Fountain # 108- November-December 2015

#108 Nov

Dec 2015

On Life, Knowledge, and Belief

MUSLIMS MUST COMBAT THE EXTREMIST CANCER DOES ISLAM PROMOTE VIOLENCE? JIHAD AND QITAL

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The world on its way staggering and crawling Expecting heroes for a renewal Whispering with those who can discern Yet, few hear it, and they cannot answer.

Miserably creeping the world keeps on.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS /////

ISSUE

NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2015

ARTS & CULTURE Education

Literacy, Violence, and Reading Habits in the World

Birth of Physical Principles of Educational Philosophy Sermed Ogretim

Dialogue

Friendships Rooted in Faith and Love Barbara Anderson

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Education

Lead Article

Muslims Must Combat The Extremist Cancer

Dialogue

Loving Words, Loving Actions Zeliha Celiker

History

M. Fethullah Gülen

Church of Mary: An Exemplary Case of Dialogue Elif Cansu Guler

Religion

SCIENCE

Does Islam Promote Violence Aydogan Vatandas

Spirituality

Prayer - A Hotline to God? Metin Aysel

Psychology

Creativity as a Process of Reliance in God Zekeriya Ozsoy

History

Globetrotters of the Middle Ages Zafer Dogan

Poetry

Don't Leave Me Alone M. Fethullah Gülen

BELIEF

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Suat Yildirim

Sumayya B. Sharaf

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Society Jihad and Qital: Two Concepts Where Confusion About Islam Starts

Emerald Hills of the Heart

Firasa (Discernment) Q&A

What Needs to Be Overcome for People of Will

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Health

A Mystery Signal: Yawning Adem Arikanli

Botany

The Design of the Vascular Tissue in Plants Ali Erkan Uguz

A Moment for Reflection

The Rhythm Embroidered into Existence Nuh Ozdin

Biology

An Organism Which Doesn’t Burn or Freeze Ibrahim Ugurlu

Perspectives

Our Brains, Ethics, and the Practice of Prostration Mesut Sahin

Science Square

1. Processed meat increases cancer risk 2. Bacteria communicate like brains 3. Scientists made the blackest material ever

EDITORIAL ///// COMBATTING THE EXTREMIST CANCER

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he more the news places Islam side by side with terrorism, the louder we will cry that Islam is peace. This issue of The Fountain adds one more voice to this cry, with three strong articles. “Muslims Must Combat the Extremist Cancer,” the lead article, was recently published in the Wall Street Journal (August 27, 2015). The article clearly posits that for terrorists who claim to be Muslims Islam is no more than a nominal part of their identity. Fethullah Gülen, the author of this article, does not only describe terrorism as a “cancer,” but he also puts forward possible solutions to stop it before it metastasizes. It is a call first and foremost on Muslims themselves to denounce violence, stating that “having suffered oppression is no excuse.” Gülen emphasizes Islam’s core ethics, which hold life sacred and immutable, and these ethics cannot be overruled by any cultural or political justification. He further underlines the importance of education, both in the sciences and arts as well as in religion, so that religious freedom is observed and the twisted ideologies of unqualified and radical figures do not dominate society.

Another significant contribution to this issue comes from Professor Suat Yildirim, who lays down a comprehensive analysis of two major Islamic concepts, jihad and qital, which are often confused, leading to common misjudgments about Islam. The author briefly mentions the historical context in which Islam has flourished, summarizing how believers suffered oppression, torture, the usurpation of their property, and even death. After years of patient and peaceful resistance to survive, they were compelled to leave their homeland until it became unbearable and the rights of “the oppressed, helpless men, women, and children” (Qur’an 4:75) had to be protected. Yildirim argues that this is not the same thing as the concept of “Holy War,” which does not exist in Islamic terminology. He explains in detail all the possible aspects jihad stands for, and he makes clear that qital, or fighting, has many parameters that ontologically tend towards peace; such fighting is conducted not to impose religion on others but to set people free to choose their faith. Observing fairness, forgiveness of the enemy, accepting peace offers, etc., are also listed in the article as other obligations during qital. Fitnah is another major concept dealt with in the article: when the concept is falsely defined, it may easily provoke violence.

Aydogan Vatandas adds a third contribution on the same theme, wondering “Does Islam Promote Violence?” Looking at scholars from Jessica Stern to John Horgan, and Ahmet Kurucan to Richard Bulliet and Zeki Saritoprak, Vatandas offers evidence from a wide spectrum of thinkers that “religion is essentially irrelevant as a causal force.” He argues that jihadist actors are not actually religious during the course of their radicalization; that terrorist attacks have no justification in the authentic sources of Islam, nor do they protect the honor of Islam; and that ISIS and other terrorist groups are far from the Prophetic methodology and Islam does not need a state or caliphate to flourish.

So, what is the way toward a solution? The Fountain believes in the power of knowledge and dialogue for global peace. Barbara Anderson and Zeliha Celiker explain how they were able to set up a group dialogue with Christian and Muslim women, and how their friendship helped them overcome bias. The story of the Church of Mary, or Kathisma Church, in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, is told by Elif Guler, who argues that the recently discovered ruins show this place of worship was used simultaneously by both Christians and Muslims, exemplifying the tolerance of both religious communities and the peaceful rule of Umar, the second Caliph. In history, we can find examples of hope for the future.

www.fountainmagazine.com

MUSLIMS MUST COMBAT THE EXTREMIST CANCER LEAD ARTICLE M. Fethullah Gülen

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s the group that calls itself Islamic State, known as ISIS, continues to produce carnage in the Middle East, Muslims must confront the totalitarian ideology that animates it and other terrorist groups. Every terrorist act carried out in the name of Islam profoundly affects all Muslims, alienating them from

fellow citizens and deepening the misperceptions about their faith’s ethos.

It isn’t fair to blame Islam for the atrocities of violent radicals.

But when terrorists claim the Muslim mantle, then they bear this identity, if only nominally. Thus members of the faith must do whatever possible to prevent this cancer from metastasizing in our communities. If we don’t, we’ll be

partly responsible for the smeared image of our faith.

First, we must denounce violence and not fall prey to victimhood. Having suffered oppression is no excuse for causing it or for failing to condemn terrorism. That the terrorists are committing grave sins in the name of Islam is not merely my opinion; it is the inevitable conclusion of an honest reading of primary sources: the Quran and the

accounts of the life of Prophet Muhammad.

The core principles of these sources—relayed over the centuries by scholars who devoted themselves to studying the Prophet’s sayings and practices, and to the “author’s intent” in the Holy Book—dispels any claims terrorists make of religious justification.

Second, it is important to promote a holistic understanding of Islam, as the flexibility to accommodate the diverse backgrounds of its adherents can sometimes be abused. Islam’s core ethics, however, are not left to interpretation.

One such principle is that taking the life of a single innocent is a crime against all humanity (Quran 5:32). Even in an act of defense in war, violence against any noncombatants, especially women, children and clergy, is specifically prohibited by the Prophet’s teachings.

We must demonstrate these values by showing solidarity with people who seek peace around the world. Given the nature of human psychology and the dynamics of the news, it’s obvious that mainstream voices are less likely

to capture headlines than extremist ones. But instead of blaming the media, we should find innovative ways to ensure our voices are heard.

Third, Muslims must publicly promote human rights—dignity, life and liberty. These are the most basic of Islamic values and no individual, nor any political or religious leader, has the authority to snatch them away.

Living the essence of our faith means respecting diversity—cultural, social, religious and political. God identifies learning from one another as the primary goal of diversity (Quran 49:13). Respecting each human being as a creation of God (17:70) is respecting God. Fourth, Muslims must provide educational opportunities to every member of their communities, where the study of sciences, humanities and arts is embedded in a culture

of respect for every living being.

Governments in the Muslim world must design school curricula that nurture democratic values. Civil society has a role in promoting respect and acceptance. This is the reason participants of the Hizmet movement have set up more than 1,000 schools, tutoring centers and dialogue institutions in more than 150 countries.

Fifth, providing religious education to Muslims is critical to depriving extremists of a tool that they use to spread their twisted ideologies. When religious freedom is denied, as it has been for decades

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in parts of the Muslim world, faith grows in the shadows, leaving it to be interpreted by unqualified and radical figures.

Finally, it is imperative that Muslims support equal rights for women and men. Women should be given opportunity and be free from social pressures that deny their equality. Muslims have a great example in Prophet Muhammad’s wife Aisha, a highly educated scholar, teacher and prominent community leader of her time.

Terrorism is a multifaceted problem, so the solutions should address the political, economic,

social and religious layers. Approaches that reduce the problem to religion do a disservice to at-risk youth and the world at large. The international community would do well to realize that Muslims are the primary victims of terrorism—both literally and symbolically—and they can help marginalize terrorists and prevent recruitment.

That’s why governments should avoid statements and actions that result in the alienation of Muslims.

Violent extremism has no religion; there will always be people who manipulate faith texts. Just as Christians do not endorse Quran burnings or the actions of the Ku Klux Klan, and Buddhists do not endorse atrocities against Rohingya Muslims, mainstream Muslims do not endorse violence.

Muslims have historically added much to the flourishing of human civilization. Our greatest contributions were made in eras when the faith cherished mutual respect, freedom and justice. It may be immensely difficult to restore the blotted image of Islam, but Muslims can be beacons of peace and tranquility in their societies.

Originally published in The Wall Street Journal, Aug 27, 2015.

EDUCATION Adem Arikanli A freelance writer from Turkey with an interest in health and biology.

A Mystery Signal

YAWNING Our body has been perfectly designed with certain signals that alert keep our health regulated.

One of them lets us know we’re tired, overworked, or overheated – and it helps keep us cool and oxygenated. Just try not to yawn reading this!

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umans were created to be aware of our surroundings. We pick up on what is happening around us, and inside us, via certain signs.

Every organism has a body language. And every body generates various signals, such as sneezing, shaking, or yawning, to express its state.

It is essential to listen to this language and to pay attention to these signals in order to take measures to prevent diseases. One must get warm when one feels cold, calm down when one is angry and sleep when one is tired.

Yawning is one of the body’s most significant signals. It starts in the mother’s womb and is seen throughout one’s lifetime. It stems from causes like tiredness, lack of motion, boredom, listening to monotonous talk or music, being in an oxygen poor environment, observing another yawning person, sleep deprivation, or lack of healthy sleep – in addition to pathological reasons such as epilepsy,

brain infection, vascular diseases of the brain, and backside brain tumors.

While certain substances are responsible for transmitting the neural signals in the brain trigger yawning, some also act to prevent

it. For instance, when endorphin levels increase, yawning decreases; but yawning increases when levels of dopamine or serotonin are elevated. Certain drugs can also lead to yawning. Continuous yawning or failing to yawn,

75% of people yawn in the morning, 50% at the end of the day, 30% after meals, and 47% while stretching.

or chronic incomplete yawning, is considered a symptom of disease.

It is well known that people who are trying to be awake are seen to yawn more than a person who is sleepy. Since the heart rate is accelerated during yawning, the amount of blood sent to the lungs and brain is improved. Because of the increased energy output, sleep is delayed, to a certain extent. The oxygen demand of the body varies throughout the day depending on the conditions. The most oxygen dependent organ is the brain. As the result of a lowered oxygen ratio in the blood, yawning occurs and the brain’s demand for oxygen is satisfied.

While sleeping, people recover from stress and anxiety. Yawning is a reminder to the body that the time for sleep has arrived. If a person cannot get enough sleep, they may struggle to focus, become nervous, or frequently yawn. Furthermore, synthetic clothing and rubber footwear are also listed among causes that lead to yawning, since these materials can cause increased levels of static electricity to accumulate in the body. The accumulated charge results in stress and exhaustion, therefore triggering yawning.

In a study, it was shown that 75% of people yawn in the morning, 50% at the end of the day, 30% after meals, and 47% while 8

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stretching. Scientists also discovered a relationship between yawning and brain temperature.

Yawning was observed to stop during breathing through the nose, which cools the forehead. In this sense the brain resembles a computer; it works better when cooled.

Yawning also cools the brain and therefore makes it function more efficiently. In other terms, yawning works like a fan on a computer.

Exhaustion and insomnia trigger yawning because these increase brain temperature.

There are other factors that cause yawning. The over consumption of coffee and tea means more

stimulants in the body. Caffeine stimulates the brain for more energy consumption. Thus, if sleep is postponed, due to the increased temperature, yawning is observed.

If people grow dehydrated, they may also yawn. Therefore, experts recommend drinking water regularly. Talking on the phone for a long time tires the brain, and can cause yawning. Taking a shower with water warmer than the body temperature also leads to yawning because it stimulates an excessive secretion of hormones that cause sleepiness. Thus, it is better to take showers with very warm water in the evening and with less warm water in the morning.

Yawning becomes frequent when acidic beverages are excessively ingested, when exposed to noise for extended periods, during extreme exhaustion, or prolonged exposure to fluorescent lighting.

As in the case of acidic drinks, some individuals may display sensitivity and intolerance towards different foods. For example, celiac patients have a hard time digesting starch. They suffer from yawning, headaches, and exhaustion when they ingest starch. In young people and among individuals who consume salty foods, due

instance, it has been determined that individuals suffering from heavy hearing loss do not display contagious yawning.

Do animals also yawn?

to the increased accumulation of static electricity, yawning is more common. In addition, yawning also is witnessed during psychological stress. For instance, parachuters before they jump off the plane, athletes before starting a race, students before entering an exam, passengers before departure, and musicians preparing for a concert … all were observed to yawn frequently.

Hypothalamus and yawning The hypothalamus, which forms the small portion at the front of the brain and maintains communications between the brain and the endocrine system with the pituitary gland, is assigned very important tasks, such as controlling excitement, hunger and thirst, sleep, blood pressure, and body temperature. The body responds to problems regarding these controls by yawning. For example, in cases when a high oxygen demand movement is made, the hypothalamus stimulates the lungs for more air and causes a person to yawn.

From this point of view, the center responsible for yawning is believed to be located at hypothalamus.

Is yawning contagious?

Yawning is contagious, just like laughing. It is known that yawning is observed in people who witness somebody else yawning, hear somebody yawn – and even

in people who think about yawning or read an article about it.

A psychologist determined that yawning is contagious after making students watch people yawn, discovering that around 50% of the people who see a yawning person also yawn within a short amount of time. Experts note that the imitation of other people yawning can be an empathic reflex.

The facial expressions of yawning individuals are predicted to have an effect on other people – and that these expressions promote yawning! Mirror neurons in the brain are activated; therefore yawning takes place by feeling what the other person is experiencing.

Mirror neurons are cells that are affected by the observation of certain behaviors, especially among vertebrates watching members of their own species. It has been discovered that kids who are under the age of five are not affected by watching others yawn since their empathy and mirror neuron connections are not fully developed. The regions of the brain activated during contagious yawning and empathic behavior are the same. However, for noncontagious yawning people, these regions were found to be inactive.

Therefore, yawning is more frequently observed in people who have improved emphatic skills. For

Yawning is not unique to humans; it can also be observed in some animals. When animals like lions, tigers, cats, dogs, hippopotamus, and even iguanas yawn, they open their mouths and extend their tongues, which can be frightening. Animals like horses, rabbits, penguins, and goats yawn with their eyes half closed, giving them a placid, funny look. A majority of animals yawn when they encounter a situation requiring attention, though it is also considered a possible form of communication for animals living in congregations. As in humans, it’s believed that yawning helps to regulate body temperature. The brain temperatures of yawning mice were reported to become normal.

Yawning and washing There is a static electric balance in the human body. Maintaining this balance is necessary for our health. Yawning serves as a symptom of some psychosomatic diseases that disrupt this balance.

Contact with water and soil is one way our body regulates its static electricity when warned of an imbalance through yawning. This is why washing our body with a shower or with practices like ablution refreshes the skin and nervous system by helping achieve this balance. But washing the head, hands, and feet as in ablutions, the farthest parts of the body where blood vessels branch out, is especially useful. If the water is warm, vessels expand; if the water is cold, they contract, which provides elasticity and fitness.

Further reading 1. Iacobani M. 2009. “Imitation, empathy and mirror neurons,” Annual Review Psychology.

2. Walusinski O. 2009. Yawning in diseases, European Neurology.

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Literacy, Violence, and Reading Habits in the World What if one, simple thing could reduce poverty, lower rates of violence, and keep people out of jail?

It would sound like magic. But it isn’t. It’s reading.

EDUCATION Sumayya B. Sharaf A freelance writer from UK specializing in religious studies and literature

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ccording to UNESCO, literacy is, “the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, and compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society.”

In this cyber-age of learning, the distance to education is as short as one click. Despite this, illiteracy is prevalent, even in big cities like Los Angeles. To fight this, the LA Public Library organizes volunteer literacy teaching sections for adults. This isn’t just a huge problem for these adults, but it can be passed on to their children, too. According to the National Center for the Family Literacy Fact Sheet, one third of illiterate adults are primary caregivers

of children aged 0-8. While poverty is usually the reason behind illiteracy, both in developed and underdeveloped countries, literacy is also a gateway out of poverty. But if a parent is illiterate, it’s both harder for them to get out of poverty, and to help their child out of poverty.

Save the Children is another literacy program in the US, though this is aimed at kids. According to Save the Children, many children – even in the US – do not have access to formal education; or even if they do, their school libraries are not developed enough. Save the Children has worked with 180 schools in 15 states and the District of Columbia.2 These kinds of civic initiatives to reach out to each and every corner of the country give rise to consistent and stubborn thinkers – thinkers who have made universities such as Harvard and Yale brand names in the US. Still, one has to ask: how is it possible to have so many children and adults with no access to

In a time of darkness and ignorance, we must challenge our preconceived notions, seeking answers in education and trust.1 M. Fethullah GĂźlen

education due to poverty, even in a country like the United States?

Though the problem still exists in the developed world, illiteracy is obviously more prevalent in the developing world. Some of the numbers are almost staggering; according to UNESCO’s literacy eAtlas, 781 million adults and 126 million children cannot read or write. These numbers are spread around the globe, as almost 52 million people in Pakistan, 13 million in Brazil, 12.4 million in Indonesia, and even 3.3 million people in Turkey are illiterate. The problem is often worse for women, as their access to literacy is just half that of men throughout Africa.

Poverty, illiteracy, and crime can generate a vicious cycle. According to the data provided on the website dosomething.org, most of the juveniles who face trial for crimes are illiterate, and more than half of inmates are also illiterate. Students who do not reach reading proficiency by the end of 4th grade are likely to be involved in some kind of crime. Perhaps not surprisingly, over 70% of inmates in the US cannot read at a level above an average 4th grader. 3 The National Assessment of Adult Literacy report of 2003 adds more dramatic statistical information. Accordingly, 45% of the adult population in the US has limited reading, writing, and math skills.

Literacy programs are not enough; for instance, in Texas almost 4 million people need adult literacy programs, yet only a hundred thousand people receive literacy education.4 This is a worldwide problem and it has far reaching effects. A person’s basic human rights cannot be fulfilled unless that person has access to education about their rights. Literacy education is November / December 2015

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A society’s reading habits reveal how people are investing in their communities and challenging themselves. No form of media challenges the human mind quite like reading does. the first and foremost right of each and every person. It is our duty as humans to share what we are lucky to have; education is one of the gifts in many of our lives. It is our duty to dissolve all the hurdles on the road that takes people to education. As Victor Hugo said, “He who opens a school door, closes a prison.”

While individual literacy decreases rates of crime, family literacy has the potential to create units of critical thinkers, thus lowering rates of social conflict. Families 12

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play an important role in developing reading and writing abilities, the diversity of words one can use, and the clarity of expression in one’s own sentiments and ideas.

Kindergarten, 4th grade, and the beginning of high school are the three golden time periods when a child needs the most support in gaining habits of reading, writing, and using the appropriate words.

Thus, families as well as schools might develop further projects to develop literacy in children, young adults – and especially in girls,

since two-thirds of those who are illiterate are women.

Many centers and institutes serve this purpose. For instance, Centre for Family Literacy, the web site of a literacy program in Alberta, Canada, has online documents on how parents can educate themselves and the children around them.5 But we need more help combatting this extensive human problem.

Reading and writing are deeply important to a diverse society and an interconnected world. A society’s reading habits reveal how people are investing in their communities and challenging themselves. No form of media challenges the human mind quite like reading does. The Institute of Education of the University of London reports that reading for pleasure not only influences a child’s school grades, but it is also crucial for cognitive development.6 Unfortunately, in a world that is increasingly inundated with media options, people are reading less. According to the NOP World Culture Score, in an average week, individuals around the world watch TV for 16.6 hours, listen to the radio for 8 hours, spend 8.9 hours on a computer and the Internet, and only read for 6.5 hours.

What do less developed cognitive skills mean in our world? I’m not sure, but the answer could be more violence and conflict. The best way to combat these conflicts is exceedingly simple: read.

Notes 1

Fethullah Gülen, The Fountain, Issue 104.

2 http://www.savethechildren.org/atf/ cf/%7b9def2ebe-10ae-432c-9bd0df91d2eba74a%7d/lb_stc_literacy_ factsheet.pdf 3 https://w w w.dosomething.org/ facts/11-facts-about-literacy-america 4 literacytexas.org with reference to: TWIC 2010, A Primer on Adult Education in Texas 5 http://www.famlit.ca/resources/ resources_p.shtml 6 h t t p: / /w w w. i o e . a c .u k /n ew s Events/89938.html

BOTANY Ali Erkan Uguz A teacher of biology based in Turkey.

The Design of the Vascular Tissue in Plants Despite lacking a beating heart, plants are fed by a complicated process that sees veins transporting nutrients to all parts of the body – just like humans.

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ust as humans have blood vessels under their skin, leaves also have vessels.

These vessels transport water and various nutrients around through the leaves and trunk of the plant. Be it giant sequoias reaching to the heavens, or smaller plants like pines or apple trees, water and nutrients are carried through these veins to cells.

In humans and many animals, nutrients are transported via the rhythmic beats of the heart, which acts like a pump. In plants, no organ is present to pump water and nutrients.

Despite this, nutrients are transported nonstop through their bodies. How?

with the support and transport of materials in the trunk. Thick and meter wide trunks, made of hard, lengthy fibers can withstand winds and storms for thousands of years due to their special architecture, which delivers organic materials to the entire organism.

The process begins in the roots, which have very critical tasks, as well as morphological and physiological specifications. The root tip advances deep into the soil, using its regenerative, cone-shaped, protective tissue (the calyptra). Damaged and lost cells at the tip are replaced. The upper tissue layer has absorbent hairs (Epidermic cells) that take in water and minerals from the soil after differentiating according to their genetic program.

After being absorbed through the roots, nutrients and water are taken into the plant’s “vessels.�

These vessels are lifeless ligneous ducts that can quickly transport

In plants, the movement of water and nutrients is enabled via perfectly planned biochemical and physical laws. Nutrients that are obtained from the environment or synthesized in cells are transported in their own vascular channels.

This movement is enabled via perfectly planned biochemical and physical laws. Nutrients that are obtained from the environment or synthesized in cells are transported in their own vascular channels.

Minerals, vitamins, fructose, and hormones are delivered by these 14

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vessels to cells, sometimes hundreds of meters away.

The different parts of trees have different mechanisms for keeping them healthy. The rigid, long, powerful support tissue (sclerenchyma) and the ground vascular capillaries (parenchyma) assist

water and many minerals via long and sturdy channels (xylem). Living channels with filter-like porous walls (phloem) slowly transport organic materials to the necessary tissues. In these porous cells, the nuclei and some membranous organelles are eliminated to facilitate material transport.

Nearby companion cells help support metabolism. This kind of cooperation and communication are routinely observed in the natural world, showing an incredible compassion between cells and organisms through electromagnetic, ionic, and nuclear forces of molecules.

The xylem and phloem vessels feature the finest forms of the arts of endurance, decoration, distribution, architecture and design, and they are produced from reproductive and differentiating cells (called Meristem tissue). They exist in tree trunks that are hundreds of meters high, and also in tiny ferns. The roots of perennial plants are as robust as the columns holding up a sea platform. This architectural feature helps support the plant’s body in the best way.

Another part of the process, and one of the most important features of plants, is the synthesis of organic food material with the

After being absorbed through the roots, nutrients and water are taken into the plant’s “vessels.” These vessels are lifeless ligneous ducts that can quickly transport water and many minerals via long and sturdy channels.

help of sun rays and photosynthesis. The transport of nutrients generated via photosynthesis inside the vascular tissue is fascinating.

Elements of the vascular tissue carry out different tasks; cooperation is once again key: the porous channels carry organic material and the ligneous tubes carry water.

Vascular bundles transport these nutrients from one leaf towards the root cell via diffusion, active transport, and fluidic pressure.

Bark, on the outer part of a tree’s trunk, is merely protective – much as skin is for humans.

There are assimilation cells in charge of photosynthesis in plant leaves. Traveling on these cells, water and solute material transit towards the major vascular bundles via cytoplasmic (the symplast) or cell wall channels (the apoplast). Conversely, the cells providing nutrients to photosynthetic, organic food synthesizing cells and demanding tissues, are source cells. By utilizing carbon dioxide, water, or nitrous salts together with energy coming from light, various foods are produced in the source cells. With the help of many chloroplast organelles, as well as the chlorophyll and enzymes inside the source cells, the organic materials which have been produced are conducted to companion cells. These nutrients pass into sieved, porous channels from the companion cells.

As nutrients pass into the semiempty, living, porous parts of the cell walls, their fluid absorbing capacity also improves. By releasing some water from the neighboring lifeless, ligneous channel bundles, water pressure forms in the porous cells. The nutrient flow is maintained at a stable and sized speed thanks to the finest architecture of and rigidity found in the system.

Fructose, sucrose and other important nutrients easily pass towards the tissue cells from the porous cells as the fluid pressure grows. When necessary, the right amount of food is stored in November / December 2015

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Living channels with filter-like porous walls (phloem) slowly transport organic materials to the necessary tissues. In these porous cells, the nuclei and some membranous organelles are eliminated to facilitate material transport. preparation for winter or harsh weather.

The last part of the process enables the transfer of nutrients.

Through active transport, diffusion, and pressure flow, the required organic nutrients can be transferred everywhere. The cells that enable the transfer are the pool cells. They generate a great osmotic pressure density at the roots.

During the processing of food, possible harmful substances like mud, or carbon dioxide taken from the air, are processed and converted into wonderful nutrients.

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Some of these nutrients are even converted into food for people and animals. In the pool cells, many delicious fruits like pomegranates, oranges, grapes, and cherries are produced. While plants consume the mud and carbon dioxide themselves, they offer the best of food to humans and animals in a beautiful program of art and creation.

The whole process is really quite miraculous when you look at the entire things: Water and dissolved minerals are received from the soil by the absorption of the epidermis cells. By transpiration, the pull between the

hydrogen atoms of the water molecules (cohesion) enables the transport of liquids in the ligneous tubes all the way to leaf tips. Water molecules in the capillary shaped ligneous tubes rise quickly, with a physical force. Water and salts obtained from the soil are, in a way, pumped to all organs with the assistance of the fluidic osmotic pressure in the roots. The transport of water to higher levels is better facilitated by a different attraction force (adhesion) between the vascular bundles and water molecules. In time, the pool cells take in and store organic nutrients with the help of their receptor structures, thus lowering the density of the porous channels. Due to the osmotic balance principle, the excess waters are returned back to the ligneous tubes. The material transport speeds up during the day because of transpiration and photosynthesis, and it slows down during the night.

BIRTH of

PHYSICAL PRINCIPLES OF EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY A frustrated teacher digs deep into his soul, wondering why his students are having such a tough time learning his lessons. The answers surprise him.

PERSPECTIVES Sermed Ogretim Professor of aerospace engineering at Gediz University, Izmir

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remember a renowned author saying “I don’t talk about the articles I want to write; because when I do so, I fail to write them.” I also remember a anonymous person shouting at people, “if you have a good idea, keep it to yourself; otherwise you will not realize it,” Interesting, isn’t it?

I experience these feelings all the time. That’s why I am a bad teacher, I suppose. I talk a lot about good things, and then I fail to practice these good things. It is embarrassing to be among people when you have so many flaws in your life, despite the many gazes focused on you. But this horrible state is exactly the same state that led to the discovery of my famous theory of education.

It all started on a sunny, July morning at school. I was lost in my own thoughts, and suddenly the director dropped in to instruct me on how to be a good teacher.

For every single suggestion of his, I had my own objections, and in the end, I convinced him that I was doing the right thing but that the students had something wrong with them. Of course after he left, I mumbled to myself, “I know I am the one doing something wrong!

But, do you have to teach me about my wrongs this way?”

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This was the moment things started to precipitate in my mind.

The word “mindset” does not imply a static state. Rather, it refers to a set of behaviors with a certain goal. Therefore, it is like a steady motion. Changing a mindset means a change in behavior, hence the first law of education: “A mind is set unless a teaching is exerted on it. This is called mental inertia.”

This law was first treated with a little bit of hostility, because it was counter-intuitive. Think about how children learn for a moment: you must tell them the same thing over and over, in the hopes that they will do it as instructed. If you don’t tell them every single time, they won’t do it, even if it is required – e.g. brushing their teeth, having a bath, turning off the lights, putting away their clothes, etc.

These examples imply that an action must be taught every time.

But the first law I put forward says that if a person is doing something, they are going to keep doing it unless they are acted on by another person to teach them otherwise. In other words, if you tell your children to brush their teeth before going to bed, they should be doing it thereafter.

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This was a major obstacle I had to overcome. If the children were not continuing the action they were once told to, they must have been acted upon by another teacher; one who was preaching they go in the opposite direction. And, if it is not the parents doing that teaching, then who is it?

After a long depressive and contemplative period, I was struck once again by the same notion. Just like a mindset is not a static concept, a mind is not static, either. It is dynamic, and it interacts with its surroundings. As a result, the mind forgets. Therefore, the more dynamic a mind is, the higher is its tendency to forget. This explained it all! In natural settings, a learned force is always opposed by a forgetting force. This is why the effect of the teaching fades away after a certain time.

From this, it follows that if you could isolate a mind and prevent its interaction with other things, it should exhibit the behavior outlined in the first law. In fact, it is exactly what has been observed in history among those who seclude themselves in a cave or monastery in the hopes of attaining certain spiritual aspects. It is also the same phenomenon observed at boarding schools.

With the first law firmly in place, I felt the need to express the thoughts I went through in a separate statement. Real life settings were all about the co-presence of various teachings, and a person would exhibit a mindset according to the net effect from all of them.

But, what was strange was the fact that people who shared the same conditions – i.e. received the same teachings – were affected at varying levels. Some would both gain and lose a behavior very quickly, whereas others would gain the same behavior very slowly, but after learning, would not lose it very easily. This property was part of their character, and remained constant throughout their lives. I summarized these findings as the second law of education: “A mind changes according to the sum of all teachings exerted on it. The ratio of the sum of the teachings to the net change is called the stiffness of that mind.”

Due to my success with the first law, the first half of the second law was accepted. But I cannot say the same for the second half. It

implied that a person who exhibits less change after a lesson has a stiffer mind, whereas a person who exhibits more change after the same lesson has a less stiff mind.

Of course, people did not welcome this thought – because it was true!

How do I know? Hah! I just read it. People’s minds were stiff towards my first law already; why should they not be stiff towards the second? After all, this is their inherent property. I told them this fact as bluntly as I am telling you.

They did not accept it.

Later on, when assessing this situation on my own, I was once again faced with my “bad teacher” memories. Why was it that every time I tried to teach something, it was received with a negative reaction? And why, when I am talking about a fact of the mind, am I the first one to ignore it?

Once again, I found myself in that depressive-contemplative mode. As I educated people, I became ignorant of what I just taught! Wasn’t it supposed to be that knowledge increases as you share it? Perhaps yes, but there

was a catch! More people knowing the same thing did not imply more acceptance and practice. In fact, as I was teaching something, I was consuming the will power that could otherwise be used to practice it; as I was sharing knowledge, my attachment to it decreased…

But why?

It was discomforting and ironic that, at the same time as I taught people wisdom, they secretly taught me ignorance towards that knowledge. Was this it? Was this mutual teaching what intrigued me all along? Wasn’t it that after sharing my ideas, I had to work on my own mind in order to recover from that reciprocal teaching?

Maybe I was learning something from people as I taught them, and I had to un-learn it.

With these thoughts in mind, I formulated the third law of education: “When a teaching is exerted on a mind, there is a reaction from the learner to the teacher. This is called the teaching-then-ignoring principle.”

When I shared my third law with others, it was simply ignored.

And that convinced me of its correctness, because I started to ignore their ignorance. It didn’t matter whether others accepted my ideas or not. For me, witnessing their real life confirmation led to a total conviction (i.e., mental inertia), which brought an unparalleled power and comfort. I was like Galileo, who once uttered, “the Earth is orbiting the sun, whether you accept it or not.”

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DIALOGUE Barbara Anderson Interfaith Outreach Facilitator, Dublin Community Church-United Church of Christ, Dublin, Ohio

FRIENDSHIPS ROOTED I N FA I T H A N D LOV E

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t was September, 2003. A diverse group of women from many different Christian denominations, both Catholic and Protestant, began meeting at Dublin Community Church-United Church of Christ, in Dublin, Ohio, for fellowship and Bible study. Yes, we were all Christian women, but very different in age, background, and diversity of belief. Every Friday morning, 35-40 women came together to share their beliefs, struggles, and joys. Childcare, food, and a warm welcome was offered.

The two facilitators of the group chose the studies, and each week we viewed a DVD, and discussed and shared our thoughts. Our studies ranged from conservative to progressive, and we always stressed that we weren’t expected to agree with the video or with each other, but we were expected to be very respectful of each other, even if we disagreed.

Two years later, our Senior Minister called me to relate the following: Three Muslim women had been

driving by our church and had noticed a banner hanging prominently in the front lawn. The banner was the “motto” of the United Church of Christ, and it read, “God is Still Speaking.” The women bravely walked into our church to ask our minister what the banner meant.

They were new to the area, having moved to Central Ohio from Turkey, and wanted to be in dialogue with women of other faiths. Our Senior Minister warmly welcomed them, described the meaning of the banner, and told them about our group.

He contacted me and I informed the group at our next meeting that they would be invited to join us.

Initially, some in the group were hesitant and skeptical. Comments included, “What do they want from us? Will they try to convert us? Why do they want to join an all Christian group?” In light of the events of 9/11 a few short years earlier, I understood these concerns, but my cofacilitator and I felt strongly that we should welcome the women. After contacting them, we felt they simply wanted to meet and be in respectful

dialogue with other women.

The women were warmly welcomed the following week. Yes, we had questions for them, and they understood and explained very well all that we asked. Yes, there were differences, but by focusing on what we had in common, those differences became much less important. Most of us had never personally met a Muslim, and we were struck by our commonalities. Over the next few months, we were invited to our friends’ homes for Turkish food, and participated in events at the Turkish American Society of Ohio.

Since then, several of our original Muslim friends have either moved away or taken full time jobs.

But we are always graced with the presence of at least one member from their community and several have begun attending our evening group. We are all better for knowing them.

Our group was “officially” named in 2006 and we are now called WORD (Women of Religious Diversity). We think it captures the

essence of our group and all that it represents with the presence of so many faith traditions. We continue to do a range of studies, from conservative to progressive, and we learn much from the studies and from each other.

In the fall of 2013, we selected a DVD/Workbook study called “The Patriarchs.” It was an Old Testament study, a bit more challenging for us, but all were excited to begin. We were looking forward to the Muslim women’s perspective as well. Four weeks into the study, as I was doing my homework, it became apparent to me that the author was proceeding in a different direction than I had anticipated, one that I thought was going to be offensive to the women of the Islamic faith that we had grown to know and love.

Our ministers and I agreed that we would watch the next DVD segment as a group, but that I would forewarn everyone by email that there were some segments where we would pause the DVD and discuss these in detail with our Muslim friends. I related to our Muslim friends that I thought it was important that we hear these comments from someone of the Conservative Christian faith, (the speaker on the video), but that we certainly didn’t want to offend them. As usual, they were very gracious, and said they would listen and respond as best they could.

As we watched the DVD together, the speaker related that in her

view, Ishmael and his anger at not being the “chosen” son, had begun the Muslim movement and the violence she associates with the Islamic faith. We continued to express our disappointment and disagreement when she related that the God of Islam (Allah), is not the same God that we worship as Christians.

She spoke of Osama Bin Laden acting on what his faith told him during the horrific events of 9/11. Our Muslim friend responded with love in answering the hateful remarks made, as we stopped the video periodically to allow her to respond.

We sincerely apologized to her and related to her that our group did not feel the same way as the speaker we had just heard, and we were extremely sorry for the offensive comments being made on the video.

After hearing enough of these hateful and disrespectful comments, we stopped the DVD, and discontinued the study.

In speaking with the group that day and the following weeks, we realized that several of the Muslim women had been “bothered” previously by comments in other videos, but they knew these were not the feelings of our group, so they kept returning to share in our fellowship together. Our relationship with them and their community is even stronger now. Yes, there are the fundamentalist conservative Christian voices out there, and I still believe that it was important for our entire group to hear those voices.

Unfortunately, many times those voices are the loudest. But, in our group, with our more moderate to progressive Christian attitude, we believe that we worship the same God, the God who is our creator and sustainer. Obviously, Jesus is viewed very differently in Islam than in Christianity, and we will agree to disagree in that area. We prefer to concentrate on the common values of our faith traditions.

We have had the privilege of sharing meals, prayers, traditions, and acts of charity and compassion with them and their families, and we are all better for knowing each other.

We truly wish that others would commit to sharing the same experience that we have had.

If all you know of another faith is what you hear and see in the news, then you don’t truly know a person of that faith. There has been violence done in the name of all religions by those who claim that their faith tells them to act in anger.

Only by sharing ideas, traditions, and common goals in interfaith dialogue, will we truly know anything about how another person daily lives out their faith.

To quote a passage that was read at an interfaith dinner that I attended: “Our differences may at times define us, but they need not divide us.

At all times, and in all places, let our common goals unite us.”

DIALOGUE Zeliha Celiker Executive member of Turkish American Society of Ohio-Women's Club

I

LOVING WORDS, LOVING AC TIONS

am a practicing Muslim woman living in the USA. Practicing, you may ask? How much?

How well? It’s between me and God, but I can assure you that I am more practicing than I was before. I wasn’t really practicing until I came to Istanbul to attend college. There, I was shaken by the questions of one of my friends who was an atheist.

She was trying to convince me that there was no God. I wavered for a while, questioning the existence of my dear God. Then, I brought myself together and asked: “Why can’t I say anything to prove there is a God to refute my friend’s many efforts to prove there is no God? If I was a true believer, I should have been advocating for my faith. What was wrong with me? Could she be right in saying all of those words about the non-existence of God? Part of me was screaming “No!!”

However, the other part was a little hesitant. I was struggling with many questions. Finally, I realized th at I was experiencing all of this because I actually did not know the “God” I thought I loved. I had some knowledge of God, but that was not enough for me. I was a Muslim just because I was born into a Muslim family. Therefore, I decided to get to know “God.” And I started to read, read, and read, as the first revelation to the beloved Prophet

Muhammad, peace be upon him, states: “Read, in the name of God” (Quran, 96:1).

While reading, the doors opened wide in front of me. As I began to get to know Who I believe in, I started to love more. As I loved more, I started to practice more. I wanted to say “thank you,” to my atheist friend who contributed to this result. This is a wonderful memory which taught me that love comes after knowing.

I believe the following is a rule that holds true in all cases.

Would you like to love God? Get to know God better!

Would you like to love people around you? Get to know them better!

I think this is the key to maintaining a peaceful world: getting to know others, and loving and respecting others. As is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, Chapter 49:13: “O mankind! We created you from a single pair of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may know each other (not that you may despise each other).”

Believing this with my whole heart, I was at the Turkish American Society of Ohio enjoying the friendship of the wonderful people I had previously met, who assisted me whenever I needed help. I was

standing next to one of these wonderful friends, looking into her eyes in amazement while she was telling me the story of an admirable group of women that called themselves the “Women of Religious Diversity” – or “WORD.” My friend suggested that I join them.

Frankly, I hesitated at the beginning, even though I was theoretically fine with it. Yes, I had had friends from different faith traditions before, but I had never joined a discussion group of people from different religious backgrounds. I wasn’t sure how it would feel in practice. Although I heard some other Muslim friends had joined the group before, and that they had had a great time, it still required some courage for me to attend. And so there I was, parking my car in the parking lot of the Dublin Community Church, praying to God that it would be a good day both for me and for them. Excited, curious, and a little nervous, I opened the doors of the church.

My nervousness was gone soon after I was with the wonderful ladies of WORD. It was such a welcoming and comforting environment that I just enjoyed every second of my time spent with them.

After a few meetings, the study came to a point of discussing the lives of the Prophets Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael in a book and video called “The Patriarchs”. I

had enjoyed and learned much in the previous chapters. However, prior to discussing more details about the Prophets, I received a very thoughtful e-mail from the facilitator of our group. She indicated that she had some concerns about the content of the upcoming video and she asked me if I’d be willing to share my perspective on the topic as a Muslim. I agreed.

I was not fully aware of how disrespectful the video was towards Islam. The video started, and I was shocked by what I was hearing.

I started to shiver, my heart was beating faster, and I was sad, so sad, to hear someone talking about Islam so unreasonably but enthusiastically. Our group facilitator was extremely thoughtful in stopping the video to allow me to respond to what was being said. İt was so hurtful to hear the speaker trying to convince her audience that Islam is hostile toward Christianity and that the root of this hostility was from the Prophet Ishmael being jealous of his brother Prophet Isaac.

I tried to explain with my whole heart that Islam does not proscribe hatred – especially of Christians.

Moreover, it is one of the six pillars of the Islamic faith to believe in all the books and the prophets that were sent by God, and to hold all of them in high regard. Therefore, a person cannot be called a Muslim if he does not accept and keep holy all the books and the prophets. I am sure I was trembling as I tried to explain how much we love all the prophets, including Isaac, and that I had never heard such things in my whole life as a Muslim.

The facilitator continued to stop the video periodically to allow me to respond. At one point,

the speaker in the video claimed that the one whom Muslims call “Allah” is not the same as the one whom Christians call “God” and that Muslims have no relationship with God. I was about to cry. Those words were so hurtful to hear, as we believe all the books and the prophets were sent by the same exact God, whose name is “Allah” in Arabic and “God” in English. And so, because of that, Christian Arabs call their God “Allah” in the Arabic language. It was also hurtful to be accused that I, as a Muslim, have no relationship with God, even though I pray five times a day at specified time frames to remember God and maintain my relationship with God. Before I said anything, the awesome ladies of WORD intervened and stopped the video, saying, “We no longer want to continue watching this hateful video.” They apologized to me for having to watch it, and repeated many times that they do not agree with the speaker’s views. They decided to discontinue the book and video and not to study any of the books by the same person again. They couldn’t have been more comforting. I was touched by

how they reacted and consoled me in a time of disappointment.

I feel so lucky to be in a group where we all respectfully share ideas and can grow spiritually.

Even though I was sad to see that there are books and opinions like that, I also felt fortunate to be among the very polite women of WORD who believe in interfaith dialogue as much as I do. This particular event showed me, and I believe the other women of WORD as well, that getting to know each other, and having dialogue with each other, is necessary to love each other. And “love” is the essence of the universe.

When you are trying to please God with your actions, then you can work together for the benefit of others, just as our groups have done – Muslims and Christians, hand in hand to make a more peaceful world.

In an Ohio town, a group of extraordinary women started a Christian study group. One day, they were surprised by some unexpected guests. They weren’t prepared for how much they were about to learn.

A MOMENT FOR REFLECTION Nuh Ozdin Science editor for Kaynak Publications

THE RHYTHM EMBROIDERED INTO EXISTENCE Every organism, whether sentient or not, follows a complex, preordained rhythm throughout its existence. Discovering these rhythms is a thing of great beauty.

E

vents that occur on the space-time continuum and then vanish have been granted a certain, specific period of time.

As we discover that every object in the universe, no matter how big or small, is organized by certain rhythms, we better understand that the periodic oscillations of the world are not random, and from galaxies to atoms everything comes into being in a perfectly planned fashion.

Rhythm in Space Like our body’s biological clock, every event that occurs in the universe, and each living or non-living thing, has a dynamic rhythm that forms during their creation in the spacetime continuum. The completion of Earth’s rotation around its axis in one day, and its revolution around the Sun in a year, are examples of 24

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periodic events in space. Likewise, we always see the same side of the moon because the moon’s rotation velocity around its axis and its speed of revolution around the Earth are roughly the same.

Our solar system is also rotating, and it completes its tour around the Milky Way galaxy in one galactic year (225-250 million years). In fact, all heavenly bodies are in a constant state of motion.

For instance, it is already known that 2061 will be the next time Haley’s Comet orbits Earth.

The movements of the planets and their satellites present in the solar system affect events taking place on Earth. Tidal movements, occurring on a 24.8 hour period, are dictated by the gravitational pull of the moon. The tides deeply affect humans and other animals, both on land and in the sea. For

example, coastal birds have adapted their natural rhythms to only forage during low tides. Anyone who has ever wanted to beachcomb also knows that low tide is the best time to search!

Rhythm in nature Our planet’s living and non-living reactions also take place rhythmically: seasons, and sun rises and sun sets, never lose their proper order.

This is important, as many animals depend on these rhythms. The reproductive period of the Mid-European Roe deer is regulated according to these seasons. They mate in the months of July and August, when abundant food is available. The fawns are born during the month of May, which is the most suitable time regarding temperature.

Porcupines living in South Africa spend June through August

– winter in the Southern Hemisphere – in hibernation, while Mid-European porcupines hibernate from October to April. However while Mid-Europe is dominated by cold weather, porcupines kept in the controlled environs of zoos do not hibernate like their partners in the wild.

The migration habits of many animals also depend on the seasons. Pearl mullets of Van Lake, in

Turkey, start migrating upstream into rivers in June every year. They return once they deposit their eggs somewhere sheltered and stagnant in the river. Salmon in the American northwest follow similar patterns.

Birds lay eggs at certain times, incubate them, and then migrate thousands of kilometers. Their ability to do this depends on the rhythms of the seasons. And as November / December 2015

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Many animals depend on the rhythm of the planet. They hibernate, reproduce, and migrate according to these rhythms. we know, flora also buds and flowers depending upon these natural rhythms.

Rhythm in our body Our body and organs also have a rhythm. Even though we are not aware of it, these harmonious movements, called the biological clock, continue until death. For example, our heart pumps rhythmically and a disturbance in this rhythm can be a sign of serious diseases. By cell death and creation of new ones, our organs are periodically rejuvenated.

Our metabolism also works in harmony. The pineal gland (epiphysis) is the first check point of the biological clock. This tiny organ in the brain plays a role in the proper regulation of our organs and systems via a couple of hormones it secretes, primarily melatonin.

Together with the hypothalamus, the pineal gland works like a clock to measure time. While many organs use chemical cues to secrete 26

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hormones, the pineal gland activates according to light strength.

Melatonin secretion is related to the dimness of the environment.

Generally, light causes levels of melatonin to decrease, but darkness leads to an increase. Light cues arrive at the pineal gland via a complicated neural path that starts with the retinal layer of the eye. It follows this route: light retina hypothalamus epiphysis melatonin secretion The speed of our metabolism in terms of the causation chain is controlled by the melatonin hormone. Physiological events such as feeling sleepy in the evening and waking up in the morning occur according to melatonin levels.

In other words, the rotation of Earth around its axis and its revolution around the Sun, which also means the arrival of the Sun’s rays on the planet, act directly on the body’s metabolism.

Rhythm in the cells and deciphering a code

As the smallest functional unit of organisms, cells also have a lifespan. A cell’s biological clock displays its division and death times. Telomere, a part of our DNA present in chromosomes, gets shorter with each cell division, meaning that a cell cannot divide beyond a certain point.

As the smallest functional unit of organisms, cells also have a lifespan. A cell’s biological clock displays its division and death times.

Telomere, a part of our DNA present in chromosomes, gets shorter with each cell division, meaning that a cell cannot divide beyond a certain point. Therefore, the telomere is a structure in charge of determining a cell’s biological clock. However, the telomerase enzyme present in cancer cells is a protein that prevents this DNA fragment from becoming shorter; thus, a cancerous cell reproduces by dividing continuously and uncontrollably.

Dr. Woodring Wright and Dr. Jerry Shay from Texas University have discovered that a substance called 6-thiodG binds to the telomerase enzyme to inhibit the growth of cancerous cells in both cell culture mediums and mice. When the telomerase enzyme encounters the 6-thiodG substance, the cancerous cells sense a signal, as if the cell has been damaged; it quits dividing and later dies. Today, this chemical molecule gives hope for future studies. We can be satisfied that one code has been deciphered and a step has been taken in terms of scientific progress.

From the world of the heavens to the world of atoms, creation continues at every scale in the universe. All events take place in rhythmic periods, and all organisms follow these rhythms. Like the gears of a clock, though some are small and some are big, all are still part of a larger system. As the laws and organizations established in the universe are elucidated better, the wonderful rhythm of existence and the codes regarding these will be continually discovered. Humankind, which is built with curiosity to investigate and learn, will have better awareness of the wonders of the creation as they analyze these rhythmic mechanisms, and they will be filled with awe and gratitude.

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HISTORY Elif Cansu Guler A freelance writer from Germany with an interest in history

CHURCH OF MARY KIBBUTZ RAMAT RACHEL A N E X E M P L A RY C A S E O F D I A L O G U E F R O M T H E E A R LY I S L A M I C P E R I O D

The recent discovery of the remains of an ancient structure near Bethlehem serves as a capsule of how people of different faiths once lived together in peace – and how someday, they could do so again.

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n his book, The Culture of Ambiguity: Another History of Islam, the contemporary Islamic scholar Thomas Bauer wrote: For about a thousand years Arab-Islamic societies cultivated a “culture of ambiguity.” Various truth claims were allowed to stand next to one another, and the search for the probable seemed to be satisfying enough.

Only the colonialism practiced in the Middle East in the 19th century exerted pressure to define oneself through unique standards.1 Today, Islamism (or the political interpretation of Islam) strives for self-definition through demarcation, “... in a merely apparent

reference back to traditional Islamic values.”2 Professor Dr. Dieter Dieterich in turn referred “... to the tolerant and very fruitful Islamic high culture in ‘Moorish Spain’ between 714 and 1492 and ... to the high esteem of Islam influenced by Sufism on behalf of Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729-1781), J.W. Goethe (1749-1832), Friedrich Rückert (1788-1866), and the Islamic scholar Annemarie Schimmel (1922-2003).”3 But does Islam really teach tolerance? How did Muslim rulers of the early Islamic period treat people of other faiths? How did Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second successor of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon himafter Abu

Bakr, deal with the year 638, when he encountered people of different faiths in villages inhabited predominantly by Christians? Is there any evidence that Umar tried to establish dialogue?

In this essay, I will examine the issue and concern myself with a place that could, today, be the place of a similar encounter between faiths – the Kathisma Church located between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. I will document the church’s history, and then study how the Muslims dealt with this Christian place of worship. In addition, I will try to clarify why the ruins of the church bear witness to the existence of a Muslim prayer niche.

Kathisma – a place of worship for both Christians and Muslims The Greek word “Kathisma” can be translated to mean “seating” or “rest area.” The Kathisma church, rediscovered in 1992 during excavations at the Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, halfway between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, is considered a model and a symbol for successful peaceful coexistence in early medieval times. In pre-Islamic times, the site is supposed to have served Christians on the pilgrimage from Jerusalem to Bethlehem as a rest area and a place of worship. It is alleged that the very pregnant Holy Mary herself rested on the rock over which this facility was built, when she made her way to Bethlehem. The church was in the form of an octagon, featuring the same scheme as the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. Figure 1 shows the octagonal shape of the building, with the apse aligned to the east, the rock in the middle and - added later - the Muslim prayer niche, the mihrab:

And he saddled his donkey and sat her on it and his son led and Samuel followed. And they arrived at the third mile and Joseph turned and saw that she was sad. And he said to himself, “Perhaps the child within her is troubling her.” And again Joseph turned around and saw her laughing and said to her, “Mary, what is with you? First your face appears happy and then sad?”

And she said, “Joseph, it is because I see two people with my eyes, one crying and being afflicted, one rejoicing and being extremely

happy.” When they came to the middle of the journey, Mary said to him, “Joseph, take me off the donkey; the child is pushing from within me to let him come out.” So he took her off the donkey and said to her, “Where will I take you and shelter you in your awkwardness?

This area is a desert.”

b) A travel report by Archdeacon Theodosius Another source noted that Mary may have rested at the place of the Kathisma church:

Literary sources a) The Gospel of James In the so-called Gospel of James, an early Christian writing, which is believed to have been composed in the middle of the second century, there is an indication that on her way from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, Holy Mary stopped for a rest. However, there is only vague information provided, which also varies depending on the translation. In James 17:5-11, we read:

Figure 1: Kathisma-stone plan / floor plan, approximately 8th century 4

There is a place located three miles from the city of Jerusalem.

When Mistress Mary, the Mother of the Lord, came to Bethlehem, she dismounted from the donkey, sat down on a rock and blessed it.5 This source, from the first half of the sixth century, at least adds to the extract from the Gospel of James the information that there was a rock Mary rested upon.

c) The pilgrim from Piacenze In the 6th century, a pilgrim from Piacenze mentioned that the place had been blessed by Mary. He also said that a church was built there: On the road to Bethlehem, at the third milestone from Jerusalem, the remains of Rachel are located on the outskirts of a village named Rama. Halfway off this road I saw motionless

water pouring forth from a rock, and the people drew from this water, without it becoming more or less. Its flavor is indescribable; they say the reason for this is the fact that the Virgin Mary on her escape into Egypt took a seat there, thirsty; then this water was broken forth. There was also a church being built recently.6

Fig. 2: Map7

Archaeological finds Archaeological finds and explorations on the spot indicate three construction phases:

First phase: Construction and dating

Ground plan

First phase: 5th century

Fig. 3

Second phase: 6th century

Fig. 4

Third phase: First half of the 8th century

Fig. 5

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One striking feature of these layouts (Fig. 3-5) is that obviously the Kathisma Church was supplemented by an Islamic prayer niche over time. The fact that the prayer direction of the Muslims differs from the prayer direction of the Christians should have made it easier to carry out this modification. Even today, the remains of the mihrab are visible at the spot:

Fig. 6: Remains of the mihrab of the Kathisma Church

Features The church is built as an octagon, with a rock in the middle and an apse facing east.

In the 6th century some enhancements have been made. But naturally, there is nothing yet that would remind you of a mihrab here.

Archaeological finds show that in the 8th century the place was used by both Christians and Muslims for worship. That means that the church was not destroyed by the Muslim rulers.

The rock that is believed that Mary sat on.

Mihrab Fig. 7: Remains of the mihrab and the rock9

Fig. 8: A photo of the remains from above10

At this point, it should be noted that the Kathisma church remained undestroyed in the early Islamic period and was shared by Christians and Muslims. 11 This fits other evidence showing the two faiths co-existing peacefully. On a palm mosaic found nearby, it is evident that symbols were used which fit both religions:

The palm motif is known to figure in both religions’ stories of Holy Mary. According to the Islamic tradition, she at least rested, but perhaps also brought forth her child under a (date) palm tree12; and it can be learned from apocryphal Christian stories that she refreshed herself by enjoying the juice and the fruits of a palm tree. 13

The Kathisma Church in the 7th and 8th centuries

Fig. 9: Kathisma-palm mosaic from the Arab period, Israel Antiquities Authorities 32

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On the third ground plan (fig. 5) there is a prayer niche, which was probably added after the Arab conquest of Jerusalem and the surrounding area – an indication that Muslims and non-Muslims alike must have come to an agreement at that time to convert the Kathisma Church into a place of worship for both religions. The Arab expansion, which proceeded rapidly, especially after the death of the Prophet, reached Jerusalem and the surrounding villages in 638. In the annals of the historian Tabari, the text of a treaty has been handed down, which was concluded between the second caliph Umar and the Patriarch Sophronius: In the name of God, the Most Merciful! The following is granted by Umar, servant of God and Commander of the

Faithful, to the people of Aelia [Jerusalem] as a security guarantee: He has given them a guarantee for their lives, their possessions, their churches and crosses, for the sick and the healthy, and for the whole population [of the city].14 Their churches are not to be destroyed or used for housing; neither the churches itself nor the associated property shall suffer any loss; nor their crosses or their other property. They shall not be affected in their religion, nobody is to suffer loss. [...] The people of Aelia are supposed to pay tribute as other cities do. [...] Those residents of Aelia who wish to leave with their belongings preferring to join the departing Byzantines and abandon their churches and crosses, shall be granted safe passage for themselves, their churches and crosses, until they are safe. [...] On this document are the guarantee of God and the protection of his envoy, and the caliphs and the protection of the faithful as long as they pay the tribute incumbent upon them. [Followed by the names of the witnesses.]15

The example of the Kathisma Church makes clear that Christian places of worship were protected and not destroyed. Last but not least, the preservation of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem testifies that the Muslim conquerors were wont to keep their promises.

As this quote shows, protection is granted both to all who want to stay in the city and to those who want to leave. Treaties of this kind were not unusual at that time.

A contract had been concluded with the residents of Damascus as early as 635. The example of the Kathisma Church makes clear that Christian places of worship were protected and not destroyed. Last but not least, the preservation of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem testifies that the Muslim conquerors were wont to keep their promises.

Conclusion The Kathisma Church can be understood as a clear sign of dialogue and coexistence – not only because it remained undestroyed under caliph Umar, but because it was used as a place of worship by both Christians and Muslims. A similar culturally ambiguous form of tolerance among people with different faiths and ways of thinking is still not evident today, which makes this sharing all the more impressive. Nevertheless, today there are similar projects, such as the House of One in Berlin,16 the aim of which is to increase tolerance by providing information and conversations with people of different faiths (rather than merely about each other). Healthy understandings of dialogue and discourse are helpful in this regard.

Our example illustrates that as far back as the early period of Islam a peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims can

be proven. Dialogue was, and still is, possible. Umar ibn al-Khattab’s reign as the caliph lasted from 634 to 644. More examples could be cited from this period that confirm his willingness to engage in dialogue with people of other faiths and ways of thinking. Historical testimonies bear out, for example, the right for residence to the Jews of Jerusalem, granted after 500 long years of persecution.17 Indepth research on this period and subject shall bring other instances to light.

Notes 1. Bauer, Thomas; Die Kultur der Ambiguität. Eine andere Geschichte des Islams; Berlin 2011, blurb.

2. Ibid.

3. Dieterich, Dieter: „Ungewohntes bringt uns weiter. Für eine Kultur der „Ambiguität“, in: Das Gespräch aus der Ferne. Vierteljahreshefte zu wesentlichen Lebensfragen unserer Zeit. Nr. 403. II/2013. Vol. 66, p. 20 4. Vergleiche: Avner, Rina; “The Recovery of the Kathisma Church and its Influence on Octagonal Buildings,” in: Bottini, Giovanni Claudio/Segni, Leah Di/Chrupcala, Leslaw Daniel (Ed.): One land – Many Cultures. Archaeological Studies in Honour of Stanislao Loffreda; Jerusalem 2003, p. 177, fig. 4.

5. Archidiakon Theodosius; Theodosii de situ terrae sanctae, emerged about 530 AD. 6. Latin version in: Antoninus <Placentinus>; Itinerarium Antonini Placentini.

Un viaggio in Terra Santa del 560 – 570 d.

C.; Mailand 1977, p. 178f.

7. Avner, Rina: “The Initial Tradition of the Theotokos at the Kathisma: Earliest Celebrations and the Calender”, in: Brubaker, Leslie/Cunningham & Mary B. (Hrsg.); The cult of the Mother of God in Byzantium. Texts and Images; Farnham 2011, p. 11, fig. 1.1 8. Fig. 3-5 taken from: Avner, Rina: “The

Recovery of the Kathisma Church and its Influence on Octagonal Buildings”, in: Bottini/Segni/Chrupcala; One Land – Many Cultures; p. 177 9. See Avner: “The Recovery”, S. 173-186 or Andonia, Beata; “Kathisma - Place of Rest on the Way to Bethlehem”, in: http://www.travelujah.com/blogs/entry/ Kathisma-Place-of-Rest-on-the-Way-toBethlehem, as of 02.20.2015.

10. Photo from 09.25.2013 11. Photo from 09.25.2013 12. Photo from 09.25.2013: Israel Tours: Kathisma Church, 05.12.2011, in: https:// israeltours.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/ kathisma-aerial.jpg, as of 02.20.2015 13. See Cornell, Vincent J.; “The Ethiopian's Dilemma: Islam, Religious Boundaries and the Identity of God”, in: Jacob Neusner/Baruch A. Levine/Bruce D. Chilton/Vincent J. Cornell (Ed.): Do Jews, Christians, and Muslims Worship the Same God?; Nashville 2012. S. 95-98; see Avner, Rina: “The Dome of the Rock in Light of the Development of Concentric Martyria,” in: Jerusalem: Architecture and Architectural Iconographie, Muqarnas 27, 2010, p. 31-49 14. The Qur’an, 19:23-36 15. See Avner: “The Dome”, p. 37-42; see Cornell: “The Ethiopian's Dilemma”, p.

97-98 16. Accentuations made by the author 17. From the Annals of Tabari, quoted from: Halm, Heinz: Der Islam, 2011, p.

26f., abridged version 18. Website of “The House of One”, http:// house-of-one.org/de 19. Tilly, Michael: „Jerusalem von der Spätantike bis zur Gründung Israels. Unter fremder Herrschaft“, in: Damals. Das Magazin für Geschichte. Das jüdische Jerusalem, in http://www.damals.de/ de/16/Unter-fremder-Herrschaft.html?iss ue=134759&aid=134746&cp=1&action=sh owDetails, as of 01.28.2015.

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Emerald Hills of the Heart

(Discernment)

FIRASA

F

irasa (discernment) can be defined as profundity, productivity and coherence in thought and the forming of opinions, the ability to penetrate the meaning of existence, and acting on conscious insight.

It is a light that God puts into a person when they have purified their heart of spiritual ailments such as vengeance, hatred, resentment, hypocrisy, and conceit and a light that adorns one with belief, knowledge and love of God, and zeal to serve His cause. Those who are favored with discernment become unique among people: their feelings and perceptions are deepened, they gain familiarity with the mysteries that others cherish in their hearts, and they can see the truths inscribed on their faces. In proportion to their discerning the truths and meanings that lie behind things, they can become a polished mirror in which the One Who has full knowledge of all that is beyond the reach of human senses and perception manifests and reflects Himself. Pointing to such a degree of discernment, the master of creatures, the articulate voice of the visible and invisible worlds, upon him be peace and blessings, said: Beware of the discernment of a believer, for he looks with the light of God.1 The close relationship between discernment and the light of belief is also expressed in the Qur’anic verse (8:29), If you keep from disobedience to God in reverence for Him and piety, He will make a criterion arise in your heart to distinguish between truth and falsehood, and right and wrong.

However we approach the topic of discernment— whether from the viewpoint that it indicates that the heart is open to the knowledge and inspirations of the One Who has full knowledge of all that is beyond the reach of human senses and perception and that those favored with it are usually right in their thinking, opinions, decisions and judgments, or from the viewpoint that discernment is the true conclusions that we draw based on our information, experiences, practices, the depth of our perception, and ability to 34

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read character—discernment is purely a gift of God. Those who have the greatest share in this gift are, each according to rank and capacity, the Prophets, saintly scholars, and saints. The one who is the first and foremost of all is the master of the Prophets, and the embodiment of the First Intellect.2 While God refers to all people of discernment and high perception in the words (15:75), Surely in this are manifest signs (of truth) for the people of discernment and acumen, in the verse (47:30), If We willed (that they should be known,) We would surely show them to you and you would surely know them by their faces and you would surely know them by the style of their speech, He particularly alludes to the superiority of the one who is the highest in discernment.

Discernment gets sharper and stronger in proportion to the depth of belief and the greatness of certainty. Sometimes it even rises to such a degree that by virtue of certain special gifts from God, one can see with God’s sight. The following observations of some important Sufi leaders and their comments on discernment point to this fact: Abu Sa‘id al-Harraz says: “If you say that one looks with the light of discernment, it means that one looks with the sight of God.” Al-Wasiti3 comments: “Discernment is a God-given ray of light which appears in the heart like lightning and illuminates the incorporeal worlds visible to some in certain circumstances, and causes one to rise to the rank of being able to see the whole existence as it is.”

Ad-Darani defines discernment: “Discernment means discovering the depths of the human self and that the invisible worlds become visible and secrets obvious.”

Shah Kirmani4 reminds: “If a person blinds him or herself to religiously forbidden things, holds back from the influence of carnal desires and provocations, improves his or her inner world with self-supervision and outer world with adherence to the Sunna, and is able to always keep within the limits of the religiously lawful, he or she is always infallible in discernment.”

All those aspects of discernment develop through belief and do not lead one who is favored with them to err. What reason is there for them to err while it is He Who causes one to see and the eyes that see are from Him? As it was due to God’s gift of discernment to His Messenger that he was able to know people very well and to employ everyone in a suitable position, it was also the same Divine gift which we are able to observe in many of the wonderful summations, evaluations, decisions, and judgments of Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman, and ‘Ali.5 It would take many volumes to explain their discernment.

In addition, there are wise purposes for the creation of reason and spirit. So, God may favor some spiritually ordinary people with instances of discernment, either because of the value He attaches to the reason and spirit that He has granted to humanity, or as a reward in advance for the good things that they will do in the future. Such instances of wisdom may be regarded as a special gift from the Creator of causes, granted before these people have deserved them. Now, based on ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud’s6 exposition, let us mention some examples: • The vizier who bought Joseph in Egypt said of him to his wife: “Give him honorable, goodly lodging.

It may be that he will prove useful to us or we may adopt him as a son.” (12:21) • One of Prophet Shu‘ayb’s daughters said to her father concerning Moses: “O father! Hire him! For the best man that you can hire is that strong, trustworthy one.” (28:26) • The wife of the Pharaoh expressed to him her opinion about Moses, whom they found in the river: “He will be a consolation for me and for you. Kill him not. He may be of use to us, or we may choose him for a son.” (28:9) There is another kind of discernment which is

obtained through austerity. If that discernment is not based on accurate belief and righteous deeds, it can be a means of gradual perdition for the one who possesses it. Whether the one who has it is a believer or unbeliever, a Muslim or a Christian, or a saint or layman, everyone can achieve certain (spiritual) discoveries or wonders through austerity.

Some regard reading someone’s character from their physical traits as another kind of discernment.

However, it obviously has nothing to do with the discernment that we are dealing with here.

O God! Guide my carnal soul to the piety necessary for it, and purify it. You are the best to purify it, and You are its guardian and master. And bestow blessings and peace on Your Messenger Muhammad, the pure, chosen one, and on his Family and Companions.

Notes 1. at-Tirmidhi, “Tafsiru’l-Qur’an,” (15) 6.

2. The First Intellect is the archetypal being or the archetype of Prophet Muhammad who receives the gifts of God first of all and then transfers them to others. (Tr.) 3. Abu Bakr Muhammed ibn Musa al-Wasiti (d. 932). A Sufi who associated with al-Junayd and an-Nuri in Baghdad and who later moved to Merv where he died. He was also an authority on fiqh.

(Tr.) 4. Sayyid Ahmad Shah Kirmani was a Sufi shaykh who followed the way of Shihabu’d-Din as-Suhrawardi. He lived in Kashmir in the sixteenth century. (Tr.) 5. Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman, and ‘Ali were the four foremost among the Companions of God’s Messenger (Muhammad) and his first four successors called “The Rightly Guided Caliphs.”

(Tr.) 6. ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud was one of the early Muslims who was well-versed in the Qur’an and Islamic sciences. He was also very close to the Messenger. He died during the Caliphate of ‘Uthman.

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BIOLOGY Ibrahim Ugurlu A freelance writer with a PhD in biology

An Organism Which Doesn’t Burn or Freeze What if you were told there was a species that could survive both extreme cold and extreme hot?

That could endure the vacuum of outer space and the depths of the ocean bottom?

And what if researches were investigating this species to help humans?

T

he land, freshwater lakes and rivers, and seas are adorned with all types of organisms. Up until now, only 2.5 million species have been identified. Upon a complete investigation of the deep seas and inaccessible areas of Earth, the species count is expected to reach 5 or even 9-10 million. Fossil records show the number of living species in the past was much higher than what it is today.

The number of taxonomically defined animal species is around 1.5 million. These are classified into 32 phyla according to their distinct features. One of these is the phylum of Tardigrada.

These cute, tiny water creatures were discovered in 1773 by Johann August Ephraim Goeze. Despite being aquatic, these animals were called “water bears” because of their legs; and because of their resemblance to pandas, they were named “Tardigrada,” meaning “slow stepper,” by the Italian biologist Lazzaro Spallanzani. Tardigrades also look like dwarf rhinos and armadillos. There are about 1,000 different species in the Tardigrade phylum.

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Despite being aquatic, these animals were called “water bears” because of their legs; and because of their resemblance to pandas, they were named “Tardigrada,” meaning “slow stepper.”

Tardigrades live in habitats with variable amounts of humidity, from high mountains to deep oceans, and from polar regions to the equator. They are especially found in lakes, freshwater springs, or on stone walls, mosses, lichens, leaves, and litter.

As cute, charismatic, miniature animals, tardigrades can be seen under a microscope. The length of adults can reach 1.5 mm, while the smallest ones are under 0.1 mm; their larval length is only around 0.05 milimeters. Their body is covered with a strong but elastic material.

Animals grow in two ways: via an increase of cell numbers or the enlargement of a single cell. In Tardigrades, generally the latter is observed. These animals possess a hard external skeleton, like insects, and this structure changes as they grow.

Their bodies are composed of five sections: a distinct head in addition to four body parts, each equipped with claws. They walk using the short, blunt feet under their bodies. Their clawed legs help them cling to sand particles or plant surfaces. Their hind legs are used for snatching and slow

acrobatic movements. They have a sharp mouth, called a “stylet,” which enables them to consume plant cells, algae, small invertebrates, and even their own kind.

They are provided with anatomical and physiological features similar to larger animals, including a digestive track and system: a mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, anus, well developed muscles, a pair of abdominal nervous systems, and a brain. The body lumen of Tardigrades are filled with a fluid that is in contact with every cell and this provides them with their necessary nutrition and gas exchanges without the need for a circulatory or respiratory system.

Their respiration occurs throughout their body surfaces. Because of their physiology and ability to quickly reproduce, Tardigrades can be used as a model organism for education and research. The cell count of certain species of Tardigrades at birth never changes during their lives. While some species contain around 40,000 cells, some have fewer. Their reproduction can be sexual, but it also can occur via parthenogenesis (offspring development without the fertilization of the egg).

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Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/ wiki/Category:Tardigrada

Tardigrades: organisms of extreme conditions Tardigrades are created with a resistance to a wide range of temperatures, pressures, and radiation. Therefore, they can live in environments where many living things die. They can survive a temperature of 150 °C for minutes, and can also live at minus 200 °C without suffering any damage for days; they can even stay alive at temperatures near absolute zero (−273 °C).

Some Tardigrades can live at extreme low pressures, including situations approaching a vacuum, or at extreme high pressures, such as 600 times the normal atmospheric pressure. This pressure is six times the pressure present at the depths of the Mariana trench, the deepest

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/ wiki/Category:Tardigrada

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part of the Earth’s oceans (roughly 11,000 meters). This was discovered when Tardigrades were taken to space and exposed to different pressures. When brought back to Earth, they were still alive.

They can also survive in environments with no humidity for 10 years, and they can stay alive in places where radiation is 1,000 times more (5000 Gy to 6200 Gy) than many organisms can endure (10 Gy is fatal for humans).

Hibernation – a dead phase How does a Tardigrade stay alive in detrimental conditions?

When they are exposed to conditions unsuitable for life, they enter a semi-dead phase called Cryptobiosis. One of the most distinct

changes during this state is that their metabolic speed slows down to near zero, and they experience programmed dehydration. In very low temperatures, Tardigrades’ water ratios drop from 85% to 3%.

This way, damages that can occur by freezing are prevented. As is well-known, the main hazard during freezing is the cell membrane damage caused by the crystallization of cellular water.

During the dehydration stage, trehalose sugars are synthesized (this also happens when Tardigrades are faced with low temperatures). This sugar prevents possible damages to the cell membranes during freezing and water loss.

This sugar is very intriguing for the pharmaceutical industry because of its potential use in the prevention of freezing-related damages in organ transplants.

Another benefit of dehydration is resistance to radiation. This is because reactive molecules generated in the cell by the effects of radiation cannot cause a reaction in a dehydrated medium; due to the low water concentration, the possibility of harmful reactions drops.

Cryptobiosis does not only take place during dehydration. It also happens during periods of low temperature (cryobiosis), high salinity (osmobiosis), and low oxygen. By being able to hibernate, Tardigrades are important for space research. Maybe during interplanetary trips, passengers could be hibernated by freezing.

Tardigrades could have other uses for medical purposes. Certain disease-causing microorganisms could be dehydrated without killing them via Cryptobiosis.

This way, “weakened organisms” contained in vaccines get to be stored in a dry fashion, eliminating the need for freezers, making them easier to store and distribute.

Similar technologies could also be employed for the conservation of seeds, sperms, blood, and various nutrients.

RELIGION Aydogan Vatandas Professor of physics at Celal Bayar University, Turkey

Does Islam Promote Violence?

There is no imperative in the Qur’an to destroy the West or Christians.

Quite the opposite; Islam should build upon Western civilization, not seek to destroy it.

I

n the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, a huge number of books and articles have been published investigating the link between some certain interpretations of Islam and the terrorist attacks.

Further terrorist attacks in certain countries, and the brutal emergence of ISIS right after the Syrian crisis, have led to the embers of anti-Islamic sentiments burning in the west.

Just last year, comedian Bill Maher identified ISIS with Islam, stating, “If vast numbers of Muslims across the world believe, and they do, that humans deserve to die for merely holding a different idea, or drawing a cartoon, or writing a book, or eloping with the wrong person, not only does the Muslim world have something in

common with ISIS, it has too much in common with ISIS.” In addition to many irrational arguments they contain, these simplifications and equating Islam with terror do not help us actually fight terror, nor do they reflect the truth.

Mr. Fethullah Gülen, a leading Muslim scholar who has challenged extremism and radicalization for decades, said in one of his statements in 2004: “Today, at best we can say that Islam is not known at all.

Muslims should say, ‘In true Islam, terror does not exist.’ ... No person can kill a human being. No one can touch an innocent person, even in times of war. No one can give a fatwa (a legal pronouncement November / December 2015

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in Islam, issued by a religious law specialist, concerning a specific issue) on this matter. No one can be a suicide bomber. No one can rush into crowds with bombs tied to his or her body. Regardless of the religion of these crowds, this is not religiously permissible. Even in the event of war -- during which it is difficult to maintain balances -- this is not permitted in Islam.”

The prominent scholar Jessica Stern suggested that religion is essentially irrelevant as a causal force, adding that jihadist actors are not actually religious during the course of their radicalization.

She argued that, “terrorists who claim to be motivated by religious ideology often turn out to be ignorant about Islam and do not have much formal religious education or proper religious instruction and had only a limited and incomplete understanding of Islam.”

In his article titled “No Direction Home?” Professor John Horgan noted that radicalization in general is the main reason for terrorist engagement.

Here is the summary of Professor Horgan’s findings: “They feel angry, alienated, or disenfranchised. They believe that their current political involvement does not give them the power to effect real change. They identify with perceived victims of the social injustice they are fighting.

They feel the need to take action rather than just talking about the problem. They believe that engaging in violence against the state is not immoral. They have friends or family sympathetic to the cause.

They believe that joining a movement offers social and psychological rewards such as adventure or a heightened sense of identity.”

There is no doubt that the problem of radicalization is not limited to Muslim societies and should be analyzed through a broader aperture.

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There is nothing in Islamic tradition that has been made in reference to the methodological rules of the Qur’an and the foundations of the Sunnah to justify terror attacks.

However, despite these voices disputing the link between Islam and terror, there are also other views suggesting that some terrorist acts, like the Paris attacks last year, have had some roots in Islamic law.

Dr. Ahmet Kurucan, 54, a renowned Islamic scholar who has published often on Islamic law, argued that the attacks in Paris were terrorism, but that he could see no evidence or justification in the Qur’an, the hadiths, or other Islamic sources for such terrorist attacks: “I do not see any evidence or justification for these terrorist attacks in the Qur’an, the Sunnah, or other sources of Islamic law. There are three main sources of knowledge in Islamic law: the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and juristic discretion.

There are some warnings, orders, bans, or directions in the Qur’an regarding unpleasant behaviors, including insults and defamation, but there is no specific punishment prescribed for insulting the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. On the contrary, the Qur’an asks Muslims to leave if they hear anything that insults verses of the Qur’an or Islamic precepts. In a sense, this is passive opposition.

But there is no specific criminal punishment in such cases. For a Muslim, the greatest truth and fact is the faith of the oneness of Allah.

If there is an assault against this faith, a Muslim is advised not to stay with the group of people who make these insults.”

Kurucan said the hadiths reach the same verdict.

“Even when Abdullah Ibn Saba insulted the Prophet Muhammad and Muslims in Medina, the Prophet did not respond. He

rejected the offers of those Muslims who said they should retaliate with violence.”

Kurucan said that there is nothing in Islamic tradition that has been made in reference to the methodological rules of the Qur’an and the foundations of the Sunnah to justify terror attacks.

But of course, there are many incidents and cases that contradict the teachings and provisions of the Qur’an and the Sunnah in the history of Islam, including the battles of Siffin and Jamal. Kurucan also cited the disaster in Karbala, bloody wars, disagreements, political turmoil, tricks, and riots. He said these incidents had no roots in Islam, but were disagreements amongst the Muslims.

“These are cases in which the murderers and the victims alike were Muslim. We may also go back to the time of the Prophet Muhammad. People in Mecca and Medina used to kill each other before Islam. These were tribal disagreements. So, from a theoretical perspective and standpoint, it is possible to say that some fault lines -- including sectarian, ethnic and tribal divisions -- may cause bloody conflicts.

“What was the purpose of the attacks in Paris? Was it to protect the honor of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad? Do we not see based on the reactions to the attacks that this did not happen? If such a response had not been made, the caricatures would have had very limited influence; because of these attacks, millions of people are now paying attention to the caricatures.”

However, last year The Atlantic magazine published an article

claiming that ISIS is actually following a Prophetic methodology, labeling it ‘very Islamic’: “The reality is that the Islamic State is Islamic. Very Islamic. Yes, it has attracted psychopaths and adventure seekers, drawn largely from the disaffected populations of the Middle East and Europe. But the religion preached by its most ardent followers derives from coherent and even learned interpretations of Islam.”

Another expert on Islamic theology, Professor Zeki Sarıtoprak, of John Carrol University, said, “ISIS [the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham] is far from following ‘Prophetic methodology.’ ISIS preaches hatred and contempt for human life. Nowhere are these parts of anything that could be remotely described as the Prophetic methodology, and their killings and brutal treatment of other Muslims, Christian, Jews, and others show that their methods are truly illegitimate.”

Professor Sarıtoprak underlined that the Quran describes the Prophet as merciful to all human beings and asks Muslims to take the middle path, thus avoiding the temptations of extremism.

“ISIS’ methodology is extremist. In this regard, ISIS is nothing new. Throughout the history of Islam, there have been Muslims who follow the path of extremism,” said Sarıtoprak.

“An example from early Islam is the Kharijites. The Kharijites accused some companions of the Prophet, including Ali, the last of the rightly guided caliphs, of being a ‘kafir,’ or infidel. They specifically accused Ali because he made a peace agreement with Muawiyah, the governor of Damascus. In their argument, they referred to a verse in Quran, which says that those who do not rule according the rules sent down by God are truly disbelievers (5:44). According to extremist groups, all judges who do not rule in line with God’s message are disbelievers. This mentality is still

alive today – not just in ISIS, but also other groups that profess versions of political Islam.”

Professor Sarıtoprak emphasized that ISIS uses eschatological themes extensively in their ideology, especially certain narratives found in the hadiths, or the collection of reports of sayings and teachings of the Prophet.

“First, let me say that nowhere in the Quran or hadith does it say that the duty of Muslims is to establish a caliphate, and in fact, the idea of an Islamic state did not exist prior to middle of the 19th century. I think that ISIS is so obsessed with a state because they have forgotten how to apply the rules to themselves, and so they have a desire to impose the rules on others. ISIS is thus a version of political Islam, which as a governing philosophy holds that Islam can be imposed on a population from the top down. This actually goes against Quranic principles, which focus on the individual as a universe in and of her or himself.

“One thing that followers of political Islam are generally not aware of is that time is an interpreter of the Quran. Some Quranic verses should be interpreted under the conditions of our time and not under the conditions of the Middle Ages. Therefore, I do not think that a caliphate or an Islamic state is necessary for Islam to flourish in the 21st century. It seems the future of Islam is in cooperation with the West and with Christianity. There is no imperative in the Quran to destroy the West or Christians. Quite the opposite; Islam should build upon Western civilization, not seek to destroy it. Those who see problems in the West should take solace in the words of Said Nursi, who said that eventually the negative aspects of the West will dissipate and there can be a coming together of Western and Islamic civilizations.

“Methodologically speaking, establishing an Islamic state may sound very attractive to many

Muslims, but in reality it may not solve the problems of human beings. If you provide the best rules and put them in the hands of corrupt people, those rules will be used for corruption as well. I think that the attraction of an Islamic state blinds many Muslims to the reality of their situation and morality. It can be argued that helping one person to have faith in God is more rewarding than creating an Islamic state. Therefore, I think that any state that develops justice in society is compatible with the core teachings of Islam. Today there are many Western countries that follow Islamic values more closely than many states that claim to be Islamic.”

Another scholar, Richard Bulliet, a well-known historian and author of the insightful book, The Case for Islamo-Christian Civilization, said that calling the terrorists ‘jihadists’ is not appropriate.

“We often call the terrorists jihadists. I don’t really think that is the right word. In the Quran, there are certain offenses for which capital punishment is permitted; one of them is ’fasad fi al-ard’ -- that is ’corruption in the earth.’ There are variations in how ’corruption in the earth’ is defined. There are several different places in the Quran where it appears. It is a flexible term, but one of the common definitions is that ‘corruption in the earth’ includes deeds that act to destroy the Muslim community.

“Now, I think that people who kill in the name of Islam are not participating in jihad. Rather, they are participating in ‘fasad.’ I think they are seriously wounding their own faith community by leading people to believe that the Prophet Muhammad was a murderer and leading people to believe that Muslims categorically are murderers and terrorists. I think jihadist is too kind a word. I think these are ‘Mufasidun.’ These are people who are acting against Islam, while claiming to be acting in the name of Islam.

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SPIRITUALITY Metin Aysel Zurich correspondent of Die Fontaene

PRAYER A HOTLINE TO GOD? As children, we turn to our parents for protection.

As adults, we often turn to God. Does He hear us and intervene in emergencies?

A

s newborn children, we are not able, for example, to shoo away even a fly that lands on our nose, or reach out on our own to our mother’s delicious milk. And once this milk passes through us, we don’t even have the skills to change our own diapers! We don’t yet have the motor skills to alleviate the problems facing us. But at least we are not entirely helpless.

Getting started in life Intuitively, we know we can move the whole world with just one cry, setting up a kind of hotline to our parents. The number of this hotline is stored in our genetic code.

Miraculously, we also know how to dial the various functions of this

hotline. Cries with different undertones seem to be the only way to solve our problems, from the fly on our nose, to a dirty diaper – or even just being hungry. Once we cry, on the horizon, a friendly, loving face appears. And when it does, we can relax and feel comfortable again.

Our parents save us from many difficult situations.

Over time, we mature and notice that the processes in our world are subject to conditions. With our free will we can influence events, albeit within a very limited space, and thus take responsibility for our destiny before it becomes our destiny. If we do not study, for example, for an exam, we must not complain about our failure. If we do not strive for social contacts, we should not be surprised if we are

suffering from loneliness. If there are problems to solve and conflicts to eliminate, we can consult our social reference system, the legal system of our country, and perhaps even the internet.

But these worldly ways are quickly exhausted. We do what we can, knock on every door for support and help, but quite often we remain helpless and restricted.

Plagued by pain and suffering, these are the situations we seek refuge from in prayer and supplications to God, whether we are searching for a cure or a twist of fate. And not unlike in early childhood, we cry again for help, trying to reach a hotline â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but this time a hotline to God. Will He answer our prayers? And if so, what will His answer be?

For thousands of years theologians and philosophers have dealt with the issue of divine activity in our everyday lives. There are hundreds of theories, concepts, and explanations about the origins of the macro and micro universes.

Cultures tend to believe that they own exclusive truths and show a willingness to stand up for the dissemination of these truths. And each individual has his own very personal way to ask God for support. For some, God created the universe with perfect laws, which run self-sufficiently without any further intervention. For others, He is omnipresent, ever creating anew. Sometimes, He even intervenes on a microbiological and atomic level. The existing theological literature offers countless exciting texts on this subject. But different religious beliefs are not supposed to be part of this article; we will leave them to the theologians.

Healing through supplications?

Consulting medical databases, it is to be noted that the experimental scientific investigation of the question of whether or not supplications for sick people have a positive effect on their healing has not been explored in depth until

recently. For the first time in 1988, Byrd and colleagues examined whether supplications made by religious people had an impact on patients of a hospitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heart unit - without these patients knowing that supplications were being spoken for them and without knowing the people praying for them.

The researchers were able to state that in patients who were prayed for, fewer complications occurred and that their stay in the hospital was significantly shorter than in patients for whom no prayers had been made.1 The patients for whom prayers were spoken had been picked at random, and the worshipers in turn only knew the first names of their patients, and no further details.

After 1999, numerous other studies came to the conclusion that supplications to God have positive effects for various patients. For example, there was a doubling of successful egg fertilizations and a doubling of successful pregnancies in assisted reproductive techniques2; there were shortened fevers3; hospital stays were shorter4; and there were overall reduced mortality rates5 and a significantly better well-being in cancer patients.6 Thus, several teams of researchers had dialed an international hotline to God. There was much praying for the patients, mostly without their knowledge and in some cases from a great distance. Some of the researchers involved came to the conclusion that it could be helpful to install prayer teams in hospitals alongside the usual medical care.7 This method was even researched on animals, which showed accelerated healing and better blood values. The positive here was that a placebo effect could be excluded.8

It is not so simple Apart from these positive results, some researchers didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find any differences in patients who were suffering from diseases such as November / December 2015

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pregnancy complications, warts, or other health problems.9 In 2006, Benson even found a higher rate of complications in patients who knew that someone prayed for them. He postulated a so-called performance anxiety, i.e. that ​​the patients were thinking: “Am I really so sick that the hospital needs to engage a private prayer team for me?”10 Gaudia wrote in an article published in 2007 that even back then far too many researchers had dealt with the issue, which he regarded as senseless, and that far too much money had been wasted on it. In his view, these efforts are nothing other than an investigation into miracles or a study on the existence of God. He beg a n his complaint with the assumption of the existence of an inc redible, breathtaking power that created the galaxies and complex m o lecular biological structures – and then after all this creation, that force is asked whether it could regulate the blood pressure of a r a ndomly selected group of patients. Gaudia compared this approach with asking an incredibly talented composer about writing a melody to “Three Blind Mice.” He argued that with already prefabricated opinions and expectations it is pos s ible in every study to state differ e nces and deviations, which are th e n, however, likely due to chance, a placebo effect, statistical

calculation errors, or to the bias of the basic assumption that there is a God at all. For him, prayer was a reques t asking God to change His mind a b out the current course of events. He considered the belief in prayer ridiculous and called it a superstition. In addition, he objected to the variables for measuring the differe nces in the studies, judging them not to be clear and transparent. I n stead, he claimed it should be rul e d out that these changing variables were exposed to any physical or psychological mechanisms, so that there would be no other explanat i on other than divine work.

The gr o wth of amputated limbs through prayer, for example, would meet this requirement.11 In 200 9 , Jorgensen advocated for fu r ther investigations on this issue, but also concluded that the studie s up to that time suffered some questionable deficiencies. He stated that researchers attach too much importance to positive results while t ending to hide negative results. In addition, he described the result s presented as no more convincing than the results of placebocontrolled trials. He suspected the positive results were affected by the expect a tions of the investigators.

He spoke of an “immunization research hypotheses,” which means that t h e researchers involved in these studies tend to believe in the effectiveness of their intervention;

For everyone, it requires special insight to recognize whether God answers, how to interpret His answer, or else to find out why we wait in vain for an answer.

their findings are therefore not in accord ance with the experimental results, but with the strength of their faith in God. He identified three basic assumptions: first, that God exists; secondly, that the worshiper can tr avel around in the cosmos and reach out to God; and thirdly, that God will answer to prayers and thereby act over a long distance. He found it hard to imagine why God should help patient Peter in hospital bed A, just because someone chosen by chance prayed for him, while dropping patient Paul in bed B because nobody prayed for him.

This would be in conflict with our ethical understanding of fairness.

Thus, the studies to date leave too much room for interpretation.

It is possible to state happiness, bias, or even fraud as the reasons for th eir results. In Jorgensen’s view, however, these studies are neither evidence of God answering supplications, or ignoring them. If the human capacity to understand God is really as limited as the Holy Script ures emphasize, then God’s work should be subtle enough not to be tracked down in a simple experimental design.12 Chitta ranjan, in turn, regarded prayer as a special kind of meditation w hose positive effects have been p roved in many a study. He insisted that religion will always remain a matter of faith, and asked: If research could prove the positive effects of prayer without any doubts left b ehind, wouldn’t that mean that w e could manipulate God or statis tically predict his behavior?

And anyway, why should God participa te in a study trying to prove His ex istence? On the issue, Chittaranj an considered randomized contro lled trials neither appropriate nor effective.13

Conclusion The re sults of experimental research on our subject until now are - thanks to God - quite sobering. There have certainly been some mistak es, and they didn’t yield clear evidence for a positive effect

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of prayers and supplications. But objectivity can’t be accredited to the critics of these studies either, especially as most of the mentioned points of criticism could also be applied to a large number of studies from other fields of medicine.

People still, and repeatedly, deal with this issue, a fact certainly not least due to our personal everyday experience that things have often turned positive after having asked God wholeheartedly and sincerely for help. Millions of people worldwide can report innumerable reactions from God to their supplications.

But the mystery of the existence of God and the question of whether or not he responds to our prayers will always remain a matter of personal faith. Even a visit to the doctor ultimately is a kind of supplication, which can be answered in different ways. Perhaps he prescribes medicine, or he recommends us to entirely do without medication because he deems it detrimental to us.

For everyone, it requires special insight to recognize whether God answers, how to interpret his answer, or else to find out why we wait in vain for an answer. Our experience may speak a different language, but even upcoming new studies most likely won’t provide us with a definitive answer to this question. However, we should at least consider the criticisms submitted, so the studies can be designed to ensure objectivity.

Imagine yourself facing a very burdensome problem, and suddenly, out of the blue, a friend or even a complete stranger provides you with the solution to this problem without your having asked him for it. Perhaps then the perspective that we are not alone in the universe will occur to you. And if it already happened to you, you may have subconsciously dialed the code for the hotline to God genetically anchored in our essence - just as we all used to dial the number of the hotline to our mother when we were small, thirsty children.

Notes 1

Byrd RC, “Positive therapeutic effects of intercessory prayer in a coronary care unit population”. South Med J. 1988;81:826-829 2 Cha KY et al. “Does prayer influence the success of in vitro fertilizationembryo-transfer? Report of a masked randomized trial.” J Reprod Med. 2001 ;46 :781-7 3 Leonard Leibovici, “Effects of remote, retroactive intercessory prayer on outcomes in patients with bloodstream infection: randomized controlled trial”, BMJ 2001;323:1450-1 4 Ibid.

5 Ibid.

6 Olver IN et al. “A randomized, blinded study of the impact of intercessory prayer on spiritual well-being in patients with cancer.” Altern Ther Health Med. 2012 Sep-Oct; 18(5):18-27 7 William S. Harris et al. “A randomized controlled Trial of the Effects of Remote, Intercessory Prayer on Outcomes in Patients Admitted to the Coronary Care Unit”. Arch Intern Med. 1999;159:2273-2278 Leonard Leibovici, “Effects of remote…”

Lesniak KT. The effect of intercessory prayer on wound healing in nonhuman primates. Altern Ther Health Med. 2006;12:42-8 9 da Rosa MI. “A randomized clinical trial on the effects of remote intercessory prayer in the adverse outcomes of pregnancies.” Cien Saude Colet.

2013 Aug; 18(8):2379-84 10 Benson J et al. “Study of the therapeutic effects of intercessory prayer (STEP) in cardiac bypass patients: a multicenter randomized trial of uncertainty and certainty of receiving intercessory prayer”. Am Heart J. 2006;151:934-942 11 Gil Gaudia, “About Intercessory Prayer: The Scientific Study of Miracles”, Med Gen Med. 2007;9(1):56 12 Jorgensen K. J. et al. “Divine intervention? A Cochrane review on intercessory prayer gone beyond science and reason”. Journal of negative Results in BioMedicine 2009,8:77 13 Chittaranjan et al. “Prayer and healing: A medical and scientific perspective on randomized controlled trials”. Indian J Psychiatry. 2009 OctDec ;51(4) :247-253 8

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CREATIVITY as a Process of Reliance in God

Our world faces unprecedented problems – but also unprecedented opportunities.

Solving these problems requires utilizing our skills in new, creative ways, through a process that requires both action and passivity

PSYCHOLOGY Zekeriya Ozsoy Ozsoy holds a PhD in educational psychology: ozsoyzekeriya@gmail.com.

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N

o two consecutive generations in human history have ever lived under the same circumstances.

The innovation of new technologies and cross-fertilization of different ideas, which happen across generations, brought

today’s civilization into existence.

Change – either positive or negative – has been an unavoidable reality – of all times, but especially our times. However, the speed of change is not stable. Today’s groundbreaking products seemingly emerge one after another. They’re extremely complicated technologies, and they are

developed in increasingly shorter time intervals. This proves mathematician Vernor Vinge’s (2004) idea of exponentially accelerating technological change.

Human beings are endowed with special abilities such as feeling, anticipating, introspection, imagination, and the ability to synthesize. These abilities are essential, because as a consequence of perennial change, we are living in a complex world. This complex lifestyle consists of wide communication networks, larger amount of transactions, intense mechanisms of influence, and the use of advanced technologies.

The massive changes in recent human history could make one’s life quite difficult if we, as human beings, did not possess “adaptability.” Adaptability is one of the most amazing capabilities humans possess, as it mediates the way human beings interact with their environment. Thanks to adaptability, a smart phone has become a great “toy” for today’s toddlers and the same kid can speak multiple languages equally well when sufficiently exposed.

Despite our adaptability, and despite many alluring aspects, this new lifestyle has its problems, including anxiety, stress, obesity, and more complicated health problems such as cancer. We’re also confronted with relatively new problems. For instance, though we have more types and sizes of transportation vehicles, cities suffer from worsened traffic. We should humble ourselves when we think about the troubles we have created here on earth. The massacre of the masses with advanced weapons, the use of technology at the expense of environmental safety, as well as ignorance, racism, and hatred, are all unique to human beings. We can observe what is happening in the human body for the diagnosis of health problems, but some of these monitoring tools themselves lead to serious health problems. Our new life

How can we fully utilize what we are given for the best of human kind? Can we be more creative for good rather than bad? How can we be more effective at resolving these complicated problems? What does it take to tackle unprecedented challenges? style requires a more creative and complex thinking to solve the deep problems we are facing.

How can we fully utilize what we are given for the best of human kind? Can we be more creative for good rather than bad? How can we be more effective at resolving these complicated problems? What does it take to tackle unprecedented challenges?

I want to look at the literature on the process of creative thinking and underline two essential components. The first one is the active stage of preparation, hard work,

persistent effort, active elaboration, data gathering, and solution generation; and the second is the period of passive longing, deliberate interruption, and incubation.

The active stage Scientific studies of problem solving and creativity, as well as anecdotal evidence from stories of innovation, provide useful insights about effective problem solving strategies. An easy practice to test or develop problem solving skills is about generating ideas for an open-ended problem. For example, take a few minutes and try to November / December 2015

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generate at least 12 ideas for different uses of a chair. You could list ideas such as “sit on,” “use to eat dinner,” “stepping on to reach the ceiling,” or “for protection when playing with kids.” Then, split the idea list into two parts. If you ask a number of other people to generate ideas for the same problem, and check which ideas they also generated, this will enable you to see the ideas that were generated by only one person.

These are the unique ideas based on the small group experience. If you count the number of unique ideas that were generated in the first and second part of your list and compare them, you are more likely to see a higher number of unique or original ideas in the second half than the first half. Research results have consistently reported such findings over the years (Milgram & Rabkin, 1980). Original, uncommon, infrequent, surprising, unusual, and even smart ideas tend to come later as opposed to earlier. What would happen if you stopped generating after only six ideas instead of twelve?

What you lose would be the original and uncommon ideas rather than the ordinary ones. Originality is the backbone of creativity (Stein, 1953) and original ideas do not come very easily. It takes more effort than the simple, regular, and traditional way of thinking. This is called the extended effort principle (Parnes, 1961; Basadur & Thompson, 1986). Smart solutions to the complex problems of the world require a lot of extended effort.

These empirical findings would be no surprise to Graham Wallas (1926), who proposed his classic theory on the cognitive processes of creative thinking. Wallas argues that the creative process consists of four stages. The first stage is called preparation, in which tremendous amounts of time and energy are dedicated to deep thinking, problem finding, research, and developing new knowledge. This phase often involves the exploration of 48

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all possible options or directions with full attention. According to some research, the development of an expertise requires approximately 10 years of preparation through which one can be immersed in specific areas of thought, thus allowing them to make a contribution to this area (Simonton, 1997).

Another 10 year-period may be necessary for greatness (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2007). As seen in the research, preparation can take a really long time depending on the area of investigation and magnitude of potential contribution. The importance of this phase has been underlined by Loiuse Pasteur, who said that “chance only favors the prepared mind.” It could also be possible to interpret the following assertion from the holy scriptures: “And there is not for man except that [good] for which he strives.

And that his effort is going to be seen (Qur’an 39:40).”

The passive stage Preparation, knowledge, and expertise may not be sufficient to develop great solutions. According to Wallas (1926), preparation is followed by a period in which one is disengaged from the active working phase and switches to a resting, free-minded, unconscious mode, in which the problem solver does not actively work on the problem but unwittingly lets his unconscious work on it. In a way, deliberate interruptions and ceasing to work on the problem can let brilliant solutions mysteriously emerge. Interestingly enough, the problem solver is at a passive position during this step, employing defocused attention. This socalled “black box” phase of problem-solving is also known as the “incubation” period.

The incubation period may (or may not) result in “illumination,” which refers to a flash of insight. This fascinating moment is considered a product of a series of connections or associations made in the human mind during

the incubation period. Following years of research and thinking on a mathematical problem (the active stage), Poincare found the solution to his problem while dreaming (Miller, 1992). The moments of inspiration for many Sufis can be regarded as an example of illumination. Some Sufis practice 40 days (or longer, depending on the characteristics of the Sufi) of seclusion with limited or no interaction with other people, while also limiting their food intake and time spent sleeping. They often experience a greater level of openness to inspiration and share their inspirations as they “come to the heart” (Eris, 2006).

The lives of the great historical and spiritual figures prove the significance of the incubation period.

Moses had an eighty day seclusion on the Mountain. Jesus went into a self-imposed seclusion to fight against Satan. Disappointed by the troubles he faced in his time, the Prophet Muhammad would go into seclusion in the cave of Hira, after which he received the first revelations (peace be upon them).

The power of a pause or interruption has shown its impact quite often in recent history. Nelson Mandela spent 26 years in prison, where he contemplated and refined his thoughts, which led to the success of his movement. Despite years of great reputation and closeness to power circles, Said Nursi, a prominent Muslim scholar, ultimately praised the time he was in exile, where he would dictate his “letters,” which were the seeds for one of today’s most influential and peaceful social movements. Clearly, these great people greatly benefited from their passive, paused, and incubated period.

Creativity and tawakkul The active and passive stages of creativity underline the importance of hard work, diligence, and persistence followed by moments of patience, pause, and longing.

The necessity of the latter entails

Originality is the backbone of creativity and original ideas do not come very easily. It takes more effort than the simple, regular, and traditional way of thinking. This is called the extended effort principle. Smart solutions to the complex problems of the world require a lot of extended effort. humility and modesty, because we have no control over the incubation period. One can never know when “the chance comes to the prepared mind” – or if it will come at all. Our skills, abilities, talents, time, and energy are involved in the active stage of creativity, but these do not guarantee the desired outcome.

This reminds us of the limitations of human beings. From this spiritual perspective, creative thinking can be seen as a process of “tawakkul.” Tawakkul is translated as “reliance in God” in English, and refers to “doing all that is necessary to obtain a desired or intended result, and then waiting in expectation for the EternallyPowerful One to bring about His Will” (Gülen, 2001, p. 67).

The idea of incubation makes the process of inspiration unclear.

The moment of inspiration can be best described as a “black box.”

Tawakkul, however, views the Divine Knowledge as the source of

inspiration. Persistent hard work in the active phase is seen as the operational prayer to God, and the second phase, if it occurs, is the acceptance of that prayer. When the parallel between creative thinking and tawakkul is recognized, creativity is viewed as a spiritual process – and, therefore, creative individuals need to practice tawakkul.

References Basadur, M., & Thompson, R. (1986). Usefulness of the ideation principle of extended effort in real world professional and managerial creative problem solving. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 20, 23-34.

Eris, S. (2006). A religiological comparison of the Sufi thought of Said Nursi and Fethullah Gulen. Unpublished thesis, University of Georgia.

Gulen, M. F. (2006). Key concepts in the practice of Sufism: Emerald hills of the heart (Vol 1.). Somerset, NJ: Light.

Gulen, M. F. (2009). Key Concepts in the Practice of Sufism: Emerald Hills of the Heart. : Tughra.

Kaufman, J. C., & Kaufman, S. B. (2007).

Ten years to expertise, many more to greatness: An investigation of modern writers. Journal of Creative Behavior, 41, 114-124.

Milgram, R. M., & Rabkin, L. (1980). Developmental test of Mednick’s associative hierarchies of original thinking. Developmental Psychology, 16, 157-158.

Miller, A. I. (1992). Scientific creativity: A comparative study of Henri Poincaré and Albert Einstein. Creativity Research Journal, 5, 385-414.

Parnes, S. J. (1961). Effects of extended effort in creative problem solving.

Journal of Educational psychology, 52, 117-122.

Simonton, D. K. (1997). Creative productivity: A predictive and explanatory model of career trajectories and landmarks. Psychological Review, 104, 66-89.

Stein, M. I. (1953). Creativity and culture. Journal of Psychology, 36, 311322.

Vinge, V. (2004). Technological Singularity. The Transhumanist Reader: Classical and Contemporary Essays on the Science, Technology, and Philosophy of the Human Future, 365-375.

Wallas, G. (1926). The art of thought. New York, NY: Harcourt-Brace.

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HISTORY Zafer Dogan A freelance writer from Germany

GLOBETROTTERS OF THE MIDDLE AGES

Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta were two of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s earliest explorers.

Their adventures can still teach us valuable lessons about the importance of cultural exchange.

S

ain bina, dear readers!

As-Salamu Alaikum! Or would you prefer Hello?

With this multilingual welcome I hope to get you in the mood for the subject of my essay: the first documented globetrotters in human history. But before we hurl ourselves into this adventure and follow the trails of Messere Marco Polo and Seyyid Ibn Battuta, I would like to share an observation with you. As for myself, it prompted me to write this article and so I hope that it will arouse your curiosity in these explorers, too.

With the flood of new information offered by social media and the internet, the portrait of the world and its people is constantly changing. The light of cultures that stood in the shadow yesterday may shine brighter tomorrow. The respect and the admiration of certain nations wane or grow strong, dependent on the sourcethat describes these nations. What conventional historical

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sources have in common is that they represent the everyday life of people and their interactions with one another in a rather dry manner.

In this respect, travelogues, diaries, and the like are much more intimate and personal, but in turn also more subjective in their perceptions. As an example, we might cite here the description of the city of Shiraz (in present-day Iran) and its inhabitants: While Ibn Battuta focused on the boldness and courage of the local population, Marco Polo talked about the beauty of the women. So when we read their reports, there emerges an interesting landscape, which allows us to meet certain cultures and nations and learn to know them.

But what makes such reports even more attractive is the fact that they send us on an adventure. We are not only told about different cultures, but also take an active part in the experiences of these travelers. However, be prepared; everything is to be savored with a pinch of salt!

In this way, history appears as sunlight being refracted through a prism: it reveals nuances that you could not perceive before. And thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exactly what sparks the enthusiasm for the works of the globetrotters: Thanks to them, history is going through a metamorphosis, transforming itself from a wasteland into a Garden of Eden.

In his tra velogues, he shared interestin g facts about the city of Venice. For example, he mentioned the feast of Sensa, the annual marri age of Venice with the sea. On th is occasion, the Venetians celebrated with a ceremonial ring toss into the lagoon in the port of San Nic olo, which was understood as a seal between the lagoon and the city.

Marco Polo also described the Venetian l aw stating that all fish caught dur ing the day must be thrown on the ground in the evening: They [the harbor children] lived almost exclusively on fish; because if they couldn’t manage to steal other things, they could rush to the fish market at the end of each day, since the Venetian law had the fishmongers at a certain hour throwing all their goods on the ground; this should prevent them from selling fish not really fresh.

But enough for the advocacy: let’s turn to our two globetrotters now.

Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta were no ordinary travelers. Their travels lasted 30 years and led them from the West to the Far East.

They met not only the most diverse languages ​​and cultures, but also occasionally took employment and settled in s ome places for longer periods of time.

First, I wo u ld like to introduce you to Mess e re Marco Polo, who was born into a merchant family in Venice in 1254. At the time of Marco’s birth his parents were already highly respected fi gures in Venetian society. Originally coming from Dalmatia, they quickly achieved success in Venice and it didn’t take long until they were i ncluded in the “Homo

Nobilis”-register. The Polos, in fact, were noblem en. When Marco was five years old, his father Nicolo set out with h is brother Maffeo on a journey from which they were to return 10 years later. In the meantime, Marco befriended the port children and even spent some time in prison.

Luckily for him, his father and uncle returned just in time to save him and convert his death penalty into banishment from Venice.

Under these circumstances, his father decided to take Marco with him on his next trip to the east, as far as Khanbalik (today’s Beijing), the capital of the Mongol Empire of the Yuan, to visit Kublai Khan, the Khan of all Khans. This is how Marco Polo’s world tour began, and it would take him about 28 years before he saw Venice again.

Marco Polo has provided us with many interesting insights into the world of his time. We learn that the lingua franca, or Sabir as Marco Polo called it, was the trade language of Europe, up to the Levant. From the Levant to Central Asia, the traders spoke Farsi, and even further east it was Mongolian or the Han language.

The most impressive passages of Marco Polo’s travelogues are definitely his detailed descriptions of towns and places of interest. The bazaar of Baghdad took Polo nearly three pages to describe. What follows is only a brief excerpt: The cloth merchants proudly stood under reels of thread and rolls of silk and wool and goat hair angora, of cotton and linen, fine camel hair and rough camlet. There were also more exotic fabrics such as muslin from the city of Mosul in Mesopotamia, calico from India, Buckram from November / December 2015

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Ibn Battuta’s travel reports are characterized by a very precise description of places, traditions, and cultures. What is striking is the fact that he sometimes presented towns or attractions using poems. If possible, he let several poets come to the fore and used them to speak about the same city.

This method can be very amusing at times, as one poet often praises what the other accurses.

Ibn Battuta opened doors to cultures that had remained closed for Marco Polo, in particular doors to the Islamic world, which the globetrotter from Venice had shunned. From today’s perspective, the two globetrotters are close in time, but covered very different routes.

Ibn Battuta described one impressive experience in Damascus as follows: Bukhara, and damask from Damascus. The booksellers offered cheap volumes of fine vellum, parchment and paper, delightfully written and decorated with gold leaf…

Marco Polo’s travel reports teem with descriptions, impressions, and experiences, and are thus truly a pleasure to read – if you are ready to overlook the occasional digressions in anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and arrogance towards other cultures and religions.

About a year after Marco Polo’s death, in 1324, Ibn Battuta embarked upon a similar trip to China at the age of 21. But Ibn Battuta’s route was presumably the most chaotic of any traveler at that time.

It took him back and forth across the whole world map.

Not much can be said about Ibn Battuta’s life before his departure, because the only source is his own work. His story began with a pilgrimage to Mecca. He mentioned that he was born in 1304 in Tangier, Morocco, and that his parents 52

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were still alive when he left, but that’s it. What we know beyond this is that he was not specialized in a certain contemporary science, but well-versed in many areas.

Thus, Ibn Battuta headed out for Mecca at the young age of 21.

On his way, he crossed almost the entire Islamic world, but his curiosity was far from satisfied.

One day, walking the streets of Damascus I saw a young slave. He carried a porcelain plate in his hands specified by the local people as “Sahan” and dropped it accidentally, and it broke. People gathered around the child and a man said to him, “Brother! Collect the broken pieces and bring it to the principal of the foundation that deals with this work!” The slave gathered the shards up and accompanied the man to the principal. When the principal saw the broken pieces, he estimated the value of the plate and gave the slave a sum of money that compensated for it. What a praiseworthy behavior! Otherwise the owner of the slave boy would have either beaten him or had his heart broken because of the broken plate. [...] This foundation has made it its mission to please people and to protect them from blame.

May Allah reward those who donate money to such noble purposes!

He also mentioned the funeral rituals of certain groups: The burial rites of the Indians are also very strange. After the Indians have buried the corpse, on the third morning after the burial they cover the ground around the grave with expensive fabrics. [...] In addition, they bring lemon or orange trees and put them on the grave, even if they do not bear any more fruit. They build tents, so that visitors can relax in the shade. Then, one after the other the emirs and the high-ranking officials come [...] and sit down. Opposite of them the Huffaz1 take place followed by the Cüz2-castes. Then the Koran is read by the Huffaz, and prayers are spoken for the soul of the deceased.

Ibn Battuta’s travelogues are full of many such insights, and it is extremely amusing to learn about a rich variety of practices and traditions of the peoples he encountered. On the other hand, he also described very trivial details.

Once, for example, he noticed numerous grammatical errors in a Friday prayer’s Hutbe3. So he asked a judge called Hüccetüddin about it and received the following reply: “In this city (Basra) all the institutions that dealt with linguistics in the past have been shut down, so there’s nobody left now who cares for it or let alone knows how these words are to be read.”

Ibn Battuta commented with regret, “What a pity that here of all places grammar experiences such decline. In this city, foundations of linguistics were once laid!”

On another occasion, Ibn Battuta was astonished about the Turks owning so many horses: “What with us are the sheep, here are the horses.”

But more than anything else, the situation of Turkish women left him in amazement: “A strange behavior here is that the men pay their deepest respect

to their women. In this country the woman is higher regarded than the man.”

Later on he added another observation: “Sometimes it turns out that the women accompany their husbands and you catch yourself saying, ‘That man must be a subordinate of this woman!’, because a sheepskin coat and his Küla hat is all he is wearing!”

But now I’d like to leave it to you, dear reader, to discover the worlds of these wonderful globetrotters. I certainly don’t want to reveal too much. Messere Marco Polo and Seyyid Ibn Battuta are

eager to tell you their stories and sharpen your view of the people of the Middle Ages!

Thus, it’s my turn now to dismiss you in my mother tongue.

Auf Wiedersehen!

Notes 1 Used here in its general sense: a scholar who knows to recite the Qur’an by heart is called Hafiz. Huffaz is the plural form.

2 A Cüz is a booklet with a 20-page section of the Qur’an, which makes it possible to divide the Qur’an reading between several people.

3 A Hutbe is a lecture given by the imam during Friday prayers with mostly or exclusively religious content.

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Our Brains, Ethics, and the Practice of Prostration

PERSPECTIVES Mesut Sahin

Assoc. Prof. at Biomedical Engineering Dept., New Jersey Institute of Technology

A

Prostration has long been a part of the Abrahamic faiths.

Recent research in neurology reveals a scientific foundation that connects this faithful practice to moral values.

report from the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, tells us that prostration (sajda) as the early Muslims practiced it during their daily prayers was so humiliating to nonbelievers that most of them could never bring themselves to embrace faith. Raising one’s buttocks and putting his or her face on the ground was disgraceful to them, even if it was done to show respect before the Almighty. Indeed, arrogance, and faith in the Supreme Being, are diametrically opposed states of the mind in a person. No soul with a grain of arrogance in his or her heart, as stated in the words of the Prophet of Islam, will be admitted to Paradise.

The Qur’an verses refer to prostration as a sign of being free of arrogance: “Only they (truly) believe in Our signs and Revelations who,

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when they are mentioned of them (by way of advice and instruction), fall down in prostration, and glorify their Lord with His praise, and they do not behave with haughtiness. (32:15).

Prostration (sajda) is the way to show respect to the Creator – not only for human beings, but also for angels and other creatures: “Before God prostrates itself whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth of living creatures, and the angels (likewise, for) they are not arrogant.” (16:49).

Prostration has been practiced in Judaism and Christianity as well, sometimes with one’s knees and face on the ground, and sometimes as a full-body prostration: lying flat on the ground with the face down and the arms open. Even today in Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Anglican churches, and amongst Ashkenazi Jews, these practices continue. This makes sense, for the

Qur’an talks about a promise that God took from the Children of Israel to establish the prayer (2:83).

In summary, putting one’s face on the ground as a sign of respect or as a part of worship has been one of the central practices in all Abrahamic religions. The Almighty God wants His servants to make it a frequently observed practice that we bow down and put our foreheads on the ground in worship of Him. The spiritual and psychological impact of a prayer of this form can be immense, particularly in the long term, and should be discussed at length in another essay. Here we would like only to point out the neurological aspect of prostration and its connections.

Another The Fountain article discussed the function of the frontal brain lobe (“The Sinning Forelock,” Issue 51, 2005) and its importance in forming ethical and moral values:

The benefit of exercise and physical therapy has been well established in neural disorders. The main rehabilitative effect of physiotherapy in stroke patients and other neurological disorders is the elevation of neural activity in the spinal cord and the brain, which in turn encourages the neurons to rewire, i.e. form new connections and replace the networks that have been lost due to injury.

“Frontal lobotomy is the term used for the surgical removal of the frontal lobe in patients with emotional disorders (1). It may be difficult today to imagine that an invasive procedure like destroying a large portion of the brain can be employed as a therapeutic approach. Yet, in 1949 the Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded to Dr. Egas Moniz for his development of the frontal lobotomy technique. (Strange enough, Moniz himself was shot in the spine and partially paralyzed by a lobotomized patient.) Tens of thousands of people were lobotomized following World War II . Although frontal lobotomy did not significantly alter the patient’s IQ or memory functions, some other profound side effects emerged.”

The negative impacts of this surgical procedure on the personality of these patients were so serious that frontal lobotomies had to be abandoned after some years. Instances of local injury to the frontal lobes have clearly demonstrated that after losing parts of the forebrain, a human loses much of their moral values, ethics, and many of the general traits that make them human.

We can see this by looking at the case of Phineas Gage (2). According his doctor, who followed Gage for 12 years after the accident (until his death), “He is fitful, irreverent, indulging at times in the grossest profanity (which was not previously his custom), manifesting but little deference for his fellows, impatient of restraint or advice when it conflicts with his desires, at times pertinaciously obstinate, yet capricious and vacillating ... His mind was radically

changed, so decidedly that his friends and acquaintances said he was no longer Gage” (2).

It is interesting to note here that it is the forehead (forelock) that is mentioned in the Qur’an as the sinning part of the head: “No indeed! If he does not desist, We will certainly seize and drag him by the forelock; a lying, sinful forelock!” (Alaq 96:15-16).

On a different note, the benefit of exercise and physical therapy has been well established in neural disorders. The main rehabilitative effect of physiotherapy in stroke patients and other neurological disorders is the elevation of neural activity in the spinal cord and the brain, which in turn encourages the neurons to rewire, i.e. form new connections and replace the networks that have been lost due to injury.

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(3) – which can be summarized as, “neurons that fire together wire together” – we can understand that when a subset of nerve cells in the central nervous system are somehow made to fire almost simultaneously, through exercise or other means, they begin to form connections. As a result, in injured patients, these new connections form a neural network that replaces or substitutes for the functions that are lost after injury.

Recent neuroscience research also shows that the rehabilitative effect is highly correlated with an increase in the blood flow to the brain area that is affected by the injury (4, 5). Contrarily, the blood circulation increases in an area of the brain within a few seconds as a response to increased neural activity because of a heightened demand 56

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for oxygen and glucose. Indeed, one of the most successful imaging techniques, the BOLD (Blood Oxygen Level Dependent) fMRI technique, completely depends on this phenomenon. These basic findings in neuroscience teach us that there is a close relationship between the local blood flow in the brain and the neural functioning, and this is a part of the process of eventually forming new networks.

Going back to the concept of prostration, lowering one’s head and putting the forehead on ground can elevate the blood flow to the frontal brain areas simply by the hydrostatic effect. We all know how blood rushes to the head when the legs are raised when lying down in the supine position.

The neurological outcomes of hydrostatic blood pressures may not

have been studied so far, as suggested by the lack of publications on this topic. However, in light of all the other evidence above, it would not be surprising to find out that the new neural networks form faster under higher blood flows and pressure to a local brain area.

Let us now recall the topics discussed above: prostration in Abrahamic religions, the role of the frontal lobe in forming ethical values, and the effect of blood circulation in forming new neural connections. All of this points us in one obvious direction. Prostration, or sajda, can increase the neural activity and promote new connections in the frontal lobe, a center that is instrumental in forming moral values. And this could be the neural basis of becoming more religious as one practices prostration as a part of his or her prayers.

It also makes complete sense that The Creator asks His servants to worship Him with prostration that would make them better human beings, not only because of the spiritual experience, but also by endowing them with brain connections through prostration which will then function as receiving ears to future inspirations.

References 1. Bear, M., F., Connors, B., W., Paradiso, M., A., “Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain,” second edition, Lippincott Williams&Wilkins, Baltimore, Maryland: 2001.

2. Harlow, J.,M., “Recovery from the passage of an iron bar through the head,” Publication of Massachusetts Medical Society, (1868) 2:329-347.

3. Zhang P, Yu H, Zhou N, Zhang J, Wu Y, Zhang Y, Bai Y, Jia J, Zhang Q, Tian S, Wu J, Hu Y.’ Early exercise improves cerebral blood flow through increased angiogenesis in experimental stroke rat model.,” J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2013 Apr 26;10:43.

4. Zheng Q, Zhu D, Bai Y, Wu Y, Jia J, Hu Y., “Exercise improves recovery after ischemic brain injury by inducing the expression of angiopoietin-1 and Tie-2 in rats.,” Tohoku J Exp Med. 2011;224(3):221-8.

5. Hebb, D.O. (1949). The Organization of Behavior. New York: Wiley & Sons.

Don’t Leave Me Alone My heart and eyes open with You, Impossible obstacles are overcome with You, When Your name is mentioned, light sparkles Lovers seek You everywhere, The sherbet of your lips is a remedy for every problem, If I am troubled, where is my remedy?

Come to my spirit, come to my spirit don’t leave me alone.

M. Fethullah Gülen

JIHAD AND QITAL

TWO CONCEPTS WHERE CONFUSION ABOUT ISLAM STARTS

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n this article, I will try to summarize the concept of jihad and war according to the Qur’an, and analyze their practices during the time of the Prophet. As these concepts have often been confused, it has led to some common misjudgments about Islam.

In the early years of Islam, the faith was taught with a focus on common sense with spiritual counsels, arguments in the belief of God’s existence, and the Afterlife. When some Muslims who faced insults and persecution tended to react against adversaries, the Prophet calmed them down and asked them to show patience. When pressures increased, the Prophet recommended a group of Muslims immigrate to Abyssinia to evade persecution, but the Meccan chieftains made the issue into an international scandal and sent

envoys so the Muslim refugees could be handed over to them.

Unable to prevent the spread of Islam, they increased their violence. The leaders of the Quraysh tribe, except for the Hashimi clan which the Prophet belonged to, decided to implement a severe embargo. They forced Muslims to live in a field known as Shib al-Abu Talib and cut off all relations with them. Even selling something to them was banned. This embargo meant a wholesale condemnation to famine, meaning even women, children, and the elderly suffered.

One memory from Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas can give us an idea about how horrible their situation was: one night, after he relieved himself in a remote corner, he found a piece of animal skin on the ground. He first cleaned it, then held it out to fire, and then tried to appease his feeling of hunger by gnawing at it.

RELIGION Suat Yildirim Professor of Qur'anic exegesis, Fatih University, Turkey

Meanwhile, a growing number of people in Medina were accepting Islam. In the end, 73 people who came to pledge allegiance to the Prophet invited the Muslims to Medina. The Prophet encouraged Muslims to immigrate there in small numbers. When the Prophet was one of the few Muslims who remained in Mecca, the chieftains assembled and decided to assassinate him, but he set forth in the night and the would-be killers returned empty handed.

Although some Muslims were inclined to retaliate against the Meccan enmity, the Prophet did not seek revenge but set about putting things right in Medina. The noble Prophet was a mild person with a distinguished compassion and a magnanimous character.

Many different verses of the Qur’an refer to this quality of his, such as the following two: “There has come to you (O people) a Messenger from among yourselves; extremely grievous to him is your suffering, full of concern for you is he, and for the believers full of pity and compassion” (Tawbah 9:128); and, “Had you been harsh and hard-hearted, they would surely have scattered away from about you. Then pardon them, pray for their forgiveness, and take counsel with them in the affairs (of public concern)…” (Al Imran 3:159).

We know that the Meccan chieftains were not indifferent to this migration; they threatened the Medinans and prepared to take vengeance.1 On the other hand, although almost all Muslims had left, the previously sowed seeds of faith began to germinate and people kept embracing Islam in Mecca. The following verse refers to those new believers and those who remained oppressed: “Why, then, should you not fight in the cause of God and of the oppressed, helpless men, women, and children, who cry out: ‘O Lord!

Bring us out of this land whose people are oppressors, and appoint

for us from Your Presence a protector, and appoint for us from Your Presence a helper!’” (Nisa 4:75).

The Muslims who emigrated from Mecca had left behind their homes, businesses, trade, relatives, and everything else. Since the polytheists usurped their properties, it was perfectly lawful for the Muslims who emigrated from Mecca to reclaim their rights from them. After a long period of patience that lasted some fifteen years, God gave them permission to fight back: “The believers against whom war is waged are given permission to fight in response, for they have been wronged. Surely God has full power to help them to victory – those who have been driven from their homeland against all rights, for no other reason than that they say, ‘Our Lord is God’” (Hajj 22:3940).

The prevalent opinion in the West is that, Muslims have the right to use weapons to make others accept their religion or to destroy those who do not accept it – and are even obliged to do so.

Accordingly, this notion is known as the “Holy War,” and some have tried to present the word “jihad” as the Qur’anic term for it. In reality, this word – which literally means “striving” – does not mean fighting, and there is no concept of “Holy War” in the Qur’an.2 “Guerre sainte” or “holy war” belongs to European terminology.

The concept of jihad is very extensive. Certain Qur’anic verses state that jihad can sometimes be in the form of war, such as the following example: “Those who were left behind in opposition to God’s Messenger rejoiced at staying at home, and abhorred striving with their wealth and persons in God’s cause. And they said: ‘Do not go forth to war in this heat’” (Tawbah 81).3 According to a classification by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziya,4 the levels of jihad can be categorized as follows:

1) Jihad against the carnal soul: a. Through learning about Islam. b. Conveying the Divine message to others. c. Putting up with troubles while conveying the message.

2) Jihad against Satan: a. Eliminating the doubts he casts. b. Resisting his temptations.

3) Jihad against adversaries of Islam: a. In the heart – having an aversion to their attacks, if you cannot do anything else. b. Through the tongue – speak up against their attacks. c. By spending from one’s wealth d. By physical struggle (when no other option is left for defense).

4) Jihad against hypocrites: a. In the heart. b. Through the tongue. c. By persuasion.

The Qur’anic chapters revealed in Mecca either use the word jihad in the sense of making efforts to be of guidance to others or bringing reasonable arguments for belief from the Qur’an, but in a peaceful fashion: “(So pay no heed to (the desires of) the unbelievers, but engage in a mighty striving against them by means of it [the Qur’an]” Furqan 25:52).

It also means making a personal spiritual struggle: “Those (on the other hand) who strive hard for Our sake, We will most certainly guide them to Our ways (that We have established to lead them to salvation). Most assuredly, God is with those devoted to doing good, aware that God is seeing them” (Ankabut 29:69).5 When referring to war, the Qur’an uses the word “qital” in multiple different verses. The following verses establish under which conditions it is to be done: “Fight in God’s cause (in order to exalt His Name) against those who fight against you, but do not November / December 2015

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exceed the bounds (set by God), for surely God loves not those who exceed the bounds” (Baqarah 2:190).

“Then if they desist (from fighting), surely God is All-Forgiving, All-Compassionate” (Baqarah 2:192).

“If they withdraw from you and do not fight against you, and offer you peace, then God allows you no way (to war) against them” (Nisa 4:90).

Another verse makes the same distinction: “God does not forbid you, as regards those who do not make war against you on account of your Religion, nor drive you away from your homes, to be kindly to them, and act towards them with equity.

God surely loves the scrupulously equitable. God only forbids you, as regards those who make war against you on account of your Religion and drive you away from your homes, or support others to drive you away, to take them for friends and guardians. Whoever takes them for friends and guardians, those are the wrongdoers” (Mumtahanah 60:8-9).

Even in chapter Tawbah, which begins with a severe ultimatum against unbelievers, hypocrites, and believers who elude fighting, and which informs Muslims that all relations with polytheists are to be cut, the Qur’an holds the polytheists who do not break their treaties with Muslims as exceptions.

The following is stated in the 4th verse of this chapter: “Excepting those among the people who associate partners with God with whom you made a treaty, and who have not thereafter failed to fulfill their obligations towards you (required by the treaty), nor have backed anyone against you. Observe, then, your treaty with them until the end of the term (that you agreed with them). Surely God loves the God-revering, pious (who keep their duties to Him).”

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the enemy in a proper fashion and acting justly. The Qur’an even commands granting asylum to polytheists who have no treaty with Muslims but make such a demand: “And if any of those who associate partners with God seeks asylum of you (O Messenger), grant him asylum, so that he may hear the Word of God, and then convey him to his place of security” (Tawbah 9:6).

In another verse of the same chapter, the purpose of the war the believers are asking for is stated as follows: “Will you not fight against the people who have broken their pledges and have done all they could to drive the Messenger (from where he chooses to dwell), and initiated hostilities against you?”

(Tawbah 9:13).

From these verses, we understand that those who first initiate hostilities will be responsible for the war. And only those who personally fight are to be punished.

Within this frame, people like women, children, the elderly and disabled, workers in their fields, and especially people of religion in their places of worship, will be

safe from any kind of violence. The last group mentioned is particularly noteworthy: had Islam endorsed religious bigotry, it would command practicing violence to people of religion first.

The noble Prophet, who practiced the command of forgiving those enemies that give up fighting, even banned chasing any escaping enemies. The purpose of this regulation is eliminating danger. War is not made for the sake of coercing people to accept Islam, but for preventing coercion and torments about people’s religious preferences. War in Islam is made for the sake of letting people be free in choosing their faith. Eliminating any obstacles to religious freedom has been the sole motive for those who properly fought in the cause of Islam.6 A remaining question is what the word fitnah means, as in the following verse: “And (if they still persist in unbelief and hostilities), fight against them until there is no fitnah, and the whole of religion for God exclusively…” (Anfal 8:39).

Here, fitnah is mostly interpreted as “associating partners

with God.” On the other hand, scholars7 of Qur’anic exegesis explain “fitnah” in the 191th verse of chapter Baqarah as “torture with the aim of making one forsake his or her faith.” It is stated that while explaining “fitnah” in this verse, and its similar use in Baqarah 193, scholars of Qur’anic exegesis8 relate in their books that prominent scholars9 of the early period understood the word fitnah in Baqarah 193 to mean torments, and namely persecution. By also taking into consideration the comments in more recent works by M. Abduh, Qasimi, Muhammad Draz, and Maraghi for this verse, we can say that this sense of fitnah refers to pressure and torture in the hopes of making somebody forsake their faith. On this front, the Qur’an explicitly states that there is no place for coercion in religion: “There is no compulsion in the Religion. The right way stands there clearly distinguished from the false. Hence, he who rejects the false deities and believes in God has indeed taken hold of the firm, unbreakable handle; and God is All-Hearing, All-Knowing” (Baqarah 2:256).

“If your Lord had so willed (and, denying them free will, compelled mankind to believe), all who are on the earth would surely have believed, all of them. Would you, then, force people until they become believers?” (Yunus 10:99).

Like these verses state, different beliefs will exist since God allows it: “If your Lord had so willed (and withheld from humankind free will), He would have made all humankind one single community (with the same faith, worldview, and life-pattern). But (having free choice) they never cease to differ (and follow diverse paths, diverging from the Straight Path), save those on whom your Lord has mercy (and guides to the Straight Path because of the merits they have)” (Hud 11:118-119).

Such a question may arise in one’s mind at this point: “Does the Qur’an not assign Muslims with the duty of conveying the truth they believe to other people? Is it not the point of Islam to bless people with happiness in both worlds?

Is it not necessary to convey this message to those unaware of this guidance?” The answer is surely yes, and many verses of the Qur’an make it clear.10 Muslims are supposed to convey the message to those who are uninformed about it. The Qur’an clearly expresses that this should be done with wisdom and fairness: “Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair exhortation, and argue with them in the best way possible. Your Lord surely knows best who has gone astray from His way, and He knows best who are the rightly guided” (Nahl 16:125).

This verse reveals the essential method of conveying the message.

From a perspective of Qur’anic exegesis, it is understood that the verse alludes to three general groups of addressees: the first group is those who have a good sense of reasoning and the message is to be conveyed to them with

erudite proofs and wisdom. The second group is the wider mass who will not quite understand erudite explanations but need to be addressed with “fair exhortation” – namely, by giving them sound advice in more easily understandable formats. It is necessary to elucidate for them what they will gain by following good guidance or the loss they will suffer otherwise. As for the unbelievers with an adversarial stance who are not likely to be addressed in these two ways, it is necessary to argue them in the best way possible.

Here, the person addressed and invited to religion is completely free at accepting the Islamic message or not. However, as the Islamic teaching gives people freedom to accept the message or not, it requires the same freedom to convey the message. Every human, including Muslims, has the birthright of practicing and instructing their faith, and when this right is forsaken, they should claim it by pursuing legitimate means of struggle to ensure freedom of conscience for everyone.

Notes 1 Muhammed Hamidullah, İslâm’a Giriş (introduction to Islam), translated into Turkish by Cemal Aydın, Ankara: 2005, p.19 2 Muhammad Draz, Toward Understanding the Qur’an, p. 60.

3 Likewise, the 41th and 86th verses of the same chapter also use the word jihad in this sense.

4 Zadu’l-Mead, Beyrut, 1985, 3/9-11, Terc. 3/1011-1012, Cantaş yayınları 5 For example, see Baqarah 190, 192, 193, 216; Nisa 75, 90; Anfal 39; Tawbah 29; Hajj 39; Saf 4; Muzzammil 20.

6 Muhammad Draz, Toward Understanding the Qur’an, p. 64.

7 Zamakhshari, Ibn Atiyya, Fakhruddin Razi, Baydawi, Ibn Juzay, Sealibi, Hatib Shirbini, Abu’s Suud, Shawkani, Qasimi, M. Rashid Rida, and Maraghi are among them.

8 Ibn Atiyya, Razi, Hazin, Shirbini, M.S. Hasan Han 9 e.g. Ibn Ishaq, Urwah ibn Zubayr, Ibn Abbas (according to one report), ArRabi, and Hasan Basri.

10 For particular examples, see: Al Imran 3:110; Asr 103:1-4; Zukhruf 43:5; Nahl 16:125.

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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Certainty is granted for those who live in awe and sheer wonderment about the finest fruit of universe that is called life; it is for those who regulate their consumption patterns for the sake of living not just for pleasure.

WHAT NEEDS TO BE OVERCOME FOR PEOPLE OF WILL

QUESTION: The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said, “The things I fear most for my community are: large stomachs, excessive sleep, idleness, and lack of certainty.”

What is meant by these weaknesses? Are they interrelated?

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arge stomachs means heedlessly eating a lot, taking eating and drinking as the purpose of life, and, if you will, living to eat and, consequently, an obese person. This is the first characteristic of those for whom the Prophet was concerned in their worldly and other-worldly lives.

Excessive sleep is a relative issue. Both medical doctors and spiritual guides advise not to sleep more than necessary, which is for some five hours, for others a bit more. It is important to regulate sleeping hours for a healthy body and a healthy soul. Yet, this would not be easy for a person who has not disciplined his or her eating and drinking habits.

Idleness is a grave condition to be in. At the heart of Islamic philosophy lies dynamism and motion which is manifest in every part and every layer of the universe. Islam intervened in anything that was contrary to this philosophy of dynamism; in other words Qur’anic worldview tried to recharge any inaction to constructive and beneficial actions. For instance, land that was left uncultivated and idle was distributed under the condition that it be revived and culti-

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vated. It compelled the saved and idle wealth which had not been circulated through business or trade, as a serious spiritual threat to the rich, and this is why idle wealth is also included in the money from which obligatory charity is calculated. Islam’s viewpoint towards indolence and those idle people is no different than its conception of idle wealth or idle land; on the contrary, it is even more intolerable.

Lack of certainty in faith is one of the gravest of matters to be feared from. There are different degrees of certainty; first, that which comes from knowledge (ilm al-yaqin); second, which depends on seeing and observation (ayn al-yaqin); and third, that which comes from direct experience (haqq alyaqin). This means that if a person does not truly understand what they believe to be the truth relative to their knowledge, then they have no certainty or true understanding. If a person’s faith in God, the scripture as well as the other essential tenets of belief have not been induced or based on knowledge, on the evidence drawn from the phenomena in the universe and these evidences are not related to one’s inner spiritual discernment, then this is not because of limited certainty; rather, such a person has no

certainty at all. Certainty begins with knowledge; anything less is the lowest level of human understanding and life.

Knowledge is the first step to certainty. The book of the universe displays its wonders and miracles to the extent that scientists, artists and many other persons of knowledge have arrived at the conviction that such magnificence, orderliness and harmony in existence necessitates an All-Knowing and All-Wise Creator, and through such conviction have come to form the connection between the scripture and the universe. It is here when no doubt is left in one’s mind about the All-Existent One that the first stage of certainty, that of knowledge, occurs.

The certainty of knowledge is the level at which one recognizes the manifestations of God, the Manifest One on all entities, when they have an understanding and full awareness that the universe with all its contents are all creations of God. This is the level at which a genuine and purposeful appreciation of all our surroundings awakens in one’s consciousness and heart.

The blooming of flowers, the singing of birds, the fruitoffering branches of trees opening to the skies and the sound of the gushing water of the river, those pure creations continue their search for their Creator like that

of Majnun for his Layla, thinking that every shadow, vision or sign he saw was what he was in search of.

One achieves the certainty of faith by reaching a peak in faith at which one lives by the instructions of his Creator, when sincere comprehension that existence comes from God takes place.

The truth of the matter is that all of these levels of certainty are interconnected; they support and compliment one another. If we were to draw a pattern and connect the major themes of this hadith, then it can be ascertained that certainty of faith becomes almost impossible to attain if eating and drinking becomes the major goal in life. Certainty is granted for those who live in awe and sheer wonderment about the finest fruit of universe that is called life; it is for those who regulate their consumption patterns for the sake of living not just for pleasure.

To emphasize the magnitude of this subject the Prophet of God imparted that: “The son of Adam fills no vessel that is worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat a few mouthfuls to keep him alive. If he must do that (fill his stomach), then let him fill one third with food, one third with drink and one third with air.”

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Bouvard V. et al. Carcinogenicity of consumption of red and processed meat. The Lancet Oncology, 2015

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Processed meat ıncreases cancer rısk

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S C I E N C E S Q U A R E //

SQUARE The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer agency of the World Health Organization, has investigated nearly 1,000 things that increase the risk of cancer. Based on a report from 22 experts from 10 countries, IARC recently announced that the consumption of red meat is probably carcinogenic to humans; processed meat products including sausages, hot dogs, and salamis are among the highest-risk carcinogens for humans. Researchers found that daily consumption of 50 grams of processed meat has been found to increase the risk of colorectal cancer by 18%. Carcinogens in processed meat are thought to come from chemicals generated during the processing of the meat by smoking or curing. Scientific evidence from 800 studies show a strong association between processed meat and cancer, particularly colorectal cancer, but also pancreatic and prostate cancer. Although the risk of developing cancer from red meat is relatively low, high consumption significantly escalates the cancer risk. These findings further support the public health recommendation to lower the intake of red and processed meats. It is noteworthy that the cancer risk from smoking is still multiple orders greater; as smoking causes about 1,000,000 cancer deaths a year worldwide, while processed meat cause about 34,000 cancer deaths.

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Prindle A. Ion channels enable electrical communication in bacterial communities. Nature, October 2015.

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Bacteria are often dismissed as simple and solitary creatures but a new study shows that they use complex electrical signaling and communication mechanisms, which resemble neurons in a brain.

Researchers investigated the long-distance communications of bacteria on biofilms, where millions of them are packed. The bacterial cells who live on the outer edge of the biofilm grow to a specific size and stop so that nutrients such as glutamate can continue flowing to the protected center, thus ensuring the whole bacterial population’s survival and overall resistance to chemical attacks, such as antibiotics. Researchers demonstrated that metabolic coordination among distant cells within biofilms is facilitated by electrical signals. Ion channels trigger oscillations in bacterial membrane potentials which conduct long-range electrical signals by propagating waves of charged potassium ions. Scientists suggested that bacterial behavior within biofilms function like a “microbial brain.”

Interestingly, both migraines and the electrical signaling in bacteria appear to be triggered by metabolic stress. This suggests that neurological disorders like epilepsy and migraines have possibly been caused by bacterial metabolic activities. Perhaps new treatments for neurological disorders may be developed using a bacterial perspective.

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Huang J. Harnessing structural darkness in the visible and infrared wavelengths for a new source of light. Nature Nanotechnology. September, 2015

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Scıentısts made the blackest materıal ever

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Scientists have developed the blackest material ever made – one that absorbs 99% of light coming from all angles and polarizations. The new super-black material is 26% darker than its predecessor, carbon nanotubes.

The inspiration came from the white cyphochilus beetle, whose shell is capable of reflecting substantial amounts of light due to its crystalline structured scales. Scientists examined the beetle’s shell and then tried to invert its crystalline structure to absorb as much light as possible. Super-black material is created using nanoparticle rods sitting on a tiny 30 nanometer nanoparticle sphere. The super-black surface can absorb 99% of the light that ranges between 400 and 1,400 nanometer wavelengths. The resulting color is so dark that the human eye cannot comprehend it; instead, it feels as looking deep into an endless abyss or a black hole. Conveniently, the material can also be diluted into a liquid form and utilized readily in a variety of applications, such as in global desalination projects. Since blacker material absorbs more light or energy, the super-black material technology is expected to dramatically improve the efficiency of existing solar panels and optical interconnects, where fiberoptic data is relayed.

November / December 2015

The Fountain

65

On Life, Knowledge, and Belief

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Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is arguably the most striking example on how extreme perceptions of an individual can be polarized. While adored by millions of adherents, Muhammad is also defamed as a beacon for violence. How can we clear off the stigma on the otherwise the most beloved of God? How can we inspire the hearts of Muslims everywhere?

It is our pleasure to announce the first annual reading contest on the life of the Prophet. The contest will be conducted nationwide in the United States and Canada in March 2016.

The contest features Muhammad, the Messenger of God: An Analysis on the Life of the Prophet, a bestseller worldwide. This momentous volume has touched hearts and minds of thousands of readers from around the world with beautiful analysis of the Prophet in today’s world. The book endeavors to philosophize on a unique historiography of a life dedicated to the service and welfare of all. It also highlights the Prophet’s various aspect as a devoted servant of God in his privacy with the divine, as a husband, a father, an educator, and a leader The Prophet’s life is a source of unparalleled empowerment, vision, inspiration, and hope. Let us learn about the person who served as the perfect role model for humanity. By joining the contest, we can finally answer the question: Who is Muhammad?

You soar, but in the wrong place for the moment A prospect that has no leeway to peace For a spoiled soul does not listen It is a soul, conceited.