Interfaith dialogue whirls forward

By Diogenes ( articles ) | May 21, 2007

One of the following is an actual news report. The other is a fraud. Can you guess which is which?

Mevlana to be celebrated in Vatican

ANKARA - Turkish Daily News

A Mevlevi Sema dance, the spiritual whirling dance of the Sufis, will be performed at the Vatican on June 5 as part of the Dialogue Between the Religions. Organized by the Pontifical Culture Council and Turkish Embassy in Vatican, the event will be attended by Pope Benedict XVI, cardinals as well as top officials from Vatican and Italy.

Speaking to the Anatolia news agency, Ömer Faruk Belviranli, Konya Turkish Sufism Music Ensemble Director, said the promotional activities were scheduled abroad by the Culture and Tourism Ministry and Foreign Ministry to mark 2007 Mevlana Year, declared by UNESCO.

Sema dance performances have so far been performed in Pakistan, the Netherlands, Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of activities for Mevlana Year. On June 5, we will this time perform in the Vatican as part of Dialogue Between the Religion. "In this event we will gift an Italian language Mesnevi," a masterpiece by 13th-century Turkish philosopher and poet Mevlana Jelaladdin Rumi, to Pope Benedict XVI, he said adding, I believe that the event will be a significant and concrete one in the world especially at a time in which dialogue between religions is in focus.

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Pentecostalism to be celebrated in Mecca

RIYADH - Saudi Times

Speaking in tongues, a practice of charismatic Catholics, will be performed in Mecca on June 5 as part of the Dialogue Between the Religions. Organized by the Islamic Culture Council and the Vatican, the event will be attended by the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, imams as well as top officials from Mecca and Arabia.

Speaking to the Pan-Arabic news agency, Sword of Allah, Cardinal Renato Martino, said the promotional activities were scheduled abroad by the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments and the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace to mark 2007 Born Again Year by UNESCO.

Charismatic rituals which include speaking in tongues, being slain in the Spirit, holy laughter, and barking like dogs, have so far been performed in Toronto and much of the Ozarks. “In this event we will gift an Arabic language copy of the revelations of Our Lady of Medjugorje, to the Grand Mufti," Martino said adding, “I believe that the event will be a significant and concrete one in the world especially at a time in which dialogue between religions is in focus.”