“When today’s intellectual workers speak of ‘dialogue,’ ‘tolerance,’ and ‘respect for people’s position,’ draw somewhat closer to others through these principles, and present our own values with a smiling countenance, they respond by saying, ‘This is what we were looking for,’ and add, ‘May God be pleased with you; had you not come, we would never have come to know Islam or learned about the Prophet Muhammad.’”¹⁾

“Today, whether they are Alevis or Sunnis, or representatives of different branches belonging to the same disposition, they should approach one another with understanding and according to the principle of respect for people’s position. Everyone needs to free themselves from prejudice, unfounded apprehensions, and negative assumptions, and believe both that they can benefit from the person before them and that they may be able to help that person in certain respects. With this conviction, every group should come together along the path of friendship: while one group extends a hand of brotherhood, the other should respond with roses; and while one side is filled with love for the Family of the Prophet, the other should share in that enthusiasm.”²⁾

“‘Respect for people’s position’ conveys a deeper meaning that goes beyond dialogue. Indeed, the possible risks and concerns mentioned above may be alleviated through the expression respect for people’s position. For when we speak of respect for people’s position, we begin with the understanding that regardless of a person’s religion or outlook, that person is first and foremost a human being and, by virtue of being human, deserves respect. According to our belief, God Almighty has placed within the essence of every human being certain kernels and seeds of goodness. From this perspective, every person is potentially a most honored being among creation, concerning whom God Almighty has sworn an oath…

Respect for people’s position also includes respect for belief. For you cannot separate a person from a value that he or she accepts and believes to be true. We may therefore say that if you do not respect the values a person believes in and embraces, and if you do not act respectfully toward them, then you are not truly respecting that person or that person’s humanity.”³⁾

“We should continually seek to develop and strengthen within ourselves a sense of respect for the human person. For if we have not made the matter of respect for people’s position part of our very nature, we will resemble a person who wishes to fast but, being unaccustomed to it, cannot complete the fast during the first days of Ramadan and breaks it before sunset; we will not be able to avoid repeatedly making mistakes. Indeed, we should make respect for people’s position part of our nature and feel it as a natural need, so that when events occasionally arise that upset us, we do not strike a false note, react unexpectedly, fall into attitudes and behaviors that hurt the person before us, and ultimately fail to demonstrate that, under all circumstances, our hearts remain open to everyone.”⁴⁾

“The fundamental point we wish to emphasize through these observations concerning the distinction between ends and means is this: whether we call them tolerance, dialogue, or respect for people’s position, all of these are means; the true goal is God’s approval and good pleasure.”⁵⁾

“You can never establish a relationship with people through an approach that feels as though you are striking them over the head. On the contrary, you can build a warm relationship with them through dialogue, tolerance, respect for people’s position, by seeing them as recipients of the honor of being created in the best form, and by recognizing that, in terms of their essence and endowment, they are polished mirrors… Only in this way can people living today in different cultures and geographies free themselves from the conditioned assumptions and prejudices they may hold about you.”⁶⁾

“Although today we most often use the word dialogue to describe the coming together of people who hold different views and worldviews, other concepts may also be developed so that familiarity does not lead to inattentiveness. What matters above all is that we demonstrate our goodwill and the sincerity of our feelings and thoughts. For instance, we have sometimes used the concept of tolerance as a synonym for dialogue. Yet some people found this problematic at the time. They argued that the word tolerance implies that the other party possesses certain attitudes, behaviors, opinions, or beliefs that are in fact objectionable, and that you are merely putting up with them. It is as though the other side has thorns, but you choose to tolerate them by treating the thorn as though it were a rose. This may implicitly amount to blaming or belittling the other person. That is not important; we should not become attached to particular words. We can review our discourse once again and seek expressions that are more innocent and gentle. For instance, instead of tolerance, we may use the expression ‘respect for people’s position.’ At the foundation of this expression lies the idea that everyone deserves respect, regardless of the worldview or philosophy of life they hold. Put differently, it means respecting the humanity of the people with whom we engage. Every human being is potentially a treasury of values. Some may not have developed the potential within themselves. Yet it must not be forgotten that the human being is a work of Divine art, and such a monument and endowment deserves respect. Respect for the human being is, in one sense, respect for the One Who created that person.

Alongside these, expressions such as building bridges of friendship or reaching agreement on common ground may also be used. What matters is that the fundamental principles be preserved, that the issue not be taken outside its essential framework, and that one not indulge in the luxury of seeking originality for its own sake.”⁷⁾

“Different thoughts and different approaches should not prevent dialogue. Without neglecting respect for people’s position and without becoming preoccupied with differences, these differences should be expressed with ease. No one should regard themselves as superior to others or leave such an impression on those before them. One should remain as free from self-assertion as possible. Matters should be handled more professionally, and the representation one offers should be carried out with a seriousness proportionate to the weight of the message one has undertaken, proceeding almost with a Prophetic attitude. The subject of dialogue should be reconsidered through a sound philosophy of the Prophetic biography; those involved in this field should be very well trained, human values should be upheld, and mistakes should be avoided. Reducing such a serious undertaking to crude and simplistic considerations means failing to observe the sensitivity the matter requires.”⁸⁾

Dialogue

Tolerance

Respect

Nederlands

Türkçe