Bishop of Zahumlje, Herzegovina and the Littoral Gregory hosted an Iftar, Sunday, for the Mostar Mufti Salem Dedovic and his associates, at the Bishop's residence in Mostaar.
This was the second year that the Bishop prepared an Iftar, and he recalled that Iftar has become a tradition and proof of the good relations between the Bishop and the Mostar Mufti as well as the relations between the two religious communities in the Herzegovina region – the Orthodox Christian and the Muslim community.
Bishop Gregory said he was elected for a new service as Bishop of Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Frankfurt and all of Germany. He does not know how many Orthodox, Christians or Muslims (Bosniaks) live in Germany but he stressed he intends to view all people equally over there, as he did in Bosnia.
“Dialogue, respect of faith, religion and customs are as important in Germany as they are in Bosnia. Bosniaks living in Germany must know that their man is coming to live among them, not some stranger,” Gregory said. “I think this Iftar is an opportunity for our people, Bosniaks and Serbs, Christians and Muslims to look at each other as family, not just because we speak the same language, but because many things connected us through centuries and will continue to connect us in the future.”
Mostar Mufti Dedovic said the Iftar was held in a friendly atmosphere and cooperation.
“This was a gesture of our friends from the Eparchy, headed by Bishop Gregory because we were prevented from attending the celebration of the Mostar Church’s patron saint,” Dedovic said. “This is the opportunity to thank the Bishop for the previous cooperation which we had so far and to ask God to grant him success in his new duties.”
Dedovic stressed that Bishop Gregory was a brave man who initiated the process of interaction between religions and people for the benefit of the faithful from both sides.
Iftar is an evening meal with which Muslims end their daily Ramadan fast at sunset.
