ISLAM-CHRISTIAN DIALOGUE

27 fuge in the West to escape invasions and incessant wars, has brought with them their cultural and scientific treasures, which were the seeds of the Renaissan- ce in the West. It was the work of Arab and Jewish Christians that brought to the West the translated work of Greek Philo- sophers. And it was through these tran- slations that St. Thomas discovered the philosophy of Aristotle. There was then a third Renaissance, in the nineteen century in the Near East that of the so-called Arab cultural heritage which lan- guished under Turkish rule and was about to become extinct. It has again come to life at the hands of the Christian minority, thanks in particular to the introduction of the printed press, which they first introduced in Lebanon. During the same period of time in the ear- ly 19th century, the viceroy Mehemet Ali (the Kedive) opened the doors of Egypt to foreigners. Numerous Syro-Lebanese pe- ople rushed in, distinguishing themselves particularly in commerce and journalism and so until the 1950s when Nasser's of Egypt rose to power. In this regard we wish to recall that the first Arabic-langua- ge newspaper, Al Ahram was founded in Egypt by two Christian brothers, Bichara and Selim Takla. Cultural Heritage The Christian Arab Heritage Collection was created to make these authors known by the hundreds. A committee of experts chaired by a Melki- te archbishop, Neophytos Edelby of Aleppo and the Jesuit Father Samir Khalil, of St. Joseph University in Beyrut, Lebanon, is preparing the translation and publication of a large number of original texts and testimo- nies, written in the past by bi-Christian Arab. From the research of these experts, up to the mid-nineteenth century, there were no less than 2000 Christian Arab authors, with about 20,000 works; only 10% of these were published: all the rest remained at the level of manuscripts. The objective here is to re- discover this treasure of infinite wealth. In short, we aim to collect the Arab heritage of Christians, regardless of the content and the community to which they belong. The ultimate goal is threefold. In the first place, cultural and scientific: to make known to the Arabs themselves a streak of Arab culture dated from the ancient time which, generally, remained unknown until today. Secondly, religious: helping Eastern Chri- stians to find the source of their culture in the face of the tendency today, to ignore their Arab cultural tradition, and to start a dialo- gue between Christians and Arab Muslims rooted in their common Arab tradition. Finally, sociological: highlighting the not inconsiderable role of Christians in the development of Arab civilization, and with the objective of helping Christians and Muslims to recognize that they share the same cultural root making themselves equal members of their society. It is clear that the "dialogical" dimension is present at all levels: dialogue between Muslims and Christians, dialogue betwe- en Christians, dialogue between cultures. It seems to us that the main purpose of this series, for the moment, is to make Chri- stians belonging to the various communi- ties of the Middle East aware of their full and total integration into the Arab cultural world, to inculcate the pride of their im- mense cultural heritage and to unite them, far from any confessionalism, in a common effort of a profoundly Christian character. The ecumenical character of this neckla- ce is evident. Today's Arab Christians re discover the testimony of their ancestors. On the other hand, working together to publish Arab Christian Heritage is a very important effort by Arab Christians as such, without sectarian distinction, and a frank collaboration between all the Ea- stern Christian Churches. The ultimate but no less important goal is for Christians to rediscover their Arab iden- tity in spite of ongoing discrimination, to have faith and hope and so as not to swell the ranks of those who have abandoned their native land to emigrate to West.