Xinhua, China
May 14, 2004 Friday
Religious symposium held in Turkey calls for peace, XINHUA
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ANKARA, May 14 (Xinhua) — Turkey’s religious leaders held a seminar
in the southeastern city of Mardin to call for peace and tolerance,
Turkish private NTV reported Friday. The seminar, organized by the
Turkish Intercultural Dialogue Platform, brought together
representatives of the Greek Orthodox, Armenian Christian, Muslim and
Jewish faiths to discuss issues relating to religions and peace, the
report said.
Not only similarities but also differences among cultures should be
underlined and everybody should protect all cultures, said Ishak
Haleva, the chief Rabbi in Turkey.
Mesrob Mutafian, the Armenian Patriarch in Turkey, sent a message to
the symposium in which he expressed his wish that the meeting would
contribute to efforts to end wars and overcome violence. Apart from
religious representatives from Turkey, the seminar was attended by 40
guests from 17 countries.