Greek Orthodox church hosts iftar dinner in Istanbul
by Daily Sabah
ISTANBULJun 17, 2016 - 12:00 am GMT+3
by Daily Sabah
Jun 17, 2016 12:00 am
A Greek Orthodox church in Istanbul hosted an iftar (fast-breaking meal), on Wednesday evening at an interfaith event. Tables were set at the courtyard of the Panagia Greek Orthodox Church in Istanbul's Beşiktaş district for the event. Representatives from the Syriac Orthodox church attended the dinner along with local Muslims and Christians. Local representatives of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the Republican People's Party (CHP) also attended the event. Speaking before the dinner, Apostol Danilidis, the Tarabya Metropolitan bishop of the Orthodox Church, said he thanked organizers for uniting people in Ramadan, a holy month for Muslims. Danilidis said he was "pleased to a see a beautiful mosaic of people gathered in a Christian place of worship.
"This gathering is a blessing from God and this iftar event shows how tolerance prevails in our country. This tradition of tolerance was special to Ottomans and we continue to keep it alive today. We are happy to be together regardless of religion, faith, race or color."
Danilidis further stated that conflicts of political and economic interests both in Turkey and across the world have been disguised by religion and cultural differences. "These gatherings of different congregations on such special days mean a lot," he said.
Danilidis also said that fasting is a practice shared by all monotheistic religions in different forms, as they all believe in disciplining both the body and self (soul). "The new century started with unpleasant developments but we have to keep love and peace prevalent. Prophets in all religions promoted love, respect and tolerance. As the Orthodox patriarchate in Istanbul, we always attend the iftar dinners we are invited to out of our respect and love for our Muslim brothers and sisters. We strive from peace and hope that people live together on this God-given earth without discriminating against each other's religion, language, race or sect and that we stay strong against threats of war and terror," he said.
Sait Susin, head of Beyoğlu Assyriac Church, said at the event that he was proud to be a guest for the dinner. "Turkey is going through difficult times and the world is closely watching our country. We have to stand strong and united in these times. We lived together throughout history. I lived in the southeast and in Istanbul for four decades; we always celebrated our religious festivals together and we should value that past," he said.
Dino Belalidis, president of Panagia Greek Orthodox Church Foundation, said at the event that they were pleased to host people of all faiths in a month sacred for Muslims and they would continue hosting such events in the future.
Muslims abstain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk during the month of Ramadan, which will end in the first week of July. Non-Muslim groups in Turkey often host iftar dinners in a bid to promote coexistence in the Muslim-majority country. Recently, the Jewish community held a large-scale iftar event in front of a synagogue in northwestern Turkey.
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