Several German URI Cooperation Circles, including DMLBonn CC (Deutsche Muslim-Liga Bonn e.V), participated in a European congress, “Beauty in Diversity,” on December 30, 2013 to January 1st of this year. The event was held in Saarbruecken, Germany, and was organized by AISA Germany.
The congress drew roughly 400 participants from various European countries. Lectures and panel conversations tackled such topics as “Living together in a multicultural and multireligious society” as well as “Femininity in spirituality” from an interfaith perspective.
URI participants came from various URI member groups: the URI Germany CC, the DMLBonn CC, and the Multicultural Discussion Group Merzig CC. Aminah Bach was part of the conference planning and management team.
Global Council member Marianne Horling and I hosted a URI booth, where they introduced the work of this global interfaith network. I also introduced URI in a plenary session to the audience through a film screening. A concert and a spiritual celebration, as well as a youth film project, were also part of the programme.
An exhibition about the Algerian mystic, nobleman, and freedom fighter against the French colonial conquest, Emir Abd El-Kader, was opened and could be visited during the event.
The participants said that they felt uplifted and inspired by the living vision of beauty in diversity expressed through the participants themselves as well as by the presentations.
