January 10, 2007  PRESS RELEASE

Canadian Intercultural Dialogue Centre (CIDC) sponsored by Canadian Turkish Friendship Community) is giving start to this year Noah's Pudding Campaign.

CIDC will be promoting for free 6666 cases Noah's Pudding across the GTA in churches, hospitals, Police Headquarter, City Hall, Universities and Colleges, senior homes, shelters, and more between January 20-February 5, 2008.

This year CIDC, different from the previous campaigns, is organizing a Noah's Pudding Contest on January 20, 2008 at Nil Academy located Warden and Eglinton Avenue among chosen successful candidates of chiefs.  First step, all candidates will provide Noah Puddings samples in a day of contest. Food Experts jury will taste them all, select best one in front of audience and media. First price winner will get a set of pot. Second place reward is teapot, third is set of coffee pot. All participants will be rewarded. Music and dance group will perform traditional live music. 

The making of ashure is a common practice among Muslim and Christian people in the Middle East. In Turkey, it is customary to prepare ashure at a certain time of the year. Christian communities throughout the Middle East prepare a similar sweet wheat dish, called hedik, amah or qamhiyyi. Ashure prepared at home is shared with the neighbours. Generally people who prepare ashure send a cup to each of the neighbours. One has responsibility of maintaining good relations with their neighbours regardless of what their religion or beliefs may be. As tradition goes the residents of forty houses to your east, west, north and south are considered neighbours. It is also a custom to prepare ashure in large cauldrons and distribute it to the poor.

The Prophet Noah called his people to the religion of God for nine hundred and fifty years. When his people insisted on unbelief and persisted in their wrongdoings, God ordered him to build an ark. When the waters of the great Flood began to recede, there was great joy and the believers offered thanks to God. Days had passed, and food was scarce. They were facing starvation. No food by itself was enough to make a good meal. Noah gathered all the foods and, mixing them, obtained a delicious meal. Believers survived through famine. The very next day, flood receded. Today we call the meal Noah prepared "Noah's Pudding". 

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Ashura is a day of great historical significance. On this day:

God accepted the repentance of Adam after his exile from Paradise
God saved Noah and his companions in the ark
God spoke directly to Moses and gave him the Commandments.
On this same 10th of Muharram, Job was restored to health (from leprosy)
Yunus (pbuh) was taken out from the belly of the fish;
The sea was divided as the nation of Israel was delivered from captivity and Pharaoh's army was destroyed.
Jesus was raised to Heavens

Recipe for Noah's Pudding  (makes 30 servings)

 Ingredients*:

1 cup wheat
1 cup white beans
1 cup garbanzo beans
1 cup raisins
1 cup almonds
3/4 cup peanuts
12 dried apricots
5 1/2 cups sugar
water (enough to cover)
topping: walnuts, cinnamon

Preparation:

1. Soak wheat, white beans, garbanzo beans and almonds in water overnight.
2. Boil the above ingredients; remove the outer shell or skin.
3. Soak the raisins in boiling water until they soften.
4. Put all the ingredients above (steps 1-3) in a large pot and boil. Add peanuts and almonds (peeled and cut in half) at this point.
5. Chop the apricot into small pieces; add to mixture along with sugar.
6. Boil for 10-15 minutes.
7. Enjoy your pudding!

 *These are the ingredients we chose. Feel free to experiment with other grain, fruits and nuts. Pomegranate, sesame seeds and orange peel are recommended.

Canadian Intercultural Dialogue Centre

Media Relation

October 22, 2007

Request: IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: October 22, 2007
Contact: Mr. Varol Soyler
Email: varolsoyler@gmail.com

Event Type : Religious and Culture
Event name:
Mawlana Jajaluddin Rumi and the Importance of Inter-Cultural and Civilization Dialogue

Contact Phone:
416-558-1092

Introduction:
Canada celebrates UNESCO Year of Rumi with Whirling into Peace.

Event Description:
As announced by UNESCO 2007 the Mawlana year, the Toronto based Canadian Intercultural Dialogue Centre will be holding two events for commemorating the great literary and spiritual leader. The first event will be a symposium at the University of Toronto on the 3rd of November with the participation of well known scholars as Dr. Jill Carol and Prof. Nathan Funk.

Web Address:
http://www.whirlingdervishes.ca
Admission Price:
Free

Venue Name:
Victoria University in University Of Toronto
Venue Address:
Victoria University in UofT Northrop Fry Hall, Room NF00373, Queens Park Crescent, M5S 1KT, Toronto, 416-558-1092

Schedule 1

Start Date:
11-03-2007
End Date:
11-03-2007
Start Time:
10:00 AM Free Lunch
End Time: 06:30 PM Free Lunch
Day(s): Saturday
 

Canadian Intercultural Dialogue Centre
Media Relations

Toronto Canadian Intercultural Dialogue Center will be holding another two events aimed at contributing to the efforts of realizing Global Peace. Whirling Dervishes of Rumi from Turkey will be performed at Toronto Centre for the Arts on November 4th 2007 at 7.30. p.m. Events is sponsored by Canadian Turkish Friendship Community, Ebru Tv ( Global Channel) and Media 55 Enterprises. Dervishes will perform in Montreal and Ottawa too. For Information:  www.whirlingdervishes.ca and  www.tocentre.ca

For Tickets:  www.ticketmaster.ca   Box Office: 416-250-3700 Contact: 416-558-1092

668 Yonge St ( Yonge & Wellesley) , 5230 Dundas St. W. ( Kipling & Dundas) and

25 Civic Rd. ( Warden& Eglinton) Nil Academy.

Second event is Symposium on Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi and Inter-cultural and -civilization Dialogue will be held at Victoria University in UOF Northrop Frye Hall Room NF00373 Queens Park Crescent M5S 1KT on November 3^rd 2007 at 6.30 p.m. Language of the Symposium is English and French.

The goal of this symposium is to put forward Mevlana's thinking, which develops along the axes of compassion and tolerance, and to apply its contemporary implications for the benefit of all humanity. By doing so, we hope to contribute to the formation of a new climate of compassion for humankind in our own time.

Participant are Dr. Ali Yavuz Zeybek (McGill University), Toronto, Ottawa & Montreal, Contemporary Implications of Mevlana: In the case of Gulen Movement; Prof. Nathan Funk (Conrad Grebel, UW, Canada): Speaker and moderator for Panel 3, The Notion of Peace in Mevlana (with views of other religions); Dr. Jill Carrol (Lecturer, Rice University, USA), Ottawa & Toronto, Rumi's Love: What It Is, What It Is Not, Toronto & Ottawa ; Emeritus Prof. Dimitri  Kitsikis (Eng. and French,  Ottawa University); Ottawa, Montreal &Toronto: Compassion, Tolerance, and Dialogue form Mevlana to F. Gulen and  Prof. Dale M. Schlitt (Eng. and French “ Saint Paul University “ President, Ottawa).

Events are organized by Dialog Foundation in Montreal, Canadian Intercultural Dialogue Centre in Toronto, Canadian Institute of interfaith Dialogue in Ottawa.

In 1207, a great mystic, saint and poet was born in Afghanistan. Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi “ or just Rumi in North America“ is the world's best-selling poet eight centuries after he walked the Earth. Preceding both Gutenberg and Shakespeare, he has been reborn in the age of mass printing. Rumi is a literary survivor.

This year marks Rumi's 800th anniversary. UNESCO named 2007 the International Year of Rumi and issued a medal in his name to commemorate his 800th anniversary as a voice in human life. Eight hundred years after it was written, Rumi's poetry is still powerful enough to draw together people of different cultures.

Rumi is a publishing phenomenon, with more than half a million copies of his books sold in North America. There's a current of feeling so intense in Rumi's child-like simplicity that it becomes an infectious optimism. Rumi looks at the world around him and tries to correct his own behaviour by considering the good and bad acts of others like a mirror.

Rumi saw love as the foundation of all reality, and though his words are simple, the thoughts they provoke can support lifetimes of contemplation: "With passion pray. With passion work. With passion make love. With passion eat and drink and dance and play.

Everywhere Rumi went he taught and was taught, and his poetry brilliantly captures the humility and self-honesty required to realize the constant presence of love, a love often evoked as an affair with the invisible, the natural, an omnipresent reality curtailed only by looking away.

It's a high ideal, and Rumi, if his poetry is any indication, fulfilled it. Rumi basically teaches us that we can be different from each other but we can still live in peace and harmony. It is not our job to judge each other.

We kindly request the pleasure of your company and invite you to our events.

Sincerely,

Canadian Intercultural Dialogue Centre
Media Relations

PRESS RELEASE

Various religions and cultures gathered the breaking of Ramadan feast together

Religious leaders, MMP, MP, diplomats, professors, businessmen, 160 prominent members of various religions and cultures to share the breaking of Ramadan feast with Canadian Intercultural Dialogue Centre, a Toronto-based organization working to foster interfaith and intercultural dialogue and, for the third consecutive year brought together a number of distinguished speakers and invitees for an iftar dinner at 89 Chestnut Residence, University of Toronto on Sunday night.
 

The event started with a prayer from the chaplain Maurice Jordanie, followed by the Muslim evening prayer by Kemal Sahin. The iftar -- the evening fast-breaking meal in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan was organized under the auspices of MP Special Advisor of PM to the Middle East and Central Asia Wajhid Ali Khan was among its guests of Annual Friendship Dinner celebrating the Breaking of the Ramadan Fast. Most of participants mentioned all believers were united in worshipping the same God, as Islam, Judaism and Christianity were from the same religious illumination, which began with Abraham. Whirling Dervishes performed after dinner.  The Society of Jesus, the Jesuits, the Protestants, Catholics, Jews and variety of Muslims were there; this has been a remarkable evening of dialogue.

All speakers at the dinner emphasized the importance of dialogue. The keynote speaker was Program Director The Canadian Institute of Interfaith Dialogue Dr. Yavuz Zeybek said, We can educate human body that is centre of all universe, book of creation. Human existing is a gift by God. Love is heart of universe. There is love, there is life without them humanity cannot survive. Love is the creations in seek of Creator. There is no peace unless among relationship religions. Benefits are dialogue that one to another respect differences, shares values, joins promotion of peace. Abram faith believes first Jewish is him, Jesus belong to him and Mohammed blood line goes to him. President of Victoria University in UOT, Professor Paul W. Gobch remarks about their students involving in which Father Abram study.  Jewish, Christian and Muslim student join a reading circle second time this year twice in a month to get to know their holy books together, and expose faith, ask questions, then talk about it. Gobch happy to see religious tension is low dispute earlier time because studying and sharing other religion is promoted and engaged with those faiths.  

US Consulate General John R. Nay was guest of honour at the event. "We may understand God differently but we can work together peace around the world. We are individually same characteristic hope and family values that human rights. We commit ourselves peace for better world" Nay said. 

Wajhid Ali Khan speech was remarkable that failure is a not option for dialogue between religions. Dialogue says that serving human race, your country, and God as well. " I was born as a Muslim. Educated in Catholic school in Pakistan running by Irish family. Lived in Jewish neighbourhood in Bathurist Street. Having doctors are all Jewish. I am not confused. Look at our colour. One colour is very boring. We are all different come together for as a country of Canada. We should interact each other. Muslim must celebrate charismas with Christians; Christian should join iftar during Ramadan with their Muslim neighbours. Muslim cannot be Muslim unless respect Jesus, Moses and all prophets Not by word by acting it. " said Khan as not as advisor for PM or Politician as a Canadian citizen and as a Muslim. 

The guests showed great interest in the video for the CIDC and Turkey trip. Maurice Jordanie and Rose Buhagir shared their Turkey trip experiences.

C.I.D.C. is a Toronto based non-profit organization founded by members of the Turkish Community in Ontario. The fundamental purpose of our organization is to promote the advancement of dialogue and cultural relations between members of different faiths and cultures. The Guests have invited Symposium on Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi and Inter-culturel and Civilization Dialogue which wil be taken place on November 3, and whirling dervishes event on November 4.

Canadian Intercultural Dialogue Centre

Media Relations

September 14, 2007 

PRESS RELEASE

Toronto Canadian Intercultural Dialogue Center will be holding another one of its events aimed at contributing to the efforts of realizing Global Peace. The Interfaith Dialogue Dinner will be held at 89 Chestnut Residence, University of Toronto on Sunday September 23^rd 2007 at 6.30 p.m. We kindly request the pleasure of your company and invite you to our Annual Friendship Dinnercelebrating the Breaking of the Ramadan Fast.

The third Annual Interfaith Dialogue Dinner will gather 160 prominent members of various religions and cultures to share the breaking of Ramadan feast with us. There will be live Turkish Sufi music and participants will have a chance to observe the extraordinary Ebru demonstration, the art of paper marbling.

C.I.D.C. is a Toronto based non-profit organization founded by members of the Turkish Community in Ontario. The fundamental purpose of our organization is to promote the advancement of dialogue and cultural relations between members of different faiths and cultures. We believe that as a prominent member of our society your kind participation to our dinner event will significantly contribute to the efforts of building a better and harmonious future together. We would gratefully appreciate your acceptance of our invitation and acknowledging us of your meal choice in advance. We will arrange Kosher, Muslim, or vegetarian according to your preference. 

RSVP by September 18, 2007 to rsvp@canadianintercultural.org

Canadian Intercultural Dialogue Centre

Media Relation