Patriarch Aleksei Rediger (1929- ) of Moscow and all the Russias
______________________________
The meeting of Patriarch Aleksei of Moscow and all the Russias with Sheikh Allashukyur Pasha-zade, the head of the Caucasus Muslim Directorate, offers proof that inter-confessional dialogue not only between Orthodoxy and Islam, but, also between all spiritual organisations in Russia and the Commonwealth countries has become far more consolidated. A spokesman for the Moscow Patriarchate, Bishop Mark Golovkov of Yegorevsk, said as much with absolute certainty. On 9 April, the spiritual leader of Caucasian Muslims visited the Patriarch Aleksei’s residence at the Danilovsky Monastery in Moscow. Where politicians are unable to reach agreement, believers can easily do so, especially their spiritual leaders, Bishop Mark said. Some years ago, inter-confessional hostility emerged during the disintegration of the Soviet Union and conflict erupted in Nagorny Karabakh. It was thanks to the timely intervention of spiritual leaders such as Patriarch Aleksei and the Grand Mufti of Azerbaijan that this violence came to an abrupt halt. These relations continue today as well, and they promote reconciliation where political diplomacy is helpless and in places where it is necessary to halt inter-religious confrontations.
Muslim man at prayer in war-torn Chechnya
______________________________
Sheikh Allashukyur Pasha-zade, the head of the Caucasus Muslim Directorate and Patriarch Aleksei of Moscow and all Russia are co-chairmen of the Inter-Religious Council of the Commonwealth States, which was established in 2004 as a project of the Moscow Patriarchate. Today, it unites representatives of all religious organisations that operate on the territories of the Commonwealth states. The Inter-Religious Council of the CIS is a very powerful mechanism for strengthening the ideas of peacekeeping and tolerance on the former USSR space, Bishop Mark said. “We are working hard, and close contacts continue. As a result, there’re no signs of xenophobia either in Russia or in the Commonwealth states. There’s no inter-religious fratricide there either. This shows how effective the work of the Inter-Religious Council of the CIS is. The former USSR republics occupy a large territory, which can be characterised as a huge multi-confessional and poly-ethnic space. Each nation has its own vision of God, faith, religion, truth, good, and evil. In order to preserve mutual understanding and peace between the peoples of Russia and the CIS, spiritual leaders should not only hold an intensive inter-confessional dialogue today, but, also do our utmost to prevent misunderstanding, extremism, and intolerance. This is the only way to preserve confessional peace between nations and countries and to preserve harmony between a large number of religions on a single huge territory”, Bishop Mark said in conclusion.
10 April 2008
Voice of Russia World Service
http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=25500&cid=59&p=10.04.2008
You must be logged in to post a comment.