mosques need a new vision!

I actually thought to write this article several months ago but I didn’t feel to write anything at that time because of the classes and the thesis matters. But last week, when I was in HongKong, my friend took me the Kowloon masjid and Islamic center. It was located in the center of the Kowloon and Kowloon is regarded as one of the main centers of HongKong. It was really a nice place. The mosque is a good example of today’s modern Islamic architecture and unlike Masjids in mainland China, it was so clean and neat as well. It has really given me an impression that I am in a mosque in Istanbul. I have never felt like this before.
I would write this article to say how a modern mosque should be designed and constructed in this modern age. Yes, I would say a mosque should not only be a prayer place. It should function more than it. Like what? Like being an education place for all Muslims. Islam commands its followers to read and research anything on the earth, and never withhold you from researching and asking. So Muslims should pull themselves out from the ignorance and should get rid of being ignorant. Many years ago, I have seen a sentence in a book that written ‘God is big, His religion as well, so believers shouldn’t be small’. That is right, but nowadays, I am afraid, believers don’t understand their religion correctly and many of them think that Islam cannot meet this modern age’s expectation.
But we forgot that there are two kind of invoking. One is actual invoke and the other one is oral invoke. I mean, we should roll up our sleeves and doing something not only for ourselves but also for the people who don’t find chance to understand the Islamic realities. And we can start with redesigning new mosques. Every year, it is built almost 600 new mosques in Turkey. So, at least, they can be redesigned which are being built today.
As mentioned above, I think they are not only pray places, and vice versa, a mosque should include many activities too. Such as;
Internet: As all we know, internet became a part of human life. Henceforth, you won’t see people anymore to use encyclopaedias, because it is easier and better way to reach any kind of knowledge online. So, internet must be offered to Muslims to follow the developments in the world. Taking some measures will prevent people to misuse it.
Library: Internet started to spread everywhere after 90’s, so, the generation grow up before 90’s is not so familiar with using internet, vice versa, the generation grow up after 90’s can use the internet and other technological tools fairly well. There is an obvious gap between generations. So a library is also necessary. Beside this, some people don’t prefer to read online. Why do people still buy newspapers even though papers are as far from one as a click? Because, no doubt, original texts add zest to reading. That is why people prefer to read original texts and libraries still maintain their importance.
Meeting room: There must be a conference saloon as well. And imam should organize lectures and invite some experts to preach. Sometimes he should enlighten too.
Exhibit hall: This one is also very important. There must be an exhibit hall too and at least once a month an exposition should be exhibited. And beside the leading experts, mosque community also can contribute. Photographs, handiworks, drawings, calligraphy and marbling art works exhibitions will educate mosque community and give a chance to nonprofessional youths to show their works and also will encourage them. By means of such activities, the number of the community can increase.
Cinema: As a matter of fact, I would not write this item. You cannot found a movie house for every mosque. Because, there are many small mosques and sometimes you can find more than one mosque in the same place. I think this item can be thought for the big mosques. If there will be a cinema, worshippers can watch the Islamic-oriented or useful movies. Besides those, short movies also can be released to encourage new film makers.
Finally, I want to finish with an important topic. I am sorry to say, nowadays, mosques are regarded as pray places for only men. And as if men, especially senior citizens have a share in the mosques, coz let alone women, they don’t even let children and youths to enter masjids. Why? As they say, masjids are only for the prayer places, nor for talking inside and doing any other activities. God dammed ignorance!
There must be a section for women in every mosque, and the belief which mosques are not for women should be abandoned as soon as possible by men and women. That should be taught to masjid community too.
All I want to say is that prayer places must be function more activities as the religion command. They should be attractive and adorable places for children, women, men, youths and olds. I hope to see such mosques in the near future as I saw in Kowloon. Let s pray and work for this aim. God bless you all!

visit a middle-school in China

The other day, I went to a middle-school to teach for my internship. It was actually only for seeing a Chinese middle-school, not for the purpose of teaching. Four girls in my class teach there and they asked me to see how they teach and also to introduce me to the class. The first reason was not so reasonable, because I knew that they have a better English knowledge than me. So I went only to meet the class and see a middle-school circumstance.
It was a rainy day and the school was out of the city. It was a suburban school. It took almost half an hour to reach there by taxi. When we arrived the school, headmaster received us at the door. She escorted us from door to class. I entered the class and saluted students by saying ‘hello!’ 
The classroom was a bit different than ours. There were approximately 30 students in the class and it attracted my attention that their all textbooks were on the desk. It was so, I think because the school was a boarding school and they didn’t have to carry many books every day. And they may use the classroom as the study room as well. So why they should carry many book? Don’t need to do it!
I was not there for teaching, so I was asked if I want to speak English or Chinese? I preferred to have a chat in English with them. That would be better for them to shake off the shyness. It is obvious that Chinese students have a fairly well English education, I mean they study hard and have a good English knowledge, and only deficiency is oral practice for them.
Once I read a column on chinadaily.cn and couldn’t get a word though I looked it up. It occurred to me to ask an American friend. I asked him but he said that he didn’t know as well. He said Chinese people sometimes use English even better than native speakers. I too think it is true to some extent. Anyway..
At first, they asked my name and my country. When I said that my Chinese name is Anlifu, they laughed a lot. It is normal because it was a weird name for them. Foreigner names are generally funny. Chinese call Nicolas as Nicolasi, for Thomas, it is Thomasi. There was a girl from German and her name was Balina. I know it is not funny for her and for a Chinese. What about me? It was so funny for me, because balina refers ‘whale’ in Turkish. Haha. Anyway. I think my name is not funny, so, I didn’t care their laughing. Hehe
Well, I am sorry to say that they didn’t know Turkey like any other Chinese citizens. We should advertise our beautiful country to Chinese, because there is a huge tourist potential in China. Their economy is getting bigger and they are getting richer every passing day. We should attract them to our fascinating country.
They asked me many things about Turkey and I tried to introduce as far as in me lies. Some of them were shy to ask question, I tried to encourage them. Boys were shier than girls. Girls were brave and social. I think they will speak English better than the boys in that class. hehe
Before leaving, they asked my qq (qq is an instant messaging-IM- system that Chinese use in place of msn and yahoo), because they wanted to contact with me and have an English practice.
We talked almost about one hour, they asked, I answered. Towards the end of the class, they asked me to sing a Chinese song. Honestly, I don’t know any Chinese songs but their chorus. There is a great song named ‘who can tell you for me that I love you’ ‘有没有人告诉你’.. I sang the chorus for them and they liked it. 
It was a good hour. I liked to talk with them. I thanked to my friend to take me to the class. I don’t know if I am able to teach, but teaching is a good manner. Seeing people learning something gives you great feelings. Teaching is not easy too. I bow respectfully before all teachers. Their job is precious and holy. Educate people is the hardest thing ever. I wish good luck to my prospective teacher friends.

local socities and their beneficial activities

Last summer when I was in Turkey, I stayed with my brother’s family for several days. They live a bit far from us, though we live in the same city: Istanbul. There is a big and famous square in the place they live, named ‘republic square’. After my brother got back from the work one day, he asked me to go out for several hours. He wanted to help me to be more familiar to the district. When we arrived to the republic square, we saw an abnormality there. There was a big crowd. It was like a small concert. When we got closer, we understood that it has taken place a festival there. A big stage was put on the square and many local singers entertained people. Honestly, I didn’t like the organization so much, but there was a great activity of the festival. Let me be clear.
In Turkey, people from the same cities, same hometowns or same villages, come together and found a society to develop their place. So you can see such societies in every neighborhood, especially in the big cities like Istanbul and Ankara. Well, the organization had been taken place by such societies. And every society set up a pavilion to exhibit and to sell their well-known foods and all artistic works. Concerts were done by turns but pavilions were there every evening for a month till the end of the festival. It was possible to visit them and eat or drink all tastes belong to different places.
Go to eat Erzurum’s Sac kebab, Bitlis’ buryan kebab, Urfa’s kebab, Adana’s kebab or Bursa’s iskender kebab or go eat Maras’s ice-cream, Corum’s roasted chickpeas, Ordu’s hazelnut. It is on your preference. Ah, by the way, you also can taste the Rize’s tea and Turkish coffee.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not a greedy person, pavilions were great, because sharing cultural values is great. As I read on their ad, it is an annual organization. I hope it will be better this year and getting better every passing year.
Pavilions were not established only to offer foods and drinks. As I said above, you can learn many things about other regions’ culture as well. Cities had tried to introduce their fascinating places and invite to visit each other’s home. Well, is there any better thing than sharing values and help each other? I don’t think so! I wish a better tomorrow for human being.