Last Updated on Friday, 06 October 2006 04:43 by Janice Payne, fgulen.com Thursday, 05 October 2006 21:00
As you probably know already, during the month of June, 2006, I traveled with eight other greater Indianapolis area residents, all members of the Abrahamic faiths, (Islam, Christianity, Catholicism, Judaism, and one born Jewish who is now a spiritual seeker) on the 4th Interfaith Friendship Trip to Turkey sponsored by The Holy Dove Foundation.
We were also hosted by the Turkish Journalists and Writers Foundation, founded by M. Fethullah Gulen in 1994, as well as informal yet organized networks of Turkish businessmen in every city we visited. (In fact, we learned that our trip was one of many. In recent years, many thousands of people from all over the globe have been similarly hosted. The Turkish sponsors are convinced that walls are broken down through genuine dialogue person to person.)
At this time in the history of our planet I feel we are living in the middle of a nightmare of truly horrific daily developments which are seen and heard nonstop in the media on a global scale. How can we as individuals have an impact for peace and understanding in the face of so much negativity, hostility, anger, hate, fear, and devastation? What can we as individuals do? Eleanor Roosevelt is quoted as saying: "We have to face the fact that either all of us are going to die together, or we are going to learn to live together- and if we are to live together, we have to talk."
Since we have been back in The USA, we have been talking to anyone we know who will listen. But we want to do more. The members of the 4th Friendship Trip to Turkey have decided to start by reaching out to everyone in our email address books with some details of our amazing experiences.
Our intent is that you will get a glimpse of the hope and joy we feel. We hope you will hear our message and pass it on to everyone in your address book, etc. The message you will read is one of positive abundance. It is a message of change. It is a message of re-education. It is a message of the power of dialogue. One Dinner Table at a Time, One Email at a Time.
Before our trip, those who went last year told us: "The experience will be life changing." We had no idea how right they were! We are all one people, brought together by one belief - that peace, understanding, friendship, and love can be achieved once we dispel the stereotypes that we have of different cultures. Those stereotypes are the result of the lack of communication, the media focus on the negative, and a general intolerance for things we don't understand or things not "like us." What we saw in Turkey was how much we are all alike. How we share the same thoughts, dreams, beliefs, pain and fears.
The following quotes beckoned us to share our experiences because these are essentially the same messages we heard from the Turkish people we met and broke bread with, in their homes and restaurants. In a way, these quotes summarize much that we learned:
"Abundance can be had simply by consciously receiving what already has been given." (Sufi saying)
While in Turkey, we learned about the Sufi poet and philosopher, Mevlana, also known as Rumi. The abundant generosity and hospitality afforded us in Turkey were so overwhelming that we had to learn to consciously receive what we were given. We had never experienced anything like it before.
" True abundance means security, and that can come only from an understanding that we have a common responsibility for each other, to see each other through hard times and support each other through misfortune." (Starhawk, author)
We are all part of one community. We have a common responsibility for each other and the planet where we live. Dialogue around "the hard times" and the hard topics brought us closer together. This closeness and security developed in two ways. Even though we may never again see the individuals we met who live in Turkey, we feel close to them, remember them, often speak warmly about them, and worry about them. A second outcome of our intense, sincere dialogue and the sharing of common experiences was that we quickly became close to our travel companions from Indianapolis. We felt a responsible for each other. That sense of common responsibility has continued to grow now that we are back in Indianapolis.
"It is the generous giving of ourselves that produces the generous harvest." (Orison Swett Marden, author and publisher)
And this quote summarizes what we experienced with the people in Turkey. They gave so generously of themselves. One of their hopes is to plant seeds of knowledge about Turkey and Islam and reap a "generous harvest" improved relations, more understanding through dialogue, and a clearer reciprocal understanding of the fabric and culture of Turkey and Islam and the West. We are all more alike than different. We heard this message as we became familiar with the works of M. Fethullah Gulen, a writer, poet, and scholar of Islam. His influence began in Turkey, and now spans the globe and includes people from many different walks of life. He teaches that "dialogue is a must" and that people, regardless of national or political borders, have far more in common than they realize. He considers it worthwhile and necessary for sincere dialogue to be established in order to increase mutual understanding.
We feel compelled to share our experiences. Through emailing, talking, communicating, and sharing we hope to convey understanding of a culture once believed by many to be different, but found to be extremely similar and very rich in traditions of love, peace, welfare, prosperity, and family. We see each other as being so much more like ourselves. It is through familiarity and education that the fear of the unknown dissolves. It is illiteracy and lack of education that prompt people to believe whatever they are told to be true - without questioning- perhaps because they haven't experienced anything else. Prejudice and intolerance thrive where education is lacking. We feel we need to be a part of a "re-education."
The stated purposes of our trip were:
- To increase the understanding of Islam through shared experiences and dialogue
- To build bridges across the planet by meeting Turkish families in their homes, at their dinner tables and in their living rooms
- To work toward a sense of global community- we are all connected- we are all one
- To meet and network with new friends from Indianapolis - to establish the foundations for further community building when back in Indiana.
- Interfaith dialogue and increased awareness
- Exploring universal human themes
Our trip by any standard was a huge success. We are achieving all these stated objectives and more. In fact, we travelers quickly became a "family" with frequent calls for "family photos" in every spot we visited. Our dialogues with each other, away from the familiarity of "home," helped us reach a closeness which we are maintaining in Indianapolis. We learned so much about Islam, Turkey, the world community, each other, and ourselves. It was in deed life changing.
We visited archeological, historical, religious, and recreational sites. What a beautiful country! We shopped touristy spots such as the Spice Bazaar and main Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. And yes~ some of us bought exquisite handmade jewelry and gorgeous rugs! We traveled in Istanbul- a city straddling 2 continents as well as eastern and western culture. We went to Izmir, Antalya- a resort town, Konya- a more traditional city, the ancient cities of Ephesus, Aspendos, Perge, Side, Cappadocia, and even an ancient caravan stop. We saw amazing cave cities 250 feet below the ground where Christians hid from the Romans. Everywhere we went, we engaged in enriching and enlightening dialogue. We learned so much about our own faiths, our own journeys, our own searches, as well as the history, traditions, and cultures of all the Abrahamic faiths. We share so much. We are all more alike than different.
Our exposure to Islam in Turkey was so important because we learned first hand about an Islam which is so different from what we typically see or hear about in the media. We learned about the long history of acceptance and tolerance dating back to the Ottoman Empire which evolved into the current country. Modern Turkey represents a successful merging of Islam and democracy. We learned that in one attempt to insure the continued existence of their secular government, women teaching in public schools and women working in government buildings are not permitted to wear head coverings while at work. Turkey has applied for membership in the EU. Our hosts in every city explained about the secular schools established by them all over the world, in places like Bangladesh and Bosnia, areas where there is need and poverty. They told us that literate populations are the key to a peaceful future, key to a cooperative global community, and key to preventing terrorism. No words can do justice to the amount of giving, friendship, forethought, and planning that go into this global community building.
As we entered the homes of strangers every night, we were totally unprepared for the truly incredible abundance of emotion- love, warmth, smiles, openness, respect, friendship, pain, regret, tears We were totally unprepared for the truly incredible abundance of generosity- gifts, food, and time . Experiencing the heartfelt hospitality and genuine desire to connect with us on a spiritual level brought out emotions that were greater than we ever anticipated! It also helped us come together as a community in very powerful ways. These were truly humbling lessons.
We held their babies.
We embraced them, their children, and their parents.
We all shared our stories.
We shared on a very deep level how 9-11 affected each of us. We walked in each others moccasins and felt with each others hearts. We became each other.
We communicated grandmother to grandmother by sharing pictures of our children and grandchildren. Even when a common oral language did not exist, nothing breaks the ice like two grandmothers sharing pictures!
We connected man to man around the spiritual and emotional ..
We connected single woman to single woman around shared issues
We talked about education, world peace, and religion over the ever present glass of Turkish tea, once in a cozy upstairs room over a store in the Istanbul Spice Bazaar. We even learned the correct way to eat baklava! Yes- baklava is Turkish and there is a "correct" way to eat it!
Time and again we were reminded that the touch of one human heart to another human heart can be universal.
We learned our similarities far out weigh the differences. We learned about them as they learned about us. Then there was no more "us" and "them."
Turkish families entertained us in their homes and at restaurants- meal after meal, each a huge feast and out pouring of hospitality. There were restaurants by the sea, at the foot of a waterfall, and even in a tree house! We were entertained by families of wealth and families of moderate means. Through dialogue we learned about each other and ourselves. Each encounter began as strangers, but we separated as part of an extended global family.
When people entertain in the USA, we generally plan ahead- deciding on the menu, shopping, cooking, cleaning the house, and setting up the table. We need days!!! In contrast, in many cases, our arrival for dinner was known to our hosts the same day, sometimes only a couple of hours before our arrival. Moreover, we were truly unprepared and humbled when we saw the extent of the abundance, quality, and preparation of the delicious feasts presented night after night for us. How did they do it? Each night, from a different family in a different home there were incredible acts of giving. Each night we learned more. Each night we shared more. Each night we were overwhelmed. Our learning and sharing helped develop deeper reciprocal understandings. Each night helped strengthen global bridges.
When we in the USA go to someone's home, we traditionally bring a small "hostess gift" as a token of thanks for the hospitality. We did this we brought gifts from Indianapolis for our hosts. However we were truly unprepared for the Turkish tradition that the host gives gifts to the guests! Yes- in addition to an abundance of food, we were showered with gorgeous gifts given from the hearts of our hosts- scarves, rugs, jewelry, Turkish candy, Turkish coffee cups, wall hangings, pens, business card holders, books, The generosity was truly humbling and overwhelming.
Since we have returned to the USA, our new "Indianapolis family" has remained close through calls, visits, Bar-B-Qs, constant emails, plans, concerns, and study groups. We are building local networks of support with each other. We plan to connect at a Dialogue Dinner in October with members from the three other local groups who also traveled on Friendship Trips to Turkey. We are writing articles and planning presentations and working to establish a new Indianapolis charter school. But most important we truly have become friends and an extended family. We are there for each other.
We all came home with pictures, memories, souvenirs, gifts, new friends. Words do not do justice to the people we met and the abundance of their sense of giving and friendship. We embraced human heart to human heart, human mind to human mind, one dinner table at a time, and one conversation at a time.
We in America have so much to learn The World community has so much to learn Dialogue and Sharing and Education and Love and Peace
Though it has been so hard to use written words to convey this message, we hope you have gained a sense of the experience. We encourage you to consider visiting Turkey and experiencing first hand that amazing country. Even if you are not hosted by a group you will see extraordinary beauty, feel the warmth of the people, and experience the spirituality of the call to pray five times a day. We hope you begin to deepen your understanding of this message of peace and love. We hope you will share the voice of Islam we heard. The world needs to embrace. The world must stand up to the hatred and fear- one conversation, one dinner table, one email at a time. We are more alike than different. Each of us is responsible for all of us.
Far more frivolous emails have taken on lives of their own and circled the globe many times. Please help spread this message. Please post all or part of this email on websites. Please forward all or parts of it as often as you choose.
If you want to learn more, here are a few websites to check out:
Holy Dove Foundation of Indianapolis sponsored our trip
http://www.niagarafoundation.org/niagara/about.php
Niagara Foundation Sponsors similar trips out of Chicago
Fetullah Gulen is an inspiration to many around the globe
The website for The National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation
http://www.thataway.org/files/NCDD_2006_Guidebook.pdf
and check out the guide book for the 2006 conference.
Eboo Patel is doing some amazing work with youth. His organization looks for ways to get young people involved in community service as a way to break the ice and get the dialogue ball rolling. The vision of the Interfaith Youth Core is:
"There are hundreds of millions of religiously diverse young people around the globe interacting with increasing frequency. This interaction tends in one of two directions- conflict or cooperation. Interfaith Youth Core envisions a world in which religiously diverse young people interact peacefully and cooperate to serve their communities, thereby strengthening civil society and stabilizing global politics."
http://www.fountainmagazine.com/
The Fountain, is now in its eighth year of publication. The guiding principle is that the spread of scientific education and a firm personal grounding in religious belief and values produces people who, in this time of rapid social change and increased intercivilizational contact, can foster social harmony and understanding to the benefit of all. Therefore, the focus is on recent scientific developments and what they mean, current social issues that impact all on a daily basis, and increased understanding and acceptance among people of different cultural, religious, and ethnic backgrounds.
And please~ one more thing~ check out the words to this song By Sandi Patti,
"Love in any Language"
Je t'aime
Te amo
Ya ti-bya lyublyu
Ani ohev otah
I love you
The sounds are all as different
As the lands from which they came
And though the words are all unique
Our hearts are still the same
Love in any language
Straight from the heart
Pulls us all together
Never apart
And one we learn to speak it
All the world will hear
Love in any language
Fluently spoken here
We teach the young our differences
Yet look how we're the same
We love to laugh, to dream our dreams
We know the sting of pain
From Leningrad to Lexington
The farmer loves his land
And daddies all get misty-eyed
To give their daughters hand
Oh maybe when we realize
How much there is to share
We'll find too much in common
To pretend it isn't there
Tho' the rhetoric of government
May keep us worlds apart
There's no misinterpreting
The language of the heart
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