Religious leaders, US congressmen gather at iftar

Today’s Zaman
21.09.2007
News

ALÝ H. ASLAN

The Rumi Forum, a Washington-based organization working to foster
interfaith and intercultural dialogue and whose honorary president is
Fethullah Gülen, for the second consecutive year brought together a
number of distinguished speakers and invitees for an iftar dinner.

The iftar — the evening fast-breaking meal in the Muslim holy month
of Ramadan — was organized under the auspices of 21 US congressmen,
and five members of the US Congress were among its guests. The keynote
speaker was Professor Ekmeleddin Ýhsanoðlu, secretary general of the
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). Ýstanbul’s Armenian
Patriarch Mesrob II (Mutafyan) and US Greek Orthodox Archbishop
Demetrios were guests of honor at the event.

Congressman Rush Holt, speaking to Today’s Zaman, said: "Here in
Congress, in this room where we stand, there is much talk everyday but
very seldom real dialogue. Tonight, with the Greek Orthodox, the
Armenian, the followers of Rumi, the society of Jesus, the Jesuits,
the Protestants, Catholics and variety of Muslims, this has been a
remarkable evening of dialogue."

The host of the program was Brenda Bearden, an instructor at
Georgetown University. The event was organized at the Cannon Caucus,
one of the most prestigious rooms in Congress.

The event started with a prayer from the chaplain of the House of
Representatives Reverend Daniel Coughlin, followed by the Muslim
evening prayer, which was broadcast on a screen with English
subtitles. The participants started off eating dates, in line with the
Muslim tradition for breaking the daily fast.

The guests showed great interest in the video clip for the "Song of
Brotherhood," sung by Turkish folk artist Mahsun Kýrmýzýgül and shot
in the southeastern city of Mardin. A group of Afghan performers sang
songs with lyrics from 13th century Sufi Saint Mevlana Muhammed
Jelaluddin Rumi, the founder of the Mevlevi Sufi order. Works of a
Turkish ebru (paper marbling) artist were on display on the Congress
halls.

Congressmen Wayne Gilchrest (Maryland), Keith Ellison, Betty McCollum
(Minnesota), Nita Lowey (New York) and Holt (New Jersey) attended the
dinner while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was represented by her
assistant Mercedes Salem.

Turkish Ambassador to Washington Nabi Þensoy, Egyptian Ambassador
Nabil Fahmy, Eritrean Ambassador Ghirmai Ghebremariam and Mauritian
Ambassador Kailash Ruhee, as well as diplomats from the Israeli,
Indian, Ukrainian and Singapore missions in the US, attended the
iftar. Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy Suat
Kýnýkloðlu, Yeni Þafak columnist Fehmi Koru and Radikal columnist
Murat Yetkin were among the guests from Turkey.

All speakers at the dinner emphasized the importance of dialogue.
Keith Ellison, the first Muslim US Congressman, began his remarks with
the Muslim greeting "Assalamu alaykum."

Congressman Wayne Gilchrest said mothers in Iraq wept as much as
American mothers after their sons were killed in war, and continued,
"The enemy of mankind is ignorance, arrogance and dogma."

Ýhsanoðlu pointed out that Islam was not a religion of violence and
expressed concern about the rising sentiment of Islamophobia around
the globe. "Extremists exist in all religious traditions. Sometimes
extremists have spoken on behalf of Islam," he stated.

Thomas Michel, a Vatican representative for interfaith dialogue,
praised Gülen, whose religious community opens centers of dialogue
across the world. "For Gülen, Rumi represents true faith of Islam," he
told the audience.

Archbishop Demetrios also expressed respect for Gülen. His speech
focused on the state of human relations in our day. "While technology
goes that far, where is the iPhone of human relations? As religious
leaders, we have to compete with technology and produce the device of
human connective-ness and love," he told the guests.

Patriarch Mesrob II criticized those who pick apart religion as the
cause of most conflicts in the world and said religions only teach
love. "I wish my Muslim brothers and sisters on this holy evening
blessings for the feast of Ramadan," he said, expressing goodwill
toward fasters around the world.

Joshua O. Haberman, Rabbi Emeritus of the Washington Hebrew
Congregation, said all believers were united in worshipping the same
God, as Islam, Judaism and Christianity were from the "same religious
illumination which began with Abraham.

21.09.2007
News

ALÝ H. ASLAN

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