Hurricanes, tropical storms, earthquakes … More and more, humans are being affected by natural disasters. But life’s challenges do not come only in the form of natural disasters – individuals have to face all sorts of disasters in their personal lives. Sometimes it’s the loss of a loved one or a job, or even a loss of faith; it could be having to abandon one’s home due to war or persecution at the hands of a tyrant. Some disasters may seem smaller at first glance, but can feel just as consequential – a first gray hair, a failed class, getting passed over for a promotion … the list goes on and on.
A life with no disasters is a fantasy. All of us face them – both personally and globally – sooner or later. Then, how should we face a disaster? Just as we take measures while constructing buildings on a fault line, can we be always prepared? How do we defend our inner peace when facing danger?
Tell us how you survive difficult times. Give us your best advice. Share your greatest life lesson.
Deadline for submissions: January 31, 2018
Contest open to all writers worldwide
Essay word count must be between 1,500 and 2,500
Essays must be submitted as Word document only through the essay contest page at www.fountainmagazine.com/essaycontest
Mahçupyan’s analysis of the Hizmet movement’s perspective on the Kurdish issue is wrong. When the settlement process was launched, the Hizmet movement announced its full support for the solution, with Gülen saying, “Peace is in itself goodness, and peace brings happiness.” It advocated non-violent social actors competing with each other freely and under democratic conditions. It openly declared that the right to education in one’s mother tongue is one of the fundamental human rights.
Turkish PM acknowledges phone call to media executive
Turkey’s mainstream media has been under constant fire since last year’s Gezi Park protests and the recent graft probes for yielding to political pressure from the government.
Ramadan Tent Dinner brings a flavor of the East to Bethlehem
The 10th annual Intercultural Dialogue and FriendshipRamadan Dinner celebrated the ninth month of the lunar Islamic calendar on Wednesday and Thursday nights in Bethlehem. The event was free and open to the public. Other organizers and sponsors of the event were Peace Islands Institute, Turkish Cultural Center Pennsylvania and the City of Bethlehem.
Ramadan Tent brings faiths together in Virginia
American Turkish Friendship Association (ATFA) held its annual Ramadan Tent on July 17-19 this year. The tent stayed up in the parking lot of Unity of Fairfax Church for 3 consecutive days and hosted approximately around 750 people each evening over Iftar Dinner. Asm. Kenneth Plum appreciates ATFA’s efforts to bring together people from different faiths and cultures.
Sophia Pandya on Hizmet Movement
Dr. Sophia Pandya specializes in women, religion, and globalization. She received her BA from UC Berkeley in Near Eastern Studies/Arabic, and her MA and PhD from UCSB in Religious Studies, with a focus on women and Islam. She co-edited the book titled The GulenHizmet Movement and its Transnational Activities: Case Studies of Altruistic Activism in Contemporary Islam.
Greek Orthodox Bishop Demetrios Honored
Bishop Demetrios received the Niagara Foundation’s Fethullah Gulen Award during the 5th Annual Peace and Dialogue Awards program held on May 4 at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in the city’s downtown. An estimated 250 people turned out for the event, including local religious leaders from such denominations as the Episcopal church, the Jewish faith and the […]
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