LEBANON NAMES MARCH 25 A HOLIDAY
FOR MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIANS
Beginning this year, 2010, Christians and Muslims in Lebanon will share the feast of Mary’s Annunciation as a national holiday. This was announced in February by Mohammad Al-Sammak, secretary general of the Christian-Muslim Committee for Dialogue.
For three years Al-Sammak and his colleagues worked on this project with the Lebanese government to make the March 25 feast of the Annunciation a national feast day. In February the government authorities issued a decree making March 25 a national feast day
For many centuries Christianity and Islam have coexisted peacefully in Lebanon. At times, especially in recent decades, outside political factions from other countries have tried to upset that balance, but the Christians and Muslims native to Lebanon are determined to resist such disturbance. This is a free choice, since they have built a common life on the basis of this choice. Both religious groups recognize the differences and work together to create a culture founded on living together in understanding and respect.
Al-Sammak indicated that some Muslims from various countries confuse what is really religious and what is a national or local tradition to which religious identity is given. This often leads to misunderstanding of Islam and Islamophobia.
During the past century the people of Lebanon have observed two official national religious holidays: Ramadan for the Muslims and Mary’s Assumption for the Christians. Now a shared religious feast will be observed on March 25 by both religions. For three years the Muslim-Christian dialogue group organized a gathering on March 25 to honor Mary’s Annunciation, reciting verses from the Gospel and from the Qur’an about Mary, and discussing what is common to Christianity and Islam.
Now with the endorsement of former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and the official decree of current Prime Minister Saad Hariri, both Muslims, March 25, the feast of Mary’s Annunciation has been formalized as a shared national day of celebration for Muslims and Christians.