Dmitry Mendeleyev: “Peaceful co-existence of different confessions requires brotherly love, not only tolerance”

The creator and permanent host of the ‘Bible Story’ program of the Russian ‘Kultura’ (“Culture”) TV-channel, Dmitry Mendeleyev, shared his opinion on inter-confessional dialogue in the Caucasus with VK correspondent Faud Safarov.

- How do you assess the level of inter-confessional dialogue in the North Caucasus?

- I don’t know much about Caucasian religious life. However, it seems that the dialogue is pretty active. There is a legend that when Muhammad asked Allah why he allows the existence of three distinct monotheistic confessions – Islam, Christianity and Judaism –  God told him that he wanted the followers of these religions to compete with each other in good deeds. So the most important thing for any true believer is to care about their neighbor, no matter their faith – Christ taught his followers the same lesson by telling the story of the Good Samaritan. It is not hard to learn how to love your neighbor, and peaceful co-existence of different confessions requires brotherly love, not only tolerance.

- Recently Yerevan hosted a session of the Inter-confessional CIS Council. The heads of the Russian and Armenian Churches and the head of the Caucasian Muslim organization met there. Do you think religious leaders play a considerable role in settling existing inter-confessional conflicts?

- I think it’s hard to overestimate this role. In some situation they can be the last and the best hope for peace. We can see that with the example of Russia and Georgia: the countries are in a state of conflict, while the Patriarchs continue to communicate, and the congregations of both countries pray for restoration of peace and friendship.

- Different Christian confessions as well as Islam and Judaism are professed in the South Caucasus. Despite this diversity, there are virtually no religious conflicts in the region. What is the secret of the remarkable religious tolerance there?

- When I was in Georgia for the first time I was very surprised to see how members of different congregations treat each other: like true children of Abraham, they respected and loved each other. Religious leaders as well as ordinary believers have equally remarkable and honorable attitudes towards representatives of all other confessions.

Interview by Faud Safarov