Regional updates
EME News
News and reports from IARF’s Europe and Middle East region, including regional gatherings, member-community developments and issues directly connected with EME’s work.
New items appear automatically when they are classified as Europe and Middle East content.
Europe bishops slam Saudi fatwa against Gulf churches
Paris, France – Christian bishops in Germany, Austria and Russia have sharply criticised Saudi Arabia’s top religious official after reports that he issued a fatwa saying all churches on the Arabian Peninsula should be destroyed.
Council member addresses Bektashi Sufi symposium, Albania
Council member & Chair of our Europe & Middle East region, Rev. Drs. Wytske Dijkstra, was invited to attend & address on behalf of IARF a symposium of the Bektashi Sufi Order in Tirana, Albania, in commemoration of their late leader Haji Reshat Bardhi Dedebaba (1935–2011). The audience included the Prime Minister of Albania and other government ministers, civil servants, and representatives […]
Russia regrets proposed ban of Hindu holy text in Siberia
State prosecutors in Tomsk seek to ban the Russian translation of the Bhagavad Gita, contending it is an extremist religious text that should be on a blacklist that includes Hitler’s Mein Kampf. http://wwrn.org/articles/36643/
Tunisia, Egypt Islamists signal bigger religion role
(Reuters, February 22, 2012) Paris, France – After months of reassuring secularist critics, Islamist politicians in Tunisia and Egypt have begun to lay down markers about how Muslim their states should be — and first signs show they want more religion than previously admitted.
Dr. Dhalla in Munich, 2011
“Bound to Live Together: Faiths & Cultures in Dialogue”, Munich, Sept 11-13, 2011 IARF’s Dr. Dhalla lights the Lamp of Peace on behalf of the Zoroastrian community worldwide On 11 September 2011, a commemoration ceremony was held in the open for the victims who perished in the tragedy of 9/11 in New York. This was […]
December 2011 ToM: Syrian secularism under transformation
Topic of this month is the demise of secularism in an Arab republic. http://wwrn.org/articles/36648/ Site of film to which above article refers
TED talk by Council member Yehuda Stolov
Dr. Yehuda Stolov, IARF Council representative from our Israel member group the Interfaith Encounter Association (IEA), delivered a TED talk at TEDx Jaffa, 2011.
New Servetus title from IARF
Publication: On the martyr Servetus 2011 was the 500th Anniversary of the birth of Miguel Servetus (1511-1553), a Unitarian martyr for religious freedom, burned at the stake with his books in Geneva, 27 October, 1553… Our British Chapter has collaborated to produce a festschrift titled “Servetus – Our 16th Century Contemporary” (PDF download), edited by […]
“Dialogue between religions: Future or past?”
Saturday, October 15, 2011 Amsterdam (video, Dutch language) A seminar about the how & why of a dialogue between the religions (Does this dialogue have a future? How to do the dialogue of the future? ) Speakers included Manuela Kalsky & Bart Brandsma. The seminar was organized by the International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF) Netherlands Core Rural Female Trialogue (KLVT) Inter Religious Reflection – Dutch Centre forInter-religious and philosophical dialogue (IB NSID) United Religions Initiative (URI) Netherlands World Conference on […]
