Christian-Muslim meeting in Istanbul endorses dialogue of life
(Vatican Radio) A two day symposium on Muslim-Christian dialogue takes place in the
Turkish capital of Istanbul this weekend, exploring the theme of ‘Being a foreigner
and dialogue with the other’. Organised for the past two decades by the different
religious communities in the city, the meeting this year takes place in the Franciscan
church of St Etienne and enjoys the support of the journalists and writers foundation
of Istanbul. The symposium comes as world leaders continue to condemn the violent
reactions to a U.S. made video which mocks Islam and its founder, Mohammed. So is
there any way an encounter of this kind can help to diffuse tensions and promote better
understanding beyond the purely academic world? To try and find out, Vatican Radio’s
Philippa Hitchen spoke to one of the participants at the Istanbul meeting, Mustafa
Cenap Aydin, director of Rome’s Istituto Tevere for interfaith dialogue….