Mufti of Gumulcine (Komotini), İbrahim Serif participated in religion conference in Germany

Mufti of Gumulcine İbrahim Serif participated in religion conference in Hannover, Germany with ABTTF General Secretary Ozkan Reşit between 16-17 November. The conference was organized by Loccum Evangelist Academy and the topic was “Sufism” and “inter-religion dialogue”. Before the conference, Serif met with Turkish minority in Hannover and performed ritual prayer (namaz). ABTFF representatives and Serif participated conference together. Sufism was the main topic during the first day of the conference. Prof. Dr. Süleyman Uludag from University of Bursa, Turkey, Prof. Dr. Peter Zimmerling from University of Leipzig, Germany and Prof. Dr. Stefan Stelzer from American University, Egypt gave detailed information on mysticism and Islam Sufism to the participants.

Following the conference, Serif and ABTTF General Secretary Ozkan Resit met with the regional authorities and conveyed them Western Thrace Turkish minority members’ problems.

Inter-religion dialog was the main item on the agenda…

During the second day of the conference, inter-religion dialog was the main item on the agenda. The speakers were Prof. Dr. Katja Boehme from Freiburg Catholic University, Prof. Dr. Otto Langer from University of Bielefeld, Homayoun Hemmati from University of Tahran, İran and Prof. Dr. Bünyamin Duran from University of Rotterdam. Speakers emphasized the importance of freedom of religion for the sake of world’s peace, adding that obstacles against freedom of religion should be eliminated to provide social and individual peace.

ABTTF General Secretary Ozkan Resit talked with Prof. Dr. Katja Boehme about religion rights violations in Western Thrace. Prof. Dr. Boehme stated that she knew the facts about that problem, adding that those religion rights violations that Western Thrace Turkish minority members were exposed to be not compatible with peace idea that all the ethereal religions build on.

Prof. Dr. Boehme promised to do her best to prevent the freedom of religion violations while she would not discriminate between Muslim and Christian when it was about freedom of religion.