A Statement from Ephesus

From the Participants in the Rumi Forum’s May 17-25, 2006, Tour of Turkey

We, the participants in the Rumi Forum‘s May 17-25, 2006, visit to Turkey, come to Ephesus with a deep respect for the rich religious heritage it contains.  Sacred as a shrine for ancient Greeks and Romans, Ephesus was home to a thriving Jewish community in the first century, C.E.  Many in the city welcomed Paul the Apostle, and according to church tradition Ephesus became the home of John the Evangelist and Mary the mother of Jesus.  For centuries Ephesus has been an important place of pilgrimage for generations of Christians and Muslims coming to honor Mary, the only woman named by her own name in the Qur’an and the only woman for whom a sura (or chapter) of the Qur’an is named.  Mary, a Jewish woman of faith who became the revered mother of Christians and Muslims, calls us to worship the one God and to develop healthy relationships with followers of all religious paths. Read rest of the story