| As I pointed out the other day, Turkey's been attacked by Islamists, not by the U.S.A. So much for the "war against the Muslims" cant... |
Turkish Jews and Muslims joined in prayer and laid flowers yesterday for the victims of bomb attacks a year ago when suicide bombers targeted two synagogues in the country's largest city. The truck bombs killed 24 people, mainly Muslim passers-by, and ripped through Istanbul's Neve Shalom and Beit Israel synagogues on November 15, 2003. "Our citizens stood firm on that day and stand firm today in the wake of an attack on the Turkish Republic's secular state. Terrorism will never achieve its aim," local official Kamil Basar said in a speech at the re-opened Neve Shalom synagogue.
Relatives of the victims cried as Jewish and Muslim religious officials led prayers in memorial ceremonies outside the two synagogues. In a ceremony at the Beit Israel synagogue later yesterday, people stood to attention as the Turkish national anthem was sung. Turkish flags were hung from buildings and photographs of the victims displayed. "Let us not forget that it was not only our Jewish citizens who died but our Muslim citizens too," Anatolian news agency quoted local mayor Mustafa Sarigul as saying. "We will work together for the peace of the world's people regardless of religion, language, race, culture or sect." |