Representatives of various religions and ethnicities were set to gather on February 14 2018 at the Dzhumaya mosque in Bulgaria’s second city Plovdiv for the fourth annual “Cafe of Tolerance”.
The new ritual, that has already become traditional, was attended by H.E. Mr. Hassan Uusoy, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey in Bulgaria, accompanied by Mr. Hussein Ergani, Consul of Turkey in Plovdiv, Mrs. Evelina Apostolova, Vice-Regional governor, the Chairman of the municipal council, Georgi Marinov, Deputy mayor of Plovdiv Municipality, the Chief mufti and the District mufti – Taner Veli.
The gathering is meant as a sign of mutual understanding and peaceful cohabitation of people of different faiths and identities.
The first “Cafe of Tolerance” was held in 2015, as a response to the February 14, 2014 attack on Plovdiv’s landmark mosque by a crowd of “football supporters”. The gathering to drink coffee is based on the Turkish customs that “drinking coffee with someone is equal to 40 years of friendship”.
The now-annual gathering is seen as of importance to send a message of support of mutual tolerance among communities in Plovdiv.
Last modified on 26 March, 2018 at 11:08
