Houston, We Have a Solution…
What happens when an Adana native such as me goes to Houston? He certainly becomes very happy, since Houston is like Adana of the United States
Are you looking in the United States for a place like Turkey's Cukurova, a watermelon and cotton heaven stretching on flat land as far as one's eyes can see and dousing people with its humidity in summers? Welcome to Texas then I must confess, it did not occur to me that Houston is America's fourth largest city until I came here. Just like Adana Houston is located on the South Coast of the US, near the Gulf of Mexico, renowned for its energy industries (particularly oil). It's similar to Adana's position vis-à-vis Gulf of Iskenderun and the Mersin seaport, which are among the most important oil refining and transfer centers in Turkey.
Douglas Silliman, Director of Southern European Affairs Bureau at the US State Department, which also covers Turkey, is from Houston. I had asked him what he would recommend me to do the most in his homeland. He had said 'You should definitely eat halal Mexican food at iftar'. Just as Adana has its famous spicy kabob, Houston also has its delicious Mexican foods that match the hot taste in Adana and Texan steaks.
I was not disappointed for doing what Silliman recommended. In fact, Silliman and his colleagues who had worked overtime last weekend, carrying out silent but intense diplomatic efforts for the sake of Turkey's full membership talks with the European Union, were perhaps the ones who deserved those delicious dishes much more than I did. But I was the fortunate guy
Let me tell you before I forget: The influence Mexicans and other Hispanics from the South and the African Americans have on Houston is also similar to the socio-cultural contribution to Adana by the Arab farmers from Syria, who were brought to Cukurova during the Ottoman period, and the immigrants from Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia most of whom are of Kurdish descent Warm people, delicious foods, different languages, and rich dialects Do southern provinces always have to be so fun?
Like all big cities that attract immigrants, diversity reigns in Houston. But this diversity has been transformed into a relatively harmonious togetherness rather than clash, thanks to the warm southern hospitality. Remember that in the wake of the Katrina disaster, Houstonians generously opened their doors to the thousands of evacuees most of whom were African Americans and set an example for the whole US. After learning a number of Katrina victims are still staying at the sports hall of the convention center next to the hotel where I resided, I went there with the intention to make a few observations. However, the Red Cross officials did not let me in. Obviously, these poor people were fed up with the exposure of their grievances with all its privacy in the media.
Houston has also embraced Turks and Muslims like many others. In the area, there are about 80 mosques -big and small in size-. The number of Muslims is said to be hundreds of thousands. A small but active Turkish community, which is doing great things, is also a presence here. Particularly the Turks, who are associated with the Raindrop Foundation and Institute of Interfaith Dialogue (IID), are conducting commendable activities.
Actually, I had come to Houston for another prideful occasion. I was a member of the team that was representing Zaman at the annual meeting and award ceremony of SND, one of the most prestigious organizations in visual journalism in the United States and the world. Zaman has won five awards, including a silver medal in the latest SND competition. But when I saw the work done by our compatriots here, I was even more proud.
Together with Fevzi Yazici, our art editor and Kiri Ozturk, one of the copy editors of our English website, we had the opportunity to attend the third traditional interfaith iftar dinner hosted by IID. Distinguished guests delivered meaningful addresses on world peace. Just bringing people with such diverse backgrounds together was a success in itself. The IID is said to have accomplished great things so far despite being a relatively new organization. They have become exemplary among similar organizations. While listening to the guest speakers, it was evident how well our citizens here have represented Islam and Turkey.
For instance, Dr. Jill Carroll, assistant director of the Boniuk Center for the Study and Advancement of Tolerance at Rice University, said 'My life is not the same' after she went to Turkey through a trip organized by the IID. She thinks this was because of the "power of hospitality." Director of the Religious Studies Program at the University of Houston, Dr. Lynn Mitchell, referring to the altruistic work done by Muslims from Turkey, said, "As a Christian, I am jealous of them." Presbyterian Minister, Dr. Coval Macdonald, having noted that all these good things are coming from those who have been inspired by Fethullah Gülen's views, could not help reading passages from the interview the Muslim World journal had with Gülen. According to Macdonald, "Gülen is a living reality of the fruits of our father Abraham."
Had we not made these observations, we would probably have left the city after visiting the NASA center in Houston, with the space movie jargon, "Houston, we have a problem," on the tip of tongues. However, now that we saw those who say, "Houston, we have a solution," in the name of peace and brotherhood, it's become a totally different story
ZAMAN
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