Dr. Tarek Metri

• Ministry of Culture, Hatab Bldg., Mme Curie St,Verdun, Beirut, Lebanon
• Telephone: +(961) 1 756311-12; Cell phone: +(961) 3 802322
• Email: tm@culture.gov.lb
• Date of Birth: Sept 16, 1950
• Place of Birth: Tripoli, Lebanon
• Married to Elyane Comaty,
• Father of Dalya (born in 1979) and Ziyad (born in 1980).

Public office (Lebanese Cabinet)

• Minister of Information July 2008 - present
• Minister of Culture, July 2005 - July 2008
• Minister of Environment, April 2005 - July 2005
• Minister of Administrative Reform, April 2005 - July 2005

Employment History

•     Coordinator, 1991 - 2005 Interreligious Relations and Dialogue, World, Council of Churches, Geneva, Switzerland
• Director, 1986 - 1991 Antiochian Study Center, Beirut, Lebanon
• Director, 1984 - 1991 Middle East Council of Churches, Department of Faith and Unity, Beirut
• Program Secretary, 1972 – 1982 World Student Christian Federation, Geneva Switzerland, Beirut

Areas of experience:

• Research and publication, advocacy, inter cultural and inter-religious dialogue and mediation initiatives, organization of seminars and training programs, networking of academic centers and/or programs.

University teaching
(Visiting Faculty/external examiner)

• Harvard University, USA 2003
• Helder Camara Visiting Professor, Amsterdam Free University, the Netherlands 1993 - 1994
• Université de Genève, Switzerland 1998, 2000, 2002
• University of Balamand, Lebanon 1983 - 2005
• Pontifical Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, Rome 2000 - 2003
• Université Saint Joseph, Beirut, Lebanon 1985 - 1988

Subjects: Politics and religion, interreligious relations and dialogue, history and sociology of Christian-Muslim relations.

Education

• Doctorate in Political Science, University of Paris 1986
• Completed requirements for an MA in Philosophy, American University of Beirut 1978
• BA in Philosophy, American University of Beirut 1973

Publications

• Books
  • In Gottes Namen? Lembeck, Frankfort am Main, 2005.
  • Au nom de la Bible, au nom de l'Amérique, Labor et Fides, Genève, 2004.
  • (Ed.) Religion and Human Rights, A Christian-Muslim Discussion, WCC, Geneva, 1997.
  • (Ed.) Religion, Law and Society, A Christian-Muslim Discussion, WCC/KOK Pharos, Geneva/Amsterdam, 1995.
• Selected Articles
  • "Christians and Muslims: memory,amity and enmities", in Aziz Al-Azmeh and Effie Fokas (ed.), Islam in Europe:diversity,identity and influence, Cambridge University press, Cambridge, 2007
  • "Christians and Muslims: Historical Realities and Present Relations", Current Dialogue, No 41, 2003.
  • "A Global Confrontation or Local Conflicts ?" in The Promise of Hope, A tribute to Dom Helder Camara, Amsterdam Free University, 2002.
  • "The Abrahamic Heritage and Interreligious Dialogue: Ambiguities and Promises", in Identity, Plurality and Gender, Interfidei, Indonesia, 2002.
  • "Reflections on Mutual Perceptions and Dialogue", in J.Waedeeeburg (ed.), Muslim-Christian Perceptions of Dialogue Today, Peeters, Leuven, 2000.
  • "L'Uniatisme et le Patriarcat d'Antioche", in Catholiques et Orthodoxes : les enjeux de l'uniatisme, dans le sillage de Balamand, Paris, Bayard/Fleurus-Mame/Cerf, 2004.
  • "Lectures de l'histoire et permanence du passé orthodoxe: auteurs et revues du patriarcat d'Antioche entre 1940 et 1975", Chronos, Numero 7, 2003.
  • "L'avenir des Chrétiens du monde arabe: réflexions à partir de l'Eglise des Arabes", in L'œcuménisme au service de la présence chrétienne au Moyen-Orient, Actes du colloque international en mémoire du P. Jean Corbon, Beyrouth, 2002.
  • "Middle East", in Dictionnary of the Ecumenical Movement, WCC publications, Geneva, 2002.
  • " Dialogue Between Christians and Muslims Today", in The Road Ahead, Church House Publishing, London, 2002.
  • "Le Dialogue Interreligieux", Dictionnaire Œcuménique de Missiologie, Paris, Editions du Cerf, 2001.
  • "L'Avenir des Chrétiens du Monde Arabe: Une Question Islamo-Chrétienne", La Revue des Deux Mondes, Paris, Mai 2000.
  • "Who are the Christians of the Arab World?", International Review of Mission, Geneva, Vol.LXXXIX, No 352, January 2000.
  • "Justice, droits de l'homme, dignité nationale: un enjeu pour les chrétiens et les musulmans dans le monde", in Musulmans et Chrétiens : politique d'accueil dans les terres d'origine ou d'immigration, Centurion, Paris, 1999.
  • "Reflections on Confrontation and Dialogue", Studies in Interreligious Dialogue, No 9, 1999.
  • "Qui sont les Chrétiens du Monde Arabe?", Version Originale, Paris, Avril 1998.
  • "Pour une réflexion islamo-chrétienne sur l'état actuel et l'avenir des Chrétiens d'Orient dans leurs sociétés arabes", Fondazione Giovanni Agnelli, Torino, 1998.
  • "Views on Arab Christians Between Past and Present", Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, Vol.9, No.1, 1998.
  • "Developments in Bilād al Shām and the Position of Christian Communities since the Peace of Lausanne", in Herman Teule and Anton Wessels (ed.), Oosterse christenen binnen de wereld van de Islam, Kok, Kampen, 1997.
  • "The Arab Rum Orthodox Community: History and self-understanding" , in Oosterse..., op.cit.
  • "Interreligious and intercultural Dialogue in the Mediterranean Area During a Period of Globalization", Prospects, UNESCO, Issue, 101, VXXVII, March, 1997..
  • "Islam , Europe and Modernity", Occasional Papers No 2 , Ecumenical Association for Church and Society, Brussels, 1996.
  • "Reflections on Christian-Muslim Dialogue", Inter-Faith Quarterly,Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies,Amman , May 1996.
  • "L'Église d'Antioche: histoire et état actuel", in L'église Orthodoxe, Editions Ekdotiki, Athènes, 1996.
  • "L'Islam, la modernité et l'islamisme", in Al Kalima, Bruxelles,1995.
  • "Urgent Dialogue, Patient Dialogue", in Current Dialogue, No 28, 1995.
  •  "Les Religions",in"Le Monde au Présent", Encyclopaedia Universalis, Paris, 1994.
  • "The implementation of Islamic Law: the debate between Christians and Muslims", in Muslims and Christians in Europe, Essays in Honour of Jan Slomp, Kok Publishers,The Netherlands, 1993.
  • "Minorities in the Middle East", in Religion and Citizenship in Europe and the Arab World, Grey Seal Books, London, 1993.
  • "Les Relations entre Chrétiens et Musulmans dans le Monde Arabe",in Quand nos voisins sont Musulmans, Editions du Soc, Lausanne, 1993.
  • "La Bosnie-Herzégovine et la solidarité du Monde Arabe et Islamique", in Maghreb Machreq, Monde Arabe, no 133, Janvier-Mars 1993, La Documentation Française, Paris.
  • "Islamic Resurgence", in Current Dialogue", WCC, Geneva,1993.
  • "Christian-Muslim Relations in the Arab World", in My Neighbour is Muslim, John Knox Series, Geneva, 1991.
  • "Eglise, nation et culture, l'expérience des chrétiens Orthodoxes d'Antioche", Irénikon, Chevetogne, no 4,1990.
  • " Autoconscience dans le miroir de l'histoire: une problématique antiochienne", in Hommage (Anaphora)à la mémoire du Métropolite Maxime de Sardes, Editions de la Métropole de Suisse, Genève, 1989, vol 3.
  • "Relations Islamo-Chrétiennes", in Pour une théologie contemporaine du Moyen-Orient, Editions Saint Paul, Harissa,1988.
  • "Prospects for Muslim-Christian Coexistence in Islamic Countries", Papers of the Royal Academy of Muslim Civilization Research, Amman, reproduced in Current Dialogue, no 14, 1988.
  • "Missionary Attitudes Towards People of Other Faiths", WSCF Journal, Geneva, April 1988.