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.
From our journey to Ephesus, we resolve to take with us a broader understanding of our respective religious origins, an appreciation of what we share in common with our fellow humans, and a respect for religious diversity. We all seek to find meaning in our short time on earth and to alleviate pain and suffering both for ourselves and for the sake of our fellow humans and the entire community of life on this planet. We seek to create a world where justice and peace will reign in place of mistrust and war. We hope that the circle of sisters and brothers that we have found here may some day encompass all inhabitants of our world, and the world yet to come.
Aware of problems in relationships between Jews, Christians, and Muslims in many areas around the world, we recognize and affirm the efforts of the Gulen Movement to shape a harmonious climate of dialogue among the Abrahamic traditions and to foster education based on principles of love and tolerance. Both the problem and the solution lie within us. Ignorance and dehumanizing of the “other” separate us from God and from one another, creating fear and selfishness.
When we recognize the indwelling God in every person and our cosmos, we can reach out to others with reverence and respect. This movement began with one man who touched other people. We are grateful for the way that followers of M. Fethullah Gulen have touched us, and we pledge to touch others in turn. One of the most wonderful gifts of this pilgrimage has been discovering that we must be the peace that we seek. Sensing the peace that is already present in the Gulen Movement, we ask ourselves what we must do to make peace more real and effective in the world. The Jewish tradition names this process “being Torah” – being peace. In this country of Muslims, we encounter Islam as part of our family, rejoicing that the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions share the hope for peace and the common task of seeking peace and pursuing it. We pledge our cooperation in efforts to shape a vibrant, loving community of the world’s religions.
