Religion(s) & Minorities (Tuesday, December 7, 2010)

The third day of the program focused on the importance of religion in forming the identities of national and ethnic minorities. We paid special attention to interreligious dialogues between Catholics and Muslims, and Christians and Jews.

Mrs. Agata Skowron-Nalborczyk, PhD (Common Council of Catholics and Muslims, University of Warsaw) gave a presentation on how Polish Muslim Tatars have been searching to carve out a space for their identity in Polish society. In that context, she also highlighted the multicultural heritage of the Podlasie region.

Rev. Wiesław Dawidowski, PhD (President of the Polish Council of Christians and Jews) focused on the complex relationship between Christians and Jews and gave examples of how religion has been on the one hand a gluing, and on the other hand a divisive factor through the years.

Moreover, the participants were exposed to some first hand knowledge about the role of the Orthodox Church during a visit to the Metropolitan Orthodox Cathedral of St. Mary Magdalene in Warsaw. The participants then continued the guided tour of Warsaw discovering the multicultural heritage of Praga district. As usual, the day finished with a lively group discussion, touching upon the role of religion(s) in creating a more open society.