Muslim calligrapher writes Gospel of Luke for pope
BETHLEHEM, West Bank — Muslim calligrapher Yasser Abu Saymeh has dedicated the past two months to Christian art, writing the Gospel of Luke in ornate Arabic script to be presented to Pope Benedict XVI when the Roman Catholic leader visits the Holy Land next month.
Abu Saymeh never read a New Testament text before he was picked for the prestigious assignment by Bethlehem's Christian mayor. He said he has since come to appreciate the shared strands of the two faiths.
"I found that many of the things emphasized in Christianity exist in our religion," said the 51-year-old Abu Saymeh....