Special Pilgrimage to Hala Sultan Tekke on the

Occasion of Eid al-Adha – Qurban Bayram

On the occasion of Eid Al-Adha or Qurban Bayram, the Mufti of Cyprus, Dr Talip Atalay led prayers this morning at Hala Sultan Tekke for around 1000 pilgrims of Turkish origin who reside in the northern part of Cyprus.

The Eid al-Adha or Qurban Bayram in Turkish is one of Islam’s holiest festivals celebrated annually around the world and marks the end of the Hajj to Mecca.

This is the seventh such pilgrimage to Hala Sultan Tekke since 2014, when for the first time H.B. Archbishop Chrysostomos II of the Church of Cyprus and H.E. Dr Talip Atalay, Mufti of Cyprus agreed together to support the right of Turkish origin nationals, living in Cyprus, to worship at the Mosque in Hala Sultan Tekke, which is considered the most significant Muslim place of worship in Cyprus.

H.E Mr Ioannis Kasoulides, the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Cyprus, granted permission for special crossings in support of the religious leaders unprecedented agreement for religious freedom and the right to worship, which is supported by the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot political leaders of Cyprus.

Since then special pilgrimages to Hala Sultan Tekke have been taking place annually on the occasions of Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha and Mawlid, organized by the Muftiate of Cyprus, facilitated and coordinated by the Office of RTCYPP with the cooperation and support of UNFICYP.

This agreement was reached within the framework of the Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process under the Auspices of the Embassy of Sweden (RTCYPP).

The 6th Special Pilgrimage to Hala Sultan Tekke on the Occasion of Eid Al Fitr – Ramazan Bayram

On July 7 2016, Mufti of Cyprus, Dr Talip Atalay led prayers at Hala Sultan Tekke for 1000 pilgrims of Turkish origin who reside in the northern part of Cyprus. This special pilgrimage was organized within the framework of the Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process, under the Auspices of the Embassy of Sweden, and facilitated by UNFICYP on the occasion of Eid Al Fitr or Ramazan Bayram.

The Mufti received greetings for the Bayram from ambassadors and country representatives, the head of the Church of Cyprus H.B Archbishop Chrysostomos II through his representative, Archimandrite Rev Ioannis Ioannou of Apostolos Barnabas Monastery and representatives of the Armenian, Maronite and Latin religious leaders of Cyprus.

“The essence of Islam highlighted during the holy month of Ramadan with fasting and prayer is to train our egos to reach inner peace. While we celebrate the feast of Al-Fitr we are also grieving for the recent loss of innocent lives to terror attacks abusing the name of Islam. Taking the life of an innocent human being is the same as taking the life of all creation. As a Muslim, I call on everyone in the world with goodness in his heart, to come and stand together against evil in the world. We may have differences but we have to be able to live together. We believe humankind will find peace and learn again to live together and coexist when they learn to train their egos, which is a fundamental teaching of Islam. It is our obligation and duty to be a positive example in our island and the region as a whole. As religious leaders we should give a message of peace and coexistence, not that of politics, living together as one family like brothers, sisters and as neighbours in peace,” said Mufti Dr. Talip Atalay.

“We are witnessing something Cyprus has never experienced in over five decades thanks to the efforts of the religious leaders and the Office of RTCYPP under the Auspices of the Embassy of Sweden”, said Ambassador of Sweden Klas Gierow. “Religious leaders advocating for the others right to worship, to have free access to their places of worship and celebrate each others feast together. Todays’ sprit is what needs to be nurtured and spread out in Cyprus. Open churches, open mosques with free access for prayer for those who believe and want to pray”.

This is the 6th special pilgrimage to Hala Sultan Tekke in Larnaca since 2014. As a result of an unprecedented agreement between the religious leaders of Cyprus, namely H.B. Archbishop Chrysostomos II of the Church of Cyprus and the Mufti of Cyprus H.E Dr. Talip Atalay with special permission from the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Cyprus. The agreement, also supported by the political leaders of Cyprus, was reached in 2014 within the framework of the Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process under the Auspices of the Embassy of Sweden (RTCYPP).

Special Pilgrimage to Hala Sultan Tekke on the Occasion of Eid Al Fitr – Ramazan Bayram

On the occasion of Eid Al Fitr – Ramazan Bayram, the Mufti of Cyprus will be leading a special prayer service on 7 July 2016, for 1000 pilgrims of Turkish origin who reside in the northern part of Cyprus and cannot otherwise visit and pray at Hala Sultan Tekke in Larnaca.

The special pilgrimage to Hala Sultan Tekke for Turkish origin persons is a result of an unprecedented agreement between the religious leaders of Cyprus, namely H.B. Archbishop Chrysostomos II of the Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus and the Mufti of Cyprus H.E Dr Talip Atalay. The agreement, also supported by the political leaders of Cyprus, was reached in 2014 within the framework of the Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process under the Auspices of the Embassy of Sweden (RTCYPP).

H.B Archbishop Chrysostom’s II will be represented by Archimandrite Rev Ioannis Ioannou, abbot of Apostolos Barnabas Monastery, who will bring the greetings of the Archbishop to the Mufti and the Muslim faithful on the occasion of Ramazan Bayram- Eid Al Fitr. The Maronite, Armenian and Latin religious leaders will also be sending their representatives. H.E Mr. Klas Gierow, Ambassador of Sweden will be joining the religious leaders together with other ambassadors and representatives of the diplomatic community in Cyprus.

“We hail this agreement between the religious leaders, the gesture of Archbishop Chrysostomos II and the efforts of the religious leaders for human rights and peace as a clear sign of hope. Respecting the right to worship and access to places of worship for everyone as a basic human right is a strong foundation for confidence building, peace and reconciliation in Cyprus, that should be nurtured, protected and advocated.” Said Salpy Eskidjian, the main facilitator of this agreement and the Executive Coordinator of the Office of RTCYPP. “Our heartfelt wishes for a joyous and peaceful Eid to all Muslim faithful and special thanks to all stakeholders and persons involved without whom we could not achieve this pilgrimage.”

Hala Sultan Tekke will be closed on July 7th until 16:30 for tourists and other faithful to accommodate the special pilgrimage that is facilitated by UNFICYP in coordination with the Office of RTCYPP.

Note to Editors:
There will be press conference at 14:15 in the main hall at Hala Sultan Tekke. All interested media should send their full names, ID numbers and vehicle registration numbers to the Office of RTCYPP to linnea@religioustrack.com the latest by 5th July at noon. Only registered media with valid IDs will be permitted to cover the event.
Since 2014 as a result of the Religious Track and with permission from H.E. Mr. Ioannis Kasoulides RoC Minister of Foreign Affairs special pilgrimages have been taking place regularly for the first time in Cyprus on the occasions of Eid Al Fitr, Eid Ul Adha and Mawlid, organized and led by Mufti Talip Atalay, facilitated by the Office of RTCYPP and UNFICYP.

Hala Sultan Tekke is acknowledged and respected as a place of worship. It is open daily from 8:30 – 19:30 only in the summers and 8:30 – 17:00 only in the winters for prayer and worship where Turkish Cypriots and other Muslim faithful are free to practice their faith. Imam Shakir Alemdar, appointed by the Mufti of Cyprus, is responsible for the worship life of the Tekke as well as all other needs of the Muslim faithful.

The Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process under the Auspices of the Embassy of Sweden (RTCYPP) is an unprecedented peacebuilding effort of the religious leaders of Cyprus committed to work jointly for human rights, peace and reconciliation, initiated and supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden.

The Office of RTCYPP is established to encourage, facilitate and serve the religious leaders’ dialogue and efforts for religious freedom and peace in Cyprus and to contribute positively and constructively to the Cyprus peace talks. The Office is based at the Home for Cooperation in the UN controlled buffer zone in Nicosia.
Since 2011, the religious leaders of Cyprus have agreed to focus on four pillars: To get to know and build trust among the religious leaders and respective faith communities; To promote confidence-building measures; To advocate for the right to free access and worship at churches, mosques and monasteries; To ensure the protection of all religious monuments in Cyprus.

Religious Freedom, Dialogue and Cooperation Affirmed at the Feast of Apostle Barnabas of Cyprus

On 11 June 2016 on the occasion of the feast of Apostle Barnabas, known as the founder of the Church of Cyprus, Greek Orthodox faithful visited and prayed at the main Cathedral of the historic monastery dedicated to Apostle Barnabas during an annual pilgrimage, currently used as an icon and archeological museum by the Turkish Cypriots.

As a sign of mutual respect and within the framework of the RTCYPP, the Mufti of Cyprus, H.E Dr Talip Atalay sent his representative to bring greetings of goodwill to the Christian faithful and to H.B. Chrysostomos II, Archbishop of the Church of Cyprus. This follows a gesture of good will by H.B. Archbishop Chrysostomos II in 2015 when he sent his representative to greet the Muslim faithful of Turkish origin at a special pilgrimage to Hala Sultan Tekke on the occasion of Eid Ul Adha or Qurban Bayram as it is known in Cyprus.

A small delegation of Ambassadors and country representatives from Austria, Finland, Ireland, USA and France joined the Swedish Ambassador and the Office of the Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process (RTCYPP) as a sign of their support to the religious leaders’ dialogue for peace in Cyprus and an affirmation of their efforts for the respect of freedom of religion or belief.

The religious leaders reiterated their conviction that freedom of religion is not only part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of the Council of Europe it is also part of the teachings of Christianity and Islam.

“We remain hopeful when we see that the religious leaders of Cyprus irrespective of religion and dogma, express their respect for each other’s faith and places of worship, support free access to all religious institutions and accept each other’s differences, culture and religion as a richness.” Says Salpy Eskidjian, Executive Coordinator of the RTCYPP.

Apostle Barnabas was born in Cyprus and was stoned to death in Salamis in 45 AD. He is described as ‘a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith’ (Acts 6:24). Barnabas, means ‘son of consolation’ or ‘man of encouragement.’ Although Barnabas was not among the original Twelve Apostles, he is traditionally thought to have been among the 72 commissioned by Jesus to preach; thus, he is given the honorary title of Apostle. He is considered the founder of the Church of Cyprus.

As a response to the written request the Office of RTCYPP received from the Kibris Gazetesi (Kibris Media Group) on May 23, 2016 regarding reports of possible new restrictions imposed on the right to worship mainly referring to the Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus the following statement was released.

The Office of RTCYPP serves as the facilitation for the dialogue of the religious leaders of Cyprus, known as the Religious Track. It does not make statements or comments on their behalf, unless asked by them only and agreed by all.

Office of RTCYPP was informed of this decision through the media late this Friday. The referred to change of policy, once confirmed, will be put on the table of dialogue for further discussion at the next meeting of the religious leaders.

One of the main aims of the Office of RTCYPP is to ensure that the religious leaders work together to ensure the respect of human rights, in particular freedom of religion or belief, as one of the conditions that builds on the foundations of trust, peace and reconciliation.

It is always advisable that any change of policy is based on dialogue with all the stakeholders directly involved instead of unilateral decisions. If a policy change is in contradiction to human rights standards and principles, serious dialogue is even more critical.

The Office of the RTCYPP has been working on a revised mechanism of worship applications with the religious leader of Cyprus for two years now and has been facilitating dialogue with all key stakeholders in this regard. We are willing to continue to facilitate the much-needed dialogue on this matter with all relevant actors and reach a mutually acceptable solution that is based on human rights principles.

Nicosia, May 23,2016

On 31 March 2016, the Executive Coordinator of the Office of the Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process (RTCYPP) attended the ceremony marking the repatriation of two 15th century icons from the iconostasis of the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Jacob (14th century) back to Cyprus, which took place at the icon museum of the Archbishopric of the Church of Cyprus.

These religious treasures were missing since the division of the island in 1974 and were discovered in 2007 in Zurich, in the possession of an art collector.

Icons (i.e holy images) have been in use for religious purposes since the earliest days of the Christian church both for the purpose of teaching and prayer. Considered more than art, icons have an important spiritual role for Orthodox believers. Deeply respected by the faithful they express through colour what the Bible expresses through word.

“Repatriation of such symbolic items looted and sold as a result of conflict can play an important role in healing the wounds of the past,” stated Salpy Eskidjian, Executive Coordinator of the RTCYPP. “These icons, while sacred to some, are part of the common cultural and religious heritage of the whole island and should be respected as such”.

Many religious artifacts including icons and frescoes, precious treasures of Cyprus had fallen victim to the Cyprus conflict and are still missing.

On 15th March 2016, the Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul (SRII) highlights the Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process (RTCYPP) as part of its lecture series under the title “Can Religion Contribute to Peace in Cyprus”.

Peter Weiderud, one of the initiators of RTCYPP describes the process, the ‘lessons learnt’ and shares his experience working for peace in Cyprus with the religious leaders of the island since 2009.

“The religious leaders of Cyprus have learned that it is very difficult to reach results in a situation of conflict, if they only address their own needs and in a national context. However, when they talk together, and address principle concerns, which are in line with human rights law, they can count on international support for their claims. And when they stand up for the needs of each other, they are able to use the political trust within their own communities to enhance the human rights agenda and contribute to confidence building. This is the main learning from the Religious Track, which could be shared with others and also be applied in other conflicts and contexts.“ Stated Peter Weiderud, Director of the Swedish Institute Alexandria and the moderator of the RTCYPP.

The Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul (SRII) was founded in 1962 with the primary aim of promoting Swedish and Nordic research about Turkey and the Eastern Mediterranean as well as other regions that are connected linguistically, culturally, or historically.

The SRII organizes and hosts conferences, seminars and workshops, doctoral and master courses as well as regular lecture series on a wide range of topics. It is located on the same historic ground as the Consulate General of Sweden in Istanbul.