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possibilities of collaboration with Australian universities; dissemination of the Centre’s studies on the cultures and arts ofOIC member countries to interested audiences around the world. Mr. Doyle recorded the Australian Government’s keeninterest in the Centre’s work.The Ambassador of SwitzerlandMr. Kunz at IRCICAMr. Raimund Kunz, Ambassador of Switzerland in Ankara, along with two of his colleagues from the Embassy, visitedIRCICA on 22 October 2009. Dr. Eren informed Ambassador Kunz on the objectives and activities of the OIC and itssubsidiary IRCICA. Expectedly, the public initiative on banning of minarets in Switzerland, which was going to be submittedto a referendum (29 November), was also part of the talks. Mr. Kunz said that arguments for and against this initiativewere continuing; he mentioned that the Muslim population in Switzerland was around 500,000 out of a total population of7.5 million. Switzerland is a nationof will: the country does not haveone culture, one language, and theleaders of the initiative came fromvarious groups in society. ProfessorAmir Pasic from IRCICA, who waspresent at the meeting, linked theissue with the fact that minaretsare a symbol of Islam; he gave theexample of the 1992-1995 war inBosnia and Herzegovina whereSerbs were mainly bombing anddestroying the minarets of themosques. Dr. Eren expressed thewish that gradually tolerance andunderstanding will grow in Europetowards the different faiths andtheir adherents.The Mayor of Istanbul Arch. Dr. Kadir Topbaşvisited IRCICAThe Mayor of Istanbul Arch. Dr. Kadir Topbaş visited IRCICA on 3 December 2009. Dr. Halit Eren gave information toMr. Topbaş on recent progress of the work, including the developments relating to the library: Mr. Topbaş was present atthe official ceremony for the library’s re-opening by the Prime Minister of Turkey H.E. Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in its newpremises in the Silahhane building, on 17 May 2009.Mr. Topbaş wrote his observationsand signed the Visitors’ Book(original in Turkish): “I would liketo express my pleasure to see howexcellent in a way the DirectorateGeneral of IRCICA is carriedout by my distinguished friendDr. Halit Eren. It is a source ofpride that with modest resourcesIRCICA achieves great successesaround the world and particularlyin the Muslim countries. I thankmy brother Dr. Halit Eren for hisefforts towards revival of manymonuments and maintenance ofrich archives and a rich library.”The Mayor of Istanbul received information on the activities of the Department of ArchitectureIRCICA ActivitiesSeptember -December 2009, No: 80 Newsletter19