(AGI) Vatican City, Nov 17 - Following the Paris terrorattacks, there is a more intense need to seek peace by means ofan inter-religious dialogue, said the president of thePontificia Universita Lateranense (PUL), Monsignor Enrico dalCovolo. The dignitary explained that "in these days of sorrowfollowing the serious attacks which occurred in Paris, we areever more convinced that there is a need to foster a positivedialogue with Islam. We must meet face to face and findourselves as men and women seeking God and his paths of peace.The Gospel and the Quran narrate the love of God for Man,"underlined the Salesian bishop, talking to members of the pressabout the initiative scheduled at the Lateranense on December 3- namely a round table, open to the community, on the theme of"Mercy in Christian and Islamic Traditions". "We must urge inall men of goodwill the passion for peace, because Mercy is thetrue name for God, and History narrates his story. The cry'where is your brother?' is often heard along the borders ofour fluid time, inhabited by the angels of mercy, calling forminds to join and embody the faith which respects the dignityof every man, against the apocalypse of reason." A few monthsago, Monsignor dal Covolo opened a channel for dialogue withIran, "a country which has condemned the massacre in Paris,defined as crimes against humanity by President Hassan Rohani,who cancelled his visit to Italy and to the Vatican after thenews about the attacks in Paris". The rector mentioned the Bullfor the Jubilee, signed by Pope Francis, who underlined that"Islam calls God the Merciful, whilst in the world there arepeople who want to wage terror taking a god as hostage. We takethe path of freedom addressing in depth the Islam of Mercywhich unites different peoples and cultures". The round tablewill be a debate on theological, legal and philosophicalissues, conducted by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, President ofthe Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the NewEvangelisation, with lectures by Mohammad Ali Shomali, directorof the Iran Islamic Centre of London, and Professor AntonioPitta, Professor of the Exegesis of the New Testament at PUL.The aim is a broad debate on the theme of Mercy in the Bibleand in the Quran. Law and Mercy is another theme which will beaddressed by professor Abolfazl Sajedi, from the TheologicalSchool of Qom, and professor Manuel Arroba, Dean of theInstitutum Utriusque Iuris of PUL. Students, religious and layparticipants will be guided to the theme of Philosophy andMercy by professor Abdolhossein Khosropanah, director of theInstitute of Islamic Philosophy and Wisdom of Qom, andprofessor Emmanuele Vimercati, dean of the PhilosophyDepartment at PUL. (AGI). .