Relating the religions in Macedonia

A seminar on "Interreligious dialogue"

On 13 September 2004 the Macedonian Centre for International Cooperation together with the Theological Faculty "St Kliment Ohridski" and the Faculty of Islamic Sciences - Skopje organized one-day seminar on Interreligious Dialogue". The lectures at the seminar were held by Lisi Rasmusen and Safet Bejkovik from the Islamic-Christian Study Centre from Copenhagen - Denmark, and several other professors from the two theological faculties had their presentations as well. The seminar started ate the Faculty of Islamic Sciences (FIS) and continued at the Theological Faculty (TF).

The morning part of the work took place at the Faculty of Islamic Sciences. The welcoming speech and the introduction in the seminar was given by the FIS Dean, Dr. Ismail Bardhi and the TF vice-dean, Dr. Jovan Takovski.

The Dean, Dr. Ismail Bardhi greeted the present and the beginning of the seminar with the words: "When we are facing these issue, besides the moral and the love, we have to take into account our responsibility towards the religious culture and its importance in the multi-confessional society. We have proved that we can cooperate regardless of the various difficulties. Both theological faculties, the Islamic and the theological have shown a high level of maturity, skills and knowledge for wider and profound cooperation with a unique goal to preserve the purity of religion and develop the religious culture it contains".

In his welcoming speech, the vice-dean Jovan Takovski said, "this meeting is another opportunity to look for ways of further cooperation in order to promote our relations as faculties, but also to help in the promotion of the relations between our two people".

A panel discussion took place as well on "Nationality in the pluralistic society - the relation between the country and the churches and religious communities (different types of secular societies)".

The afternoon work at the seminar continued at the Theological Faculty with Lisi Rasmunsen's lecture on "Why an interreligious dialogue?" In her lecture Rasmunsen said that as religious people, individuals and communities, we have the responsibility to work for the general welfare, against the use of the religious identity for rejecting the others.

After the lectures, there was a presentation on "How can the Christians and the Muslims communicate and work together?" The lecturers from Denmark, Lisi Rasmunsen and Safet Bektovik presented the experiences from the work of the Islamic - Christian Study Centre. A contribution for the Macedonian experiences was given by Aco Girevski with his speech "The Christianity and the Islam".

The seminar was attended by a number of students and professors from the both theological faculties, as well as guests from the churches and the religious communities from Macedonia.

 

M.K.