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By Naim Ateek (*)

Whether in European suburbs or Middle Eastern capitals, religious identity can often seem to be a source or fuel of conflict. And as many Western societies struggle to adapt to an emerging multicultural and multireligious reality, issues of tolerance and "living together" become ever more acute.

Larbi Kechat , an Algerian sociologist who is the rector of the Adda'wa mosque in Paris, French rap singer Abd Al Malik , and former vice chair of the Federal Council, and former president of the Swiss Confederation, Ruth Dreifuss , are among well-known personalities expected at an

Does the quest for religious identity, evident in many places around the world today, lead inevitably to opposition to other religious traditions? And how, in contexts of religious and cultural plurality, can we move beyond tolerance to positive respect between religions?

By Rosina Duarte (*)

Reacting to the tragic events at Baghdad's Kadhimiya mosque on 31 August, which Iraqi authorities fear have claimed the lives of up to a thousand Muslim pilgrims, the general secretary of the World Council of Churches Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia expressed the heartfelt condolences and deep sympathy felt by Christians worldwide at this loss of life.

Counting the 20 new volunteers who recently arrived in Jerusalem, the total number of people to have participated in the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) has now passed the 200-mark, as the programme completes its third year of existence.