Sierra Foundation’s Dialog and Friendship Dinner Brings Together Many in Reno


Date posted: November 25, 2013

This year’s Dialog and Friendship Dinner by Sierra Foundation repeated its tradition of bringing together many around a dinner table in Northern Nevada. The dinner has become a platform for bringing together diverse set of guests around the table and starting dialog and friendship among different cultures, faiths and communities. The event was well attended by federal, city and state officials, faith and community leaders, academicians, many other distinguished guests from various segments of our society in Northern Nevada.

At Reno Ballroom of Silver Legacy, the event commenced with recognitions from Governor Sandoval, Senator Heller and Congressman Amodei, all emphasizing the value of dialog and dialog-promoting events like the dinner. President of Sierra Foundation outlined the foundation’s vision, “Harmony within diversity”, and summarized the motive for such dialog events. “We believe everyone should always strive for positive action, and new relationships with the near other, culturally different other, far other, and regional other.” he said. The night’s keynote speaker Mr. Mustafa Akyol offered a deep discussion of issues in modern Islamic society and a comparative analysis of them across other faiths and traditions. He pointed out how one can easily be mislead at the face of unknown and how blind literalism could lead to destructive misunderstandings.

This year Attorney General Catherine Masto, Judge Howard, Judge Sattler, Judge James Spoo, Reno City Attorney John Kadlic, Washoe County Sheriff Mike Haley, and Ormsby County Sheriff Ken Furlong attended the dinner. In prior years many distinguished guests attended our dinner, including the late Senator William Raggio, Sparks Mayor Geno Martini, Reno Police Chief Steve Pitts, and Sparks Police Chief Steve Keefer.

The event offered live calligraphy demonstration, along with desserts, by a pioneering Turkish calligrapher Mr. Aydin Cayir. In closing remarks, Attorney General emphasized the theme of tolerance, respect for one another, and accepting all of our differences. “As we all go on our daily life, if we remember that theme, we would be such a better society and a better world.” she said.

Sheriff Haley praised the activities of Sierra Foundation and underlined the importance of looking each other without religious prejudices, and said “I truly believe that you look at people as human beings first.” Judge Sattler vowed the importance of dialog and finding commonalities via simple communication. He concluded “What shocks me is how infrequently people get together and simply talk to each other. Sit down on a table. They do not have the ability just to understand that the people they are dealing with are very much like themselves. We are not different. We are the same.” The dinner was attended by more than 100 and is 8th in its series.

Source: Sierra Foundation , November 22, 2013


Related News

A cami and cemevi together

TUĞBA AYDIN A groundbreaking ceremony for the first cultural complex in Turkey that will have both a cami (mosque) and a cemevi (Alevi place of worship) was held in Ankara on Sunday with the participation of Labor Minister Faruk Çelik, Alevi CEM Foundation President İzzettin Doğan, Republican People’s Party (CHP) Ankara deputy Sinan Aygün and […]

Gulen Slams Turkey Crackdown Before Erdogan Demands Extradition

The exiled cleric accused by Turkey of orchestrating last year’s attempted coup charged President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with seeking to silence critics, as the Turkish leader prepared to push for the preacher’s extradition in a White House meeting with Donald Trump.

US under Trump still highly unlikely to extradite Gülen

National War College professor Taşpınar says extradition remains unlikely because Ankara has presented no concrete evidence directly implicating him in the coup attempt. “I think what [Washington] should do is to basically tell the Turks they need a smoking gun. They need much clearer evidence, which is not there yet,” he says

Enes Kanter – A Dervish in the NBA

The first time I went to Oklahoma City, I was wondering, how am I going to do this? I’m a Muslim player, I pray 5 times a day, fast, eat halal food. So when I got to OKC, I told the chefs, the organization, I’m a Muslim, I need to do this, this, this. They were so respectful.

Think Twice on Turkey: Erdogan’s Purges Are a Warning to Washington

“Whatever the merits of the government’s claims about the movement’s role in the coup, which Gülen himself denies, the speed and scale of the dismissals make it clear that many of those affected by the purge are caught up in it not because there is clear evidence of their involvement in the coup but merely because of their perceived association with the Gülen movement.”

‘Hizmet Movement is teaching “habits of the heart”, without any request for payback’

The individuals in the Hizmet Movement present to Americans a life of Islam which is not frightening, which, where the values and concerns relate primarily to those of family and faith.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Anti-police operation is gov’t attempt to take revenge for graft probe

Turkic American Alliance’s iftar brought diplomats together in Washington DC

Turkey’s post-coup crackdown moves overseas

‘Turkish schools in Nigeria are not owned by government of Turkey’

Yobe, Turkish Institutions Team Up To Boost Education

3,623 Aggravated Life Sentences Sought In Turkey For Scholar Fethullah Gülen

34,000 teachers, 5,882 academics, 1,372 university employees dismissed since July 15, 2016

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News