Fourth of July

It was a little bit more quiet of a 4th of July here because it was Friday, the holy day. There were throngs of people out the night before - I went for a late walk and it was a great night to be out. There were a lot of families out getting ice cream and going for a stroll and enjoying the cooler sea breezes. It started much quieter on the 4th - and you could even cross the street with a modicum of safety. The beaches were crowded with little kids playing - some of the women were wearing somewhat western attire but there were also a lot of women under beach umbrellas while wearing full dark abayas. I also saw a teenage girl wearing a t-shirt that, beneath a smiling cupcake, featured the words: "freskly baked - eat me hot". Somehow I don't think her mom knew the true meaning of the English words. Beyond GM-related meetings with representatives from five different universities, I am also thinking about the Faculty Internationalization Initiative (the program that is sending me overseas this summer) -inspired Core class I would like to create based on this experience. Essentially, I would like to teach a course on Islam and Islamic diversity. So, I've been asking, gently, as many of my Islamic acquaintances as possible what faith means to them. I ask it in that clumsy way because I want to witness their response. You can ask an American that question because of the division between the secular and sacred worlds - so it is possible to step back and "consider" the other. This is a much tougher task for many Muslims because their faith is such a foundation of their lives. Their answers have been fascinating and very helpful. Being a Friday I've also had the chance to walk around the city during the public prayers. The sermons were blaring through loudspeakers all over town. I went for a walk through the narrow streets of the old Ottoman section and it was common for groups of men to be gathered on sidewalks, shoes off, listening to the broadcast prayers and kneeling in prayer. They paid me no mind as I - as well as many Muslims, for that matter - simply walked past. Could you imagine an example of such public religious devotion in the US? I think what makes it so interesting is that it is very devout and public and common place. The two pictures are of a tiny little mosque - the city is dotted with them - and a picture I snuck of some men praying in the middle of the street during Friday prayers.