Maat Foundation for Peace, Development and Human Rights organized the 1st roundtable for Islamic and Christian religious leaders entitled "the role of religious leaders in motivating communities to help the families of prisoners and detainees" at Al Ma'sra region on Monday 28/05/2012.
The roundtable is considered one of the activities of the project "Integrated Protection for the Families of the Prisoners and Detainees _ Integration and Rehabilitation" funded by the Swiss Foundation DROSOS seeking to provide direct aid along with packaging volunteers' resources from the community to direct them to the families of the prisoners.
The roundtable was attended by undersecretary of Ministry of Awqaf of Egypt in Helwan Sheikh. Hosni El Menshawy, Pastor. Isaac Atia in behalf of the Bishop of Helwan (Bishop Basanti) and the attendance of 23 participants from the Islamic and Christian religious leaders, the dialogue addressed the psychological and social issues facing the families of the prisoners and detainees after the imprisonment of one of their relatives, the society's perception for them and the problems that it created from social and economic marginalization. Then the subject was addressed from the perspectives of both Islamic and Christian religions and how to address the religious discourse to criminalize the guilt not the offender in order to encourage the society to support the families of the prisoners and detainees along with rehabilitating them within the society. The attendees were engaged in the dialogue, they expressed their opinions to those families and what could be offered by them from services sermonizes and aid.
The roundtable offered new ideas represented in supporting a social solidarity project for the families of the prisoners and detainees along with amending the Penal Code and allocating them shares in Zakat