„Es sind die leisen Kräfte, die das Leben tragen“

About 70 people gathered at the Bestwig mountain monastery on Thursday evening for the 50th interreligious meditation session. The event included a Jewish song, a mantra, a surah, and 20 minutes of silence.

Mother General Sister Maria Thoma Dikow described the gathering as a quiet force that works internally rather than through loud actions. Ralf Péus, the former mayor of Bestwig, noted that while the world has not changed for the better over the last ten years, working together remains an effective way to respond to global challenges.

The 20-minute duration of the silence was established after Dr. Ahmet Arslan advised against a longer 30-minute period. Arslan explained that Muslims do not remain silent during prayer and typically only observe silence for ten minutes after ritual prayer to avoid restlessness. Additionally, the group now uses electric candles for candle mandalas following a previous inquiry regarding insurance for prayer rugs.