Aydogan Vatandas looks at the tragic refugee crisis in a more agitated style, reminding us of Aylan Kurdi, the three year old toddler washed up dead on the shores of Turkey while he, his family, and many others tried to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, fleeing the war in Syria. Vatandas’ call is to a greater awareness, and for us, as members of the human congregation, to assume responsibility as Lawrence Brazier and his wife did: by offering at least our sympathy, and hopefully more, to those being oppressed, in different ways, all around the world.

Two speakers who attended a recent symposium – “Countering Violent Extremism: Mujahada and Muslims’ Responsibility” – in Brussels have contributed to this issue. Sophia Pandya and Jon Pahl, who left the city just days before the atrocious March 22 attacks, reflect on the concept of jihad, and explain how terrorism and violence have many causes and cannot be explained by a single issue. Pandya examines the minor and greater jihads. Referring to the “fight-or-flight response,” she believes jihad is an important self-healing tool when one feels under threat.

Jon Pahl shares his reflections on the symposium, which brought together more than 300 activists and scholars from around the world in the name of peace. Pahl had an opportunity to visit the neighborhood of Molenbeek, “which has been in the news as a ‘harbor for terrorists,’ after it became known that at least one of the Paris attackers spent time in the neighborhood.” Pahl’s talks with the Councilwoman Shazia Manzoor and the mayor Françoise Schepmans, and the similarities he observed between Molenbeek and the American experience of immigration, are no less interesting than his comments on the symposium.

The lead article of this issue touches upon a core subject: the need for freedom of faith and conscience. While reminding us that it is a universal right for everyone to independently adopt and practice a faith of one’s choice, Fethullah Gülen also points to the fact that this freedom also requires to teach and study one’s faith. For Gülen, “there is no freedom of faith and conscience when restrictions are imposed on religious practice, whether it is in the public or private sphere.”

An ancient herb Nigella Sativa, a flowering plant native to southern Asia, grows to roughly 30 cm in height. But what it lacks in height, it more than makes up in its fruits, which are home to the powerful black cumin seeds. Following a cold-pressing process, the famed black seed oil is extracted from these seeds. Lying within this versatile oil is the primary active ingredient Thymoquinone. As a phytochemical, Thymoquinone is capable of preventing and combating diseases in plants. The extensive history of this herbal medicine has shown that humans are equally capable of benefiting from its majestic healing power. Nearly three centuries ago, ancient Egyptians utilized the black seed oil from Nigella Sativa to rejuvenate the skin and face, as well as to treat digestive problems. Ibn Sina, the renowned Persian physician of the 11th century, wrote of the oil’s ability to revitalize the body’s energy, and to treat common maladies, such as fever and headaches. 5 In the contemporary age, many consume this plant’s blessed seed in combination with honey, as part of a salad, in tea, or as a form of added flavoring.

Touching upon cancer Thymoquinone is well known for its role in promoting the well-being of the immune system. This is all the more important in cases involving cancer in which the bypassing of important check points in the cell-cycle leads to the uncontrollable growth and infinite divisions of unhealthy cells. Often, the circumvented check point lies between the Gap 1 phase (G1) and Synthesis phase (S), where cytoplasmic and DNA conditions are regulated following an external signal, such as a growth factor. Therefore, the discovery that Thymoquinone is capable of halting such a detrimental act is quite important for the future of cancer treatments.1 It is also noted that Thymoquinone has repeatedly displayed the ability to impede damaged-cell functionality through facilitating apoptosis, a natural cell death inflicting little to no harm to nearby cells. It is also believed that a link exists between Thymoquinone and p53, a tumor-suppressor protein, since many more human breast cancer cells entered late apoptotic stages when treated with Thymoquinone.2 In 2016, 1.6 million people worldwide are projected to pass away from lung cancer alone. In the United States, that value checks in at slightly under 160,000 deaths, with nearly 18 Americans dead per hour. Moreover, approximately 1.8 million new cases of lung cancer will arise around the world. In light of these staggering figures, the findings of Al-Sheddi et al. provides a glimmer of hope. When viable human lung cells inflicted with cancer were exposed to Nigella Sativa extract (NSE) for 24 hours, the percent viability of the cancerous cells decreased nearly 65% as the concentration of NSE increased from .25 to 1 mg/ml.3 This cytotoxic effect, coupled with a reduction in size and adhesion capacity of the cancerous cells, is an important step in the right direction towards preventing metastasis and growth. Likewise, Thymoquinone has been identified as an effective role player in treating breast cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in women. Motaghed et al. report that human breast cancer cells treated with Thymoquinone experienced a nearly 75% decrease in cell proliferation over a 48 hour period as the concentration of Thymoquinone increased from 0 to 300 μM. Not surprisingly, the findings of Motaghed et al. do happen to support those discussed earlier by Al-Sheddi et al. as percent viability of breast cancer cells decreased across all measured concentration levels of Thymoquinone over 72 hours.2 Such data speaks volumes, underlining the extract’s ability to sustain effective, long-term treatments. On a similar note, when human prostate cancer cells were introduced into mice (allowing the tumor to settle), certain mice given an additional injection of 6 mg/day of Thymoquinone were observed to have substantially less growth in tumor size and shape after 15 days of treatment as compared to the mice who were not administered Thymoquinone.4 Furthermore, Yi et al. noted a sharp difference in blood vessel formation from tumor angiogenesis as the untreated mice developed many more vessels. This ability to stymie vessel formation from tumor angiogenesis ensures that tumor growth and expansion into other bodily organs is abrogated.

Into the bloodstream While effective in cancer treatment, the far-reaching impact of Nigella Sativa has also been linked with glycemic control in diabetes, an illness plaguing tens of millions of people in America alone. Diabetics suffer from a considerably high level of glucose in their bloodstream due to the body’s inability to produce enough, or even any, insulin. As a result, many are at risk for eventual kidney failure. With this in mind, Type 2 Diabetics may rejoice upon hearing that similar patients experienced substantially lowered fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels when exposed to 2 gm/day of ground Nigella Sativa seeds in conjunction with current type 2 anti-diabetic medicine. The phenomenal decrease was such that at 4, 8, and 12 week intervals, FBG levels were 45, 62 and 56 mg/dl less than the baseline value. Similarly, after a 12 week duration, measured glycosylated hemoglobin levels were lowered over one and a half percent, returning to a healthy range. Amazingly, the effect of insulin resistance, the defining characteristic of type 2 diabetes, was minimized in patients administered 2 gm/day of ground Nigella Sativa seeds.6 Serviceable in the bloodstream, Nigella Sativa has been pinpointed as an effective tool in regulating cholesterol. Ali et al. exposed a test group of white female albino rats to various dosages of Nigella Sativa seeds. What they found was that after 4, 7, 10, and 14 days, the administered Nigella Sativa dosages (between 200 and 400 mg) were capable of decreasing cholesterol. Furthermore, blood triglyceride values dropped across most dosage levels after the above time periods.7 Such a finding is crucial, considering that excessive triglyceride readings can result in atherosclerosis (clogged, inflexible arteries), high cholesterol levels, elevated LDL cholesterol (responsible for plaque buildup), and lowered HDL cholesterol (which typically cleanses arteries of LDL cholesterol). Interestingly, heightened levels of triglycerides have also been correlated with diabetes, an illness equally treated by Nigella Sativa seeds.8

Unbearable pain Nigella Sativa’s panacea-like effect has also graced tender and swollen joints. Rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease, occurs as a result of the immune system mistaking joints for foreign substances. Any inflicted joint will swell greatly, causing nearly unbearable pain. As an anti-inflammatory, Thymoquinone is capable of minimizing cartilage reduction and, therefore, pain. This is especially true for females, who are two and a half times more likely to be diagnosed with arthritis. A study in Egypt found that over forty percent of the given female patients in a treatment group suffering from arthritis reported an improvement in their health, with fewer swollen and tender joints, after administration of Nigella Sativa capsules.9

Bless you! The blessed seeds of Nigella Sativa have even demonstrated an ability to alleviate allergic symptoms. The immune system’s inflated response to allergens culminates in the release of histamines, the component responsible for inflammation. As a result, people may develop symptoms such as runny noses, sneezing, watery eyes, and itchy throats. A study carried out by Isik et al. found that when test subjects with predisposed allergies to dust mites were given immunotherapy for a period of time followed by a supplement of 2 gm/day of Nigella Sativa seeds, the immune system received a boost, generating an increased phagocytic and intracellular killing percentage. Moreover, the small group of healthy volunteers who participated in the study also noticed an increase in their body’s phagocytic activity after receiving one month of Nigella Sativa seed supplements.10 Hence, Thymoquinone yet again displayed the ability to minimize the effect of an unfavorable substance in the body.

A standard bearer But despite all of these promising results, has anyone heard of Nigella Sativa? In a health market dominated by pharmaceutical companies worth over $300 billion, word of a truly cost-effective, easily accessible, and safe food item spreads slowly and difficultly. According to the National Cancer Institute, the first year alone of cancer treatment can cost nearly $61,000, for either sex.11 That staggering number coupled with continually skyrocketing medical coverage costs should make alternative therapy, such as Nigella Sativa, appear even more attractive. Five patents for solutions including Nigella Sativa extracts have already been registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, covering treatment for illnesses such as diabetes and viral infections, as well as cancerous cell growth.12 The FDA has already recognized Nigella Sativa, or black cumin, as being generally safe.13 And with over 1500 hits for “Nigella Sativa” and “Thymoquinone” on the PubMed website, one can only wonder how much more time will pass before pharmaceutical companies begin to take more drastic measures towards endorsing this natural, herbal medicine, especially considering that it significantly enhances the effect of current chemotherapy drugs Gemcitabine and Oxaliplatin in decreasing the viability of pancreatic cancer cells.14 Will Nigella Sativa become the standard bearer for alternative medicine, known to heal the mind and body through a holistic approach to one’s pain? Will those in line with the modern medical practices acknowledge the benefits of a strongly supported panacea? Many questions abound. However, with the black seed oil reported in a Prophetic tradition to provide healing for every disease except death, one can only hope that its rich history and certain healing methods reach the eyes and ears of all inflicted with illness. * * * a Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO References

• Raghunandhakumar, S., A. Paramasivam, S. Senthilraja, C. Naveenkumar, S. Asokkumar, J. Binuclara, S. Jagan, P. Anandakumar, and T. Devaki. “Thymoquinone Inhibits Cell Proliferation through Regulation of G1/S Phase Cell Cycle Transition in N-Nitrosodiethylamine-Induced Experimental Rat Hepatocellular Carcinoma.” Toxicol Lett 223, no. 1 (Oct 23 2013): 60-72.
• Motaghed, M., F. M. Al-Hassan, and S. S. Hamid. “Cellular Responses with Thymoquinone Treatment in Human Breast Cancer Cell Line Mcf-7.” Pharmacognosy Res 5, no. 3 (Jul 2013): 200-6.
• Al-Sheddi, E. S., N. N. Farshori, M. M. Al-Oqail, J. Musarrat, A. A. Al-Khedhairy, and M. A. Siddiqui. “Cytotoxicity of Nigella Sativa Seed Oil and Extract against Human Lung Cancer Cell Line.” Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 15, no. 2 (2014): 983-7.
• Yi, T., S. G. Cho, Z. Yi, X. Pang, M. Rodriguez, Y. Wang, G. Sethi, B. B. Aggarwal, and M. Liu. “Thymoquinone Inhibits Tumor Angiogenesis and Tumor Growth through Suppressing Akt and Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Signaling Pathways.” Mol Cancer Ther 7, no. 7 (Jul 2008): 1789-96.
• “Black Seed Oil.” Genuine Nigella Sativa. http://huile-de-nigelle.net/en/history.html.
• Bamosa, A. O., H. Kaatabi, F. M. Lebdaa, A. M. Elq, and A. Al-Sultanb. “Effect of Nigella Sativa Seeds on the Glycemic Control of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.” Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 54, no. 4 (Oct-Dec 2010): 344-54.
• Bamosa, A. O., B. A. Ali, and Z. A. al-Hawsawi. “The Effect of Thymoquinone on Blood Lipids in Rats.” Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 46, no. 2 (Apr 2002): 195-201.
• “Good vs. Bad Cholesterol.” American Heart Association. January 12, 2015. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/AboutCholesterol/Good-vs-Bad-Cholesterol_UCM_305561_Article.jsp.
• Gheita, T. A., and S. A. Kenawy. “Effectiveness of Nigella Sativa Oil in the Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients: A Placebo Controlled Study.” Phytother Res 26, no. 8 (Aug 2012): 1246-8.
• Isik, H., A. Cevikbas, U. S. Gurer, B. Kiran, Y. Uresin, P. Rayaman, E. Rayaman, B. Gurbuz, and S. Buyukozturk. “Potential Adjuvant Effects of Nigella Sativa Seeds to Improve Specific Immunotherapy in Allergic Rhinitis Patients.” Med Princ Pract 19, no. 3 (2010): 206-11.
• “Cancer Prevalence and Cost of Care Projections.” Annual Costs of Cancer Care. 2011. http://costprojections.cancer.gov/annual.costs.html.
• “Are There Any Current Black Seed FDA Patent Information Available?” Black Seed Products. http://www.blackseedproducts.com/faqs/19-are-there-any-current-black-seed-fda-patent-information-available.html.
• “Substances Generally Recognized As Safe.” CFR – Code of Federal Regulations Title 21. April 1, 2014. http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=582.10.
• Banerjee, S., A. O. Kaseb, Z. Wang, D. Kong, M. Mohammad, S. Padhye, F. H. Sarkar, and R. M. Mohammad. “Antitumor Activity of Gemcitabine and Oxaliplatin Is Augmented by Thymoquinone in Pancreatic Cancer.” Cancer Res 69, no. 13 (Jul 1 2009): 5575-83.

Those who consider religion merely a matter of conscience are corrupting religion by way of interpretations that contradict a faith’s Divinely ordained nature; by restricting the practice and wider influence of faith, they are preventing the individual, domestic, and social benefits and prosperity that God promises, but are contingent upon faith. However, religion is not only an inner conviction: it is a whole set of principles – ethical, filial, social, and legal in nature – believers are expected to fully observe. For those who subscribe to the faith, these disciplines are binding, with serious consequences for ignoring them. The principles of religion cannot be ignored, nor are the consequences of ignoring them to be taken lightly. Worldly order and balance, as well as individual and domestic peace and prosperity, depend upon these principles. The fruits of faith are eternal bliss in the world beyond.

Unfortunately, many rulers have ignored or distorted these fundamentals of faith. They have interrupted when believers wanted to practice their faith, and tyrannized people’s consciences, making it impossible for them to live in accordance with their beliefs.

Meanwhile, although some states governed under religious jurisprudence may appear to act liberally towards those who adopt a particular religion, it is almost impossible to say they act the same towards those who believe any religion or system of belief. Throughout history, Muslim rulers, those who have truly practiced Islam, have respected all religions, as well as all other philosophies. They have engaged in dialogue with peoples from all walks of life, and have treated other faiths with kindness.

Unfortunately, there have been other Muslim rulers, those who have misunderstood Islam, and rulers in general, no matter what religion they follow, who have ruled with hostility, hatred, discrimination, and fanaticism. And just as they have shrunk their own personal horizons, they have diminished the heavenly immensity of faith, turning belief into a system of oppression instead of a system of relief. They have employed hatred, anger, and jealousy against their coreligionists, and oppressed the “others” with violence, war, and many other various means of barbarism.

Today, there are many secular and liberal systems in which religion is separated from the state. Although governments under these systems claim to provide religious freedoms, it is no secret that many of them impose disbelief by force and treat religion and the faithful with intolerance. When such oppressive regimes dominate the fate of an entire nation, it becomes commonplace that the peace and stability of the people are threatened, and the society is ruled by intimidation. When people of faith have lived under such leaders, their struggle has been for the freedom of conscience against crude power. This campaign for freedom is an ancient one, and unfortunately, in this fight some clergymen took sides with the power, did not abstain to act like those who were against faith, and oppressed their fellow community.

Throughout history, many communities have suffered from violence and discrimination at the hands of their racist leaders. Divinely inspired faiths, which promise peace and security, have been turned into means of conflict and oppression by these leaders. Such a distortion of faith always resulted in the eventual destruction of the oppressors.

During the Crusades, great crimes were committed in the name of Jesus, peace be upon him. Though there is no doubt those “crusaders” thought they were doing good, by committing atrocities, they were misconstruing Jesus’ message of compassion and love. They claimed to be his followers, but they invented many groups of “others” and marginalized them in an illusory attempt to please Jesus and to be rewarded with heaven. The Crusades, of course, are not the only example of such violence committed in the name of religion. Many people have been murdered, throughout history, for opposing a state’s “official” religion. Such violence and unrest eventually led thinkers and philosophers to take action. Their foundational premise of action was that a religion sent by God would not command people to harm and kill one another. The growth of science helped to bring about reforms, which were quite effective at dividing religious and state affairs. Unfortunately, this split has gone too far, moving from the state, into the personal. The word of God was replaced by the word of humanity, and faith was once again shrunk and imprisoned to the individual’s inner conscience, as if it was just an ordinary theory.

Religious belief, by definition, can only maintain heavenliness when practiced in accordance with the principles prescribed by God, not by the limits defined in any kind of ideology or legal system. Indeed, in addition to the freedom of personally practicing religion, believers need to be free to express their faith, either verbally or in writing or in any other medium, without being punished. There is no freedom of faith and conscience when restrictions are imposed on religious practice, whether it is in the public or private sphere.

At the present, it appears that the Western world has mostly solved its own problems after experiencing long periods of turmoil with regards to secularism or laicism. Nevertheless, secularism, i.e. the separation of church and state was never considered as the one and only irrefutable solution to all the world’s problems, but rather as a means of reconciliation and a warranty for the freedom of faith and conscience. We can argue that in many countries where secularism has been defined as such, both religion and secularism have existed without conflict, even perhaps with some sense of mutual support. In some other countries where secularism is being used to oppress religion and religious practice, this is mainly because these countries fail to bring a scholarly definition to secularism, or that those in power are radically opposed to religion and all of its aspects, or because of other sources of power which strive to generate chaos in the country.

We can all agree that religious believers should not infringe upon the rights of others, but the state should also not infringe upon the rights of believers to practice their faiths. To do so would impact the divinity of religion and will generate false interpretations of religion based on foreign concepts. Such a development has the potential to cause serious problems at the global level.

Muslims believe that Islam is a perfected system of worship and ethics, and a spiritual journey leading to Paradise and eternal bliss. Muslims also believe that Islam lays out guidelines for solving individual, filial, economic, administrative, and social problems. It is not fair to ignore these qualities, which can contribute to social peace and security, as well as to dialogue and understanding among nations. Islam – despite Muslims’ shortcomings in its practice – is a universal faith of perfection and excellence, and undoubtedly one of its most significant aspects is that it recognizes the religions of truth and Prophets of the past. Islam refers to members of all the religions of truth as the “People of the Book”; not only did Islam recognize members of other religions, but also immediately implemented regulations in terms of safeguarding their rights. Since the very beginning, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, treated members of other religions with extreme tolerance. He was very delicate regarding this matter, and constantly encouraged his followers to behave in the same manner, calling upon them to be a nation that would be an example to others. Muslims always complied with this appeal, and, with the exception of the harsh and fanatical stances of certain illiberal, inhumane individuals during certain periods, have to a large extent acted with tolerance. The Qur’an clearly defines how Muslims should behave: “There is no compulsion in the religion. The right way stands there clearly distinguished from the false…” (Al-Baqarah 2:256).

“There is no compulsion in religion” refers to methods of reasoning while engaging with others. Some scholars even interpret the verse as meaning no aspect of religion can be forced on others. Thus, based on this commentary, religion can never rely on force; it is a matter of personal choice. As opposed to coercion, Islam has always pledged to protect others from oppression and ensured that every group could freely practice their chosen faith. Furthermore, Islam recognized oppression not only as disrespectful to the individual, but also to the spirit of religion; indeed, coercion or oppression is disrespectful to humans, for it infringes upon free will, which is what separates humankind from other creatures. It is also disrespectful towards religion, as faith is based upon sincerity, and a heart freely accepting faith. Belief and religious duties that are not recognized in the heart are not accepted. Indeed, just as belief imposed upon people with force or oppression is not faith, those who express such “faith” are not believers. If anything, such individuals are hypocrites, and the behavior and actions they perform in the name of religious duties are nothing but ostentation.

Religion is a source of prosperity and kindness. It is not an unpleasant thing that people can only accept by compulsion. In this respect, enforcing religion and religious issues rather than explaining the topic of faith in a civil manner may cause antipathy towards religion. In the very same section where the Qur’an prohibits compulsion, it also delineates the right path from the wrong based on the evidence through external and internal proofs, on the divine messages and legacy conveyed by God’s messengers, and on the teachings and guidance of faithful teachers.

Our predecessors who appreciated this used evidence and persuasive methods laid out by religion in an attempt to convey matters regarding faith and religion. They did not try to force others to join their faith, and everyone lived in accordance with their own faith. People were free to express themselves and never encountered any juridical or administrative problems. Amidst this atmosphere of tolerance, no one was subjected to any kind of oppression with regards to freedom of belief. People were not expelled from their homes or countries, or tried by the courts. People followed the religion of their choice, and were under constant protection on the condition that they abided by their pledge and fulfilled their responsibilities as citizens. Those who broke their pledge and did not fulfill their duties as citizens, who attempted to divide and destroy the nation, who openly rebelled against the legitimate rule and committed terrorist attacks, or who oppressed others, were punished according to their crimes. Peace was upheld.

In the Islamic faith, not only did Muslims act in this manner regarding freedom of faith and conscience, they did not also try to coerce people regarding worship or social relations. In fact, even during times of conflict, Islam granted the right of residence to those who agreed to pay the prescribed taxes, and never intervened in another group’s beliefs or religious practices. As for those who persisted in fighting against the Muslims, following their defeat, they were also granted civil rights in return for taxes, and were left to question their own actions. In addition, Islam enforced the same rules for those who were defeated in battle as those who voluntarily came and asked for the protection of the state, and everyone was allowed to benefit from all the privileges of citizenship, on the condition that they would cause no harm to the state or its citizens.

This immense tolerance displayed by Islam in the name of the freedom of belief and conscience is by no means limited to those who sought refuge in its guardianship alone; Islam has constantly guarded the same values throughout the world. It came to the aid of the aggrieved, helped the oppressed, supported those who fell, and continuously enforced the truth. Islam has opposed the oppression of souls everywhere it has reached, and prepared the foundation for the voluntary acceptance of faith in people’s hearts. By virtue of this agreement, it has prevented the people from being forced into following a religion, philosophy, or ideology against their own will, and whenever possible prevented all kinds of oppression. Wherever it has been, Islam has secured the public peace and tranquility among a vast body of various communities, and stimulated respect for the principle messages of all the Prophets.

Islam places a high priority on freedom of conscience and faith due to its history. The rightly guided caliphs gave great importance to freedom of conscience, and since it was granted to minorities during the period of the Prophet, they enforced it with the utmost sensitivity. In later periods, this practice was maintained without any changes or deviations. From the periods of the Umayyads and Abbasids, to the eras of light, and to the Ottoman period – with few exceptions – all Muslim administrations granted minorities the right to practice religion, perform religious rituals, and educate their children as they wished. Minorities were also free to assemble and join various foundations and societies in efforts to maintain their cultures. They could restore their old places of worship and construct new ones, and nothing was demanded from them in return, except that they abide by the general laws and regulations of the country.

In the context of their age, the Umayyads and Abbasids from Damascus, the Andalusian Muslims, and the Ottomans can all be classified as a model in this respect. Paving the way for the Renaissance, they introduced the West to many things in terms of knowledge and insight; they not only fulfilled their duties of faith, but also did not interfere with the beliefs or cultures of others, and for centuries displayed an exemplary form of administrative conduct. But unfortunately, following the destruction of their states, they were slaughtered, and none were granted the right to remain in the region. Their people had to go through invasions, colonization, interventions, embargos, and oppression, in terms of freedom of faith and conscience.

I believe that all of these constitute, and will continue to constitute, a good example of the stance of past civilizations in terms of the freedom of faith and conscience. I am aware that, in the interest of dialogue, we should not inflame passions, but I also believe that while pointing out problems it is also important to emphasize the good aspects of our past. This is especially important today, since oppression continues. Although I am not certain that cautioning against such behavior will awaken the local and international oppressors to their mistakes, I certainly have no doubt that responding to them in this manner is a duty incumbent upon us all.

The conference was sponsored by the Fethullah Gülen Chair at Catholic University in Leuven (gulenchair.com) and Dialogue Platform in Brussels – one of countless think-tanks around the world established by Turkish Muslims inspired by Gülen.  Speakers and participants came from 75 different countries.  Most were Muslims, but there were a few secularists, Roman Catholics, and Protestants (like me).
Gunnar Staalset, Bishop Emeritus of Norway and Honorary President of Religions for Peace, was among the opening speakers.  He stressed the common challenges of interpretation facing Christians and Muslims, and urged conference participants to forge a counter-narrative to “violent extremism.” As examples of elements in such a counter-narrative, Staalset highlighted the Turkish ideal of hoshgoru—usually translated as “tolerance,” and an important theme in the writings of Gülen, and the recent Marrakesh Declaration on the Rights of Religious Minorities in Muslim Majority Nations.  
The morning’s keynoter, Professor Rik Coolsaet of Ghent University, contested Staalset’s emphasis on narrative, a bit.  His point was that all “violent extremism” is local and contextual.  We must acknowledge and address the material and economic drivers of violence in diverse contexts, he argued.    

This tension between theory and practice, theology and social structure, narrative and material reality stretched throughout the two-day event—and of course played out personally in whether or not I accepted my invitation to Molenbeek. A session on “working with Muslim women to counter violent extremism” focused on Moroccan and Egyptian cases, with Prof. Maryam Aid Ahmad of Ibn Tufayl University in Morocco and Prof. Hoda Mahmoud Darwish of Zagazik University in Egypt as presenters.

My own talk highlighted “engaged empathy” and peacebuilding within and across Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions, notably in practices of teshuva, metanoia, and tawba—all usually translated as “repentance” (it was Lent, after all) and in the work of individuals such as Rabbi Jonathan Sacks in the UK, Leymah Gbowee in Liberia, and Gülen.
Some of the remarkable diversity within Islam—always a bit surprising to Americans bombarded with monolithic stereotypes of the faith, was evident.  The subtopic for the conference was “Mujahada (Jihad) and Muslims’ Responsibility,” and multiple presentations from Asian, Middle Eastern, African, and European scholars differentiated the greater jihad of struggle to obey God and against the ego from the “lesser” jihad of defensive warfare.  There was unequivocal condemnation of terror attacks as contrary to Islam.  But Professor Muhammad Ibrahim al-Saidi of Umm al-Qura University in Saudi Arabia turned the subtopic on its head, so to speak, by offering a “presentation” that quoted largely without comment or context passages from Torah and the Gospels that overtly recommend bloodshed and even genocide.  As Catholic scholar of Islam Scott Alexander put it on Facebook:

“I finally know how Muslims feel in the face of Islamophobic proof texting of their sacred texts. I finally know how it feels to have my own sacred scriptures ripped from their textual and interpretative context, frequently misquoted, … and glibly associated with the very real atrocities committed in the name of my faith.” 
Professor al-Saidi did end with a passage nodding toward the peace witness in Christianity, but his point was unmistakable:  the problem of religious violence is hardly unique to Muslims.
~
Inspired and encouraged by my fellow speakers, I went to Molenbeek.  No jihadi jumped me.  In fact, I had a lovely lunch at a Thai restaurant in the central plaza of the municipality with Manzoor, who is the first female Pakistani elected official in Brussels, and  Erdem Koç—a former resident of Molenbeek who is now working for Dialogue Platform.  We discussed Manzoor’s experiences with racism, and her vision to organize a “Neighbors Day” for the municipality.  We then we visited the nearby “service restaurant,” which Americans would recognize as a soup kitchen. 
As we walked to the mayor’s office, a group of schoolchildren walked past, holding hands and singing.  I snapped a picture. 
“Yes, that’s Molenbeek,” Manzoor affirmed.

Over coffee, Mayor Schepmans described a little of Molenbeek’s history and context for me.  As a former Midwesterner, it sounded awfully familiar.  As Turks, Senegalese, and Moroccans moved into the neighborhood for work, beginning in the 1970s, native Belgians moved out.  Industries followed.  Jobs dried up.  Religion replaced ethnic origin as a source of identity.  Mosques blossomed, but crime also grew. 
I tried to suggest that similar dynamics, with similar easy associations divorced from actual causes and effects, once marked immigration in America.  The church has been a refuge and way-station for Norwegian Lutherans and Italian Catholics, among many others, on the way to becoming Americans.  Now mosques might be playing similar roles in Europe.  But Schepmans worried that “there is no European identity.”  She may be right.  Time will tell.  And as people search for identity as strangers in strange lands, narratives will no doubt matter. The stories we tell each other can reflect both our worst fears and projections, and the better angels of our nature, as Abraham Lincoln first put it.   

On my last night in Brussels, I shared dinner and caught up with Sevgi Akarcesme, former Editor-in-Chief of Today’s Zaman in Turkey, and now a “journalist-in-exile.” The week before, the government seized her newspaper with a blast of teargas and a phalanx of riot police. It was an effort to silence dissent.  I was glad she was safe.  But her fragile status as a peacebuilder on the “front lines” gave me pause.  Overall, the conference was heartening:  I renewed friendships, gained some new friends and insights, and had reinforced my conviction that the vast majority of people of faith – especially Muslims – around the globe want to draw from the deep wells of our spiritual traditions to foster peace.  But as I walked past the Belgian militia with assault rifles in the airport; and as I read the stories about the rise of right-wing nationalists across Europe; and as I learned that Donald Trump had won more Republican primaries in the U.S., it became crystal clear to me:  what happens in Molenbeek will matter in Milwaukee.
~
Five days after my departure from Brussels, I watched the news with horror as three bombs killed 35 and wounded hundreds in simultaneous terrorist attacks at the Brussels Airport and a metro station.  I tweeted my new friends Shazia and Erdem (who works in security at the airport) and was relieved to hear that they were both unharmed.
But we all felt the collective moral injury.  The challenge terrorism poses is the temptation to react to evil by mirroring the fear, ignorance, and hatred that stokes it.  Our great traditions counsel patience for a reason.  As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s teacher, Howard Thurman famously said:  “The moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” 
Those of us gathered at our conference on “Countering Violent Extremism” share a commitment to the long and patient struggle on a nonviolent path toward greater justice and peace.  We don’t draw the attention that a few criminals can attract.  But faith is on our side.  Hope is on our side.  Numbers are on our side.  So even as we continue to grieve for those lost to terrorism and warfare around the planet, we still witness springtime come with all of its fragrant and colorful glory across the northern hemisphere, including in Milwaukee and in Molenbeek.  And I am reminded of the inspiring vision of Fethullah Gülen, of a spiritual and social “springtime [that] will rise on the foundations of love, compassion, mercy, dialogue, acceptance of others, mutual respect, justice and rights….  No matter what happens, the world will come to this path sooner or later.  Nobody can prevent this”  (Toward a Global Civilization of Love and Tolerance, p. 232).

With global climate change a serious threat to human existence, saving energy is of crucial importance. Air resistance – or “drag” – is the main force that causes fuel waste. The most important factor in drag is the “drag coefficient,” which is mostly dependent upon the shape of a given object. Objects whose shapes do not sharply contrast the air’s flow lines, and which render the changes in flow lines regular, have lower drag coefficients. In all creatures that move quickly through the air and water, their bodies are perfectly designed to keep their drag coefficients low.  Unfortunately, research into these designs is just beginning. Scientists are just starting to study the geometries of certain creatures, in an effort to utilize their shapes to design more efficient vehicles. 

The white, or Beluga, whale, has a perfect shape to facilitate its movements in water. Its beaky mouth and characteristic blunt head decrease drag, in spite of its bulky body.

In 1994, Airbus designed a cargo plane to carry very large cargos. As a cargo plane requires an ample interior, it also needs the right design to lower air resistance. In its design, Airbus imitated Beluga whales, which are both very large – and very aerodynamic. As such, the plane became known as the Airbus Beluga. In a major departure from normal plane design, a wider fuselage section, which resembles a bubble or hump, was added to the top of the Beluga. This extra space allows the plane to carry very large loads, such as helicopters, satellites, and plane wings. The plane, which weighs 86 tons when empty, has the capacity to carry loads up to 47 tons.

The Columbus Satellite, being sent from Germany to Nasa, in Florida.

The plane has been so successful that in order to meet increased demand, the company is planning to build a similar but larger plane, the Beluga XL.

The protuberances on the head and flips of a humpback whale.

In addition to the hump of the Beluga whale, designers have discovered that the rounded fins and heads of humpback whales provide a 10% decrease in drag, and a 5% increase in buoyancy (figure 4). They’ve incorporated these features into the design of next-generation helicopter blades. When a helicopter flies, the blade that spins forward is faster than the blade spinning backward. This situation causes the blade moving backward to temporarily lose lift. Together with turbulence, an extra load is brought to the rotor and the controlling rod, and this decreases the speed and maneuvering ability of the helicopter. In order to solve the problem, the back blade needs to be improved. Humpback whales inspired the solution. German aviation researchers placed 186 rubber protuberances, 6mm in width, on each blade. After good results from wind tunnel experiments, they made test flights and obtained recognizable enhancements in performance. 

Thanks to the protuberances, the working angle of the propellers increased from 11 degrees to 17 degrees, and the performance increased 40% (figure 5).

Researchers witnessed a similar increase in performance when using the same principles for hydraulic wind turbines.

These are just a few examples of what seem like simple, overlooked qualities in nature that can actually inspire engineers, leading to major technological breakthroughs. We would all benefit from more scientists conducting research on this topic. The wondrous perfection of living creatures allows aircrafts – and our spirits – to soar to new heights. 

When designing the next generation of planes, engineers would be wise to look to the sea, where whales offer up a perfect blueprint for decreasing drag and increasing performance.

References

• http://www.gizmag.com/humpback-whales-rotor-blades/21332/
• F. E. Fish, P. W. Weber, M. M. Murray, L. E. Howle, The Tubercles on Humpback Whales’ Flippers: Application of Bio-Inspired Technology, Integrative and Comparative Biology 51 (1), 203-213, 2011.
• T. Gruber, M. M. Murray, D. W. Fredriksson, Effect of Humpback Whale Inspired Tubercles on Marine Tidal Turbine Blades, ASME Paper No. IMECE2011-65436, 851-857, 2011, doi:10.1115/IMECE2011-65436

ICT has facilitated numerous new forms of educational platforms, technologies, programs, and projects. MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) is a new terminology that has been added to our dictionary. MOOC is an online course provided through a website, and which is open to a large number of students. Besides providing study aids like lecture videos, reading materials, and problem sets, it has interactive user forums to enable students to share and learn from each other.

Coursera is a successful MOOC platform which was only launched in April 2012. As of today, it has more than 5 million students registered worldwide. Coursera has signed collaborations with 108 leading universities – not only from the USA, but also from China, the UK, Singapore, etc. It offers more than 640 courses in various disciplines, including management, computer sciences, arts, education, social sciences,  and more.

Coursera states that its vision is “a future where everyone has access to a world-class education that has so far been available to a select few. We aim to empower people with education that will improve their lives, the lives of their families, and the communities they live in.”

Under the Global Translation Partners Program, Coursera is partnering with translation companies, non-profits, philanthropic organizations, corporations, and universities from around the world to translate courses into other languages. This will enable non-English speaking citizens to benefit from these courses. At present, complete lectures of selected courses are translated into Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Kazakh, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish, and Ukrainian.

Another successful MOOC project is edX, which also offers various courses for free. Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the two world leaders in higher education, have come together to develop this free online educational project. This initiative intends to educate 1 billion students.

The calls for free education are growing louder. Today in the US, the outstanding total student loan debt amounts to 1 trillion dollars, which is higher than both auto loan and credit card loan debt. More than 37 million US citizens are indebted with student loans. Some people will be paying off their education until the day they die. Even though there are a good number of community colleges which offer economic programs, many students opt to secure mainstream degrees in reputed colleges, despite the cost. The MOOCs that provide courses free of charge could revolutionize the way people are educated. In terms of real learning experience and exposure, the virtual system is no match for the conventional physical environment. But since human resources are limited, online courses can be valuable to a wide range of target groups. This new trend could bring a lot of socio-economic benefit to marginalized groups. Here are some economic values of free courses for both students and institutions:

1. Opportunity – This is probably the most important benefit of online learning. The student will be enabled to continue his or her day-to-day job and family duties while also pursuing an educational program. Our life is full of opportunities as well as duties; when we start having more duties, we start to sacrifice opportunities. If a person gets married, thinking about a full time Master’s degree becomes challenging. But engaging in online courses reduces this gap, putting forward a wide range of new prospects by bringing down the costs of opportunity.
2. Skill development – As our technology develops, new jobs are created – and these jobs require new skills. Acquiring knowledge from these classes will prepare students to be part of a changing workforce. There are classes available in mobile programming, web technologies, digital marketing, portfolio management, etc.
3. Flexibility – This is one of the distinct characteristics of online learning. Depending on availability, the student can easily track the lectures as he or she wishes. The examination and assignment pattern can be built around the student’s schedule.
4. Overcoming distance – Students can take courses and learn from the comfort of their own home. Students can even take classes from foreign universities. Imagine the costs of traveling to a foreign country! Now, the foreign country can come to you.
5. Saving time – “Time is money.” Online learning reduces the vast amount of time – and money – that is often spent acquiring knowledge. The student won’t need to commute to class, or miss school for an important work meeting. This is not only time saved, but earned. The student can study during holidays and other free time.    
6. Saving miscellaneous expenses – An online course eliminates petty expenses, such as transportation costs, lunch, books, and study materials. These small expenses create an added economic weight for students in a conventional educational environment. For people struggling financially, these seemingly “minor” costs can add up quickly.
7. Career shifts – Free classes are great for someone who feels stuck in their career. They can acquire the new skills necessary for a career shift.
8. No age limit – As people get older, it becomes harder to find the time for an education. They have responsibilities – whether financial, professional, or filial – that prevent them from taking classes. MOOCs enable older students to learn on their own schedules.
9. Taking rare courses – MOOCs enable students to enroll in rare courses. Not all colleges offer courses in Energy, Critical Thinking, or Designing Cities. Coursera offers a wide range of interesting multidisciplinary courses. Having access to such diverse fields of study is exciting for students.
10. Employment – MOOC platforms are also developing partnerships with HR representative at major companies, creating employment opportunities. Good students can be connected with good jobs.
11. Branding – Higher educational institutions collaborating with these MOOC platforms are also marketing themselves. Thousands of students are getting acquainted with these institutions through their eminent professors – and in turn, the students are realizing these are the best learning institutions in the world.
12. Virtual Infrastructure – Conventional institutions have spent millions of dollars for physical infrastructure, including buildings, libraries, laboratories, sports and recreational centers, etc. For online courses, the universities have to acquire technology to build virtual infrastructure. The basic physical infrastructure will be able to cater to thousands of students, as lectures from limited physical classrooms will be broadcast to thousands online.
13. Recorded lectures – When an institution records lectures delivered by professors, these recordings will remain an asset for the institution. These recorded lectures can be accessed at any time.
14. Vast number of enrolled students – The conventional classroom can accommodate a limited number of students. In virtual classrooms, thousands of students can follow an online lecture.

Conclusion

We have not discussed the shortcomings of MOOCs, as our focus is on bringing attention to the possibilities of this platform. The way we learn is changing, and these changes present real opportunities. It is probably too early to calculate the return on investment from MOOCs, as the technology is still developing and is not yet widespread. But the early returns suggest that these kinds of programs will have real economic and social benefits for both students and institutions.

Religion is still profoundly embedded into today’s contemporary, postmodern, and secular society. A major facet of this intermingling between religion and society is the way individuals communicate with society as a whole, via their religious rituals and myths. Though myth is not entirely scientific, it is undoubtedly one of the best instruments for revealing the oftentimes hidden and complex meanings of religious beliefs, tenets, creeds, and principles. Thus, I would like to clarify the ambiguity and different connotations of myth for present-day readers. While myth in common parlance has come to mean “what is not true,” religious and academic connotations are quite a different story.

The English word myth comes from the Greek muthos, meaning “word” or “speech.” It owes its significance to its contrast with logos, which can also be translated as “word,” but is used especially in the sense of a word that elicits discussion or an argument. Muthos in its meaning of “myth” describes a story about gods and superhuman beings.

A myth is an expression of the sacred in words: it reports realities and events from the origin of the world that remain valid as the basis and purpose of all there is. Consequently, a myth functions as a model for human activity, society, wisdom, and knowledge. (Gale Encyclopedia of Religion, Vol. 9)

This aforementioned definition of myth serves us well and points to several aspects of a myth. For instance, the story of Abel and Cain is a wonderful description of the horror, terror, and disgust of murder, as well as the evil of envy. As the story well illustrates, both Abel and Cain were supposed to sacrifice something of their most beloved to God. One did so wholeheartedly (Abel), while the other did not (Cain). Eventually, God accepted the sacrifice Abel made (since it was sincere), but rejected the half-hearted sacrifice of Cain, which made him very jealous of his own beloved brother. Then, in spite of his brother’s heartfelt efforts to help him repent his sin, his deeply felt envy caused him to murder in the name of evil. Thus, this myth perfectly portrays a model for us to adapt in order to refrain from vicious and destructive acts like murder and envy. It becomes a timeless paradigm of a human action that, no matter how unrealistic it may be, can still guide individuals to good by illuminating life’s deeper meanings. Even if such a story never happened, it would still function as an outstanding model for those who want to understand the perils of envy.

Furthermore, the story of Prophet Adam and Eve, and their corruption by Satan, has a very pertinent meaning and message. As the myth goes, Satan was an obedient servant of God, who even temporarily led almost all the angels in the name of the order of the universe. But when God willed and created Adam out of clay and infused into him His word (spirit), and then decreed all the others to prostrate before Adam, Satan did not comply. After that, even though Satan had the opportunity to show regret for his disobedience before God, he insisted on his own mistake, an error that was ultimately greater than his previous mistake. Then, his infamous efforts to seduce both Adam and Eve to follow the very same way, caused Adam and Eve to commit the first sin, leading to the Fall. But soon after, Adam and Eve realized their rebellion against the decree of God and earnestly repented. While Satan could not admit his own mistake, Adam and Eve were able to humbly repent. This led to them, in spite of the Fall, rising above even the great angels in attitude and character.

One can find a lot about the nature of human beings in this myth. For example:

1. We are prone to mistakes – that is, we are not infallible. Therefore, we need to admit the fact that we can/will err. But what matters most here is our recognition of fallibility and our efforts to rectify the mistakes we make.
2. Some beings are not obedient to humans
3. Human beings are composed of both physical and metaphysical aspects. (God created man out of clay and instilled His word/spirit to this clay-made physical body).
4. Repentance is the only way to redemption.

As illustrated above, these myths can serve good examples of ideals, paradigms, and models for human beings. As a matter of fact, together with parables and other symbolic languages like metaphors, myths build a splendid essential bridge between the addressees of religion and the scientifically incommunicable realities of religion.

As for ritual, though it might seem easier to define compared to myth, in religious studies it is rather troublesome to thoroughly describe what ritual is. While some famous scholars like Edmund Leach maintained that the term ritual should be applied to all culturally defined sets of behavior (the symbolic dimension of human behavior as such), others like Otto and Eliade argued that ritual arises from, and celebrates the encounter with, the “numinous” or “sacred” (Gale Encyclopedia of Religion, Vol. 9). Still others, like Robertson Smith and Emile Durkheim, have presented ritual as the very heart and soul of religion, and put more emphasis on ritual than myth. As Durkheim contended, “Societies image themselves in their ritual symbols and the sacred is the essential social idea” (Gale Encyclopedia of Religion, Vol. 9).

Having admitted the difficulty in defining ritual, I would like to pay attention to its simple definition according to James Livingston:

Ritual can be defined as an agreed-on and formalized pattern of ceremonial movements and verbal expressions carried out in a sacred context.

Of the several dimensions of the definition above, I want to underline the fact that for a ritual to be qualified as religious, it should be carried out in a sacred context. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have any taste of religion; it would rather be a mere formalized systematic model of ceremony or verbal expression. Therefore, not every ritual is a religious ritual in the sense that it does not carry the meaning of the encounter with the sacred or the numinous.

The role ritual plays in religion is of the lofty consideration in religious life. While Aristotle held, “We are what we repeatedly do,” Kant argued that the ultimate truth cannot be known just through theoretical cognitive research; it must be internalized by means of habitual repetition of some formalized patterns of behavior or verbal expressions – in other words, ritual conceptualization or communication (he called it the “practical mind” in critique of pure reason). 

Religious ritual is a crucial part of holding the members of a society together (the idea of “we” interdependence, rather than “me only” independence), and maintaining the continuity and congruity of the social body or organism. As some scholars reason, three individuals (1+1+1=3) are equal to 3 in mathematics, yet in a society of three individuals held together by the invisible but practical bond of ritual, the sum is not three, but 111. [When three individuals line up next to each other and have a complete consensus and synergy about the purposes of their society socially add up to almost 111.]

Ritual unquestionably serves many significant psychological and social functions. For example, through religious rites and rituals, individuals can cherish an opportunity to synchronize one’s own ideas and emotions with those of others. Moreover, social togetherness via rituals is most likely the best remedy for individual anxiety and selfishness, as the maxim “it takes the whole village to raise a child” depicts. Rituals can also cure some social tensions, whether they are due to uneven distribution of wealth and material resources, or apparent injustice because of allocation of social status. For example, a janitor in a faithful society can stand side by side with a President while praying before God in a mosque or a church. The two of them are equal in the sight of God. Rituals are also the best means for the realization and application of the archetypal patterns made manifest in myths and other symbolic languages like parables and metaphors. Therefore, rituals serve as “the practical mind” for the adherents of a religion, allowing them to embed the sophisticated meanings communicated in the sacred scriptures and myths. Ritual is to religion, what light is to the act of seeing – indispensable. Rituals keep faith alive.

In regard to the interconnectedness of ritual and myth, they are like two facets of one reality, implementing one another’s functions and meanings. Neither ritual nor myth is superior; each has its own peculiar role and functions in religion. I would describe ritual as the realized and applied perception of religious myths and sacred scriptures. For this reason, neither myth nor ritual can exist on its own. While myth presents perfect archetypes and paradigms of the doctrinal system of religion (the theoretical mind), rituals function as conducive platforms to realize what the theoretical mind puts forward, by means of systematic repetition (the practical mind). Together, they form a united reality of both the theoretical and practical mind of religion. As the great Rumi contended about the vital importance of practicing religious tenets and beliefs through rituals, “We either appear as we are or we become as we appear.”

In conclusion, ritual and myth are two angelic wings of the same heavenly system of religion. For the modern students of world religions, both serve as celestial lifts or launchers that can enable the believers to pass beyond the boundaries of this three-dimensional realm and enjoy the sacred bliss on the opposite shore of existence, the transcendent realm: the experience of encountering the numinous. A religion functions best when it has these two angelic wings – myth, the theoretical mind, and ritual, the practical mind.

References

• Gale Encyclopedia of Religion, 2nd Ed.
• Livingston, James C. 2008. Anatomy of the Sacred: An Introduction to Religion, 5th Ed. Pearson.
• McAuliffe, Jane Dammen. Encyclopedia of Qur’an.
• Pals, Daniel L. 2006. Eight Theories of Religion, 2nd Ed., Oxford University Press.
• Pals, Daniel L. 2008. Introducing Religion: Readings from the Classic Theorists, Oxford University Press.

Regarding someone who is responsible for administering and governing others, there is a great difference between his bearing the responsibility of the duty he carries out and seeing his field of responsibility as his personal property. However, this fact is unfortunately ignored and abused by many. When people responsible for others do not follow the righteous path of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, and the Rightly Guided Caliphs, may God be pleased with them, when they do not see themselves as trustees in the position they occupy but as the owners of that place, it means that they have begun to pave the way that leads to tyranny.

Lay the blame on yourself Essential to being protected from such a danger is for people in power to be self-critical and take personal responsibility for any negativity that occurs related to their area of responsibility. The attitude of Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, is a perfect example for us in this respect. Within the ten-year period he served as caliph, there were glorious conquests. Despite being such a great state leader, during a time of famine, he prostrated himself among some ruins and beseeched God Almighty, asking Him not to destroy people because of his sins. Similarly, people in leadership positions must firstly hold themselves accountable for arising negativities, failures and breakdowns; they must constantly beseech God and strive their best to solve problems.

The devoted souls who keep endeavoring for the good of humanity in order to pour the inspirations of their soul into the needy hearts might occasionally encounter problems while fulfilling their responsibilities. For example, God Almighty blesses them with certain accomplishments to gain people’s appreciation. On seeing these accomplishments, some people with weak characters might desire to appear within the same frame as those devoted souls. Consequently, when those who are motivated by personal gain are not able to find what they expected, they might resort to all kinds of evil including slander and libel. God Almighty will surely bring to account those who commit such evil. However, those who are in charge where this problem is experienced must say, “I wonder what kind of wrong I committed that led us to experience such a misfortune?” and bring himself to account first of all.

Do Not Lay Claim to Achievements When people in leadership positions do not engage in self-criticism and self-supervision they do not want to admit any fault, even for the problems that are directly due to their own wrong decisions, and therefore they keep accusing and laying the blame on others. When the wrongs and mistakes are highlighted, they perceive it as a threat to themselves and wish to silence those who highlight them. In short, they become tyrannical. Leaders who lay personal claim to achievements that have been granted by God Almighty as a result of concerted efforts from society will become deluded into thinking that everything begins and ends with their own person. This delusion of seeing themselves as the beginning and end is actually an implication of claiming to be a deity. The grim end of a person who dares to make such a claim is stated as follows in one Prophetic tradition (hadith qudsi): (God Almighty says) “Pride is My cloak and greatness My robe, and whoever competes with Me with regard to either of them, I shall throw him into Hell.”[1] A person who sees himself as great and thus takes pride in it will be considered to have attempted to be a partner with God regarding these attributes. The Almighty Lord gives the warning that He will throw such a person into Hell.

Collective reason and favorers of consultation In fact, as nothing has begun with our person, nothing will end with our person either. On the contrary, deeds we attribute to ourselves will yield no fruit; whereas deeds carried out far from egotism and self-importance will not be irrelevant or fruitless. This is how a person should always see himself and the services for which God employs him. Instead of acting as one person, and always thinking he alone is the best person to make a decision, one should value collective reason and never take an indifferent attitude toward the mechanism of consultation. When one sees that he cannot fulfill his responsibility properly, he should know to step down righteously and easily say: “With regard to my position, I am trying to develop the feeling of concord and unity in people, and inviting Divine help by trying to reconcile their hearts. If I am not giving my position its due, not achieving practical aims and if I cannot be convincing with my manner and behaviors, then you can take me from this duty and assign me to a lesser one.” The feelings and thoughts of those who claim to have dedicated themselves to the path of truth and for the good of the people should be thus.

No worldly or otherworldly expectations The devoted souls should not have any worldly or otherworldly expectations for the duties they carry out. Desires such as achieving high ranks, acquiring different titles or being the center of attention must never settle in their hearts. Continually seeking higher worldly positions in a greedy fashion is an indication of pride and conceitedness. However, it is very difficult for conceited people to act in a balanced way regarding this issue, to give their position its due and to become aware of their responsibilities; for they see themselves as the same as Atlas, supporting the world. They think that when they recede from duty, it will mean inevitable disaster for the world. This is nothing but gross misguidedness and deviance.

Most of the principles Bediüzzaman gives in his chapters, “On Sincerity and Brotherhood” are golden criteria related to this issue. Complying with them is very important in terms of preventing such deviations. For example, he advises preferring being a follower to being a leader, which brings responsibility and is therefore risky. Namely, a person should prefer following a person who is eligible for a certain position rather than becoming the leader of others, which entails responsibility, danger and risk.[2] For example, imagine that a group of Muslims is going to observe congregational Prayer somewhere. One should not be eager to be the imam to lead the Prayer, but should withdraw to the side and know to pray behind someone else. Unless one is accepted by others as eligible and is offered the position, one should not even wish to be the muezzin, but rather should leave this duty to another. If such cautiousness is observed about issues such as leading the Prayer or delivering a speech somewhere, this quality will be ingrained in individuals’ hearts and become a character trait in them. If people can manage to withdraw in this way into the depth of their character, they will not seek to become tyrants and will not adopt despotic attitudes.

Humble people who avoid esteem and applause It is narrated that after returning to the palace triumphantly, the great Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent had his bed made up in the corridor in order to challenge his ego and not let it become arrogant. Likewise, when the blessed Sultan Selim I returned from his campaigns in the Middle East, he did not directly go to the palace but waited in Uskudar until midnight. When the people were sleeping in their homes, he quietly went to the palace in order to avoid the people’s praise and applause.

Spiritual nourishment should not be neglected So, it is very important for people who have dedicated themselves to serving faith and humanity to undergo such edification right from the beginning. A person should not become a minor tyrant when responsible for a small sphere so that when his responsibility grows he will not assume himself to be sovereign of the world, pursuing impossible projects, oppressing people and taking no advice in the case of failing at all of these. On the contrary, he should believe that positive results are only realized with God’s permission and grace; he should not forget that he is merely an apparent minor cause and should humbly know his place no matter what position he occupies.

For this reason, in terms of administrative positions from the lowest to the highest, nobody should be neglected in terms of spiritual nourishment within the frame of religious, humane and universal moral principles. Otherwise, people follow a path of misguidance that ruins them, causes them to lose the true friends and makes them fritter their life away in the narrow prison of their ego.

[1] Sahih Muslim, Birr, 136; Sunan Abu Dawud, Libas, 26.

[2] Nursi, Bediüzzaman Said, The Gleams, New Jersey: Tughra Books, 2008, p. 215.

The material aspects of Austria are also entirely evident. Other than a few shabby streets in the larger urban areas, there are no slums, no ghettos. Austria is home to the best water in the world, as well as some of the best medical services and surgeons. Austrians are tough minded and diligent. From a material point of view Austria has it all. Moreover, they probably donate more per capita to charity than any other nation in the world. Germany, of course, is much the same.

Above all, Austria is a tidy country of great beauty; like a gigantic golf course landscaped by a hand from above. Where else would a refugee wish to head for if not an earthly paradise?

When the United Nations decided to cut, by more than half, the funds needed to maintain its refugee camps in the Near East, its members were apparently unable to foresee the consequences. The more than fifty percent saved has now resulted in costs amounting to three or four times the supposed savings. With little hope of a decent existence, the refugees fled the camps, bound for Europe. Hundreds of thousands have come. In response, the politicians talk, and the tax payers groan. Without volunteers there would have been little chance of helping the refugees at all. But the challenge is not really about giving –  it is about how!

We added our names to the list of those offering accommodation and got caught up in a bureaucratic muddle to end all muddles. Our idea was to have a neat little family – one husband, one wife, one child. We were informed that personal wishes were not part of the deal, something we were bound to admit was fair enough.

It took about four weeks before a man from a refugee agency knocked at our door. He brought with him a young woman and two children from Afghanistan. The woman was an attractive 32-year-old; the children were lovely. The little boy, aged seven, was delicately serious. The little girl, aged three, was tiny, her face reminding me of a Burgundy grape. She was also a bundle of determination on two legs. Their father was still lost in a crowd of ten-thousand currently getting ousted from Hungary and being ushered, without ceremony, through Croatia and Slovenia. After four days we got a call that he was on his way to us and his arrival was about par for the course, which means nobody knows anything until it happens. He brought a ten-year-old boy with him. Romana and I had visions of collusion. We felt put upon (something we were to regret). Our house is not that big and already our ideal three persons had become four, and then five. It turned out that the ten-year-old boy was separated from his parents a full month prior. Our man had taken care of him as they trudged and bussed the last hundred miles to the Austrian border. Endless telephone calls finally located the boy’s parents, down-country at a camp near Klagenfurt, in Carinthia. A trip was made, and the boy was reunited with his parents.

As a writer living in Austria, I am bound to be writing about the current influx of refugees. I will be ashamed if I find myself attempting any sort of stylistic flourish; there is obviously no fun to be found in the matter. Mr. Hemingway’s reporting mode would be most appropriate. The winter is coming. They sleep on the earth, wrapped in a blanket. There is frost on the blanket at dawn. They shiver, waiting for the sun. This is what Mr. Hemingway called the “real” and “true,” given in a writing style that is no style at all.

But I can afford to be lighter now because our guest family has integrated with amazing speed and is doing well. Romana switched into high gear and got her network of lady friends into the deal. Stuff arrives daily. There are now more clothes than any family could reasonably need. We heard the funny story of our neighbor, Inga, informing her husband, Franz, that he needed a new anorak. This was news to Franz, but our man from Afghanistan got rigged out for the winter. The flow of cakes has accelerated, with no end in sight. Toys arrive for the children. I’m running around putting up shelves and rails to hang things on. Romana took on the paperwork and within a week the young boy, Milad, was attending school, going in stone-cold, without a word of German. The little girl, Setahesh, is now attending kindergarten. Their dad, Nazar, and mum, Shaima, are amazed at how things can change so quickly. They have asylum-request cards, but acceptance is by no means guaranteed. The cards bear their names and dates of birth. The family name is given incorrectly. Dates of birth are often unknown and guessed at. Many of those getting registered say, “1st of January,” and then add an approximate year. The paperwork seems somehow pointless, but the people do get a lot of government support.

These people are Shia Ismaili Muslims, of which Romana and I have not the slightest knowledge. It is enough to know that the Ismailis are persecuted by extremists. The horror stories about life in Afghanistan are sobering, indeed.

Everyday life at our house has been reduced to pure logic, when and where possible. Cultural differences are largely ignored. Shaima had a toothache and I was quick to point out that the pain is definitely the same the world over. We slowly instill the idea that there is little fun to be had at our house, but from here they can build their lives. Shaima is a sensational cook who, to my delight, uses tons of spice. Her meat is placed in the oven in onion water, which makes it wonderfully tender. Our meals are now sublime.

What has become evident is that we, Romana Madar and Lawrence Padar, have achieved the status of family chiefs. Seldom have we experienced such deference and seldom felt so grand. I get the feeling that I should be exercising gravitas. We are aware that families in Afghanistan are almost tribal, and run strictly on hierarchal lines. There is a distinct danger of Romana becoming a sort of ersatz tribal mum. Lord knows how I shall cope with such unaccustomed respect. Our own children, who are all grown up, keep a wary watch. They have, anyway, always considered us to be a bit daft.

Since Romana and I are retired we are all thrown together each day. Shaima speaks a little broken English, Nazar a bit of simple German. Finding a Quran on our shelves must have been baffling, not to mention my suddenly muttered “Allah” when I bang a knee. We have come to terms and get along well. Although we are Christians, our openness to Islam has helped.

We have adopted an Inshallah attitude. Trusting in God, in Life, in Anticipation.

“By the way,” Romana said the other night, “did you know that Shaima is pregnant?”

I sighed, stroking an imaginary beard.

Takagi R. et al. Bioengineering a 3D integumentary organ system from iPS cells using an in vivo transplantation model. Science Advances, April 2016.

Skin is the human body’s largest organ, weighing 3.6 kg and having a total area of 2 m2.  It acts as a waterproof shield against extreme temperatures, harmful chemicals, and infectious agents. Once skin is damaged beyond the ability of the body’s self-repair mechanisms, re-generation of patient-specific skin cells in lab conditions could be an essential tool used for successful skin grafts. Although there have been many methods developed to generate skin cells in lab conditions, none of these approaches gave rise to functional skin cells, complete with hair follicles and exocrine glands. In a recent study, scientists demonstrated the first lab-grown skin that contains hair follicles and sweat glands, making this skin akin to biological skin. Using a special cocktail of chemicals, scientists were able to first convert gum cells from mice into undifferentiated stem cells, then they directed these stem cells into mouse skin cells. Next, they grafted the artificial skin cells onto genetically modified hairless mice. The grafted skin cells ended up maturing into skin cells capable of growing hair, excreting oil, and connecting with the nerve and muscle cells of the test animals. Although these experiments were conducted only on mice, it still represents a leap of sophistication in the development of artificial skin. In the future, researchers hope that this technique will have applications for patients with serious burns, scars, or alopecia, and it could potentially be an alternative to animal testing for chemical products.

More Friends, Less Pain

Johnson KVA & Robin IM. Pain tolerance predicts human social network size. Scientific Reports, April 2016.

According to a recent study, people with large groups of friends have higher pain thresholds. In this study, scientists focused on the chemical endorphin, a major regulator of the brain’s pain and pleasure circuitry. Although these two senses seem like opposites, both are fundamentally reward behaviors, since we search for things that give us pleasure and avoid painful stimuli. Endorphins not only make us feel good, but also act as a pain reliever – one that is even stronger than morphine. Endorphins have also been shown to build and maintain social bonds.  Scientists hypothesized that if endorphins help social bonding, people with more friends would have a higher endorphin count – and thus, a higher pain threshold. The research team recruited 101 adults, aged between 18 and 34, and asked them to fill out a social network questionnaire, which asked how many people they contacted on a weekly or monthly basis. Next, researchers tested the participants’ pain tolerances through the wall sit test, in which participants had to squat against a wall with their knees at a 90 degree angle and to hold the pose as long as possible.  Interestingly, those with larger social networks showed significantly higher thresholds to pain. This study is one of many studies that linked social behavior and physical fitness. There has been a lot of evidence that suggests having an active social life and a bigger circle of friends can prevent depression, contribute to successful aging, and promote longevity. Our social lives are as critical to our overall health as our diets and exercise habits.

Three Potentially Habitable Planets Discovered

Gillon M et al. Temperate Earth-sized planets transiting a nearby ultracool dwarf star. Nature, May 2016.

The search for life on Earth-like planets beyond our solar system has been very active, thanks to new high-precision instruments and advanced analysis techniques. Scientists have discovered hundreds of terrestrial worlds over the past few years, including some that are the right distance from their host stars to contain liquid water. Astronomers have been investigating these habitable planets, and one research group, using the Transiting Planets and Planetesimals Small Telescope (TRAPPIST) at the La Silla Observatory in Chile’s Atacama Desert, recently discovered three Earth-like planets orbiting an ultracool dwarf star just 40 light-years from Earth. The planetary system is named TRAPPIST-1 and the three planets are designated TRAPPIST-1b, c, and d. These three planets orbit very close to the star, at 1-3% of the distance that Earth lies from the sun. A year on them passes in only 1.5-4.5 Earth days. They have sizes and temperatures similar to those of Venus and Earth, and are the most promising candidates found so far in the search for life outside our solar system. Scientists are already excited about further studying these planets in greater detail. They plan to use the Hubble space telescope to investigate whether the planets have their own atmospheres or not. If they do, analysis of the presence and proportions of water, carbon dioxide, and ozone in their atmospheres will shed light on the real possibility of “life” on these planets.