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The Alliance of Civilizations and the Pope's Visit
By HUSEYIN GULERCE
11.17.2006 Friday - ISTANBUL 19:44
Zaman, Turkey
Nov 17 2006
The 4th High-level Group Meeting of the Alliance of Civilizations
held last Monday at the Ciragan Palace in Istanbul also pointed out
the importance of the visit to our country 12 days from now by Pope
Benedictus XVI.
The Alliance of Civilizations initiative was begun by the efforts
of UN General Secretary Kofi Annan. Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero
and Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan were named as co-chairmen of
the organization. The enterprise has a High Level Group. After the
September 11th terrorist attack in the US and the occupation of Iraq
by the Bush administration using Saddam as an excuse and the Lebanese
attacks in which Israeli massacres directed towards civilians once
again appeared on the agenda of world public opinion, hostility and
tension between the Western world and the Islamic world can only be
prevented by dialogue efforts among countries and country leaders.
We see that Turkey has become a very important country in respect
to both efforts. Turkey's EU membership candidacy increases this
importance even more. With the reality of "Turkey as an EU member," it
can be seen that the West hasn't rejected Islam and doesn't see it as
the "new enemy" and, therefore, that it is possible to have dialogue
and tolerance among members of different religions for the sake of
permanent peace. If not, it is inescapable that interpretations will
be strengthened to the effect that the Holy Crusades are continuing
with ways and means compatible with this era.
With the culture of tolerance that Turkey inherited from the Ottomans
and its republican experience that doesn't clash democracy with Islam,
it has shown that it approves of coming together on universal human
values and of integrating with the world, and that it can succeed in
"sharing" in mankind's common march.
In spite of voices raised on the inside by those who want polarization,
but whose voices are not proportional to their strength, the Justice
and Development Party experience displayed today in administration
is accepted both by the society and the external world, and it is
hoped that this experiment will be successful. There not yet being
any alternative political party on the horizon according to public
opinion polls emphasizes that it is.
We see acceptance of dialogue and tolerance in society. Dialogue begun
by Fethullah Gulen, a leader of this view, 10 years ago with the
Phanariot Patriarch, Head Rabbi of the Jewish community in Turkey,
and the Armenian Patriarch and later expanded with Gulen's visit to
Pope Paul VI at the Vatican was well-received by a large mass of the
population, in spite of the protests of certain circles and their
efforts to stir up muddy water. The dialogue dinners during Ramadan
that were initially criticized were later officially stood up for. And
these dinners are spreading today as meetings that build bridges of
peace throughout the world from America to Europe and from Australia
to Africa.
When dialogue and tolerance efforts that are continuing among
peoples both by means of administrations with UN initiatives and the
exertions of voluntary organizations are remembered, the visit to
Turkey by Pope Benedictus XVI from November 28th-December 1st looks
like a milestone. Prime Minister Erdogan's attending the NATO summit
on November 28-29 should not prevent him from seeing the Pope and
taking advantage of this opportunity. The Pope will be in Istanbul
on November 30th. There is still a possibility for this meeting to
take place. Criticized for his words directed towards out Prophet, the
Pope's finding an opportunity for self-criticism and his doing this in
Turkey would be meaningful world-wide. An Erdogan-Pope meeting would
be an essential answer to domestic and foreign EU opponents allied
to prevent Turkey's EU membership. There are important historical
moments that separate statesmen from politicians. The Pope's visit
to Turkey presents Erdogan with such an opportunity...
By HUSEYIN GULERCE
11.17.2006 Friday - ISTANBUL 19:44
Zaman, Turkey
Nov 17 2006
The 4th High-level Group Meeting of the Alliance of Civilizations
held last Monday at the Ciragan Palace in Istanbul also pointed out
the importance of the visit to our country 12 days from now by Pope
Benedictus XVI.
The Alliance of Civilizations initiative was begun by the efforts
of UN General Secretary Kofi Annan. Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero
and Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan were named as co-chairmen of
the organization. The enterprise has a High Level Group. After the
September 11th terrorist attack in the US and the occupation of Iraq
by the Bush administration using Saddam as an excuse and the Lebanese
attacks in which Israeli massacres directed towards civilians once
again appeared on the agenda of world public opinion, hostility and
tension between the Western world and the Islamic world can only be
prevented by dialogue efforts among countries and country leaders.
We see that Turkey has become a very important country in respect
to both efforts. Turkey's EU membership candidacy increases this
importance even more. With the reality of "Turkey as an EU member," it
can be seen that the West hasn't rejected Islam and doesn't see it as
the "new enemy" and, therefore, that it is possible to have dialogue
and tolerance among members of different religions for the sake of
permanent peace. If not, it is inescapable that interpretations will
be strengthened to the effect that the Holy Crusades are continuing
with ways and means compatible with this era.
With the culture of tolerance that Turkey inherited from the Ottomans
and its republican experience that doesn't clash democracy with Islam,
it has shown that it approves of coming together on universal human
values and of integrating with the world, and that it can succeed in
"sharing" in mankind's common march.
In spite of voices raised on the inside by those who want polarization,
but whose voices are not proportional to their strength, the Justice
and Development Party experience displayed today in administration
is accepted both by the society and the external world, and it is
hoped that this experiment will be successful. There not yet being
any alternative political party on the horizon according to public
opinion polls emphasizes that it is.
We see acceptance of dialogue and tolerance in society. Dialogue begun
by Fethullah Gulen, a leader of this view, 10 years ago with the
Phanariot Patriarch, Head Rabbi of the Jewish community in Turkey,
and the Armenian Patriarch and later expanded with Gulen's visit to
Pope Paul VI at the Vatican was well-received by a large mass of the
population, in spite of the protests of certain circles and their
efforts to stir up muddy water. The dialogue dinners during Ramadan
that were initially criticized were later officially stood up for. And
these dinners are spreading today as meetings that build bridges of
peace throughout the world from America to Europe and from Australia
to Africa.
When dialogue and tolerance efforts that are continuing among
peoples both by means of administrations with UN initiatives and the
exertions of voluntary organizations are remembered, the visit to
Turkey by Pope Benedictus XVI from November 28th-December 1st looks
like a milestone. Prime Minister Erdogan's attending the NATO summit
on November 28-29 should not prevent him from seeing the Pope and
taking advantage of this opportunity. The Pope will be in Istanbul
on November 30th. There is still a possibility for this meeting to
take place. Criticized for his words directed towards out Prophet, the
Pope's finding an opportunity for self-criticism and his doing this in
Turkey would be meaningful world-wide. An Erdogan-Pope meeting would
be an essential answer to domestic and foreign EU opponents allied
to prevent Turkey's EU membership. There are important historical
moments that separate statesmen from politicians. The Pope's visit
to Turkey presents Erdogan with such an opportunity...