat to civilian life in Syria today.

Mother Agnes Mariam has consistently challenged mainstream media's perspectives on the Syrian crisis and would like to see the Syrian people decide on their own future without any external interference or support. She and her church have openly supported the need for reform and democratic change but have rejected the use of violence, especially when provoked by outsiders. She is especially concerned that escalation of this violence will erupt into sectarianism and further violence, as is the case with Iraq. She asserts that the minority Christian community in Syria has been living in harmony and peace for almost 2000 years with the Muslim majority and they forge a common national identity. She is a member of the Mussalaha Initiative which works for reconciliation at all levels and sects in Syrian civil society.

PGPF is taking advantage of her stopover in Kuala Lumpur enroute to Australia to conduct similar briefing sessions and we regret this short notice. She will be accompanied by another nun and our network associate Mr Alan Lonergan of Ireland. In this regard we would like to invite your reporter and photographer to this informal discussion led by Mother Agnes Mariam.

Time: 10-12 noon
Date: Tuesday 2 October 2012
Venue: PGPF @ Yayasan Albukhary Building
5th Floor, 88 Jalan Perdana
Taman Tasek Perdana
50480 Kuala Lumpur

For media enquiries, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Zulaiha Ismail at 019-284-3913 or Fauziyah Abu Hassan @ Ajie Hassan at 013-3999901 should you have any queries.

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