12. May 2010

The message of Easter for Christians and Muslims

In Winterthur there is a Turkish community that meets right next door to a Christian church. Usually the Muslims meet on Friday for prayer, the Christians on Sunday for their service. This Easter Sunday though, something was different. Around ten o’clock a group of about forty Turkish guests entered the beautifully decorated rooms of the FEG. They have been invited to a common brunch, followed by a Christian service. Pastor Beat Ungricht welcomes the 200 participants and gives a brief explanation on the meaning of Easter. Then the Imam Murat Tascioglu welcomes the guests and shows the parallels between the Christian fast and the Muslims months of fasting at Ramadan. After a short prayer the guests help themselves to a rich breakfast and have time for fellowship around the table. It is hard to say, whether the conversations are multicultural. But sure is, that fellowship between cultured was practiced on that day.