President Marzouki receives Mufti of the Republic

Caretaker President of the Republic Moncef Marzouki received on Monday morning in Carthage, Sheikh Othmane Battikh, Mufti of the Republic, who said, at the end of the talk, that he had reviewed with the President of the Republic the approach to religious affairs in Tunisia and prospects for restoring the true image of Islam in the country, one of moderation and the golden mean. The emphasis was placed, he added, on the importance of a healthy religious sensitisation, staged jointly with the government, theologians, imam-preachers and the concerned religious institutions. The President of the Republic also received Great Rabbi of Tunisia Haim Bittan, who described the meeting as a "historical" one, specifying that the Head of State invited all Jews who lived in Tunisia and left to come back home. He voiced satisfaction at the President of the Republic's concern about the Jews living in Tunisia and their status as full-fledged citizens. The Great Rabbi expressed hope that the Tunisian officials and government will manage to lead the country on the path to a better future. Dr. Mohamed Moncef Marzouki also received Archbishop of Tunis Maroun Lahham, who said that the talk had turned on the situation of the Christian churches in Tunisia which "live in peace and enjoy trust and kindliness of the Tunisian people." He said that his meeting with the President of the Republic had been "extremely friendly" and it arouses "love and gratefulness in the heart of any human being living in this blessed country."