Patriarch: ready to turn to the European court for human rights
December 21, 2009
Source: Skai.gr
Translated © Greeks Rethink
An interview of Ecumenical Patriarch for a Turkish newspaper
“[I am] determined to drive the case of Theological School of Halki to the European Court of Human Rights,” states to an interview for a Turkish newspaper, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
Mr. Bartholomew repeats to “Haber Turk” that the patriarchy wishes to operate the school again as it used to reminding that the two latest ministers of Education of Turkey have stated that there is no legal obstacle for its re-opening.
“If by the end of the year there is not any development for the Halki issue then we will exhaust all legal measures in Turkey and go to the European Court,” he states.
In the same interview, Mr. Bartholomew reveals the content of a recent conversation with Turkish Prime Minister Rejeb Tayib Erdogan. Most likely he referred to what they discussed last August at Pringipos when Mr. Erdogan visited the Monastery of Saint George Koudounas and the wooden building of the orphanage where he was welcomed by the Patriarch.
At this discussion Mr. Bartholomew asked the re-opening of the Theological School and the reply of Mr. Erdogan was that “in Athens there is no mosque”.
The Ecumenical Patriarch replied to him that this is not his responsibility on this specific issue and that he would not object with the existence of a praying place for the Muslims that live in Athens.
“We paid the consequences of the Tukish-Greek relations and of Cypriot Issue. We are citizens of this country and we want our rights” said between others the Ecumenical Patriarch.
Greece vs. Turkey
July 24, 2008
This is a very odd video (to say the least) but it has a good message about the truth on the Greece vs. Turkey issue. Interesting perspective, especially, when Turkey is trying so hard to be a secular society.
Muslim Places of Worship in Cyprus
July 16, 2008
A new revision of the book, Muslim Places of Worship was published recently by the Press and Information Office of Cyprus. While I’ve read some (expected) negative hype about it from non-Muslim Cypriots online, Dr. Tarek Radwan, a professor at the Al-Azhar University in Cairo states that, “The present volume highlights the reality of peaceful co-existence that prevailed for centuries between the Christian Greek and Muslim Turkish ethnic communities…”
Although Muslims comprise mainly of Turkish ethnic communities, there are some Greek converts to Islam in Cyprus and the story by Maryam Eustathiou below that was published by IslamOnline.net is proof of it:
Like a Newborn Child – A Catholic Woman Discovers Islam
Being brought up in a Catholic Christian household I always felt the importance of being in a religion, and respecting the will of God. However even from an early age I sensed that the religion I was brought up in was not quite what I expected. My earliest memories bring me to a typical Sunday scene sitting in church and looking around me, not digesting what the priest was saying, and staring at a hall full of statues and paintings of various “religious” scenes and persons.
I always remember asking myself: can this be it?
Hatred for Turks breeds in other countries too
June 29, 2008
With the recent discussion on Greek-Turkish relations, I think you will find this video interesting.
Here’s a brother from our city who converted after having ingrained in him the societal acceptance to hate Muslims or Turks. Although he is from Romania, his upbringing towards the idea of hatred for Turks is very similar to that of Greeks.
Romanian and loving Islam
