Supporting the idea for dialogue between religions and peaceful resolution of modern conflicts, Association "Bridges" and "Tolerance Academy" organized last Friday a round table dedicated to the tolerance between different religions in Bulgaria.

The purpose of this event was to coordinate and unify efforts of all religious groups to work on a specific topic once a year, thus increasing their mutual impulses and avoid verbosity. „We gathered here to promote the message for harmonious religious relations between churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and all other places of worship established in compliance with love for God and love for the fellow-man according each religious tradition”,said Angelina Vladikova from Association “Bridges”. At the event, representatives of various religious denominations shared their view on tolerance.
"The need for dialogue has existed ever since the ignorance has and will continue existing," said Dr. Sefer Hassanov, lecturer from the High Islamic Institute (HII). He is convinced that none of the religions does not aim to eliminate divergence through dialogue, but just the opposite they aim at knowledge of divergence. From Islamic point of view dialogue is essential for ensuring that the rights of other one will be respected. „For being tolerant to and respect one person, you should know him. "We see dialogue as a mean of understanding the others," said Dr. Hassanov. In his words none a believer would agree to use dialogue for missionary work. Moreover, this is in contradiction to the nature of Islam. On this topic the Qur'an says: "It is not your obligation except for the conveyance. You are not their oppressor. There is no violence in religion. You really do not guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He.” In Dr. Hassanov’s opinion tolerance in Islam has practical implications – act of mercy, doing good, manifestation of justice and respect of other’s right to choose. As the possibility right of loving the other is not excluded. "In the extreme dimension of Islam - Sufism the idea is advanced that no Muslim can hate the other. He cannot hate him even if that person is a non-believer. What a Muslim always hates is the sin, not the man himself", emphasizes the lecturer of the HII. According to him even the bitterest enemy of Islam can become a Muslim like the example of the second Caliph Omar Bin Hattab. Muslims should strive to eliminate sin.
"If the Orthodox Christian knows his faith well, he could find biblical grounds to lead interreligious dialogue and spiritual conditions allowing us to discover, and why not to love the different one and the other one", said Dr. Clara Stamatova from Theological Faculty of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski". In her words, there are three basic semantic meanings of tolerance. The first one is the passive tolerance or development of tolerance to the other's faith. Second option is the active tolerance - recognition and respect for divergence of the other. Third option is to express confidence and love for others, just being other.