Dialogue instead of clash of civilizations
Before coming to Washington DC’s Rumi Forum, I was heading the Australian Intercultural Society (AIS) based out of Melbourne. This article reflects the great contribution to social harmony and peace building as reflected in and inspired by the thoughts of Fethullah Gulen.
Governor of Victoria, Prof. David deKretser said, “Our capacity to live in cohesion is dependent in part on a mutual respect for each others’ faiths, recognizing and appreciating that each and every faith is founded on a belief that by nature cannot be logically proven. Many of us belong to faiths or religions that profess a belief in a god, although the pathways to reach that god vary. Interfaith dialogue creates the space for us to recognize that commonality and mutual respect for the beliefs of each other. It allows us to remove prejudice and intolerance, and enables us to work together to support models of good governance that will ensure the citizens of this world are respected and treated equally regardless of their religious beliefs or ethnicity.”
As always the necessity of dialogue is realized (and must be realized) – and the contribution that the AIS has played is important to community peace-building. I congratulate them on their 10 years
Emre Celik, Rumi Forum Washington DC
