Manama: A Kuwaiti delegation of media figures has attended the midnight mass held at the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, in company of leaders, diplomats and Christians who flocked to the holy shrines for the services.
The delegation is in Palestine to take part in the Christmas celebrations and promote a message of peaceful co-existence and religious tolerance and acceptance, members have said.
"The visit is intended to take part during the celebration of Christmas to show Kuwait's deep advocacy of religious tolerance," Iqbal Al Ahmad, member of the Kuwaiti delegation, said. "Such a cordial demonstration comes at a time religious extremism is threatening stability in many countries of the world. The message carried by the delegation reflects the cordial feelings of the Kuwaitis and Muslims toward their Arab brothers, the Christian natives of Palestine," she said, quoted by Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).
The delegation was hosted by Palestinian political and religious leaders at a luncheon at the Franciscan monastery, attended by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, his prime minister, Salam Fayyad, Patriarch Fouad Twal, archbishop of Jerusalem, bishops, priests, Arab and foreign diplomats, and a large number of other eminent political and religious figures.
"These brothers who represent the Kuwaiti public hold a high significance," Al Tayyeb Abdul Raheem, the Secretary General of the Palestinian Presidency, said. "Their words and opinions are well heard across the Arab world and everywhere."
The official praised the "bold visit to the imprisoned," alluding to the Palestinians living under occupation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
"Such a visit depicts deep commitment to the Arab world. Kuwait has been supporting the Palestinian people since the launch of their struggle, around the middle of the last century, for the sake of establishing an independent state."
Receiving the delegation on Saturday at the presidential palace in Bethlehem, Abbas said that he welcomed the Kuwaiti visit.
"We are happy because our brothers in Kuwait visit us for the second time, and we hope that such visits will be repeated in enable visitors to gain insights into how we suffer and how we live," he said.
The delegation is led by Adnan Al Rashid, the head of the Kuwait Journalists Association (KJA), and includes Yusuf Khalid Al Marzouq, editor-in-chief of Al Anbaa newspaper, Yusuf Saleh Alyan, , the editor-in-chief of Kuwait Times, Eqbal Al Ahmad, editor-in-chief of Al-Bait Al-Mithali magazine, Fatima Hussain, KJA member, journalists Khalid Maarfi, Mubarak Al Qenaei, Bader Al Mashari and Jehad Mahmoud Abdul Jalil, media consultant.
