Bosnian Grand Mufti: Europe has to prove that Islam is a part of Europe by
taking Turkey in
Source:Turkey's EU Bid
* The grand mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina has lambasted the European
Union for its hesitant
approach vis-à-vis Turkey's possible member****p.
Grand Mufti (Reis-Ulema) Mustafa Ceric, speaking at the Conference of
Faith Leaders in Brussels
organized by the European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, said
the EU should show
that Islam is a part of Europe by admitting Turkey as a full member.
Regarding the attacks against Muslims in Europe, Mr. Ceric said Europe
should respect the
concept that Muslims in Europe "are not ghosts but hosts."
The conference with religious leaders to find answers to contem****ary
problems using religious
“capital” comes at an interesting time for Turkey, when the nation is yet
again embedded in a
fierce debate about the public role of religion.
All three presidents of the EU -- i.e., the presidents of the European
Commission, Parliament
and the European Council -- participated in the conference with the
religious leaders.
The Conference of Faith Leaders convened for the fourth time yesterday,
bringing together
around 20 high-level representatives of Christianity, Judaism and Islam in
Europe.
In a very high profile meeting, in which Barroso, European Parliament
President Hans Gert
Poettering, the term president and Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa,
commissioners Benita
Ferrero-Waldner and Ján Figel as well as European Parliament Vice
President Mario Mauro took
part, religious leaders exchanged views on climate change and
reconciliation. In the meeting,
Muslims were represented by Dr. Mohamed Bechari, the president of the
National Federation of
French Muslims, Imam Abduljalil Sajid, the Muslim Council for Religious
and Racial Harmony,
Ceric and Ayatollah Abdolhossein Moezi, the director of the Islamic Center
in England.
* Ceric: Turkey is the proof
In reacting to Barroso’s comment that Islam is a part of Europe, Ceric
said the EU now had a
good op****tunity to showcase Turkey’s accession as a sound rebuttal to
those who see Islam as
non-European. “I agree with the president. Islam is a part of Europe, but
unfortunately Turkey
is still not admitted as a member. Europe has to prove that Islam is a
part of Europe by taking
Turkey in. Why is the EU so hesitant and delaying Turkey’s accession?”
said Ceric.
Ceric stressed that as a Bosnian he learned that tolerance was a sign of
strength and
intolerance a sign of weakness. He argued that the EU’s strength would be
tested with Turkey’s
possible member****p. “But Turkey is still not a member. The reason may
well be that Bosnia is
still not in the EU. So Bosnia first should be a member and then Turkey,”
he quipped.
In another question on freedom of speech, Ceric strongly criticized the
European attitude and
stressed that as a survivor of an attempted genocide he was very surprised
to see people who
still did not understand that Europe needs mutual respect. “Insults to the
Prophet Mohammed
will not decrease the love and affection of Muslims toward their prophet
but will break many
hearts all over the world. Europe should learn and respect that we,
Muslims in Europe, are not
ghosts but hosts.”
Asked whether one of the best options for intercultural dialogue would be
to hasten the
accession process with Turkey, Barroso said accession talks were well
underway with Turkey,
stressing that Islam was “a part of Europe, not outside of Europe.” Citing
Muslims’
contribution to European civilization from Andalusia, Barroso said the EU
did not only have
relations with Turkey but Muslim countries like Bosnia and Albania as
well.
This year, discussions centered on the theme “Climate change: an ethical
challenge for all
cultures.” Barroso stated: “Climate change obliges all of us to take
urgent action. Each part
of civil society must contribute to ensuring a sustainable future of our
planet. Thanks to
their outreach and role in our societies, religions and communities of
belief are well placed
to make a valuable contribution in mobilizing them for a sustainable
future. Let’s unite in our
common endeavor and prove that the preachers of a clash of civilizations
are wrong.”
Participants in the meeting shared their views on the two main themes and
agreed on the
essential role of religions and communities of belief in tackling our
common challenges and
mobilizing our societies for a sustainable future.
6 May 2008
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com
**
|
