Affinity Intercultural Foundation

A group of Australian Muslim and Catholic leaders participated in a joint prototype pilgrimage to Istanbul and Rome. This tour enabled religious leaders from both faith groups to study and understand each others’ religious values, customs and significant institutions by means of a close encounter. Spending two weeks together, meant that the 11 Muslims and 11 Christians would travel, eat and sleep together, sharing all the special moments as well as the challenging ones. It certainly was living dialogue to the fullest.

The important pilgrimage was organised under the umbrella of the historic MoU signed between the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne and the Australian Intercultural Society, Affinity’s sister organisation in Melbourne.

From Affinity, our President Mr Mehmet Saral and Vice-President Mrs Zuleyha Keskin participated on this tour. Also, the Executive Adviser to Affinity, Mr Orhan Cicek attended.

The participants were from various backgrounds which made the trip even more interesting.

The Christian participants were::

1. Bishop Christopher Prowse : Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne, Member of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.
2. Fr John Dupuche : Chair of the Catholic Interfaith Committee and member of the Ecumenical and Interfaith Commission.
3. Mr David Schütz : Executive Officer of the Ecumenical and Interfaith Commission of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne.
4. Dr Stewart Sharlow : Director, Asia-Pacific Centre for Inter-religious Dialogue at Australian Catholic University.
5. Mrs Charlotte Haine-Sharlow : Member of the Catholic Interfaith Committee of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne.
6. Fr Denis Stanley : Parish Priest of St. Francis Xavier's Catholic Parish, Frankston; Vice President Victorian Council of Churches.
7. Dr Gwenda Rait : Member of the Ecumenical and Interfaith Commission and Catholic Interfaith Committee of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne.
8. Dr Max Stephens : Australian Catholic University / University of Melbourne. Member of the Ecumenical and Interfaith Commission of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne.
9. Dr Anita Ray : Research Fellow at the Asia-Pacific Centre for Inter-religious Dialogue, Australian Catholic University (Melbourne) and former lecturer in Sanskrit at the Asian
   Studies Department, La Trobe University.
10. Dr Anne Hunt : Campus Dean of the Ballarat Campus of Australian Catholic University.
11. Fr John Pearce : Priest of the Passionist order. He is currently Parish Priest at St Brigid’s Marrickville (Sydney), and is part of the local Ministers Fellowship and Multi-faith Round
    Table.
12. Prof Greg Barton : Professor of Politics and Director of the Centre for Islam in the Modern World at Monash University. (Greg Barton joined us for 6 days of the tour)

Affinity President Mehmet Saral with Bishop Prowse & Fr John Pearce in Istanbul

^{The Muslim participants were:}

1. Mr Mehmet Saral : Affinity Intercultural Foundation, New South Wales, President and Cofounder.
2. Mrs Zuleyha Keskin : Affinity Intercultural Foundation, New South Wales, Vice President.
3. Mr Orhan Cicek : Australian Intercultural Society, Victoria, Executive Advisor and Cofounder.
4. Mrs Turkan Cicek : Australian Intercultural Society Women’s Network, Victoria, Coordinator.
5. Mr Fatih Asar : Queensland Intercultural Society, President.
6. Prof Ismail Albayrak : Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Fethullah Gülen Chair.
7. Mr Ikebal Patel : Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, President.
8. Mr Osman Karolia : Arkana Islamic College, New South Wales, Principal.
9. Mr Mustafa Ally : Crescents Community News, Queensland Editor-in-Chief.
10. Mr Albert Fatileh : Member of the Victoria Police Multicultural Advisory Unit, Secretary of the Victoria Police Multi-Faith Council.
11. Miss Heba Ibrahim : Board member of the Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV), secretary to the executive committee (portfolios are: government, policy and advocacy as well as interfaith).

^{Affinity President Mehmet Saral with AFIC President Iqbal Patel & Arkana School Principal Osman Karolia in Istanbul}