STAR- Columnist Saygi Ozturk points to the importance dialogue between religions. A summary of his column is as follows:
President Makarios in Cyprus was a man of religion. However, he was also a man who exploited religion for political ends, armed his community to eradicate Islam on the island and provoked the people to attack Turks. The intrigues of Archbishop Makarios led to the Turkish Peace Operation in 1974. This in turn resulted in bloodshed, and the third-largest island in the Mediterranean was divided into two. It is clearly seen in the villages of Sandallar and Murataga how the exploitation of religion for political purposes can lead to great massacres. You can listen to the stories of massacres committed without even sparing women or children and see that peace is still far from Cyprus, even though it should be an island of peace. Yesterday interfaith dialogue and tolerance were the topics discussed at the Fifth Eurasian Islamic Council meeting. Scholars and men of faith expressed their views on the issues and stressed the significance of such issues. For example, Seljuk University Theology Department Dean Mehmet Aydin stated that the era of the Prophet Mohammed was full of examples of tolerance between religions. He added that they believed all of mankind should heed the calls for dialogue between religions and civilizations. Aydin said that terrorist activities based on oppression and tears had no place in any religion, and that all religious leaders and communities should extend a hand of friendship to each other. ‘Under no circumstances should ‘Islam’ and ‘terrorism’ be pronounced in the same breath’ he asserted. ‘Those who link Islam or any other religion together with terrorism are either ignorant fanatics or selfish people hardened by political ambitions, unaware of the teachings of other religions. World peace will be established not by them but by those who are compassionate.’ During the meeting it was also stated that the historical record of wars waged in the name of religion represented nothing but the exploitation of faiths for political purposes, ignorant of their true teachings. The participants also stated that there was only one way to end violence on earth and that was through meeting the priest with the rabbi, the rabbi with the hodja, and the hodja with the priest. ‘Interreligious dialogue will bring love and peace to all religions.’ The gathering of various countries’ representatives in Cyprus was an important development for this country. TRNC Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu said that the presence of so many countries’ representatives at the meeting should send an important message to those countries which choose not to recognize the TRNC’s existence. He added that they expected these representatives to voice the real facts in their own countries and to stand by Cyprus in its just struggle.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION