Teaching Them to Fish

We Americans think we are technologically sophisticated - but these folks had hot and cold running water, flush toilets, natural air conditioning, enormous libraries and a thriving arts and culture scene back when most of Europe was still in the dark ages.

But for me, the most memorable discoveries during this leg of the journey are firmly rooted in the present. The network of volunteers that is hosting us and covering the costs of most of these Texas travelers is beginning to make itself known to us, and what we are seeing is truly remarkable.

We meet for lunch at Samanyolu College, one of more than 700 schools founded by volunteers around the world who are followers of Fethullah Gülen. Gülen is a modern-day spiritual leader and scholar who emphasizes the importance of education, tolerance and charitable works in the lives of practicing Muslims. "Building a mosque is good. Building a school is better," he is quoted as saying.

Gülen took much of his inspiration from the Sufi leader Nursi, who taught tolerance and love as the essence of Islam. Besides the schools, his movement has generated other projects throughout Turkey and beyond; a daily newspaper, Zaman; a television network, which we will be visiting upon our return to Istanbul; a Journalists and Writers association; and the Institute for Interfaith Dialog, the Texas-based group sponsoring this tour.

We are greeted like traveling dignitaries by an official of Turkish ministers of education and of religion and culture, among other officials. Cemil Koca, administrator of the Gülen-inspired schools in Ankara, presents the group with an engraved plate that depicts an egg. Inside the egg, the child holds a new world - the world that followers of Gülen hope will be born as education and tolerance continue to spread with the new generation.

Koca explains that the school chooses its teachers based on the idea that teaching is a calling of the heart. Teachers are available to work late into the night and on weekends if necessary to ensure that their students succeed. There is a strong emphasis on the sciences, but also on ethics.

Veysel, who was inspired by the movement in his youth and decided to become a volunteer, is fond of quoting one of Gülen™s favorite sayings when he speaks of the schools.

"One needs to have two wings to fly," he says. With strong intellect but no moral direction, human beings never really learn how to fly.

Over lunch, we chat with a handful of teachers and students from Samanyolu. Tuba and Hande, two tenth-grade girls, steal the show with their bright faces, their clear and articulate English and their wish to become an architect and home designer, respectively.

Umit Cakici is vice-president of the Gülen-inspired college preparatory institution, a network of centers around the country that are set up to help prepare students to pass the grueling college entrance exam. He is clearly moved and excited at the presence of so many international travelers. He has been involved with the Gülen movement for eight years and beams at the opportunity to talk about it. "We like Fethullah Gülen very much," he says, searching for the right words in English to convey his depth of emotion, and seeking help from young Hande. "He wants us to give from our hearts. And he tells us to love the whole world, not just the Turkish people."

Cakici accompanies us to the Anatolian Archaeology Museum and lingers with us as long as he can. As we leave, he climbs onto the bus and presents us each with a gift.

"In the villages and the countryside around here, the people use henna to paint designs on the hands of the bride and groom before a wedding, with the hope that the marriage will last a long time," he tells us. "Your coming here has made us so happy. We live so far from each other and we may never see each other again. For this reason I am giving each of you one of these because I hope our friendship will last a very long time." He hands each of us a shiny cloth pouch filled with henna, and on the front, a small blue symbol typical of Turkey that repels evil.

We wave our goodbyes from the bus window as it pulls away and he stands there, waving, just one of the many people who have reached out to us on the road through Turkey with hospitality and hope.

At sunset we arrive in Urfa Airport, the tiniest I have ever seen. "Isn't it cute?" exclaims Kamil, gleefully, as we disembark. He's from Istanbul and, like the rest of us, is accustomed to major international airports.

We finish the night with a traditional Sila Night celebration, with traditional music, dancing and food. Stay tuned to the slide show accompanying this blog for a sample of the haunting melodies, and a snapshot of our irrepressible Presbyterian minister and stand-up comic Phil McLarty of College Station, Texas, practicing a traditional Urfa dance with the band's leader.