Hubers to IMRA: SANA report of Reform Church visit is not accurate

Dr. Aaron Lerner 14 October 2003

Earlier this week IMRA ran this item and contacted Priest John Hubers
["Hewpers" in the SANA report] by e-mail asking if the SANA report is
accurate. Hubers is filing reports on the trip on the Church website
www.rca.org .]:

Assad- Reformed Church in America praises Syria condemns Israel
Damascus 11-10-(SANA-Official Syrian News Agency)-
http://www.sana.org/english/headlines/11-10/president_assad.htm

President Bashar al-Assad received a delegation of the Reformed Church in
America at the People's Palace Saturday morning.

The delegation included:

Priest Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, General Secretary of the Reformed Church
Priest David Shbatt, Head of the General Synods of the Reformed Church
Priest John Hewpers, Chairman of the Middle East Department at the Reformed
Church
Priest Riad Jarjour, Secretary General of the Council of the Middle East
Churches
Talks during the meeting dealt with the dialogue among religions and its
role in the understanding and displaying of realities.

Members of the delegation expressed strong condemnation of the Israeli
aggression on the Syrian lands, and their gratitude of the atmosphere of
religious tolerance in Syria.

They also voiced appreciation of President Assad's care and support to all
forms of dialogue among religions.

Ahmad F. ZAHRA

+++
Priest John Hubers replied today to IMRA:

Dear sir,

This report is not accurate. We did meet with the president but studiously
avoided all politcal matters. We spoke only of Christian Muslim relations
nothing more.

jhubers