Permanent Secretary at the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs, Mr Christopher Cutajar, met with Imam Mohammed El Saidi and the Director of the Malta Branch of the World Islamic Call Society, Adel Ali Elfituri Bayu, at the Paola Islamic centre.
The objective of the meeting was to exchange views on recent statements in the media as a reaction to developments following the unacceptable assassination of teacher Samuel Paty close to his school in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, a Parisian suburb.
Imam Mohammed El Saidi reiterated the unreserved condemnation of the murder in France and underlined his work, for more than 40 years, among the Muslim community in Malta, where he has always advocated tolerance and peace. He valued the right to freedom of expression for those who have a different faith and also those who hold different opinions.
Mr Cutajar appreciated the work of the Imam in the community and referred to the ‘Appeal for Peace’ signed by Pope Francis and religious leaders of the major world religions, who gathered in Rome on 20 October 2020. He underlined that the Maltese population has undergone rapid transformation over the last years, and that historically, Malta has always and continues to welcome people of different faiths, cultures and traditions. It was important that this value of tolerance was respected by everyone.
Both the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs and the Malta Branch of the World Islamic Call Society endorse the ‘Appeal for Peace’ which among other important values, urges us to ‘become creative artisans of peace’ by making ‘the culture of dialogue’ our own. In this context, they emphasized the importance of mutual respect for different cultures to enhance integration and peaceful coexistence in the society.
