What stories are still there to be told? Everything in my life is on hold. Tomorrow is a big promise to behold; I’d rather speak of how I feel extremely cold or how, in just a few months I became so old. How did my memories fade into complete despair? That is definitely not fair!

I fled home for no reason, except staying would put me in danger. My status is unknown and I have no right to use a phone. Who will I call? Nobody is left at home.

I have given up standing with high respect to peep behind people’s necks; I’d rather disappear before anyone notices that I am here. Will I cross the sea in hopes of a better tomorrow, so that I might be able to see? Or will I stay to struggle and get sympathy?

How did my heart become so bold? Is it because of my neighbor who died in a boat? Because of the bomb that smashed everything on the road? I wish this was a dream or just one more bad thought.

I did not want to interrupt other people’s daily lives. I did not seek to be a burden about which everyone would speak. I wanted to help those in need rather than becoming the one who needs help, indeed. I wanted to celebrate the ‘Eid’ and have a nice photo with my friend Saed.

I am left alone with nothing to say except that my heart still beats anyway. Should I give up on having a real life or should I continue to strive? What are my best options? To live in distortion? Why did my smile go away? Where are my friends? I still want to play. I begged my dear uncle to stay, but he left the other day. My rainbow’s colors have turned black and grey, but all I can do is continue to pray. My only hope left is my mom, who is still okay.

I am not glad when my country’s on the news; it only means we have something more to lose. One more day apart, and I feel the aches reaping my heart. One more tear to hide. Let’s hope that everything is going to be alright: those are the words my mom says when trying to sweep our pain away. She struggles day after day; she deserves a nice holiday. I wish she knew I am by her side and that she is my only source of pride. I wish to bring her joy, for I am no longer a young boy.

I wish to tell the world that even the finest rose will not equal the beauty of Homs, or the tasty dish of kebbah I once ate in Aleppo, my home. I miss the mountains overlooking Latakia; and, oh Damascus, the capital of my beloved Syria!

Now I have a big responsibility; to be strong is no longer a choice. This is not an inspirational quote or wisdom I gained by reading a note. I lived a life that has given me lots of stories to be told; normal is no longer my favorite word. It is ironic how we cannot choose our world. We know we have rights, but who cares which of them has been applied? If you have not gone through my fight, how can I believe that you’re truly by my side? I am sorry but my mind is so occupied, I cannot sleep no matter how hard I have tried. I wish the facts could be clarified, and the ones responsible identified, so that peace may come upon those who died, and once and for all we can leave the painful past behind.

Far away from home and everything once known; going day by day, the promise of tomorrow still far away… The world is watching and the war has taken city after city; my people have lost their long standing durability. Everyone can sense our insecurity, our constant instability. We try to use the maximum of our abilities to live in decency and achieve a sense of serenity.

I am learning to live a new life, to adapt and pretend to be alive. I go to school and hide the misery inside my soul. I cannot pretend to be cool: if I tell a joke, would it make me look like a fool? I am scared to even come close to a pool, and I run away when someone is holding a sharp tool.

Thanks to my brother, who sent us some money; we were finally able to buy some honey. I know it sounds funny, but who believed we would not have a penny? My baby sister has become so skinny; she needs to be outside when it’s sunny. I do not want to become so whiny, but we have not heard from dad; he said he would search for a better destiny. Did he commit some sort of felony?! I miss being in his company – and the delicious cake he made with my favorite brownie.

Every now and then a stranger comes, and I get some toys and feel a new chapter might begin. The doctor who examines me is so chummy; he must have graduated from a famous academy. He always asks me questions about my family; he checks my tummy and thinks I’m funny. He tells my mom I am so bony, I should grow strong to be able to ride a pony. I think this is the same doctors’ monotony, but I can see my mom listening in agony. I hear her prayers and I secretly say, “Amin, she must be a hero from within.” She says he who waits longer will eventually win, and I believe her words because she does not sin.

Sometimes I look at the beauty of life, contemplating the splendor of the magnificent sunrise, and I let myself dream of winning a Nobel Prize. I want to teach future generations how to become wise, so that life does not take them by surprise. Our neighbor tells me I have dreams of a big size, and they might be very hard to realize. But this is truly what keeps me alive: how would I keep going otherwise?!

I still manage to smile. I have lots of things to be thankful for: I have a roof, a clean bed, and a lot more. I will not hide behind any door. If they steal my notebook, I will draw on a wall; if they take my pillow, I will sleep on the floor. But I will move forward because I have a lot to be looking for. This is not about me anymore; it’s about finally getting to a safe shore, and raising hope in a time of historical detour, to let people know that from our sour we have created the best velour!

My pen is heavy and my words are messy. Is the world I know gone already? Each day’s news carries a new tragedy, and our hearts have become full of melancholy. I switch my phone off to escape the painful reality, trying to find a safe haven in a world of duality. Some live it like a party, others suffer from vulnerability. It became hard to maintain our rationality; we need to live in solidarity, stand for true values and sincere morality.

We no longer need to suffer to understand what it would be really like. We all know what the world’s refugees have to fight, how their cause needs our efforts to be combined. It has been reaping our soul and mind, and there are no doors to stay behind. Their suffering increases each day and night, shredding families apart in plain sight, increasing the numbers of displaced people in the history of mankind. Despite all the rules created to abide, children are carried in the seaside, and we find their bodies within the tide. We lose them every day to that deadly ride, and we have become truly terrified because we all know it is not right; this very fact is hurting our pride. It has grown into a huge responsibility, shared worldwide.

I have written my words in sorrow and pain, but I hope I will not have to write them again. I will keep on dreaming that tomorrow things will not be the same, and peace will be easier to obtain. Many hardships are hard to explain, but every effort exerted will not go in vain. We have a lot to maintain, some happiness to spread in the air, and a lot of children to entertain. I will keep on dreaming, even if I have to pretend: who said dreams are meant to reach an end? I know it has been hard for you to blend; believe me, I wish I could give you a hand. Your cause is the greatest I would ever represent, and despite everything, I will never give up on you, my friend.

Note: This essay won honorable mention in The Fountain Essay Contest 2016 “I Am an Immigrant.”

Usually practiced as an ancient form of alternative medicine, and criticized by some scientists as pseudoscience, according to recent research, cupping may have possible useful effects in removing heavy metals from the body and on cardiac rhythm in terms of heart rate variability (HRV).

An earlier study also showed that wet cupping significantly reduced infarction. According to this paper, wet cupping therapy could help with recovery from strokes. The researchers had caused a stroke by tying up certain veins and then performed cupping on the animals. At the end of the study they examined the muscle layer of the heart that experienced the stroke and found that there was a significant reduction and recession in the area where heart muscle cells had died after the stroke. Equally interesting was the finding that the heart rhythm of the animals recovered after cupping.

“A recent animal study investigated the effects of wet cupping on hemodynamic variables, cardiac arrhythmias, and infarct size after myocardial ischemic reperfusion injury in male rats. Its results show that cupping did not change baseline heart rate or mean arterial blood pressure. Ischemic reperfusion injury caused an infarct size of 50%, whereas dry cupping and single and repeated wet cupping significantly reduced infarct size to 28%, 35%, and 22% of the area at risk, respectively. The rate of ischemia-induced arrhythmias was significantly modified by wet cupping.”

Wet cupping (hijama) – an ancient practice – is a form of alternative medicine that might be effective at treating certain medical conditions.

Another study [2] showed how the administration of cupping caused noticeable improvement in the heart rhythm of humans who’d suffered strokes. In this study, cupping therapy restored sympathovagal imbalances by stimulating the peripheral nervous system. Results showed “all HRV parameters increased after cupping therapy compared with before cupping therapy in healthy persons,” which indicates “for the first time in humans that cupping might be cardioprotective.”

Heavy metal poisoning

One problem facing humans is heavy metal poisoning. We take in poisons such as lead, mercury, cadmium, strontium, silver, and aluminum from the air, fruit and vegetables, and even seafood. Since no mechanism is available in the human body to break up and render harmless the metals, which are impossible for the kidneys to filter and discharge through urine, it is well established that an accumulation of heavy metals causes many illnesses, cancer among them, for which we do not even have a name.

The first phase of a study conducted by a team of researchers at Turgut Ozal University found that heavy metals were present at much higher levels – sometimes as much as nine-times higher – in the blood sucked by wet cupping than in the blood taken from the arm. This finding suggests that toxic heavy metals that cannot be broken up by the liver can be discharged from the body via cupping. Since the body cannot get rid of heavy metals through normal metabolic processes, it accumulates them in subcutaneous tissues connected to the lymphatic system, which we can call a “temporary bin.” The carrying capacity of the subcutaneous lymphatic system is limited, and heavy metals can damage vital organs in the long run, so their evacuation through wet cupping would cause considerable relief. In a nutshell, wet cupping may help the kidneys clean out the blood.

The wet cupping recommended by the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is called hijama, which is somewhat different than other traditional types of cupping. In the hijama, vacuuming is performed, and a period of two-three minutes passes as toxins accumulate under the skin in the vacuumed area. Then cuts are performed on the ensuing swelling and the cups are emptied two or three times until the blood clots. The initial vacuuming has the effect of anesthesia. Pain in hijama is minimal, which allows hijama to have a similar effect to acupuncture. It is thought that hijama not only cleans the blood, but also stimulates the nerves.

In hijama, the vacuum power of cupping helps form a kind of fluid barrier between the cells gathering under the skin before a cut is made. This means that the cut is made in the upper layer of the skin into the fluid underneath, preventing any damage to capillaries.

The Prophet recommends to have hijama twice a year even if one does not feel ill.

Some claim wet cupping is beneficial but then claim that it is unnecessary, as the same benefits could be gained by letting blood through the arm. This claim is refuted by the possibility that there is a higher concentration of heavy metals and oxidative toxins in the blood sucked via wet cupping. As stated above, wet cupping helps discharge not only blood but also the motionless fluids stuck between tissues.

Giving blood is both useful and can help save lives. In addition to giving blood, wet cupping may also be useful for many health issues. The studies cited in this article need to be further consolidated by more research and scientific proofs to be able to suggest cupping as a medical procedure. Though it has been shown to be effective at treating pain, researchers need to study its usefulness for more serious conditions.

It wasn’t always that way. Born in Zurich to Turkish parents, Kanter spent most of his childhood in Van, a lakeside city in Eastern Turkey. He played basketball for Samanyolu College in Ankara before being signed by Fenerbahce, one of the “big three” teams in Istanbul. When he moved to the USA, he broke Nike Hoop Summit records for field goal attempts, field goals made, and points scored, topping Dirk Nowitzki’s 12-year-old record. After being drafted by the Utah Jazz with the third pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015, where he later re-signed. We had this interview with him before he was recently traded to the New York Knicks.

Were it not for the political situation back in Turkey, Kanter may have had a solid but quiet NBA career. But on the night of July 15, 2016, Turkey was rocked by an attempted coup. He is a vocal member of the Hizmet movement, one of the largest educational social movements in the world, and that originated in Turkey. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan falsely blamed Mr. Fethullah Gülen, the Muslim cleric who inspired Hizmet, for the coup, and Kanter soon became persona non grata in his homeland. In May, when he was traveling to promote his Enes Kanter Light Foundation, which works primarily with children, he was denied entry into Romania. His passport had been canceled by the Turkish government, which claimed Kanter was a member of a terrorist organization.

Despite being labeled a terrorist by the Turkish government and being threatened with arrest if he returned to Turkey, Kanter has been unbowed in his criticisms of the Turkish government – and especially of President Erdogan. He has also continued to spend his summer practicing and working with children.

The Fountain caught up with Kanter at his youth basketball camp in Englewood, New Jersey. Over the course of three days, Kanter taught dozens of children basketball skills, but more importantly, he also taught them life skills. His interactions with the kids weren’t just genuine; he seemed more at ease with the kids than with the adults. He took a real joy in laughing and teaching them – and he also seemed to relish the impromptu games of one-on-one so many of the kids challenged him to. As kind as he was to the kids, he showed them no mercy on the court, continuing the proud NBA tradition of viciously rejecting any and all shots, no matter how young his opponent. Despite this, the kids were all smiles whenever Kanter joked with them or hopped into the middle of a drill.

Kanter was kind enough to talk with The Fountain about his work with kids, Hizmet, life as a Muslim in the NBA, and the political situation back in Turkey.

***

The Fountain: Playing in the NBA as a devout Muslim, what has that been like? Have players been curious? Have fans been supportive?

Enes Kanter: People definitely ask a lot of questions. Every step you take, people are watching. They’re wondering what’s going on. Especially my teammates, they ask questions almost every day. About everything you can think of. But one thing I’ve learned in America is if you want respect, you have to show respect. You can’t judge anybody. It doesn’t matter if they’re Christian, Jewish, atheist. You can’t judge them. Everybody has their own beliefs, and you have to respect them… We have a lot of dialogues with my teammates, some are Christian, Catholic, some don’t believe in God. But we have conversations. They ask me questions; I ask them questions. But one thing I love about American people is they’re very respectful.

Here’s an example. The first time I went to Oklahoma City, I was wondering, how am I going to do this? I’m a Muslim player, I pray 5 times a day, fast, eat halal food. So when I got to OKC, I told the chefs, the organization, I’m a Muslim, I need to do this, this, this. They were so respectful. They actually have halal food for everyone now. So we eat halal food in the locker room. They’re eating Turkish food. (Laughs.) People are eating it with their [bare] hands [because they love the food so much]. Right now, after practice, even, we get halal food. They love it.

For praying, I told them I pray 5 times a day… They gave me a special room at the practice facility and at the arena. I go in there and pray. Sometimes when I leave the room, guys ask me, did you pray for me?

Not too many know about this, but before NBA games, there’s chapel (for the players)… I actually join sometimes. They’re talking about really good stuff, things from the Bible, and then they pray. It touched me. I said this is something cool, we need to do this in Turkey.

The most important thing for us is eating. If you don’t eat you won’t perform well. One of the lifting coaches, he fasted with me for three days, but he quit. He fasted with me and saw how it feels like as an NBA player to fast. How much protein you need, how many carbs you need to get… So it made them really respectful.

When did you first learn about Hizmet?

I’d been going to Hizmet schools since 2nd grade, but didn’t know what was going on because I was too young. The first thing I learned about Hizmet was from my mom’s book. My mom was reading one of Hocaefendi’s (the Turkish word for “respected teacher,” used to describe Fethullah Gülen, the inspiration for Hizmet) books and I asked, “What is this?” And she explained to me what it is, what the book was, who Hocaefendi is, what’s he doing in the world… From the first day, I thought, “This man is so cool, I want to be like him.” I was so young, I didn’t know what was going on, but I thought, I wanted to be like him.

As you’ve gotten older, and you understand more about Hizmet, how has that impacted you as a person – and as an NBA player?

As an NBA player, of course, you make more money, so you have expensive cars, expensive houses, and you live an expensive life… But meeting with Hizmet, I thought, I’m earning money, respect, fame, and I need to use this for a good cause. One thing Hocaefendi says that really touched me is, “Live for others.” So whatever you do in life, you try to raise generations, you try to do the best you can to help the young kids grow up well. I’m trying to have the camp for that.

You’re comfortable and genuine with kids.

I love kids. I’ve been working with them since my first year in the NBA. They’re very cool, and they love to learn about basketball.

I wanted to ask about the summer of 2016, the attempted coup in Turkey and the purge. I know you’ve had a tough situation with your family, too.

So if you want to understand who did the coup, you need to look at who got the most benefit from it. If you look at what happened after the coup, about 2,000 schools, dormitories, and universities were shut down. There are more than 50,000 innocent people in jail. 17,000 are women: pregnant, new mothers, young women, old ladies… You see (TV) channels, newspapers and magazines shut down.

It’s really sad that all these innocent people are going through this. Do you think these pregnant women did the coup? It’s crazy to me. It’s very sad… They did the coup? I believe President Erdogan did the coup. And it has been blamed on Hizmet. Why? Because that’s the only group that was standing up against him and was speaking truth. He is polarizing people, he’s creating groups and using religion to control people. That’s the easiest way to control people. Religion. It’s really sad to see all these people going through this; to see your country going through this. I can’t even invite my own teammates to see my own country. I can’t even go to my own country.

It’s really sad. You asked about my family, and I haven’t spoken to them probably over a year now. It’s a tough situation, because they (the Turkish government) listen to everything. They listen to phones… They searched my house. They took the electronics away. They took the phones, the laptops, the computers… They wanted to see if I’m still in contact with them.

What do you miss most about Turkey?

I miss the home cooked meal. You eat a lot of food here; I go to Turkish people’s houses. But it’ll never taste like your mom’s food. If you see my house in Turkey, it’s a little apartment. I have a bed like… how many inches is this? (Holds up his hands.)

About 30 inches.

I have a 30-inch-wide bed. I just like, squeeze in there, but it’s your house. You miss your house. You miss your family. You miss your friends. I don’t have any friends left [in Turkey] because of the situation. But if you are standing up for something you believe and you believe it’s the right thing to do, you have to stand up… A lot of my teammates are asking me, “Are you crazy? Your family is still there. Your sister is still there, your brother, your little brother, is still there. Why are you doing this?” But people don’t understand it’s more than just (my) family. There are thousands of people in jail getting tortured right now. So I have to speak up about what’s going on. So the world will know and do something about it.   

And your teammates have been supportive?

Definitely. When I was in Romania, Russel Westbrook texted me with the hashtag, “Free Enes.” That means the world to me. Some of the rookies texted me. Even the GM [Sam Presti] texted me, a senator texted me… I love America, but I wasn’t born here. But when you see that people are supporting you like this, like your family; and your state, Oklahoma, is supporting you like this, it shows you a lot. I see America, Oklahoma, like my family, like my home.

I’ve learned especially from Hocaefendi that, whatever it takes, you have to speak up. There are a lot of people out there waiting for help, waiting for somebody to speak up, to say something about it. The people right now in Turkey, in jails, are my friends, my friends’ family, my mom’s friends, my dad’s friends… I understand I haven’t spoken to my parents for more than a year, but there are over 17k moms in jail who are misbehaved, some even tortured and raped. When I say tortured, it is not only me saying that. The reports – Amnesty International had one –are saying this is what’s going on. But you have to do what you’re going to do. You have to support your people.

***

Fast break with Enes by Orhan Akkurt

Your favorite players?

Nowitzki (Dallas), Pau Gasol (Chicago)

Boston Celtics of 60s or Chicago Bulls of 90s?

Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman

Top 5 players of all time you wish you could play with?

Westbrook, Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Karl Malone, Kareem Abdul Jabbar

What do you like most in the US?

The respect people have for one another.

The craziest thing you did?

To ask the Utah Jazz to trade me. Few players can do it.

Your greatest passion?

To be the European and world champions with the Turkish national team.

What makes you upset most?

Lack of enthusiasm when one does anything.

Anything you regret you did?

Everybody makes mistakes. The best of those who err are the ones who repent.

Question: How can we purely seek God’s good pleasure in our deeds and become conscious and attentive about this endeavor?

Answer: Real believers who truly love God, may His glory be exalted, need to seek God’s good pleasure in all of their attitudes and behaviors; they should take no notice of themselves, even for a moment; they should not say “I spoke, I did, I achieved…” and they should erase what they achieved even from their memories. If believers are to speak for the sake of expressing the truth, their words must definitely echo the voice of their hearts. When something is achieved in the end, they must not lay the slightest claim to it.

Lifeless words without a visa from the heart

A consciousness as mentioned above is not something that can be attained in just a moment, of course. A person must constantly train to efface oneself to the degree of saying, “I wonder whether I exist or not,” and attain a state of being oblivious of oneself in the long run. Otherwise, the effect of the good deeds realized will be restricted to a very narrow sphere, and will not become fruitful. Even if at first there is some activity, it will be temporary and the services carried out will not likely be lasting.

Today, preachers constantly make speeches in places of worship and on TV shows; they keep preaching on and on. In Muslim countries, call to prayer resonate all over the land. Recitations and supplications in mosques are performed in a way that was never as ceremonial, even in the time of the Prophet. However, these speeches and recitations do not affect the hearts. People are not guided to God as they were during that blessed era of the Prophet, because the words emitting from the mouth do not take a visa from the heart. If a person even merely implies his own greatness, even while saying “God is great,” and tries to put emphasis on his person with certain sounds and tones, and while talking about God and the blessed Prophet if he tries to prove how well he tells about them, then such a person is tacitly lying.

Depth of faith

The situation described above is a very serious risk for people who have attached their hearts to serving faith. One should never take this issue lightly. The first thing that needs to be done is to deal with their inner world and work hard to eepen their faith. When the Companions of the Prophet met one another, they would say, “Come on, let us have faith in God for an hour.”[2] To paraphrase that, “Our faith had meaning so far. But we do not know whether this will mean anything tomorrow. Therefore, let us revise it one more time.” If you look carefully, the Companions did not say, “Let us have faith anew,” but “Let us have faith in God for an hour.” So this means, just like the noble opening to a new voyage every passing day.

Once, the Prophet advised one of his friends, “Maintain and renew your ship once more, for the sea is so deep. Prepare your provisions perfectly, for the journey is truly long. Keep your load light, for the slope before you is truly steep. Be sincere in your deeds and only care about Him; for God, who scrutinizes everything, is aware of what you do.” [3]

Bediuzzaman expresses this fact in “The Third Gleam” as follows: “Do whatever you should do for God’s sake, meet with others for God’s sake, and work for God’s sake. Act within the sphere of, ‘for God, for God’s sake, and on account of God.’”[4] God Almighty critically evaluates your behaviors and takes a record of your good and bad deeds; He sees you all the time. None of your behaviors is secret to Him. He is aware of everything you do.

Prayer

In this regard, while explaining a certain matter, the speaker’s prayer, such as, “May God Almighty make us speak correctly, express ourselves effectively; may He grant influence to our words and make them welcome in hearts,” is just one aspect of the issue. Another aspect is freeing the matter from egotism and fulfilling it with sincerity. One must never neglect praying, “My God, let all of my words be uttered in compliance with Your good pleasure.” In other words, as the Qur’an teaches through the supplication of Prophet Moses, peace be upon him: “My Lord! Expand for me my breast. Make my task easy for me. Loose any knot from my tongue (to make my speech more fluent). So that they may understand my speech clearly” (Ta-Ha 20:25–27), we must adopt this as our habitual prayer. However, we should not neglect also saying, “My Lord, together with your good pleasure.”

A person must always pray, “Deepen my words with Your good pleasure, crown them with Your approval! Make them gain infinite depths with Your favor, attention, and grace! Otherwise, I am a simple mortal, everything will be over when I pass to the realm of Hereafter. If You are not present in what I do and carry out, then it bears no meaning.”

The late Nurettin Topcu would refer to those who try to prove themselves with showy recitations as “throat performers,” for he was so open to sincerity and constantly emphasized its importance.

The underlying reason of true achievements is having a dizzying sincerity of the deepest kind. What humanity needs today is not outward forms, formality, populism, appreciation, applauses or big claims, but the practical representation of true faith and its indication through personal state.

References

• Daraqutni, Sunan, 1/51; Bayhaqi, Shuabu’l-Iman, 5/33.
• Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 3/265; Ibn Hajar, Al-Isaba, 4/83.
• Daylami, Musnad, 5/339.
• Nursi, Bediüzzaman Said, The Gleams, New Jersey: Tughra, 2013, p. 27.

• Roberts MN et al. A Ketogenic Diet Extends Longevity and Healthspan in Adult Mice. Cell Metabolism, September 2017.

The travelers on this path endear their beloved to those they reach through the tongues of disposition and representation, their most powerful arguments. They always inhale the truth and spread it wherever they go. Hence, they attain Divine love, stage by stage. They constantly repeat the statement of the Prophet, the Master of Discourse: “Endear God to His servants, so that God may love you too!” They travel to the farthest corners of the globe, carrying “talk of the Beloved” on their lips. This is a Divine rejoinder, as vast as oceans, that rewards drop-like kindness. The expression “worth the world” fails to state it befittingly.

Being under the tutelage of the Prophet and following his footsteps is one of foremost ways and means that lead a person to endear the Almighty. All who know and accept Him and enter His spiritual atmosphere are saved from inattentiveness as far as they internalize and live according to His light-diffusing scriptures, which are messages coming from His attribute of speech. Hence, they start seeing everything through the lens of insight. While their eyes watch the signs in the temple of the universe, their ears effervesce with zeal when they hear the miraculous word of God reciting the laws of creation in the huge sanctuary of events. They respire by the following lines of the poet:

“You exist, O Lord; You exist once and always,
You are always in my mind, in my heart and in my soul!”

They deeply weave together contemplations starting from faith (iman), knowledge of the Divine (marifa), love of the Divine (muhabba), and love and yearning for a reunion with God. They start murmuring the melodies which are portrayed and voiced by the paragraphs, sentences, and words of existence and events, and they say, “He.” Hence, they mention Him and constantly remember Him in words. See how exquisite a man of love and elation put this experience into words:

“This universe is entirely a colossal book,
Whichever letter you search, it denotes God.”

Hearing this voice, and reading that anthology of messages and understanding the immensely expansive meanings expressed by them, requires a seeing eye, a hearing ear, a rationalizing reason, an unrestrained discernment and understanding, and a vast curiosity and love of knowledge. It is very difficult, rather impossible, for imitators who are entangled by the glaze of imitation and unable to jump over the fences of forms and figures to sense and eventually internalize this. When all neurons in the brain lack such an expansive sense of faith, and hearts lack sincerity and profundity, the light of Divine knowledge does not exist in this spiritual anatomy either. Love does not exist in a heart and soul where there is no light and illumination of Divine knowledge. The breezes of ardent desire for reunion with God do not blow there.

Individuals who dedicate themselves to communicating His message and endearing Him to others enter the atmosphere of being loved in this way. They crown their lives with manifestations of presence in the Divine. They passionately utter His names day and night, without committing any blunder, just as they continuously run the marathon of good deeds. They sigh and say, “sincerity”; quiver as they remember “being under the constant watch of the Almighty”; contemplate resignation to God and hasten from one vista to another for more reflection. Without being delayed by steep hills, deep vales, and seas of pus and blood, they march toward God’s favor and reunion with the All-Truth, without expecting anything corporeal or ethereal. Individuals attaining this horizon watch with deep sorrow those who are entangled by worldly pomp and fame. As they weep and moan inwardly, they avoid the traps the unfortunate ones have tripped over and move forward to rip love and interest for the vanities of life from their hearts!

They say, “We hit the path of love like mad and we seek no honor!” (Sayyid Nigari) and they always mention Him. They consider the most enchanting expressions as a waste of words if they are not about Him and shift to talk about the Beloved. They scan the horizons observed in their dimensions of the soul (ruh) and inner secrets of their heart (sir).

They know their willpower is connected with all of these feelings, thoughts, and privileges, but only as an unnecessary condition; they are fully aware to credit everything to a distinct Divine favor and the exclusive will of God – they never compromise their faith in the Uniqueness of God, for the sake of which they could renounce everything. According to them, the confines of willpower are very narrow: determination and perseverance are not adequate causes; corporeality and bestiality are handicaps blocking the path leading to real humanity. In the face of all these, they deem considering all privileges as their natural right a sort of obscured blasphemy. Hence, notwithstanding all types of achievements and rewards, they murmur the considerations of:

“A slave as I am, I am not worthy of this gift
Why am I being granted this favor?” (M. Lütfî).

Attributing everything to the breadth of Divine compassion, the expansiveness of His favor, and His surprise manifestations, they voice the constant recitation of “Everything is from You, You are the All-Sufficient / O Lord, I turn toward You!” They hurry towards the Paradise of the Sultan of the Sultans, the One Who responds with His infinite favor.

Indeed, this caravan of the holy, which always marches toward Him, has set out on this path by sealing the openings of their inner realms against strangers from the beginning and drawing breath from the Divine attendance. They have constantly remembered Him along the way and been engaged with the consideration of Him. They have not wanted to hear alien songs in the realms of their hearts and emotions. They started speaking by first reasoning that all words should be in reference to Him and each discourse should be rhymed by His mention. They concluded their speech by citing Him. Moreover, by considering all expressions and conversations that do not mention Him as waste of words, they made their discussions and consultations more profound by their talk of the Beloved. Almost always, they made the following considerations the voice of their inner excitement:

“I wish all the creation in the world would love my Beloved,
I wish our talk would always be about the Beloved…”

Saying, “Either speak about the lover or stay silent / If you will, open your arms wide for that!” (the first line is from Fuzuli, the 16th century Turkish poet), they completely seal their doors against strangers.

In contrast to those souls devoted to God, who constantly inhale these considerations on the path of prophets, there are others who are deprived of a lofty goal in their lives, who are egotistic, victims of avarice, power-addicted, rotten human beings with dark souls and feelings are the aides of the devil. This latter group has never quit maligning the devotees on the path to Him. These dark souls have used various methods of oppression and domination to annihilate the devoted souls – yet, they have been the ones annihilated. They have waged war against the light, which the Divine has endowed to the devoted souls who endeavored to represent it. They have lied and defamed, trying their best to block the path of the travelers of light. However, they themselves have been defamed by means of their own wickedness and meanness, for the travelers of love and munificence have been following the footsteps of the prophets and they are under the protection of God. Nobody will be able to eradicate those who have been scattered by God on the plain of service and have grown like ears of grain. Nobody will put out the torch lit by God. Because behind that illuminating torch is the mercy of God, the will of the All-Glorified, and the decree of the Beneficent Bestower of Bounties. How nicely Ziya Paşa puts it:

“God’s Decree is not moved by muscle strength,
A candle lit by the Lord cannot be blown out!”

Therefore, it may be said that the wrongdoers have revived the practice of the hypocrite Ibn Salul, yet in vain was their endeavor! Because behind the travelers of Truth is the help of God;

“God, the beauty of whose glory is apparent in all corners,
In hearts is a shadow of that manifestation;
Sensing this, one wanders and seeks Him everywhere,
And the sweetest memories loom before his eyes.
Each color, voice and pattern is an expression of His existence…”

May God speed you, O the valiant souls of Hizmet and the people of the Qur’an!

• Brown BJ et al. A Neural Basis for Contagious Yawning. Current Biology, August 2017.

Our circulatory system is how blood reaches our organs and muscles. The necessary blood flow for each organ is precisely adjusted to its needs. Failure in the proper flow of blood may cause many problems in our health and worsen the conditions of our overall wellbeing. The brain and heart are vitally important for our body, so the design of their mechanisms feature even more complexity than any other organ. For example, when you try to solve a difficult mathematical problem, the problem-solving area of the brain starts to work immediately. We can understand this by using fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) films. Using fMRI, it is possible to see where activity increases in the brain. As activity increases, so, too, does blood flow to that part of the brain. Conversely, when we are asleep, brain blood flow significantly decreases.

At rest, the amount of blood that goes to our muscles is around 1.2 liters per minute. Certain muscles can receive up to 20 times as much during intense sports activity. While doing sports, the organs of the abdomen, the kidneys, and the skin rest, allowing more blood to flow to the muscles, thus reducing the amount of blood they use. While exercising, the amount of blood pumped by the heart, to compensate for the excess blood needed by the muscles, is tripled.

The heart is equipped with mechanisms that can adjust the amount of blood pumped according to the working quantities of the organs – and therefore, their blood needs. This is a complete automatic arrangement; it requires no thought or awareness from us.

If the heart cannot pump enough blood, it is called heart failure, and this means that the heart itself, as well as the brain, liver, kidneys, and all other organs, are not getting enough blood. Failure begins in the liver and kidneys. If the brain does not get enough blood, dizziness, fainting, and other disruptions occur. If the muscles can’t get enough blood, a patient is afflicted by fatigue, weakness, dementia, severe aches, and, of course, the inability to do work.

If the heart pumps too much blood, then many diseases, especially hypertension, appear. This makes the heart tired, as it works too much – and once again, heart failure occurs.

The heart pumps blood to the aorta, which is the largest artery. In the aorta, blood must flow very quickly, ensuring that the organs get the food and oxygen they need. The aorta has the highest blood pressure, since it is the first vessel that receives blood from the heart. The vein wall is created thick, elastic, and robust so that the high blood pressure doesn’t tear it apart. As you move away from the heart, the number of vessels increases, the blood pressure decreases, and the blood starts to flow more slowly; the walls of the veins gradually get thinner.

The capillaries are created with a great structure-function fit. The capillaries, both themselves and their walls, are created to be very, very thin. At the end of arteries, just before the capillary vessels (arteriole), the blood pressure and velocity are reduced. The aim is to prevent the high pressure form damaging these very thin veins. In the capillaries, blood travels slowly. Why? Because these are the shopping veins. The body’s 100 trillion cells get all the oxygen, glucose, fat, protein, vitamins, antibodies, and hormones from these blood vessels. In addition, all cells give their carbon dioxide, urea, creatinine, uric acid, and all other waste products to the blood in the same capillary vessels. If the blood in the capillaries was as fast as in the big arteries, then the vessel could not withstand it, and the blood would tear away the walls without the cells getting their nutrients and without shedding their garbage. And if there was even a little scratch on our vessel, we would not be able to stop the bleeding.

After passing through the capillaries, the blood is accelerated again in the small veins. There is more blood in the veins. The wall of the veins, which are deep below the skin’s surface, is thicker than the capillaries but thinner than the arteries. As the wall is thinner, the internal space is wider; the veins are a kind of bloodstream. The small veins connect to the main veins, which empty blood into the heart. In order to pump blood to the heart, the blood pressure of each pulse must be sufficient for all the blood in the body to be pumped back to the heart. Neither more nor less. The mean blood pressure of the heart is 100 mmHg. At the point where the blood circulating eventually reaches the heart, the mean blood pressure is 0 mmHg. As an example from daily life, it is like you hit a ball with your foot: as the ball reaches its target, its energy finishes and stays at the exact point you want. Our heart reaches the target with every stroke. Thus, at the point where the blood has already completed circulation, the pressure applied to it is zero. Thanks to this incredible adjustment, the heart does not waste power.

• Zhang J et al. Nondestructive tissue analysis for ex vivo and in vivo cancer diagnosis using a handheld mass spectrometry system. Science Translational Medicine, September 2017

According to Roy (2004, xi), “[g]lobalised Islam refers to the way in which the relationship of Muslims to Islam is reshaped by globalization, westernization, and the impact of living as a minority.” Roy (2004) defines global Muslims as those who have either settled in the West permanently or are trying to distance themselves from a local version of Islam by identifying with the worldwide Muslim community (the Ummah).

In studying Muslims in the West, one must take into account “the instances and places of reciprocal [historical] influence between the cultural constructs of the European and Muslim worlds” and the transcultural space created by this mutual influence in “the context of globalization, characterized by the mobility of cultures and religion” (Cesari 2004, 5). According to Cesari (2004), the Americanization or Europeanization of Islam cannot be separated from the space and time dimensions of global Islam, as well as its political crises. Cesari (2004) also posits that Islam should be examined as a process of the local, national, and international levels; it is the conglomerate production of cultural meaning and symbols. Hence, it is important to avoid the trap of essentializing Islam and Muslims based on assumptions on a single level, especially without considering Islam at all three levels.

All immigrants face challenges in their new countries. For Muslim immigrants or their offspring in the West, these challenges are heightened. How can Muslims successfully integrate without losing their rich, unique religious heritage?

“European Islam is connected with the stakes and political and cultural difficulties of the Muslim world, as demonstrated by September 11,” and key issues that are being debated about Muslims in the West such as pluralism, citizenship, and religious education cannot be limited to the national contexts of the West due to cultural globalization (Cesari 2007, 22). Although there is an interconnectedness of the Ummah, Western Muslims are not an exact reflection of issues elsewhere, since they are at the heart of religious and cultural developments connected to the Western context. Accordingly, cultural globalization has had an accelerating effect on the formation of a hybrid European or American Islam. This “hybrid” Islam is based on tolerance and respect for the other, which has been a product of Muslims living in the West (Cesari 2007, 23).

European Islam is a nascent phenomenon in that “the emergence of such an Islam does not imply the rediscovery of an Islam sui generis, but the invention of a new religious model, through the intensification of contacts among European Muslim communities, the confrontation of their uncertainties and the hybridisation of their practices” (Bougarel 2007, 20). This hybridi[z]ation is likely to grow stronger in the large cosmopolitan European cities as Muslims try to find solutions to their common problems, such as ethnic and religious discrimination, and requires a shared intellectual space where diverse communities can exchange ideas (Bougarel 2007). In its current form, European Islam “often encompasses phenomena that are quite distinct, or even largely opposed to one another” (Bougarel 2007, 1).

Pauly (2004) argues that a clash of identities takes place as a result of the establishment of minority communities in the West. Such clashes can be traced back to religious as well as broader cultural differences between the migrants and the majority populations, and integration can be a vehicle for bridging such identity gaps (Pauly 2004). Angenendt, Barret, Laurence, Peach, Smith, and Winter (2007) outline the integration strategies used by European states in recent years. These strategies have either generated mixed results or been criticized.

Dialogue with Muslim councils is one strategy that has been applied in Britain, Germany, and France – to mixed results, as the councils need to build youth participation, deliver tangible results effectively, and increase diverse participation.

Another strategy, primarily in Italy and Finland, has been a multicultural policy that promotes religious symbols. This approach encourages cultural differences and supports migrants in preserving their religious identities. Multiculturalism has its critics who claim that it promotes isolation rather than integration, all while creating economic disparities. In Britain, however, multicultural policy has fostered migrant social mobility in adults (no data on youth was available at the time of my research) (Angenendt et al. 2007).

In contrast to multiculturalism, France has attempted to transform migrants into French citizens first and Muslims second by diminishing their religious identities, specifically through a ban on religious symbols in schools. Similarly, in Germany headscarves were banned for teachers in certain states. Forced integration contracts and citizenship tests in countries such as Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark require migrants to learn the native language and social norms. In general, such programs have been received negatively by Muslims, who view them as unwelcoming (Angenendt et al. 2007).

France is an interesting case of mixed approaches. Despite a tradition of harsh secularism, France also has proposals ensuring employers hire minorities – and a university actually started recruiting students using what the U.S. calls “affirmative action.”

In a similar vein, Britain and the Netherlands passed stricter anti-discrimination laws in an effort to extend equal opportunities to migrants. Spain, Germany, and the Netherlands have also attempted to teach Islam at schools.

Not all tensions in European Muslim communities are between immigrants and native citizens. According to Pauly (2004), Muslims in Europe suffer from a lack of political representation and cooperation between different communities. There are many divisions across heterogeneous ethnic, philosophical, and national boundaries. There are also clashes that emanate from countries of origin, such as the one between Turks and Kurds (Pauly 2004).

To create a Euro-Islamic identity at peace with the larger societies of their respective countries, instead of isolating themselves Muslims need to become active and get involved in all aspects of social life. There is no inherent conflict between such involvement and their faith or religious requirements (Ramadan 2004). Economic and political involvement is the way to a successful hybrid European Muslim identity that strikes a balance between the two extremes of total isolation from the larger society and abandonment of Islamic identity (Pauly 2004). Accordingly, Muslims should not be afraid to integrate into their European home lands. They should be able to blend their British, French, German, or American culture with their faith, shaping hybrid identities while enriching the cultures of their home countries.

In this respect, Gülen Movement (Hizmet) volunteers exemplify such an effort and could serve as an example for Muslims living in the West. In Germany, for instance, the Gülen Movement has worked on transforming the image of Muslims, focusing on reintegration of immigrant youth into the German education system. Furthermore, Hizmet has realized social engagement and dialogue with the German non-Muslim community by establishing cultural and dialogue centers to build bridges between cultures, all while offering a cosmopolitan and tolerant form of Islam. According to Hunt and Aslandogan (2007, 19-20), “[o]riginating in Turkey but becoming increasingly transnational, the [Hizmet] movement represents novel approaches to the relationship between faith and reason, peaceful co-existence in liberal democracies with religious diversity education, and spirituality.” As Yavuz (2013, 247) contends, the Gülen Movement “has the potential to be the beginning of religious Enlightenment in its Turkish and wider modern Islamic context where we are witnessing a new era of Muslim religious revival deeply embedded in modern processes of neoliberal market reforms and middle classes, open public spheres, democratic governance, modern education and technology-driven globalization.”

Moreover, Turkey’s membership in the European Union could have helped integrate Muslim communities living in Europe to their countries by buttressing the European Union’s credibility among Muslims. Given the current circumstances, this does not seem to be possible in the near future. Such an accession would mean redefining European identity as a more inclusive one. EU membership for Turkey would also help shape the evolving relationship between Islam and Christianity around the globe (Pauly 2004).

In sum, Muslims in the West face both challenges and opportunities in the countries in which they live. The challenges may emanate from cultural differences and identity clashes as well as the failed integration policies of the host countries. Nevertheless, Muslims living in the West can shape a brighter future both for themselves and the global Muslim community by becoming active contributors to their societies – and without any fear of losing their religious identities. There are many opportunities for Muslims living in the West to build bridges between the West and their homelands, as well as among the followers of different faiths. Embracing their host countries, while working as active contributors to society, is the key to building a peaceful future for all.

References

• Cesari, Jocelyne. 2004. When Islam and Democracy Meet: Muslims in Europe and in the United States. Palgrave Macmillan.
• Cesari, Jocelyne. 2007. “The Hybrid and Globalized Islam of Western Europe.” Portability and Exportability. 21.
• Hunt, Robert, and Yuksel Aslandogan. 2007. Muslim Citizens of the Globalized World. Kindle Edition.
• Roy, Olivier. 2004. Globalized Islam: The Search for a New Ummah. Columbia University Press.
• Bougarel, Xavier. 2007. “Bosnian Islam as ‘European Islam’: Limits and Shifts of a Concept.” Islam in Europe. Diversity, Identity and Influence. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
• Pauly Robert J. Jr. 2004. Islam in Europe: Integration or Marginalization? Aldershot. UK : Ashgate Publishing Limited.
• Ramadan, Tariq. 2004. Western Muslims and the Future of Islam. New York: Oxford UP.