American Turkish Friendship Association (ATFA) held its annual Ramadan Tent on July 17-19 this year. The tent stayed up in the parking lot of Unity of Fairfax Church for 3 consecutive days and hosted approximately around 750 people each evening over Iftar Dinner. Asm. Kenneth Plum appreciates ATFA’s efforts to bring together people from different faiths and cultures.
Dignitaries, clergy, and everyday citizens, Jews, Christians and Muslims gathered Thursday night at Tarrytown’s DoubleTree Hotel by the invite of the Turkish Cultural Center for a Ramadan dinner, speeches, and entertainment. State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins praised the far-reaching outreach and inclusivity of this group and the peacefulness of their mission.
The evening began with a concert by a musical group and a welcome message from GYV Honorary President Fethullah Gülen. Many of those present expressed their wishes for peace and tolerance. Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin underlined the importance of the dinner, hoping that Ramadan would be an opportunity to enhance ties with brothers.
Chorepiscopus Yusuf Sag, Vicar General and leader of the Syriac Catholic Church in Turkey: “I wish every country had its own Fethullah Gulen. I watched the students performing at the recent Turkish Olympiads in admiration. They all sang in Turkish like angels. I have to ask: Is it better that they sing Turkish songs or hold guns in their hands?”
Nearly seventy-five legislators and staff attended the annual Turkic cultural reception at the State Capitol, hosted by Niagara Foundation. The event awarded attendees and guests with the chance to dialogue with lawmakers over a buffet of Turkish food and coffee on topics of interfaith, multiculturalism and global acceptance.
Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama watched and praised a sema, or whirling dervish ceremony, during a Turkish festival which lasted from Friday to Sunday in New Delhi, promoting traditional Turkish arts and culture. The three-day festival was held for the first time last year, and this year it takes place in the popular Select Citywalk mall in New Delhi. The event was organized by the Indian-Turkish Indialogue Foundation.
The president of the Pontifical Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, Prof. Francesco Zannini, in his speech about Ramadan, pointed out that this month not only brings peace and serenity to Muslims, but to non-Muslims as well. Israeli ambassador Zion Evrony, who was a guest at an iftar dinner for the first time in his life, stated that sincere and friendly environments as this provide opportunities to see the real face of Islam.
DASİDER Chairman Ahmet Öner emphasized in his speech that discrepancies among members of society are a reality of human life and are part of the richness of God’s reflection in the universe. Yeşil said, “We believe that the Alevis, Kurds and Circassians of these lands belong with us. The notion of ‘we’ is sufficient to describe all of us. It is always possible to grow together and to share every opportunity, based on justice and human rights.”
Distinguished spiritual leaders in Turkey, politicians, artists, diplomats, businesspeople and journalists came together for an iftar at İstanbul’s Four Seasons Hotel on Thursday night for an event held by the Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV).
The engagement and integration to the larger society is very crucial for Muslims. There are many good qualities in secular societies which are Islamic such as right of education, freedom and housing. We should value them and play our part.
The Intercultural Dialog Association in Cologne organized a symposium titled “Fethullah Gulen who Encourages the Dialog Studies”. At a weekend in Cologne, many academics, members of the parliament, representatives of some NGO’s, Turks and Germans attended the symposium.
“From 1990 onwards, dialogue was institutionalized and today’s Intercultural Dialogue Platform came into being, thanks to the initiatives of JWF Honorary President Fethullah Gulen. Consequently, joints projects have been carried out in cooperation with Msgr.. Marovitch from the Catholic world, who had been following the footsteps of Dubois; alongside Armenian, Jewish, Assyrian representatives.
Turkish and Australian perspectives on multiculturalism and diversity differ according to experts talked at a workshop on Tuesday in Akçakoca. Discussing at the second day of the first Australia-Turkey Dialogue Workshop organized by the Abant Platform, participants agreed that multiculturalism was embraced by Australia far before it even began to be discussed in Turkey.