[The Outsider] A peaceful Ramadan for three

Elsie Alan

We are more than halfway through Ramadan 2013. While the world at large gets more and more out of control, our little corner of Turkey has remained peaceful and observant.

You haven't seen many quieter places than our little village is now, believe me. Even the all-summer-every-summer picnickers at the castle are low key, quietly setting up their little barbeques to heat the soup and grill the meat for iftar (fast-breaking meal). After iftar, the music being played outdoors -- sometimes from car radios, sometimes from live musicians -- is heavy on the Turkish and Kurdish folk music and light on rap music and the other THUMP, THUMP, THUMP beats so beloved by young men with very strong woofers in their automotive sound systems.

Tolerance and Dialogue in Fethullah Gülen’s Writings (3)

Yetkin Yildirim* and Madeline Maxwell**

(Cont’d from part 2)

Gülen’s Vision for the Future

Gülen’s purpose for discussing tolerance and dialogue is the achievement of a more peaceful coexistence among the diverse communities and religions of the world. It is this vision of peace that underlies his writings. Gülen believes that striving for peace in the world through tolerance and dialogue is essentially God’s work: “Muslims will lose nothing by employing dialogue, love and tolerance. Muslims continuously seek the approval of God; this is the greatest gain of all” (Gülen, 2004, p. 52). Doing God’s work is what fuels Gülen’s commitment to peace, and he maintains a hopeful and positive perspective on the future of the world:

Gülen’s Inclusive Perspective As A Catalyst for Global Peace

The basic values that mark the twenty-first century are modernism, pluralism, individualism, and religion. Some claim that modernity embraces individual and social life as a whole, and that it has created new forms of religious, cultural, and political pluralism. There is no doubt that the world today is in need of dialogue between cultures and civilizations more than at any other time; this is of the utmost urgency.

Ramadan Wishes From A Muslim To A Catholic Will Warm Your Heart

Yasmine Hafiz

This family has shown the entire Internet the best way to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan.
A Reddit user posted this picture on July 11, 2013, captioned, "I'm Catholic, but I received this from a coworker this morning - happy Ramadan!"

With a Single Forefather, Muslims and Jews Can Work Together

Rabbi Marc Schneier
Co-authored with Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool*

As Nelson Mandela endures a grave illness with the same courage and dignity he evinced throughout his life, including the 27 long years he was held prisoner, Minister of Public Services Malusi Gigaba said recently that in his present weakened state, Mandela "is uniting the nation without even saying a word."

A Church That Embraces All Religions and Rejects ‘Us’ vs. ‘Them’

Samuel Freedman

LYNNWOOD, Wash. — Clad in proper Pacific Northwest flannel, toting a flask of “rocket fuel” coffee typical of Starbucks’ home turf, Steven Greenebaum rolled his Prius into a middle school parking lot one Sunday morning last month. Then he set about transforming its cafeteria into a sanctuary and himself into a minister.

Prominent figures gather together at GYV iftar dinner

Distinguished spiritual leaders in Turkey, politicians, artists, diplomats, businesspeople and journalists came together for an iftar at İstanbul's Four Seasons Hotel on Thursday night for an event held by the Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV).