Reverend Mary Pearson

The whole tour was fascinating: the experience of a country that was quite distinctive, sitting, as it does, as a connecting point between Europe and Asia; the long history of different civilizations; the way that the Christian and Muslim traditions are interwoven in so many places – Antakya, Sanli Urfa and Konya stand out. Likewise there were many unforgettable things: waking in Istanbul to hear the call to prayer from an ancient mosque; the glimpse of a different civilization in the people and place of Harran. The people were welcoming and generous without exception. The hospitality from so many people in so many places was humbling, particularly perhaps the breakfast we were treated to in the businessman’s home in Istanbul, and the family’s house in Gaziantep. We came to see the underlying reason for this generosity as we saw how people wanted to express a deep searching for wisdom and valuing of education. There was a desire to live in ways of tolerance and understanding. I have come to see interfaith dialogue as something in which everyone is enriched in their own faith as respect and understanding of the “other’ grows. It seems more and more something which we should enter into not out of need but out of hope and affirmation of life and faith in each other. The Islam I saw in Turkey showed an openness and modern attitude that I had not expected. The commitment that so many faithful Muslims make in their lives to educating the next generation in tolerance and respect was most impressive. It was interesting to see how the religious and the secular existed alongside each other with a degree of tension that was not unhealthy. I had only briefly heard of Fethullah Gulen before the trip and had had no idea how widespread is his movement. If the people we met are an example of that movement, I am very happy to have encountered it and to have had that association with it. It gives me hope for interfaith relationships that are so important for us all. I feel immensely privileged to have been part of the tour and will continue to value the friendships that were formed as we went on this pilgrimage together. It has widened my understanding in many ways. Thank you.