The initiative taken by the Affinity Intercultural Foundation to host Ramadan Iftar dinners for non-Muslims in homes of Muslim families, needs to be applauded as it builds bridges between our communities and contributes to better understanding of our cultural and religious diversity

The grass roots engagement of community leaders such as through the Iftar dinners are a unique and memorable outreach that requires investment not only by the participating families but equally by the invited community leaders. I look forward to supporting the Affinity Intercultural Foundation in years ahead

Thank you so much for opening your home to all and sundry for an Iftar dinner.  I very much enjoyed the evening, especially the excellent food and equally rich conversation.  It is no small thing to make a diverse group of people comfortable and I really appreciate the effort behind the scenes and your graciousness… I have seldom met a group that was so intentional in its building of bridges and I feel honored to be able to participate in that process, even if in a small way

For me the highlights of the Istanbul-Rome Study Tour were many, especially making the connections between the heritage of Islam and Christianity in the historic centres of Istanbul/Konya and Rome/Assisi. Travelling as a group of Catholic Christians with our Muslim friends, sharing food, conversation and life together over two weeks made it very special. Two spiritual experiences stand out for me. In Konya, where the Sufi poet and mystic Rumi is buried, as we learnt about the initiation and training of the young Dervishes, there seemed to be a unity with the traditional teachings on the spiritual life by Christian mystics such as St Benedict and St John of the Cross. When we visited the tomb of St Francis in Assisi, it occurred to me how Francis, who carried out a peace mission in his meeting with the Sultan in Egypt in the thirteenth century, would have joyfully looked upon this return visit by a group of Australian Muslim and Christian pilgrims in the twenty-first century.

Hagia Sophia was a personal highlight of the Istanbul Rome Study Tour. It was a very spiritual place… It was first an Eastern Christian Church, then a Catholic Church, then a mosque, and it’s now a museum open to the public. The images of Christ, Mary and the Saints (uncovered after centuries of being hidden by plaster) spoke of a rich Christian heritage. It was interesting to see Islamic script sharing sacred space with Christian icons. For me, it symbolised our tour group of Christians and Muslims sharing our faith traditions with interest and respect. Hagia Sophia was for almost 1000 years the largest church in Christendom. What an architectural and engineering marvel! If the building could talk, what would Hagia Sophia say today?

It was simply great. The people we travelled with, the people we met on our trip as well as the places we visited were fantastic. From the moment we came together as a group, we jelled together like we knew each other. Yes, we may not have known what to expect, but we certainly didn’t let that stop us getting to know each other. It was my first trip to Istanbul and Rome and I could not ask for a better way to visit these places.