Sitting in the circle (R-L): Sheikh Bashir, Yasin Chaar, Marianne Horling, Pastor Johannes Stein
Standing children, (R-L): Justin, Olivia Damm, Lena and Samed
“Religion Makes Democracy” was the title of a three-day interfaith meeting of roughly 60 Christians, Muslims, Jews, Humanists and Agnostics of all ages at Nordwalde, Germany's Protestant Youth Education Centre.
This annual event tackles a different sociopolitical topic every year. It is co-organised by the DMLBonn CC, the Protestant Academy Villigst, and the “Bendorf Forum for Ecumenical Encounter and Interreligious Dialogue – Hedwig-Dransfeld-Haus,” with support from the German Ministry of the Interior.
“It is always very special for us, welcoming participants from all age groups, including children and youth. This gives us great hope for the future: interacting with a new generation, which will see coexistence and mutual respect as natural, because they have experienced interfaith friendship from childhood on. At this event, children and youth encounter elders who have been working dedicatedly on interfaith harmony for many years,” said Sheikh Bashir of the German Muslim-League Bonn CC and longtime URI activist.
Various speakers, namely, Professor Josef Freise (Katholische Hochschule NRW, Köln), Belal El-Mogaddedi (Deutsche Muslim-Liga e.V.) and Inga Beinke (University Halle-Wittenberg and Stiftung Neue Verantwortung), tackled the topic of Religion and Democracy from a Christian, Muslim and scientific perspective.
But the subject was not exclusively covered in intellectual exchange and reflections, but also in creative workshops using different ways of expression, such as sacred dance, singing, traditional music, felting, a media workshop, a workshop on sacred texts as well as creative writing.
Moreover, participants invited each other to meditations and authentic religious services of their faith traditions, so that anybody could acquire the experience of being present and getting to know the feeling, sounds and expressions of worship in various faiths, this way getting familiar with each other, loosing fears or simply enjoying the different forms of worship.
An engaged and inspiring presentation was given by the interfaith youth initiative “JUGA – Jung, Gläubig, Aktiv” (“Young, believing, active”) who were introduced by Katharina von Bremen and Karimah Stauch. The four young leaders– of Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Baha’i Faiths – presented JUGA’s work in which various forms of interfaith action and dialogue are used. Their work, in schools educating peers in interreligious diversity, resonated with many activists in the audience, including those from URI, where work in school happens along similar lines.
“It has been again a very rich experience being here. The encounters inspire me each time to continue my work for interfaith and intercultural understanding. The conference strengthens my commitment and gives me renewed energy to continue the work for social cohesion”, said Marianne Horling, convener of the Intercultural Conversation Group URI Bonn CC.
Please click here to read an article about the event by Taufiq Mempel, published in Deutsch-Tuerkisches Journal.
