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Issue 98 (March - April 2014)

Issue 98 (March - April 2014)

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Articles

Pain, Pepper, and Mercy

28 February 2014 | The Fountain | Issue 98 (March - April 2014)

Life is ever-changing. Many times, it feels like a sweet candy, but many other times it's as painful as a poisonous drink. Facing sorrow, loss, or another misfortune, life can become a torturous nightmare from which we want to wake up. It hurts like a hot pepper taken inadvertently. Those moments a…

The Power in Prayer and Supplication

28 February 2014 | M. Fethullah Gulen | Issue 98 (March - April 2014)

When the clean black shroud of night enfolds our entire existence, certain darkened souls feel lonely and detached from everything. Yet in the darkest moments, in the remotest corners, and even in the quietest deserts, "He" is always with us. God is the companion of the lonely and the sanctuary of…

Prefrontal Cortex and Its Connection to Human Spirituality

28 February 2014 | Omer Arifagaoglu | Issue 98 (March - April 2014)

The body-self and spirit of a person generate a dynamic and complex system in which they are in constant communication with one another. The brain is one of the control and management centers of this complex structure. Although the brain's compartments have very different functions and structures…

A School of Dreams with Renewed Teachers

28 February 2014 | John Baig | Issue 98 (March - April 2014)

Walk with me please, dear reader. I will take you to a school that will take your breath away. You must be tired of reading all those kinds of deep academic studies with various, yet very valid perspectives; tired of listening to politicians who present their interests and concerns about education…

The Only Memory

28 February 2014 | Magdalena Rusanova | Issue 98 (March - April 2014)

How could this piece of information solve my problems? This little sentence cannot really answer all of life's possible dilemmas, can it? I am walking home on the unusually dark street. I am only used to seeing it in the brightness of day, when the flowers are in stark contrast to the shortly…

Freedom from Cigarettes

28 February 2014 | Mucteba Muezzinoglu | Issue 98 (March - April 2014)

The formation of a smoking habit and addiction depends on various social, spiritual, neuro-genetic, and neuro-chemical factors. Some of these factors are a desire to appear "cool," boredom, stress, rebellion, peer pressure, a wish to fit in, having fun or pleasure, and a desire to keep off weight…

The Rhythm in the Universe

28 February 2014 | Kemal Serce | Issue 98 (March - April 2014)

A splendid order and an amazing harmony seem to govern the operation of this universe. Big or small, everything is in some kind of motion in a regular or periodical pattern which indicates the existence of a rhythm. Every motion in the universe depends on certain laws, which we try to explain with…

Why Is God Invisible?

28 February 2014 | Seth Mette | Issue 98 (March - April 2014)

When a father's inquisitive daughter asks him, "Why he is God invisible?" he thinks he's getting off with an easy question. But the answer is far more complex, and wise, than he could have imagined. Having an adolescent at home is a challenge, but answering their questions without triggering o…

Living Faith in Sanliurfa

28 February 2014 | Katharine Branning | Issue 98 (March - April 2014)

In the remarkable interfaith city of Urfa, the author is surprised by extraordinary generosity which exemplifies the city's "living faith." Sanliurfa, known to the Turks as "Urfa the Glorious," is often described as a city of many faiths. It is indeed glorious, for a more impressive interfaith…

Are You Alone?

28 February 2014 | Hamza Aydin | Issue 98 (March - April 2014)

Loneliness is a serious public health concern, akin to both obesity and smoking. Why is it not treated as such? Through faith, we can combat this growing crisis. Loneliness is a state when people are unable to share their inner world with anyone around them. It is very natural that a person de…

Jadhba and Injidhab (Attraction and the Feeling of Being Attracted toward God)

28 February 2014 | M. Fethullah Gulen | Issue 98 (March - April 2014)

In the language of Sufism, jadhba (attraction) means that a servant is attracted toward God by God Himself, purified thereby of human imperfection in spiritual elevation, and equipped with Divine qualities or exalted morals as specified in the Qur'an. It also means feeling and observing clearly the…

Reflections of a Human Rights Advocate

28 February 2014 | James C. Harrington | Issue 98 (March - April 2014)

Civil society has yet to define and accept broader human rights ... The struggle goes on, building on those who went before us, for the benefit of those who come after us. The 50th anniversary of President John Kennedy's assassination this year is poignant for those of us who were well along i…

Missing Pieces

28 February 2014 | Caroline Lancaster | Issue 98 (March - April 2014)

Once I could see God in one thing - even though it was the vastest, most mysterious, and perhaps most obvious example in creation - I was able to see God in almost anything. Before, there was no meaning. There was no cohesion. There was no contentment. Instead, there was sorrow. There was an e…

The Glass Half Full

28 February 2014 | Amina Negm | Issue 98 (March - April 2014)

And alas the day has come, when worlds crash, collide. When the happiest day of someone's life merges with someone else's nightmare. When someone hears of someone's death, while another hears his baby's first cry. When someone hears that they have passed their exams with highest honors, while anoth…

Progress or Fallacy in Inferring

28 February 2014 | Yusuf Bilgic | Issue 98 (March - April 2014)

New developments in scientific thought and hypotheses testing are changing the ways we think about truth and certainty. Not only do scientific decisions rely heavily on tools and procedures of quantitative analysis, but also on social life and daily decisions. I want to start with a story from…

Annemarie Schimmel Building Bridges between East and West

28 February 2014 | Samet Er | Issue 98 (March - April 2014)

This is an article on the life, works, and efforts of Cemile (the Beautiful), as Annemarie Schimmel (d. 2003) was called in the East. Who was Annemarie Schimmel? How did she influence the Occident and the Orient, and what was the magnitude of her achievements?

Sustainable Curiosity: How to Invigorate Curiosity for Scientific Literacy

28 February 2014 | Salih Yolcu | Issue 98 (March - April 2014)

"Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning" William A. Ward When I visited my family last time, I realized that my two-year old nephew, who could not speak fluently and knew only a few words, wanted to learn about everything he saw. For instance, while I was using an iPhone, he wanted me…

Hot, But Can't Do Without: The wisdom behind the hotness of peppers

28 February 2014 | Ali Fethi Toprak | Issue 98 (March - April 2014)

Like all omnivorous foods, peppers - both hot and sweet - have been created in unique, wise ways to make them appealing to eat and to help reproduce. Plants and their fruits are sustenance for herbivores, including humans. They are often brightly colored - be it red, orange, yellow, purple, or…

Hui People: Chinese Speaking Muslims

28 February 2014 | Ali Osman Ozkan | Issue 98 (March - April 2014)

Though most outsiders view Chinese culture as being monolithic, both ethnically and religiously, there are over 20 million Muslims living within China. They've managed to peacefully co-exist with both their Muslim and Chinese identities. Few people know that the Hui People, who are one of the…

Relax - I Am Out Of The Game

28 February 2014 | Melissa McPen | Issue 98 (March - April 2014)

I tell myself: "It's ok, there is no race, step aside. Be humble. Keep your beauty within. Liberate yourself from things that don't matter..." Now I am going to ask you a "Fill in the Blank" question. There are political, economic, cultural, oppressive, feminist-based, family guidance-based, place…

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