55 students from 30 countries captivate İzmir residents with poems of praise


Date posted: April 15, 2014

 

IZMIR

A total of 55 students from 30 countries captivated hundreds of spectators with their recitations of naats — poems in praise of the Prophet Muhammad — during a ceremony held in the Aegean province of İzmir on Monday evening to celebrate Holy Birth Week.

Holy Birth Week marks the Prophet Muhammad’s birth and takes place between April 14 and 20 each year across the Islamic world.

The Holy Birth Week ceremony, organized by the İzmir Intercultural Dialogue Center (İZDİM) and the Yeni Ümit (New Hope) magazine, was held at the Yamanlar Sport Hall in İzmir’s Karşıyaka district on Monday evening with the participation of hundreds of İzmir residents. Participants enjoyed recitations of naats, ilahis (praising God and extolling the characteristics of the Prophet Muhammad) and kasides (odes mostly written for the Prophet) performed by 55 international students from Turkish schools in 30 countries across the globe. The ceremony started with a recitation from the Islamic holy book, the Quran.

Hmdia Meriem and Nouran Zayen from a Turkish school in Tunisia sang an ilahi named “İlham ile Dün Gece” (Last Night with Inspiration), receiving huge applause from the spectators. This performance was followed by Faruhi Mahmadsharif from a Turkish school in Tajikistan. He sang the ilahi “İnsanlığın Efendisi” (Master of Mankind).

Speaking during the event, İZDİM President Ömer Mustafa Aytekin said: “We want the people to speak about him [Prophet Muhammad], read about him and sing about him more in order to make people forget about the unrest created with recent hate speech rhetoric [being used by top government officials against the faith-based Hizmet movement inspired by the teachings of Islamic Turkish scholar Fethullah Gülen] in public.”

Meanwhile, a celebration was held at the Hayri Gür Sports Hall in the Black Sea province of Trabzon on Monday night to mark Holy Birth Week with the participation of Religious Affairs Directorate President Mehmet Görmez, Trabzon Governor Abdil Celil Öz and Trabzon Mayor Orhan Fevzi Gümrükçüoğlu. The event was organized by the Religious Affairs Directorate.

Source: Todays Zaman , April 15, 2014


Related News

Brooklyn Amity School crowned karate champion

Brooklyn Amity School has been crowned champion receiving 30 medals in 2013 Asckhar’s Kyodai Invitational Karate Championship held in New York. 320 competitors in total from four different countries participated the sport event. Brooklyn Amity School distinguished itself winning 13 golden, 5 silver and 12 bronze medals and thus ranking first in the total number […]

Deputy PM threatens Taraf daily, Baransu for covering controversial MGK docs

Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç on Monday called on prosecutors to take legal action against the Taraf daily and journalist Mehmet Baransu, who last week revealed a controversial National Security Council (MGK) document indicating that Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) signed on to a planned crackdown on the Hizmet (Gülen) movement in 2004.

Bank Asya’s corporate governance rating increases

Bank Asya, a leading Turkish financial institution, announced on Sunday that their corporate governance rating had increased in June over its score from last year.

Arrested After Giving Birth: Turkey’s Post-coup Crackdown Reportedly Hits Maternity Wards

Following the abortive putsch on July 15 2016, allegations of unfair trials, using torture in prisons and holding suspects without trial have been made against Erdogan’s government. And now, it has been alleged that Turkey is arresting women accused of links to the Gülen movement immediately after they give birth.

4-year-old visits dad in jail on Children’s Day wearing T-shirt with newborn brother’s picture

Minutes before paying a visit to her jailed father early on Sunday morning, H.A. was photographed in front of Sakarya L Type Prison wearing a T-shirt bearing a photo of her newborn baby brother.

Helping hands to Kosova

Turkey extended a helping hand to Kosova, the ninth poorest country of the world, through Kimse Yok Mu Relief Foundation. Responding to cries of the orphans in the country, which gained independence in 2008, Kimse Yok Mu Relief Foundation distributed a variety of supplies ranging from sewing machines to goreceries, stationeries to toys. Aids have been distributed to those who became widows and orphans for the sake of their country’s independence. Among volunteers, there were Mujgan Koralturk, who plays Dilan character in the famous series ‘Tek Turkiye’, and Aslihan Erkisi, a famous vocal artist.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Peace and prosperity for Turkey lies in philosophy of Nursi says Altan Tan

Rubin says Gülen’s extradition would convince Erdoğan that blackmail works

Commentary: Abuses rampant in wake of Turkish coup

Fethullah Gulen and the Kurdish Issue

Introducing the Gulen Movement: Prophet’s Path in the Twenty-first Century

Victims of the state, come together

The lethal and bitter aftermath of Turkey’s failed coup

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News