Concluding statement of the International panel on Mary announced


Date posted: December 8, 2013

The international panel, titled “Mary in the Holy Scripture and Qur’an,” which was jointly held by the Journalists and Writers Foundation’s (GYV) Intercultural Dialogue Platform (KADİP), the Tevere Institute and İzmir Intercultural Dialogue Center (İZDİM), was concluded with a statement.

Chaired by Professor Ömer Faruk Harman, the Concluding Statement Committee consisted of Professor Catherine Joseph Droste, Associate Professor Mustafa Alıcı, Associate Professor İsmail Taşpınar and Kadriye Erdemli.

The concluding statement of International Panel on Mary in the Holy Scripture and Qur’an

The concluding statement of the International Panel on Mary in the Holy Scripture and Qur’an, which sought to bring Christians and Muslims together to discuss Mary and help people understand the place and significance of Mary in holy books, is as follows:

1- Mary was the most distinguished, innocent, pristine, and chaste of all women and she attained God’s favor and benevolence before she died. As such, he represents a significant role model for Christians and Muslims to develop a mutual understanding and foster coexistence.

2- Having destroyed many exclusionary taboos of her time, Mary played an effective role in the empowerment of women.

3- We have much to inspire from Mary as an epitome of patience, humility, submission, devotion and belief for treating spiritual crises and diseases that haunt humanity in general and women in particular.

4- It is quite natural that both Christian and Islamic sources have a good level convergence as well as divergence about Mary. However, it is clear that it would be more advisable to focus on common grounds rather than differences and accept everyone as they are.

5- Given the fact that it is a must to have a thorough understanding of Mary, an epoch-making woman, both from a socio-cultural and theological perspective, it is recommended that the panel on “Mary in the Holy Scripture and Qur’an” should be regularly held with differing themes every year.

Source: Intercultural Dialogue Platform , December 8, 2013

Tags: | | |


Related News

Hizmet, politics and political parties

In the past, the Hizmet movement never formed alliances or got involved in an organic relationship with any political party. At the same time, it never ever demanded anything from political parties that strayed outside of the above-outlined principles, or was contrary to rights, the law, democracy, merit or the will of God. The Hizmet movement gains its strength from this fullness of heart and independence.

Erdoğan Jails Hundreds of Babies in Paranoid Purge

When will the world pay heed to the humanitarian crisis on Erdoğan’s home turf that engulfs more innocent people by the day, even crying babies? Erdoğan’s paranoid purge of perceived political enemies has landed hundreds of babies and toddlers behind bars, sometimes arresting mothers on the very day they have given birth.

Turkish Syriac Catholic patriarch launches ‘Fruits of Dialogue’

“Diyaloğun Meyveleri” (Fruits of Dialogue), a book by Deputy Patriarch of the Turkish Syriac Catholic Church Yusuf Sağ, was launched at a reception held at Taksim Green Park Hotel in İstanbul on Tuesday night. Delivering a speech at the event, Bartholomew praised the role of Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen in promoting dialogue among different faiths.

Individuals can force change

Instead of Erdoğan’s accusations that the Hizmet movement had plotted to unseat his government, couldn’t it have been a handful of good men and women within the bureaucracy, i.e., the judiciary and the police, who leaked the investigation documents on Dec. 17 to the public to prevent these crimes from being covered up?

Local NGOs urge Georgian gov’t to avoid returning Turkish teacher back home

Eight non-governmental organizations have called on the Georgian government to refrain from returning detained Turkish teacher to back home where “he will be possibly subjected to political persecution, torture, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment. “[He] will have no access to fair trial,” said a statement, released on May 31.

Gülen’s lawyer warns about possible doctored tapes

Lawyer Nurullah Albayrak in a written statement referred to lies and defamation about Gülen in the media which have become widespread and said Gülen’s phone calls have been illegally wiretapped. “These calls are reported in the media without taking any ethical principles into consideration,” he said, adding that it is very likely there will be edited phone calls as part of a black propaganda campaign against Gülen.

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

New constitution must bear spirit of Abant

Former TÜBİTAK VP: Over 250 dismissed in 2 months

Misreading Turkey’s Twitter Controversy

Bad temper

Main opposition deputy head slams gov’t for targeting Hizmet Movement

Ayse Bohurler says International Herald Tribune misquoted remarks on Gülen movement

Is There ‘The Cemaat’ Under Every Stone?

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News