Britney Goes to Mosque

Sitting in a museum café, I heard tourists quizzing their guide — trying to get it straight. “So, where did they get the name Quran for their Bible? So, it could be considered a Bible?” Sooner or later, at a mosque visit, every Turkish guide is asked, “So, was this church built before or after Christ?” I like seeing guides heroically stay charming, and stick with the tour-guide mantra, “There are no stupid questions.”

Things are confusing. I’m here during the holy month of Ramadan and devout Muslims are high-profile in the streets. No-name neighborhood mosques literally overflow during prayer time and carpets are unfurled on sidewalks, interrupting the pedestrian flow.

At the edge of town, I passed an old shepherd with small flock enjoying some public grass in a freeway cloverleaf, surrounded by the sprawl of 10 million people. In the midst of all that modernity, he was raising sheep for an upcoming Muslim “sacrificial festival.”

Ramadan is, in balance, a great time to travel. You don’t realize it, but most people are not eating or even drinking all day. I offered my waiter a suck of my hookah water pipe. He put his hand to his heart and explained he’d love to, but he was fasting for Ramadan.

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If you sleep lightly, you’ll wake to the sound of a prayer and meal just before dawn. Sun rises and the day-long fast begins. Then, at about 7 p.m., the food comes out, and the festival begins. Mohammad broke his fast with dried date or olive — so that’s usually the fast-breaker to this day. Saying, “Allah kabul etsin” (may God accept…your fast today),” the staff at a restaurant where I was just having a drink welcomed me to photograph them and then offered to share.

Every time I witness the breaking of the fast, people offered to share their food. At the restaurant I said no, but they set me up anyway — figs, lentil soup, bread, Coke and baklava. I thought the Coke was a bit odd… but my guide said it’s not considered American any more. It’s truly global.

I don’t want to overstate this move to the right in Turkey, but keen and caring observers are concerned that it’s an ominous start. Imagine not being a fundamentalist and watching your country gradually become fundamentalist — one universal interpretation of scripture, religious clothing and prayer in school, women covering up and accepting a scripturally ordained subservient role to men, laws being rewritten. A ruling class that believes they are right and others are wrong.

I have friends in Turkey almost distraught at this country’s movement to the right.

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It’s an emotional and confusing thing to witness and try to understand. It’s an evolution that is like a rising tide…seemingly impossible to stop.

I am intrigued by teenage Muslim Britney-wannabes covering up under scarves. You know they wear high heels and thongs…but their heads are covered. In a fine silk shop, the girl there demonstrates scarf-wrapping techniques. One way looks simply demure and conservative. Then she ties it under her chin and around her face with an extra fold on top and she becomes orthodox. It was chilling to watch. I got goose bumps.

At the Eyüp Sultan Mosque, one attracting the most conservative worshippers, state-employed female security guards were wearing conservative, religious headscarves (striking — even ominous — to local observers). Stalls offering free food, literature and computer programs with a Mavis Beacon-type prayer guide surrounded the mosque. Targeting poor and less-educated cross=sections with incentives, it reminded me of the old-school “bras and bibles” strategy of Christian missionaries. People say there’s huge money (especially from Wahhabi Saudi Arabia) promoting Muslim orthodoxy.

The mosque was filled to capacity and the courtyard was filled with the overflow crowd. Village women knelt to pray with their men. My friend predicted that in two years, they will no longer pray next to men. She pointed to a stairway already filled with fundamentalist women who believed they should worship separately.

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There’s discussion of adding “women” to the section of the Turkish constitution which promises “children and the disabled are under the protection of the state.” Modern women wonder why they would be put in with kids and the disabled. Propaganda is directed at women, and it is the women who are pulling moderate Muslim societies like Turkey to the right.

I asked, “Should a Christian be threatened by Islam?” My friend said, “If you have self-confidence in your system, assuming it deserves to survive, it will thrive. Christendom should be threatened by Islam only if the Christian West seeks empire here.”

I find a huge irony in the American fight with Islam. I believe we’re incurring incalculable costs (real and intangible) because we are nervous about something we don’t need to be nervous about. And because we’re nervous about it, we need to be nervous.

Comments

31 Replies to “Britney Goes to Mosque”

  1. Please understand, I am all in favor of Muslims acting anyway they want, while in their country, but they have caused problems wherever they went over the centuries. I could list a dozen places where I have witnessed that. A country consists of two things, a border and a culture.

    The rights, the duties, and the privileges protected and guaranteed by any Culture, do not, and must never include the right to destroy that Culture.

    Diversity must be among countries — each country with its own culture — not diversity within countries.

    Islam is not a religion, it’s a government, as dangerous to our way of life as Communism or Fascism.

    If they are such great people, and theirs is such a great religion, why haven’t they stayed at home in their sandy sewer?

    The Islam style government is not part of our culture, and if you let it in, it will try to take over, just like communism and Islam has done in many countries.

  2. This was a really interesting blog entry. I’m curious Rick if you think as Turkey moves toward the right it will become less safe for Americans?

  3. As a woman, I wouldn’t feel comfortable traveling in a country that treated women as second class citizens. And I wouldn’t feel right aiding that oppression by spending my money there.

  4. Rick – Can you please comment on the impending congressional “resolution” regarding the genocide of Armenians 90 years ago by Turkey? While Bush takes plenty of heat here and elsewhere, I share his opinion that this seems like the wrong time and place for this. His intentions may be questionable, but why does our country want to pick a fight with another country about something 90 years ago? Who is congress pandering to here? If this is something Turkey needs to acknowledge for a better relationship with the rest of Europe, then why can’t the US stay out of it? What good will come from this?!! Thanks… P.S. Jim Humberd – I’m kind of tired of your posts… Can you take a break?

  5. Rick, Forgive me but I didn’t realize that America was in a ‘fight with Islam”. Kath, your post is right on.

  6. Wow, so much I want to comment on from other posters. Signs of a provocative blog. I’ve read Jim H’s posts all summer & thought I interpreted his perspective of appreciating the human being wherever you found him or her; boy was I off-base there. As an enthusiastic Christian, I find his comparison of Islam to a sandy sewer highly insulting. Like CM, I’ve been waiting for one of Rick’s posts to ask about the HR resolution regarding Armenia. We know Turkey is hopping mad but I wonder how that is playing on the street when he talks to people? Also, I like the description of traveling during Ramadan. I’ve heard others on Rick’s radio program encourage people to travel during Ramadan, but it was nice to hear Rick’s perspective too. As always, I love the lively posts from all on this blog. Thanks for a welcome break in my hectic days.

  7. Karen,

    If you can’t read, at least don’t mis quote.

    I never compared “Islam to a sandy sewer,” but their home and way of life is a sandy sewer.

    I bet you wouldn’t like to live there.

    As I said, “Islam is not a religion, it’s a government.”

  8. Rick, you spoke to a friend about Islam….your friend stated that Christendom should be threatened by Islam only if the Christian West seeks empire here…..

    Now I am totally confused, was not Istanbul part of the christian roman empire before it became a muslim country? I totally do not understand…I learned this in CCD classes, if I am wrong please correct me…so how does the whole empire thing come into play….I am totally confused..thanks any info would be greatly appreciated….

  9. What an interesting blog. Thanks again for providing a great forum for us. I have never had a desire to see Turkey except for Istanbul and the Bosporus. I imagine being in Turkey during Ramadan would be like being in Rome during Easter or Christmas. Not my cup of tea. I too was suprised by Jim H. comments- a departure from previous posts. “…not diversity within countries”. I can’t imagine America without diversity brought here by our acestors. No St. Patrick’s Day, no Oktoberfests, no Christmas, no Easter, no great food from all over the world. We would have Thanksgiving and turkeys! Even Independence Day was probably modeled on the French Bastille Day and Chinese New Year. Enough said. Cheers!

  10. Hmmmmm, self-righteous and repetitive. Yep Jim…it still fits. Your views on Islam are self-righteous. “Sandy Sewer” – that is pretty disrepectful. And repetitive – this isn’t the first time you have pushed your backwater views on keeping diversity within its confined borders. Good thing the forefathers of America didn’t have your attitude.

  11. Add me to the list of those dissappointed in JH. A little too strident. I like his friendly travel stories better. Conflict between East and West has been like a ping pong game: Xerxes into Thermopolylae, Alexander the Great into Afghanistan, Islamic breakout across N Africa and into Spain, Crusaders into Holy Land, Ottoman siege of Vienna, Colonial period. Sure I’m missing some other high points. Oye. 2,500 years and things haven’t improved much. Normally I’m all about compromise and finding common ground. However, at the same time I don’t think the West can compromise on its core convictions of freedom of the press, hard won women’s rights, and democracy (sometimes imperfect democracy, I know, I know). Don’t know what the answer is, but people-to-people communication is probably as good a start as any. (Tip of the hat to Rick.) I’ve been thinking it’s time to buy a reputable history of Islam and better educate myself on the topic.

  12. Audrey in Keizer–1789 happened after 1776. In other words, there would most definitely be an Independence Day even if there hadn’t been a Bastille Day. Just needed to make that clear… Interesting post and even more interesting responses. I know that France has also gotten into hot water with Turkey for its insistence that there was indeed a genocide against the Armenians.

  13. I hate to post another comment, but some have so misrepresented my views. There is little room to explain.

    After hearing my strong views on immigration and culture, some people have accused me of being against diversity. Just the opposite. If I want to see how the Mexicans live I will go to Mexico, not Van Nuys. If I want to know how the Algerians live, I will go to Algeria, not Paris. If I want to know how the Greeks live, I will go to Athens, not Stockholm.

    I love diversity, that’s why we have traveled to 70 countries and Islands.

    Passengers on our cruise ship from Athens tended to congregate with others from their own country. It’s obvious the English are different from the Germans, who are different from the French, who are different from the Italians, who are different from the Greeks, who are different from — whoever. Viva La Difference! That’s diversity as it is intended to be.

    I’m in favor of casual diversity, not compulsory diversity.

  14. Treating women as second class citizens…hmm. We should ask ourselves, “who actually advocates or enforces rules that appear to position women as second class citizens?” Travel to Turkey or other middle eastern countries and you may be surprised to find that it is women doing this to women. All too often, we blame a “country” or “men” for what is, in fact, emerging traditions or norms advocated and enforced by women.

  15. To clarify (or maybe muddy) my point, as a Western woman, I would feel uncomfortable in a country in which anyone would glare at me for not covering my head or wearing normal Western dress. I wouldn’t want to travel where my idea of normal dress and behavior wasn’t tolerated or respected. The second issue is not wanting to support regimes that support or turn a blind eye to so-called honor killings, female mutilation, forced abortion and other human rights violations. I’d feel that just by being there and spending my money there on vacation travel, I was in effect saying “This barbarism doesn’t concern me much”. This limits where I could travel, but it’s my idea of responsible tourism.

  16. Ruedesrosiers: I believe you’ve missed Audrey’s point entirely. She didn’t mean to say that there wouldn’t be an Independence Day, but that our modern way of celebrating the Fourth of July was taken largely from the way the Chinese (and Chinese-Americans) celebrate Chinese New Years crossed with the way the French celebrate Bastille Day. A hybrid holiday, so to speak. And I agree with her — what would we do without all those “imported” holidays she lists, among others? Viva la difference! Our strength comes from the many ideas and backgrounds represented by the rainbow sea of faces you see when walking down any busy street. But it also comes from each of those people “buying into” the American way of “out of many, one” — e pluribus unum. We may be as different as night and day, but together we follow a united concept of government, commerce, and the defense of our common rights. That makes us America.

  17. It is not quite that simple. In any situation in which one group has dominance and/or rights and privileges over another group (for argument, Group A vs. Group B) Members of Group B will not automatically revolt but instead will adopt and advocate for the domination of Group A because their accepted world view is that Group B is inferior to Group A. Members of Group B that revolt, threaten the world view of both Group A and Group B and are therefore, reprimanded by both threatened parties. Such reprimand can be violent and overt or much more subtle and indirect. And, I recently travelled to Turkey and recommend women travel to Turkey. There are independent women there who enjoy contact with and examples of other independent women. I understand Kath’s feeling but also think that if we limited our travel and $ to only countries with our exact world view, we loose a lot of the world and abandon the very women who need contact with a different world view.

  18. (Continued…sorry for being so long winded; just wanted to finish my point after running out of space…) We have a bucketful of diversity. A rodeo in Cheyenne, salsa in NYC, Chinese New Years in San Francisco, Oktoberfest in Wisconsin, St Patty’s day in Boston or Savannah — we ALL enjoy ALL of them. But then in November, we get down to business and ALL of us can vote for the ONE person and party who will lead ALL of us for another four years. We have the right to disagree (don’t we all) with the decisions they make, but we also have the common responsibility of following our leadership (whether or not we voted for them). That’s what makes us Americans — e pluribus unum.

  19. Just want to add my two cents. The West particularly the British Empire had colonized so many parts of Asia and Africa. They brought in a lot of their both positive and negative influences. In the end, they completely took over, and vaccummed out the resources of those continents……. Let’s not be dogmatic about what diversity what not diversity. Sure, it was OK to go to another continents and tried to meddle the cultures and languages of those areas?? This is the 21st century, we have become so GLOBAL. In a perfect world, we would not want to have boundaries to divide us. We would want to establish a common ground to maintain PEACE. We are after all only have ONE planet earth. Like Mother Teresa said, love begins at home. Let’s celebrate diversity, share common interests, and be good to each other.

  20. Must be very interesting vising Turkey right now with all the change going on. A very memorable experience. Keep on traveling!

  21. I’ll try again.

    In the USA we have what is known as a Western European Culture. When Irish, German, Italian, French, etc., came here they already lived much as we do — not completely, but much. Visit any of those countries and you will be welcome and enjoy yourself.

    We visited Mexico, in the border towns, and cruise ship harbors, and did not feel welcome. We did not see any sign of a culture we wanted to import and exchange for a portion of our culture.

    Over the years, in many cities there is Chinatown, little Tokyo, Little Ethiopia, and on and on, they are much like a museum, and I am not against that.

    As we traveled throughout Europe and elsewhere, we often said, “Would we like to live here for a year or two?” But never did we say, “We will insist they learn to speak English, they must post signs in English, have our TV programs and newspapers.”

    If we moved there, even for a year or two, we would adopt their culture, not try to force ours on them.

  22. I do not believe that a country which changes its constitution to repress women should be allowed entry into the EU. I will not spend my tourist dollars in any right wing islamist country

  23. Russ,

    Would you please somehow let me know what on earth you are talking about.

    A closed mind does not travel to 70 countries and enjoy each and every one.

    I want a culture to stay within a country’s border, because if it doesn’t, diversity will disappear.

    If the people from a 100 countries insist on going to other counties, taking their culture with them, and forcing it on the residents of that country, that country’s culture and diversity has disappeared.

    Keep the major culture features, especially language, within a country.

    The way it is now, why should anyone from Los Angeles (and hundred’s of other towns) bother to visit Mexico?

  24. Jim-When you say you “want a culture to stay within a country’s border, because if it doesn’t, diversity will disappear,” that begs two comments: That is exactly what happened in recent modern history (last few hundred years) to the Native American cultures that my (and presumably your) European ancestors affected (destroyed?) Would you have preferred Columbus to do what Ericson (and,perhaps, Brendan) did and left? Seems like an ignorant comment coming from an American, unless you’re 100% Cherokee or something. Second, have you studied any world history on your visit to 70 countries?? Cultures crossing borders is the nature of humanity, for better and for worse. Take Ireland, for example. Would you have it so that the Celts never invaded the British Isles? How about the later English invasion there?? The Vikings? C’mon. p.s. Border towns are not the heart of most cultures, but as an experienced traveler I would think you would know that!

  25. RIGHT ON, SARAH! I find that Mr. Humberd is very closeminded, even though he had traveled to so many countries and islands.

  26. Please do not ascribe all the traits of radical Islam to modern-day secular Turkey. Turkey is a wonderful country where women have equal rights guaranteed in the founding constitution. I’ll bet Jim Humberd is a fan of columnist Georgie Anne Geyer if not he should read her columns. I was in Turkey this Ramadan and had a wonderful time enjoying foods and desserts only prepared during this time. Some places didn’t serve Effes at this time unfortunately, but Holland, MI doesn’t serve beer or wine on Sunday.

  27. Rick summarized the concern non-fundamentalist Turks feel watching the rightward shift of their country–exactly how I feel about this country and the shameless pandering to far Christian right each and every political season. I fear we are not far removed from that sane situation here, what with discussion over Mormonism, and Mike Huckabee’s religious posturing.

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