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Patriarch John X Sends Message Born of the East

Once again,Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East has sent out a Christmas encyclical with his customary eloquence and paternal regard for his worldwide flock,who,wherever they may have wandered,are spiritually rooted in the Middle East.Here are some excerpts that speak so powerfully in their language of prayer and sacred memory:
By God's Grace,His Beatitude John X
Patriarch of Antioch and of All the East
It is about time that darkness may be scattered from the East and for the people of the East to live in peace on earth in their birthplace.It is about time for wars to cease in the land where Christ was born and from which heavenly religions were launched.The message of our East is one of freedom,peace,and of open hearts to the entire world.Neither is there any trace of Takfirism and violence,abandonment and terrorism,in our past and present time.We pray that the light of the cave will cast away the darkness of wars to instill in the minds of all people that our region is not an open market to sell arms,and that the destiny of our people should not end dead on the shores of other nations.*
We offer prayers today for the peace in Syria,for the stability of Lebanon,for the safety of Palestine,and for the welfare of the bleeding Iraq;for every spot and all peoples.We offer our prayers for Jerusalem and for its sacred shrines and institutions so Jerusalem may continue to be the city of prayers.We offer our prayers for all those who are captives;especially for the two hierarchs:Metropolitan Paul Yazigy and Archbishop Youhanna Ibrahim.We pray for the kidnapped,homeless,and those who live in travail.*
And we remember the East during these difficult days,we shall never ignore the active Antiochian presence throughout the world.We pray that Christ the Child will bestow His mercies on the entire world and on all our spiritual children of the Antiochian See,in the Middle East and the entire world.*
From the heart of the church of Antioch to the hearts of all people,we extend to you the best greetings in the name of Christ who is born in Bethlehem.We can indeed recall that Christianity was born in the East,and lived together fraternally with the others,and that the Christian Church of Antioch stretches her hands and embraces all her children,and is proud of them,wherever they are,for through them and by their active presence,the Antiochian Church carries the gospel of Christ and its message of the good news to the entire world.
Issued from our Patriarchal Headquarters
Damascus,Syria
December 20,2017

Patriarch Bartholomew Visits Prime Minister Tsipras of Greece - the Patriarch's thoughts at a major Middle East conference in Athens

On 31 October 2017,His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople was received at the Maximos Mansion in Athens by Prime Minister of Greece Alexis Tsipras.Their talks lasted over an hour,thoroughly covering several issues of mutual concern.They also held discussions on the sidelines of the Second Athens Conference on Religious and Cultural Pluralism in the Middle East,which was held from 29-31 October.
The Patriarch was accompanied by His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel of France and His Eminence Metropolitan Athenagoras of Cydonia.Also joining the confidential talks was the Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Amanatidis,who covers Church and Cultural Diplomacy.*
The Athens Conference is the initiative of His Excellency Professor Nikos Kotzias,Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs.Besides Patriarch Bartholomew and Prime Minister Tsipras,also attending the Athens Conference were His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and All Greece;His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem and All Palestine;His Beatitude Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria and All Africa;and His Excellency Sameh Shukrey,Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs.*
Patriarch Bartholomew made a number of incisive observations at the Athens Conference,including:
As is well known,whenever people ignore or discontinue dialogue,taking the place of dialogue are monolithic ideologies,totalitarian regimes,the cruel demagogy,and,ultimately,weapons,destruction,and death.
This is why we recommend a dialogue of truth and love,which promotes mutual trust and empowers participants to assume the necessary initiatives and responsibilities together.Sincere dialogue can change the flow of history.*
Thus,we consider imperative the expansion,elevation and establishment of interreligious dialogue at every level,while bearing in mind past failures,present needs,and future prospects.As unrest increases daily throughout the world,it incites unhealthy feelings of insecurity,depression,and suspicion of new,unpleasant,and dire surprises.
Interreligious dialogue is obligated and able to acquire value,purpose and effectiveness only if we are able to rid people of faith from the fear that pan-religious syncretism is allegedly pursued through such dialogue.*
The tragic suffering of the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern peoples has already caused and continues to cause a great deal of devastation in human relations,as well as in the natural,cultural,and religious environment.This is precisely why the highest level of mobilisation will be required for interreligious cooperation and the handling of ongoing religious crises,the healing of the emotional wounds of people-which are perpetuated by this conflict-but also for the cultivation of a moderate atmosphere for the restoration of a peaceful coexistence among religions and civilisations.*
The First Athens Conference was held in 2015.

Assisi Hosts Pope and Patriarchs on World Day of Prayer for Peace

Their Holinesses Pope Francis,Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew,Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Aphrem II,His Grace Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and other religious leaders gathered at Assisi,Italy for the World Day of Prayer for Peace in the Basilica of St.Francis.On a day blessed with clear and sunny skies,the leaders paused to reflect on the numerous wars and conflicts afflicting the world today and beseech God for an end to them.Their was a special emphasis on the Middle East in general and Syria in particular,as well as on the case of the abducted Archbishops of Aleppo in Syria,Greek Orthodox Paul Yazigi and Syriac Orthodox Mor Yohanna Gregorius Ibrahim,who were kidnapped at gunpoint by unknown extremists more than three years ago.
The four hierarchs greeted a number of pilgrims in the cloisters of the Franciscan monastery before assembling with a congregation in the lower Basilica of St.Francis,where the saint is entombed,for a Christian prayer service.At the same time,Muslims and other believers assembled at separate locations to pray according to their own traditions.Finally,all assembled in the Basilica courtyard for final reflections.The Day of Prayer was preceded by a number of other peace discussions and events beginning on Monday.
At one point in the Christian prayer service,an alphabetised list of world conflict zones was read.Each location was remembered with the chant "Kyrie eleison,"which is "Lord have mercy" in Greek,and a candle was lit.From Afghanistan to Mexico,to Yemen and the Holy Land,dozens of violent regions were prayerfully recognised.
To conclude the Christian service,each of the four hierarchs participated in a four-part benediction,or blessing.

Patriarch John X of Antioch to the Middle East Council of Churches-excerpts from his address

On 6 September 2016,His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East spoke to the general assembly of the Middle East Council of Churches in Amman,Jordan.The MECC is,in turn,a member of the World Council of Churches.At the general assembly,Patriarch John was elected President of the Orthodox Churches which belong to the Council.There are others who serve as Presidents of the Oriental Orthodox;Catholics;and Evangelicals in the Council.For example,His Holiness Patriarch Aphrem II of the Syriac Orthodox Church is President of the Oriental Orthodox.Patriarch John spoke eloquently of their deeply troubled region and of the Middle East Council of Churches' role within it:
We are here to raise our voices against everything done against Christians-and against others,too-in every spot of the East.We are fully aware of what happened to them in Iraq.And we understand the situation in Syria.
We are here to make our cry reach far of our people in Aleppo,Mhardeh and others.What is going on will not make us neglect our land;but it will rather urge us to defend it.We are here to address the whole world in regard to the existence of Christians in the East.We say:we do not appeal to protection;we demand peace.*
The Council is a pattern of open minds through which Eastern Christianity confronts every endeavour to close minds with the protection and sustenance of the Church-civilised heritage of each of its components.We are called to activate the voice of the Council and strengthen it to be continuously the voice for Eastern Christianity at the present time.*
May the Lord bless this East and its countries and give it with the rest of the world a flow of His light and fill the hearts of the participants in this meeting with His abundant and divine mercy,Patriarch John prayed.

Pope Francis,Patriarch Bartholomew and Archbishop Ieronymos to Visit Lesbos Refugees

Being profoundly concerned by the plight of refugees and persecution of Christians in the Middle East,His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew reached out to a representative of His Holiness Pope Francis in February and by personal letter on 30 March,the Ecumenical Patriarchate announced.In the context of this interest and shared concern of Religious Leaders,and the urgent need to assume a common initiative and action,Pope Francis,Patriarch Bartholomew and His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and All Greece will visit the Greek island of Lesbos on 16 April to meet with and support the refugees there.Lesbos is presently coping with about 3500 refugees at a reception center.
This measure and initiative by the Religious Leaders will encourage and strengthen the thousands of suffering refugees,while inspiring the implementation of appropriate actions for the protection of afflicted Christian Communities,as well as the proper response to the critical refugee situation,the Chief Secretariat of the Holy and Sacred Synod said.

Pope and Turkish President Exchange Views

Pope Francis I and Turkish President Recep Erdogan met in Ankara last Friday on the occasion of the Pope's official visit to Turkey and pilgrimage to Constantinople/Istanbul for St.Andrew's Day and talks with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I,spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians.Mr.Erdogan expressed concern about rising Islamophobia in the world.There are places where Islam and the followers of Islam are associated with terrorism and violence.Millions of Muslims feel oppressed by these associations with Boko Haram,al Qaida or ISIL which is talked about all over the world.*
Mr.Erdogan condemned state terrorism in Syria,which has led to a refugee crisis,and mentioned Turkey's problem with its Kurdish minority.All these challenges confront all human beings.As there is Islamophobia in the West,there is also violence and hatred in the Muslim world.All of these problems threaten our humanity.He called therefore for tolerance and healthy coexistence.Turkey is a bridge between East and West and an example of such coexistence.We seek to create a more livable world where cities can be more open and diverse,the President said,citing Turkey's role in humanitarian aid and the G20 group of nations.He hoped the Pope's visit would have a positive effect on the Islamic world,adding that we are happy to live together and asking God that the Pope's visit will be beneficial for all of us.*
For his part,Pope Francis noted that this event is precious to all Christians,as Turkey was the birthplace of St.Paul and the home of the Blessed Virgin Mary for many years,as well as the site of the first Seven Ecumenical Councils of the Church.He praised the vitality of Turkey's present,the hard work and generosity of its people.Today what is needed is a dialogue centered on what we hold in common,a lasting peace rooted in the respect of the dignity of all persons.It is essential that all Christians enjoy the same rights and respect the same duties.The Middle East and the rest of the world await this maturing of friendship.
How much longer must the Middle East suffer through this lack of peace?In Syria and Iraq in particular,terrorist violence shows no signs of abating,especially to Christians and Yazidis.It is always licit to stop an unjust aggressor,but the problem cannot be solved by a military response.May the most high bless and protect Turkey and enable her to be a strong and effective peacemaker,Pope Francis concluded.*
In an atmosphere of brotherly affection,His Holiness Pope Francis I went on to Constantinople Saturday for a prayer service with His All-Holiness Bartholomew I,Archbishop of Constantinople New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch.The two archpastors expressed their determination to bring about the reconciliation between the Catholic West and the Orthodox East,even to the point of restoring intercommunion between the ancient churches,which parted ways in the eleventh century.The Church of Rome would not require submission,Pope Francis said.The only precondition for restoring intercommunion would be a simple agreement on faith.*
After attending the Divine Liturgy on Sunday,the feast of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called,at the patriarchal Cathedral of St.George,which was celebrated by Patriarch Bartholomew,with the participation of Pope Francis who said the Lord's Prayer in Latin,the two spiritual leaders signed a statement reiterating their intention to continue on the path of reconciliation and together blessed the faithful gathered in the courtyard of the Phanar,the patriarchal enclave of Constantinople/Istanbul.The two men exchanged the kiss of peace several times during the Pope's visit.

Regional Banking Profile:National Bank of Kuwait

National Bank of Kuwait has been named Best Bank in the Middle East 2013 by Global Finance magazine,as well as one of the world's 50 safest banks.Founded in 1952,the bank says it has focused on developing long term growth and a stable strategy.Our consistency in delivering strong results is a testimony to our strong financial position and focus on core banking business despite a challenging operating environment,said NBK group CEO Ibrahim Dabdoub.*NBK has 173 branches worldwide in 16 countries.In Kuwait itself,there are 64 branches,while Egypt has 41 branches,and Turkey has 20.The Shanghai and Singapore branches represent NBK in East Asia;and branches in New York,Paris and London fly the flag in the West.*NBK gets high credit ratings from all three major ratings agencies.Standard&Poor's gives it an A+;Fitch gives it a AA-;and Moody's assigns it an Aa3.They praise NBK for financial strength,strong franchise,technological sophistication,and stable and capable management team,the bank points out.*In 2012,NBK reported total assets of 58.398 billion dollars.Assets under management were 10.016 billion,and market cap was 14.585 billion.Net profit has risen steadily for the five year period,closing at 1.085 billion in 2012.*Part of NBK's strategy is diversifying its revenue stream by entering the field of Islamic banking.This was realised when it upped its stake in Boubyan Bank to 58.4%,effectively converting it to a subsidiary.Moody's hailed this move as providing a foothold to the growing Islamic banking sector,defending the bank against any market share attrition that results from a shift in customer preference towards Islamic banking.*National Bank of Kuwait S.A.K.(Kuwait Stock Exchange:NBK)

Private Bank Views-plus Middle East Moment

This is a quiet period,according to Mark Matthews,Head of Research for Asia at Bank Julius Baer;September will be D-Day.The MSCI World Index is up 10% this year;the US is up 14%,overshadowed by all this volatility.The markets will go down if Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke doesn't express some kind of positive policy action.It's unclear how the Fed makes decisions.
The US is not doing very badly.China's probably the big problem in the world right now.It's slowing down in a way the leaders are comfortable with.
I like the quality US blue chips;quality high yield bonds;Southeast Asian equities such as those from Thailand and the Philippines.
The Julius Baer Group says it is the leading Swiss private banking group,serving sophisticated private clients,family offices and external asset managers from all over the globe.With its headquarters in Zurich,it has more than 40 offices in over 20 countries.The group was founded in 1890.
Middle East Moment:Any Middle East military action will push oil prices significantly higher,says Helma Croft,a geopolitical strategist at Barclays Capital.Drought and its higher food prices will hurt Middle East fiscal positions.None of these governments can afford to put off subsidies to their people.
Barclays(BCS)

Emirates Chooses Boeing Jets

Emirates Air has ordered 50 more 777 airliners from Boeing for a record 18 billion dollars.The deal includes an option for 20 more 777s,which would bring the total cost up to 26 billion.At the same time,Oman has ordered six Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
Jeff Johnson,President of Boeing Middle East,says Emirates Air aims for global aviation domination.We're sold out for years to come.They want the technology.The Middle East sets the standard for wanting this technology.
The Middle East also hungers for military aircraft.There are big air bases in Qatar,Kuwait and Bahrain.These countries want interoperability with the U.S. military.A 60 billion dollar U.S. arms deal with Saudi Arabia is influenced by the fear of Iran,Mr.Johnson noted.
Boeing(BA)

Cruise Ship Vulnerability:Remembering The Achille Lauro

In October 1985,four Palestinian terrorists hijacked the Italian cruise liner Achille Lauro in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Egypt,riveting the world's attention.They demanded that Israel release 50 Palestinian prisoners.
Among the liner's 400 passengers and crew was a disabled American,Leon Klinghoffer,69.The terrorists killed him and dumped his body and wheelchair overboard in one of the most brazen atrocities in the history of the Middle East.To this day,the event is recalled with considerable emotion.
After a two-day ordeal,the terrorists agreed to surrender to Egypt in exchange for safe passage.An Egyptian jet took off with the terrorists,but U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcat fighters forced the escape plane to land in Sicily,where Italian troops arrested the hijackers.
In August 1997,the Palestine Liberation Organisation reached a settlement with the Klinghoffer family.
The Achille Lauro memory came back when the cruise liner Carnival Splendor became stranded off of a Mexico terrorized by drug gangs this week.
Carnival Corp(CCL)

Doha Bank's Orderly Vision

For Rahgavan Seetharaman,CEO of Doha Bank in Qatar,global governance is the key.We need to articulate a new world order:how to correct the imbalances,creating consumer confidence.The Middle Eastern banks are relatively stable,Mr.Seetharaman feels,although the region has been going through a bit of turbulence.It is coming to terms with the realignment with the rest of the world.The stock market is recovering.Financial stability is the key,and that's what the regulators are doing,the Doha Bank executive indicated.
Qatar is located on the Persian Gulf,between Bahrain to the north and the United Arab Emirates to the south.Saudi Arabia lies to Qatar's west.