WCC appreciates GÃrmezâ views on protection of Christian minorities

["World Council of Churches" <news@wcc-coe.org>]

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WCC APPRECIATES GÃRMEZâ VIEWS ON PROTECTION OF CHRISTIAN MINORITIES

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has expressed great appreciation for recent 
comments by Mehmet GÃrmez, head of the Religious Affairs Directorate in Turkey, 
who sharply criticized the Fatwa (religious order) of Saudi Arabia's Grand 
Mufti endorsing the destruction of churches, criticizing it as baseless and 
against Islamic principles.

In his interview appearing in Today's Zaman on 14 April, GÃrmez said that 
Muslim leaders in Islamic countries are responsible for the well-being of 
non-Muslim minorities. He openly condemned the recent statement by the Grand 
Mufti of Saudi Arabia, who reportedly called for the destruction of all 
churches in the Gulf.

âSuch a statement has nothing to do with Islamâs fundamental sources, with the 
agreements the prophet Muhammad signed with non-Muslim groups,â GÃrmez is 
quoted as describing the statement as unacceptable, completely lacking any 
validity in Islam.

âAll over the world, Muslims have started to live together with members of 
other civilizations. Thatâs why we need to rediscover our long-standing culture 
of living together,â he added.

The WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit applauded GÃrmezâ stance of 
promoting peaceful co-existence among religious communities.

âAs our member churches in Turkey have been advocating for the rights of 
Christian minorities and interreligious cooperation in plural situation like 
theirs, we appreciate GÃrmezâ stance of promoting peaceful co-existence,â said 
Tveit.

He went on to say that âthe WCC has long been engaged in interreligious 
dialogue, especially with Islam, and therefore endorses the condemnation of 
justifying violence in the name of any religion.â

Tveit also called GÃrmezâ reference to the issue of the Halki Theological 
School in Heybeliada, Istanbul a âhopeful signâ. The Halki Theological School 
was closed in 1971, and has remained a major concern for the Ecumenical 
Patriarchate, though theological education has been significant for the 
Armenian Patriarchate as well.

WCC member churches in Turkey, including both the Greek and Armenian churches.

In his interview, GÃrmez said, âI believe it doesnât befit the grandiosity of 
the civilization we built on this territory for Orthodox citizens to have to 
send their children to Greece or for Armenian citizens to have to go to Armenia 
to be educated as clergymen.â He stressed the need for a timely resolution of 
the Halki Theological School issue.

In March 2010, the WCC general secretary visited the Ecumenical Patriarchate of 
Constantinople and strongly advocated for the reopening of the Theological 
School of Halki.

Read also:

Turkish foreign minister visits Ecumenical Patriarchate (WCC press release of 8 
March 2012):
http://lists.wcc-coe.org/ct.html?rtr=on&s=jazjt,e7vo,usx,m26d,8hsb,ladi,6z1v

Churches advocate for religious minorities' rights in Turkey (WCC press release 
of 8 December 2009):
http://lists.wcc-coe.org/ct.html?rtr=on&s=jazjt,e7vo,usx,55i9,cgzt,ladi,6z1v

WCC member churches in Turkey:
http://lists.wcc-coe.org/ct.html?rtr=on&s=jazjt,e7vo,usx,kenb,ib2j,ladi,6z1v

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and 
service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches 
founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 349 Protestant, Orthodox, 
Anglican and other churches representing more than 560 million Christians in 
over 110 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The 
WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, from the [Lutheran] Church 
of Norway. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland. 

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