The American Turkish Friendship Association (ATFA) organized the now much exclaimed 4th Legislative Reception, in Richmond, Virginia on February 6th 2013. Members of Virginia’s General Assembly, their staff, and Turkish Americans attended the reception at the Old City Hall. The reception provided a great atmosphere for all attendees including legislators to relax and enjoy each other’s company; also provided a time for the district representatives and Turkish Americans to more-intimately convers with one another.
Turkish food, desert and coffee were served at the reception, along with an expedition on the Ottoman Sultans’ Fermans written down about the Ottoman subjects various religions. The various Fermans by the Sultan legalized the freedom to practice different religions throughout Ottoman lands.
A few honorable speakers from the General Assembly gave lauding remarks about the Turkish American relations in Virginia. The speakers praised the Turkish Americans in their effort in the betterment of the community and in improving the relations of Turkey and The United States. Above all, this event further enhanced the relations of both countries.
Abrahamic Faith Leaders on Significance of Coexistence
Christians, Jews and Muslims came together to discuss the significance of pluralism and coexistence at Abrahamic Dinner by Niagara Foundation in Chicago. The annual held dinner took place at the newly-launched building of TASC (Turkish American Society of Chicago). Niagara Foundation President Serif Soydan delivered the opening speech of the night and left the stage to the […]
Chatham United Methodist Church Hosted Abraham Interfaith Lunch
The Chatham United Methodist Church hosted its 6th Annual Abraham Interfaith Lunch on Tuesday, April 30th. The theme of the event was to embrace faiths of all kinds while joining together to help refugees in need.
‘Hizmet Movement and Fethullah Gulen inspire uniting people around spiritual ideals’
“The Hizmet Movement and what Mr. Gulen is inspiring is uniting people around spiritual ideals. And I like the idea in your schools that you don’t really teach religion directly; you teach ethics. I think that’s another hopeful sign that out of this spiritual movement you’re bringing people together of different religious-cultural backgrounds, but they’re uniting around a certain ethical principle of love and care for humanity and service of humanity.
Mr. Gulen is trying to interpret the broad humanistic principles of the Qur’an for the modern world
Mr. Gulen reminds me of other important figures in the 20th and now early 21st century thinkers like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. who also translate their religious traditions into an idiom that made sense to people who wanted to live peacefully and in harmony with their neighbors and their wider community.
Enes Kanter calls Turkey’s Erdoğan ‘Hitler of our century’ after airport detainment
Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter expressed his desire to become a US citizen and underscored a previous claim that Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is the “Hitler of our century” on Monday in New York in his first comments since his detainment at a Romanian airport over the weekend.
In redemption days hoping for better
This year the most inspirational and memorable event for me was the PII’s iftar, not only because of Imam Shareef’s moving speech but also because I witnessed a wonderful experiment. A great friend of mine, Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino, was there, too. He has been attending the PII’s iftar dinners for three years. He decided to fast that day for the first time in his life to experience what fasting is really like in the Islamic way.
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