International Dialogue and Dialogue International

Slide 1: International Dialogue and Dialogue International “Peace begins with understanding others” University of Wisconsin-Madison December 13, 2007

Slide 2: interfaith dialogue ≈peace ≈security”? “No peace among nations without peace among religions, no peace  among the religions without dialogue among the religions” Hans Kung, President of the Foundation for a Global Ethic, Presumption of conflicts/violence caused by religion—esp. religious  teachings Dialogue is about expanding our capacity for attention, awareness  and learning with and from each other. It is about exploring the frontiers of what it means to be human, in relationship to each other and our world.

Slide 3: Dialogue vs. Discussion Discussion Dialogue To tell, sell, persuade  To inquire to learn  To gain agreement on one  To unfold shared meaning  meaning To integrate multiple perspectives  To evaluate and select the best  To uncover and examine  To justify/defend assumptions  assumptions

Slide 4: Dialogue International (DI) DI is a non-profit organization established in 2001  by a group of Turkish friends It was established after tragic incidence 9/11 to louder the condemnation of  American friends Besides it was aimed:  to improve dialogue and understanding between faiths, cultures and civilizations.  to deal with issues related to living together as part of the human community.  to foster efforts at education and communication among people of different faiths. 

Slide 5: Mission Interfaith dialogue is a must today, and the first step in establishing it is forgetting the past, ignoring polemical arguments, and giving precedence to common points, which far outnumber polemical ones. To promote Respect  Understanding  Tolerance  Love  and as a result Peace

Slide 6: What DI Does? Video Lecture Series: Panels: Dinners: Conferences: Dialogue Trips Perspectives on Faith: Fast Breaking Dinner at  2nd International Dialogue in Abrahamic Relevance of Rumi in Lutheran Campus Center Conference on Islam: Organizing dialogue Religions Contemporary World based trips to Turkey Dialogue vs Conflict - Fast Breaking Dinner at Islam in the Age of Jews & Turks: Model of Perspectives on Faith: Hillel Foundation Globalization Coexistence The Concept of God in 2nd Dialogue Trip Islam 5th Annual Dialogue 1st International Women Role Models in www.ebru.tv Dinner: Healing Conflict Conference on Islam: Scriptures: Bible and Through Dialogue 1st Dialogue Trip Islam and Dialogue Qur’an Documentary: Cat Stevens’ Transition to Ramadan & Christian - Muslim: Yusuf Islam Thanksgiving Celebration Please google for Love & Tolerance Women in Islam Fast Breaking Dinner The Fruits of Dialogue Jewish - Christian - Scriptural Links: (Iftar) video series Muslim: On Peace Judaism, Christianity, and Islam Muslim - Christian Explore Islam: Muslim- Views of Each Other Christian Views of One Another

Slide 7: Why with a group of Turkish friends? Because Turkey is: historically one of the most interesting meeting places of Ancient, Roman,  Byzantine and Ottoman civilizations location of many significant events for Christians, Jews and Muslims (many  biblical references) overly Muslim country but all religions promote each other hand in hand  Quran promotes dialogue and its among the sunnah of Prophet(pbuh)  home of many marvelous Jewish, Christian, Islamic structures  welcome to everybody with Turkish people’s warm hospitality  need dialogue more than any other country 

Slide 8: Turkey – Quick Facts Bicontinental country (a bridge between Asia and Europe)  Muslim but a secular country  Crossroads of peoples and faith communities over the  centuries The greatest centers of early Christianity were located in  this region and most early ecumenical councils took place in what is today modern Turkey Islam became the dominant religious faith later under the  Ottoman Turks The Ottomans offered hospitality and welcomed a sizeable  group of Sephardic Jews who were forced to leave Spain and Portugal in the late 15th century.

Slide 9: Homeland of Mawlānā Jalāl-ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī St. Nicolas(Santa Claus), Apostle Paul, Alexander the Great, Cleopatra, Julius Caesar are from Turkey Antioch is the place where the followers of Jesus were first called Christians etc.

Slide 10: Importance of Rumi for Dialogue Mawlānā Jalāl-ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī (September 30,1207– December 17, 1273), poet, Islamic jurist, and theologian After Rumi's death, his followers founded the Mowlawīyah, better known as the "Whirling Dervishes," who believe in performing their worship in the form of dance and music ceremony called the samā Upon a proposal by Culture and Tourism Ministry of Turkey, the year 2007 was proposed as the "International Rumi Year" to UNESCO. This is intended for the commemoration of Rumi's 800th birthday anniversary and will be celebrated all over the world, one of the greatest poets, philosophers and scholars of the eastern civilization

Slide 11: Come, come again, whoever you are, come! Heathen, fire worshipper or idolatrous, come! Come even if you broke your penitence a hundred times, Ours is the portal of hope, come as you are . I hold no religion or creed, an neither Eastern nor Western, Muslim or Infidel, Zorastrian, Christian, Jew or Gentile. I come from neither land nor sea, am not related to those above or below, was not born nearby or far away, do not live either in Paradise or this Earth, claim descent not from Adam and Eve or the Angels above. I transcend body and soul, My home is beyond place and name. It is with the beloved, in a space beyond space. I embrace all and am part of all. ONCE a beloved asked her lover: “Friend, You have seen many places in the world! Now - which of all these cities was the best? He said: “The city where my sweetheart lives!” Seek knowledge which unravels mysteries Before your life comes to close Give up that non-existence which looks like existence, Seek that Existence which looks like non-existence!

Slide 13: Advocate of Dialogue Contemporary Rumi Fethullah Gulen Born 27 April 1941, Erzurum Turkey, an Islamic scholar, writer, poet Pioneer of thousands of “schools of dialogue and love” runs all over the world. There is a school almost in every country of the world According to him "Dialogue is a must,” Gülen supports "Dialogue and Tolerance“ He personally met with religious leaders, including Pope John Paul II, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomeos, and Israeli Sephardic Head Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron, Chief Rabbi David Aseo, the Armenian Patriarch and the New York Cardinal John O'Connor Gülen has authored over 60 books and many articles on a variety of topics His life and endeavors about dialogue has been topic for doctorate students and researchers all around the world

Slide 14: He embraces all humanity He is well-known for his ardent endeavours and is affectionate towards the to strengthen bonds amongst all peoples of whole of creation the world and promote Dialogue and Tolerance

Slide 15: “Love is the rose in our belief, a realm of “Be so tolerant the heart that never withers.” that your heart Applaud the becomes wide like good for their the ocean. goodness Become inspired appreciate with faith and love those who have for others. Offer a believing hearts hand to those in and be kind to trouble and be believers. concerned about Whenever Approach everyone” I see unbelievers so a leaf gently that their “If we want to start a fall from envy and hatred revolution, branch of melt away. Like we must begin with a tree a Messiah ourselves. We must in autumn, revive people eliminate from our I feel as with your vocabulary such words as much pain as if breath. "hatred," "enemy" and my arm was "revenge“ amputated.”

Slide 16: John Paul II and Fethullah Gülen “Individuals come to maturity through “Under the lens of tolerance, the merits of  receptive openness to others and through believers attain a new depth and extend to generous self-giving to them; so too do infinity; mistakes and faults shrink so much cultures. Created by people and at the that they can be squeezed into a thimble. service of people, they have to be Actually the treatment of He Who is perfected through dialogue and beyond time and space always passes communion, on the basis of the original through the prism of tolerance, and we and fundamental unity of the human wait for it to embrace us and all of family as it came from the hands of God creation.” who ‘made from one stock every nation of -- “The Necessity of Interfaith Dialogue: A mankind’” (Acts 17:26). -- “Dialogue Muslim Perspective” (2001) between Cultures for a Civilization of Love and Peace” (2001)

Slide 17: ” In today’s world of global connectedness, we must develop the  capacity to dialogue and create relatedness with people vastly different from us. Part of that project involves finding ideas, beliefs, purposes, projects, and so forth, on which we can achieve resonance with each other. That is we do not need to be the same, but we should find just enough similarity between us that, for a certain distance down the road, we can hold hands as fellow travelers in this life, all the while mindful of our differences in myriad ways.”

Slide 18: Dialogue in the Quran Say: “O People of the Book! Come to common terms as between us and you: that we worship none but God; that we speculate no partners with Him; that we take not some from among ourselves for Lords other than God.” (Al- Imran 3:64) Those who believe (in the Quran ), and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians ,- any who believe in God and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. Quran 2:62 Say: "We believe in God, and that which has been sent down to us, and sent down on Abraham and Ishmael, Isaac and Jacob, and the Tribes, and in that which was given to Moses and Jesus, and the Prophets, of their Lord; we make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we surrender ( Muslimun ) Quran 3:83-84. And argue not with the People of the Book unless it be in (a way) that is better. (Al-Ankabut 29:46)

Slide 19: Quick facts about Dialogue in Quran Judaism and Christianity are validated by Islamic  sources and the believers of these religions are called "People of The Book" Muslims respect all Hebrew prophets and Jesus (PBUH)  and Quran consider mother of Christ the most pious women Peace is written in Quran 67 times  The word of sword is repeated only 2 times in Quran 

Slide 20: Dialogue! Meeting point of all beliefs Peace Begins With Understanding Others

Slide 21: WHAT ABOUT YOUR FUTURE Today you are waited upon hand and foot. Today Why be so hopeless... you are safe in Why become so somebody's arms. pessimistic! I wish we were A thorn has been able to promise disclosed, and the such happiness rose has been concerning your separated from the future. Well, you thorns. had better not touch on that Happy days promised matter, nor let me you by Al-Haqq will mention it... come tomorrow, or even before tomorrow, who knows?

Slide 22: Thank You