WHAT IS THE POINT?

In Mourning, an Intersection of Faiths Funerals for Istanbul Bombing Victims Mix Jewish and Muslim Symbols (Molly Moore, washington Post, 11/19/03)

On Tuesday morning, the simple wooden coffins of Anet and her grandmother were lowered simultaneously into side-by-side graves at Istanbul's Ashkenaz Jewish Cemetery, as rain from a gray sky drenched sobbing relatives and friends. Four other Jews killed in Saturday's truck bomb attacks at Beth Israel and another Istanbul synagogue, including a woman whose husband was one of 19 Muslims killed in the blasts, were buried nearby.

In a striking marriage of cultural symbols, each of the six coffins was embossed with the Star of David and draped in the crimson Turkish flag with its white Islamic crescent and star -- an honor reserved for soldiers and government officials or civilians who die as martyrs in the eyes of this predominantly Muslim nation. The brilliant red-covered coffins appeared to float through clouds of black, rain-beaded umbrellas as bearers shouldered them through the crowd. . . .

Throughout the services, Anet's fourth-grade classmates stood at the foot of her tiny coffin, clutching a poster-sized photograph of their friend framed in white carnations. Anet's broad smile and sparkling brown eyes peered from beneath a thick fringe of black bangs, contrasting sharply with the tear-streaked faces and trembling lips of the small mourners.

Her teacher, Necla Ozturk, stood above her young charges, her face grim, her head covered in a long black shawl. "She was the smallest child in the class," Ozturk told reporters who visited her primary school classroom on Monday. "Because of that, we always tried to protect her. But we couldn't protect her from the terrorists." . . .

The coffin of Berta Ozdogan, who was five months pregnant, was lowered into the grave next to Anet's. Her husband, Ahmet, a Muslim, was buried the day before in a Muslim cemetery. The couple had been married six years and acquaintances said that although members of the two families originally opposed the marriage, they had grown to understand and respect the couple's love for each other.

To show his support for his wife, Ahmet often accompanied her to Jewish services. The couple had just entered the Neve Shalom synagogue complex to attend the bar mitzvah of Berta's 13-year-old cousin when the second truck bomb exploded, according to family members.

At Ahmet's funeral, his mother, Inci Ozdogan, said: "Today I'm saying goodbye to my son. Tomorrow I'm saying farewell to my Berta. I don't know what they wanted from my kids. Were they jealous of their happiness? They will meet again on the other side."