On April 17, Ambassador Hartley hosted Monsignor Stanislav Zore, archbishop of Ljubljana, Dr. Nedžad Grabus, mufti of the Islamic Community in Slovenia, and Rabbi Ariel Haddad, chief rabbi of Slovenia, to discuss religious freedom and issues of concern to Slovenia’s Roman Catholic, Muslim, and Jewish communities. Archbishop Zore, Mufti Grabus, and Rabbi Haddad said Slovenia’s religious communities had a strong record of cooperation, tolerance, and dialogue in addressing issues of common concern, including government policies on circumcision, ritual animal slaughter, and religious NGOs. Ambassador Hartley and the religious leaders agreed on the importance of greater interfaith awareness and appreciation of Slovenia’s different religious faiths to counter intolerance, prejudice, and the rise of the alternative right.
