The Fountain July/Aug 2023 PDF

JULY | AUG 2023 On Life, Knowledge, and Belief Her “hands” turned to the heavenly door imploring... Who knows; perhaps she is complaining to the Exalted One Who hears all CANADA: $5.95 • TURKEY: 7.50 • UK: £4.99 • USA: $5.50 • AUD: $7.00 05 p. Between Thought and Action: An Intellectual Biogr...

JULY | AUG 2023 On Life, Knowledge, and Belief Her “hands” turned to the heavenly door imploring... Who knows; perhaps she is complaining to the Exalted One Who hears all CANADA: $5.95 • TURKEY: 7.50 • UK: £4.99 • USA: $5.50 • AUD: $7.00 05 p. Between Thought and Action: An Intellectual Biography of Fethullah Gülen p. 72 Interpreting With Wisdom: Nursi’s Approach to Some Political Events in the Period of the Companions of Prophet Muhammad Highlights 4 10 LEAD ARTICLE Time in the Perspective of a Believer In this issue 14 M. Fethullah Gülen INTERVIEW The Humanity of Muhammad 20 Cleanliness, Everywhere Sinan Kosak HUMANITIES One Child at a Time: Ensuring a Peaceful Future Zainab Anyadike The Fountain 27 Belief NATURE RELIGION Interpreting With Wisdom: Nursi’s Approach to Some Political Events in the Period of the Companions of Prophet Muhammad Selcuk Camci 38 34 EMERALD HILLS OF THE HEART 58 Q&A Initiate (Salik) Rising to true humanity 44 MATHEMATICS Prime numbers and encryption Mehmet E. Altin BIOLOGY The Immune System’s Sentry Tower Irfan Yilmaz EDITORIAL p. 43 50 01 O The Humanity of Muhammad POEM Realization Binazir Sankibayeva BOOK REVIEW Between Thought and Action: An Intellectual Biography of Fethullah Gülen Engin Yigit 56 62 • • • POEM Your Absence M. Fethullah Gülen SCIENCE SQUARE Air pollution may underlie the global decline in insect numbers New evidence for an alien life in Mars? AI-powered robots as a potential remedy for loneliness epidemic TIME FLIES BY ne strange thing about time is that it passes quickly, especially when we’re enjoying it! Or rather, that’s how we it feels. Think about summer: when we are just about to make the best of it, we start seeing “back to school” shopping ads everywhere. For many of us over a certain age, life feels like an unfulfilled summer that is about to end, and we start seeing signposts to another life. How should we, then, make the best of the time we are given in this life? In the lead article, Fethullah Gülen gives a sense of how true believers perceive time, whether it is summer or winter, and the inspirations “beyond time and space” they get from it. For him, time is always “fascinating,” “magical,” and “adorned with wonders.” For time to be perceived as such, intentions and perspectives need to be adjusted to the way of true believers; otherwise, the magic they feel cannot be described to someone who has never experienced time the way they do. The Humanity of Muhammad has been a bestseller since it was released in 2020. Written by Dr. Craig Considine, many readers have found the Prophet as portrayed in this book as someone not confined to seventh century Arabia but still relevant in the twenty-first century—and not only to Muslims but to all mankind. Teaching sociology at Rice University, Dr. Considine has been very visible on social media with his eye-opening posts about the life of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, who is still relatively unknown—or even worse, known wrongly—in the West and among Muslims. The Fountain interviewed Dr. Considine about his exceptional work. When the same Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, who brought so much light to this world, passed away in 632 CE, so much was lost. Despite a fantastic generation of believers that formed around him, his death was followed by a vacuum of authority and disagreements that emerged among some of his companions. Selcuk Camci gives a convincing account of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi’s analyses of these heartbreaking political events that caused schisms among Muslims that continue until today. In the present day, AI continues to intrigue us. One interesting potential contribution of AI would be to provide companionship to those who are lonely. Loneliness has come to be recognized as a major health problem, potentially contributing to depression, obesity, dementia, and even early death for many. The preliminary results of research conducted with companion robots show that “amiable androids help reduce stress and even promote skin healing.” Loneliness is an epidemic, especially among the elderly, and we need to find healing solutions, whether it is through robots or real human interaction. Check out Science Square for more about “amiable androids.” 4 THE FOUNTAIN JULY | AUG 2023 LEAD ARTICLE by M.Fethullah Gülen 2023 | JULY | AUG | 5 For believers time is adorned with wonders, and for those who truly experience its magic, it whispers many things beyond time and space. I n the perspective of a believer, time always flows by with fascination. On many occasions, it is adorned with wonders, and for those who truly experience its magic, it whispers many things beyond time and space. Let alone an entire lifetime or year, even a single day of a true believer is so fascinating that we are incapable of describing its various spiritual inspirations and colorful manifestations. We can perhaps attempt to describe them, but those who have not fully tasted the pleasure in the mysteries of faith will listen as if without eyes or ears and will understand nothing. In the same way that it is impossible for one who has not experienced the flavor of honey to describe its taste, or who has not seen or smelt a rose to describe its color or fragrance, it is impossible to describe to a disbeliever how time flows from the perspective of a believer. For believers, time is always magical. At certain moments, the spirit suddenly becomes vigilant, as if acting upon conditional reflexes. The human faculties begin to act as if they had received a signal, and all the subtle senses awaken with enthusiasm, urgency, hope, and agitation; in every aspect they imply that they are ready for a command. Although all the windows are closed tight and the curtains are drawn, occasionally, the magical breeze of dawn comes through and encompasses our hearts, and in a gentle voice calls us to stand before God. The moment we open our eyes, we are showered with a sonorous musical bath of illuminating words sung from the balconies of the minarets. Then we purify ourselves as prescribed with the special ablutions and head for the place of worship where we will place our heads down and pour our hearts out to God. 6 | JULY | AUG | 2023 We feel ourselves in a vastly expanded, magical atmosphere where all objects, living or non-living, smile at us as if they have transformed in terms of color, form, design, and character to become spirit and meaning and flow into us. Prayer almost always comes in with its own unique charm, much like a familiar guest—a guest warmer and closer than any of the residents of our home. It settles in and greets us on the prayer mat, conveys spiritual pleasures into our souls, and adds its own color to the oncoming hours ahead; this is the first magical distinction of the new day to the perceptions of the believer. Thus we begin the day with our emotions totally exposed to the Creator. We experience the joy of a morning in Paradise deep in our souls. Worship, words of devotion and remembrance, breakfast, and many other activities and responsibilities are each a continuation of this delicate, gentle, and fruitful beginning. Even if we have no such anticipation, this spreads into each and every one of our pursuits and speaks through them. Then, we observe suddenly our behavior and activities to have refined with an otherworldly subtlety. While immersed in this state, thanks to our intentions and perspectives, we feel the mystery of God’s trust in each of our move, although in physical terms we share the same time, space, and objects with others. Then we start seeing our environment as pleasant manifestations of God and observe His signs on every face we look. As we do so, we travel back and forth between worldliness and heavenliness, and we can almost sense our belief flowing into our actions and behavior. Now with an angle from beyond, we perceive everything within our capacity of understanding to be more friendly, cozier, sincere, and meaningful. 2023 | JULY | AUG 7 From the first moments of the day, we feel our lives mindfully and begin to constantly act upon the mode of the daybreak. We embrace every person and every object that appears before us as if they were our own children. Thanks to our beliefs we feel ourselves in a vastly expanded, magical atmosphere where all objects, living or non-living, smile at us as if they have transformed in terms of color, form, design, and character to become spirit and meaning and flow into us. Stones and earth, trees and leaves, roses and flowers, birds and insects—everything constantly whispers things from the horizons of our hearts into our souls. Each command of creation in the nature is transformed into a message, line by line, paragraph by paragraph, and they convey sermons, with no letters and words but with simple, deep meanings, and wisdom. The air we breathe, the water we drink, the sustenance we eat, and the beauty conveyed from our eyes to our hearts preach us with rivers of wisdom about how our human nature relates with all of these, the connection between our senses and the pleasures we sense, and how life and society move about in concordance based on the same arithmetic and geometry. From the first moments of the day, we feel our lives mindfully and begin to constantly act upon the mode of the daybreak. With the passing of time, when this joy and enthusiasm begin to fade, the cooling shade of the noon prayer (dhuhr) descends upon us with a breeze of eternity during that busy episode of our daily pursuits and calls us to the mosque, which is a projection of the Divine throne of compassion. As we obey this call and start walking to a mosque to prostrate in the shade of the heavens, we are offered at almost every step cups of wisdom, awe, and affection from which we drink abundantly. We reach our destination in a state of immense joy, and when we step through the entrance of the courtyard, we shiver with a totally different delight. Beside the fountain, we are refreshed with a different exhilaration. We reap the joy and pleasure of being among the radiant faces who share the same emotions as ourselves, take a deep sigh with the thoughts of the world beyond, and then advance once again at noon to experience the distinct spiritual inspirations of faith (iman) and practicing it (islam). 8 | JULY | AUG | 2023 This is like a long spiritual repose of the heart by engaging in things like eating and drinking, chatting with friends, and going to places, and by doing so unloading the burden imposed by our corporeality, the body, and the carnal mind (‘aql maash). This further restores the connection with our heart and we return to our daily duties with a high spiritual motivation. Then we strive to pursue our duties while keeping one eye on this world and the other on the next—we work hard like those working for this world only until the illuminating moments of the afternoon prayer arrive. We work and sweat, write and paint, read and think, teach and learn, buy and sell, make plans and put them into action, call on people and comfort them, and virtually live a worldly life but in a state of devotion and aspiration for the world beyond. Who knows how much more inspirations these magical moments and hours stir but we may not be feeling! But I feel the shame of my inability to fully describe and portray these magnificent, enjoyable, and profound moments at the level of their own preciousness. Describing these moments the way a true believer would experience them requires sharp poetry skills, a capacity to imagine the abstract so one can portray the harmony in all actions of the believer, and the talents of a musician so to experience the charm of time the magic of which we constantly feel. I am not equipped with such gifts or talents; so, perhaps with these confusing words of mine I have quite likely shadowed the believer’s radiant vision of time. I will find consolation if somehow my broken words will prompt real literary masters in this matter. Time flies by one hour after another, and as we become tired, so does the day. As the sun starts to fade and the day moves forward with a host of changes and transformations along with connotations of hope and sorrow, the signs for the afternoon prayer (asr) begin to appear on the horizon, which comes with a loud “attention!” command. This middle prayer (salat al-wusta) shows our spirits the horizon of a scented mercy, so we can relieve from our physical exhaustion. It calls us to the sphere of peacefulness and prosperity where time is never exhausted. As the sun fades away at dusk, it is replaced by a radiance from the source of light, and our souls that yearn for eternal life are left with the magic of the realm that lies beyond the horizon. Thus, in the final quarter of the day, we once again greet our prayermats. It is in fact much more than just greet; as we embrace them, we entrust our utterances, breaths, and pleas to them. We stand in respect before the One who commands the moon, the sun, and stars, in the name of the entire creation and in a manner befitting the exalted position of being human. This respect and exaltation grow deeper when we bow in prayer, and we clear our remoteness from Him with prostration. The yearning for the evening dusk, which begins to seep onto our horizon, is relieved in the hope that this is found in the tranquility and presence of God. The sad end to the day is disguised in the colors of farewell, and by transforming this into a new chapter of reunion with the Beloved, we knock on the gates of that Divine Court and say, “Here we are.” In these moments when everyone experiences loneliness, 2023 | JULY | AUG 9 During the fading of the sunset, whose joy prevails its sadness, the heavenly sounds which emerge from the minarets and flow into our hearts transpiring like a call to nearness, a reunion with God. we are absorbed by joy and exhilaration. With an intense contemplation from deep within the soul, we become utterly engrossed in the vastness, the boundlessness of our perception. As we continue to experience this spiritual bemusement, the call for the evening prayer begins. During the fading of the sunset, whose joy prevails its sadness, the heavenly sounds which emerge from the minarets and flow into our hearts transpiring like a call to nearness, a reunion with God. Most of the time, it is almost as if we are paying attention to the language of symbols, and we perceive this as a transition, a performance of migration: the transition from day to night, from mobility to tranquility, from various activities to relaxation, and as we clearly perceive, we will migrate from this world to the world beyond, from the turmoil of corporality to the sphere of tranquility and prosperity to obtain reward for our servitude and duties. As we hear and pay attention to all of these, warm intentions and meanings flow from our eyes into our hearts and from our hearts into our senses, minds, and perceptions. During this process, in these extremely delicate and dreamy moments, with our inner observations we virtually experience the pleasure of opening to another realm. On one hand, everyone and everything is silent, as if succumbed to a deep tranquility; on the other, time and those who live within that time and become more emotional in these hours which seem bleak, can become confused. Existence, in all essence, becomes exactly like a spirit, and humans virtually transform into spiritual beings. Night gradually becomes darker with the meaning it evokes in the believers’ souls. In these mysterious moments when day and night converge, once again we find ourselves standing upon the prayer mat amidst the magical sounds from the heavens and the rays of light from beyond. In response to the weariness of our biological life, the human soul seeks the pleasure of concluding the day in worship during these moments. We sense our humility and deprivation before the greatness of God even deeper, as we are filled with enthusiasm and thankfulness at the same time. We hurry, totally overwhelmed with emotion, to prostrate and submit our supplications to Him. Then suddenly, darkness embraces the entire environment; everything appears black, and the objects and everything around us gradually begin to fade away. And at that moment, with the need of eternal light in our souls, we feel the day we left behind with even greater intensity. With our entire essence we begin to experience the thought, reckoning, and anxiety of whether we utilized every hour, every moment, every second of this long day in a manner sufficient to attain eternal bliss… Murmurs of worry for eternal punishment and deprivation seep through the ports of our carnal nature and attack our spirit. In the face of this, we react by saying, “We have a long night ahead of us,” take position on our prayer mats, and begin to wait for those blessed moments of Divine acceptance and spiritual rewards. Then the magical darkness of night arrives, and releases us all into the profoundness of reflection. 10 THE FOUNTAIN JULY | AUG 2023 INTERVIEW by The Fountain Interview with Craig Considine 2023 | JULY | AUG 11 Muhammad was a believer in the fundamental connection of human beings first as human beings instead of exclusive categories rooted in ethnicity, race, or religion. His “primary” identity was “human.” I t was May 2019. We were observing the holy month of Ramadan, and while we were physically in the office and doing our usual work, our stomachs and spirits were on their annual leave. Deprived from my habitual caffeine intake of tea and coffee, my eyes rolled over to social media for some distraction. It was indeed a happy distraction, for I saw another beautiful post from one of favorite accounts. I read the post loudly so my colleagues could hear. “How nice it would be if we published a book by him,” I said. “Is ‘him’ Craig Considine?” asked one of my colleagues; “I just noticed an email from him in our spam box,” he said. He rarely checks the spam box—that day, he was meant to do so. And in that email, Craig was inquiring if we would be interested in publishing his manuscript. It was indeed a serendipitous moment when the first seeds of the book The Humanity of Muhammad: A Christian Perspective were being sown. It was released about a year later. Commercially, it was not the best time because of Covid-19. But we were all very pleased that it was available for mass readership. The Humanity of Muhammad soon became a bestseller in its category and was later designated as one of best books of all time (in the field of Middle East studies) by www.bookauthority.com. The success of this book prompted Dr. Considine to write another volume: People of the Book: Prophet Muhammad’s Encounters with Christians (published by Hurst). 12 | JULY | AUG | 2023 The blending of humanity is what Muhammad had envisioned for the Ummah. Diverse groups of people coming together to figure out how to make the “best” of human civilization. Around the days when The Humanity of Muhammad was released, George Floyd was brutally killed, leading to mass demonstrations in the United States. Sadly, race-triggered violence is happening all over the globe. There are thousands of people being abused like slaves in many countries. And today, in many places, religious intolerance is no different than it was in seventh century Arabia. Women are still being discriminated against in the workplace, and they continue to suffer domestic violence. At the center of all these problems is the absence of wisdom, of equal opportunities, and of awareness of basic human rights and civic duties. In this book, Dr. Considine engages with the life of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, in consideration of these rights and duties, and explore how he contributed to human civilization in this regard. We spoke with Dr. Considine about his book and a bit more: The Fountain: Craig, you are touching the hearts of many believers around the world with your activism promoting understanding between Christians and Muslims. Your book “The Humanity of Muhammad” is great evidence to that. Why the “humanity” of Muhammad? Considine: Because the humanity of Muhammad provides a necessary medicine to cure the world of its many ills. His love of humanity is evident in promoting civic nation building, racial equality, and religious pluralism. These things are needed now more than ever. The Fountain: What is the message of Prophet Muhammad to you in terms of 1) belief in God; and 2) as a believer in a time when religion is not the most “fashionable” thing in the world? Considine: Muhammad was a believer in the oneness of Creation, thus, the fundamental connection of human beings first as human beings instead of exclusive categories rooted in ethnicity, race, or religion. His “primary” identity was “human.” The Fountain: Women continue to be oppressed even today. Religion and clergy are not particularly known for defending women’s rights. But the Prophet Muhammad you portray is in contrast to this general perception. What would you say on that? Considine: Muhammad was not just an advocate of women’s rights; he was a champion of them. He was far, far ahead of his time when it came to the promotion of a current buzz word like “feminism.” The examples are too many too count, but his relationship with Khadija speaks volumes about his views on the rightful place of a woman in a given society. The Fountain: We know you particularly liked the cover of the book. Why was that? What does the cover represent? Considine: The cover intrigued me because it shows a beautiful blending of colors and textures. The blending of humanity is what Muhammad had envisioned for the Ummah. Diverse groups of people coming together to figure out how to make the “best” of human civilization. 2023 | JULY | AUG | 13 Craig Considine The Fountain: As a Christian who writes positively on Islam, you are not always receiving positive reactions. Muslims want you to become Muslim, and Christians think you are not a good Christian. Does this become unbearable at times? Considine: No, it is never “unbearable,” as I believe wholeheartedly in the “mission” of “being a bridge.” My belief and faith keeps me focused and hopeful. Plus, my mom always told me, “You cannot please everyone!” The Fountain: The first question Krista Tippett asks her guests in her show On Being is about their earliest memories of faith in childhood. What is your earliest memory of faith? Considine: My earliest memory of “true faith” is watching Angelina Tedesco (ni Alonzo), my Italian “Nana” (grandmother), praying the Rosary on her rocking chair in Newton, Massachusetts while I was sitting on the ground right next to her. I was trying to get her attention, Nana did not even flinch when I tried to talk to her. She was “locked into” her prayers. The Fountain: We are living in a time when many historians and futurists look into a future when AI will dominate the world, so much so that humanity as we know will not survive. What is your projection of life? Considine: My projection on “life” itself is that human civilizations needs to look beyond our world for other spaces to live and hopefully thrive. As for the influence of AI, I do not think it will ever get to the point of iRobot, the movie starring Will Smith, but I suppose it is also possible. The Fountain: What is the purpose of life? Is there a purpose? What is your purpose in life? What is it that makes you wake up every morning? Considine: Jim Valvano, the Italian American college basketball coach, said it best in his wellknown ESPY speech during his battle with cancer. He said that we should do three things every single day of our lives: laugh, think (spending time in thought), and cry (being moved to tears by joy or happinness). In summary, a “life of purpose” seeks to love and to do good, to be kind and hospitable, and to love one another as we would want to be loved ourselves The Fountain: What does faith offer to humanity? Why do we need to believe? Considine: Faith in the ability to create a better world is crucial to the well-being of humanity itself. Faith provides optimism for a better future. Without faith, life becomes stagnant. If we do not have faith in ourselves, we cannot have faith in others, which contributes to social incohesion. We want to avoid that at all costs. The Fountain: Who is God in your eyes? The Watchmaker? Or the One Who is actively involved in all affairs? To be honest, I am unsure about who or what exactly “God” is or is not. I do believe in a “force” that created everything. Outside of that, I turn to Socrates, who humbly said, “I know that I do not know.” I like to keep it humble. 14 THE FOUNTAIN JULY | AUG 2023 NATURE by Sinan Kosak Cleanliness, Everywhere 2023 | JULY | AUG |15 It is estimated that the plastic waste in dump sites would reach 35,000 times the weight of the Empire State Building by 2050. P eople of discernment should contemplate on the fact that, from the microcosm to the macrocosm, there is a highly systematic process of cleaning and recycling despite continuous movements and mind-boggling circulations. Numerous beings, from huge stars to single-celled bacteria or from vultures to white blood cells, are employed as cleaners. In the 21st century, as humans we have contaminated the lands, seas, and even outer space, and, so far, we have recycled only 9 percent of the plastics we have produced [1]. It is estimated that the plastic waste in dump sites would reach 35,000 times the weight of the Empire State Building by 2050 [2]. Humankind is incapable of properly performing our cleaning and recycling duties despite all our knowledge, skills, and technology. In comparison, the Earth was in a clean and orderly state before the human intervention has reached its current level. 16 | JULY | AUG | 2023 Cosmic cleanliness and the role of Jupiter This process of cleaning and purifying occurs all across the universe as stars go through various stages during the lifetime designated for them. Asteroids are swept by planets and placed into certain orbits, and even light cannot escape from a black hole’s gravity. A seven-year study by 100 astronomers and published in 2016 found that stars facilitated the cleaning of the universe by collecting star dust [3]. In a sense, stars work like huge vacuum cleaners to absorb cosmic particles, ensuring that galaxies are cleaner. Scientists note that Jupiter, 1,321 times larger in volume and 318 times heavier in mass than the Earth, has the duty of acting as a shield to protect our planet from asteroids [4]. If asteroids with a diameter up to 10 meters escape the giant planet’s gravitational field, they are eaten up by the Earth’s atmosphere through friction. NASA reports that there is no record of any person killed by an asteroid, and the likelihood of a big asteroid hitting the Earth for the next several centuries is calculated as extremely low [5]. The creation of suitable conditions for the life on Earth is strongly connected to the size and location of Jupiter. The atmosphere is much more capable of self-cleaning than previously thought. It was found that air pollution declined due to quarantine measures implemented during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. 2023 | JULY | AUG | 17 Self-cleaning of the atmosphere and skies washed by rainfall Air pollution is a very thought-provoking example of how human beings mismanage available resources with their proclivity for interfering with everything. A 2011 study revealed that the atmosphere is much more capable of self-cleaning than previously thought [6]. It was found that air pollution declined due to quarantine measures implemented during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the nitrogen dioxide levels decreased by 30 percent in the United States, and 49 percent in Rome, making stars more visible to the naked eye [7]. When water evaporates, it leaves sediments behind, and water vapor is stored in clouds that are capable of holding tons of water. When needed, this vapor turns back into water and falls down on the earth in the form of rainfall that also clears away the dust particles hanging on the air. This is another process of purification. Having cleaned the air, the water is then filtered through different layers of soil, becoming purer, and it is eventually made available as groundwater that can be safely consumed by human beings. Water as universal solvent What sets water apart from other liquids, in addition to its numerous miraculous characteristics, is that many substances can easily dissolve in water. As such, water is referred to as a universal solvent, in scientific parlance. Water molecules are formed with positively charged hydrogen ions (H+) bonded to negatively charged hydroxide ions (OH-); they have a polar chemical structure. This allows water to be pulled by different molecules. Thus, chemical substance such as minerals and food molecules attached to water molecules are carried away with water [8], and in this way, water acts both as a cleaning and shipping agent. Water ensures the dissolution of the molecules required for our bodies. Working in perfect harmony with our kidneys, it also fulfills the duty of transporting waste materials produced as a result of metabolic activities to excretion organs and discharging them out of the body. 18 | JULY | AUG | 2023 Bacteria: heroes of recycling The fungi feeding on radiation at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, the worms collecting poisonous heavy metals, and the bacteria decomposing the oil leaking into the sea are some of the examples of nature’s janitors. Bacteria, in particular, are the heroes of recycling on Earth. In carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphor cycles, bacteria ensure that these elements are turned into forms that can be easily used by plants and animals. In performing their duty of filtering and refining, bacteria break up dead organisms, giving nitrogen to the soil in the form of ammonia and to the atmosphere through denitrification [9]. Bacteria, making up more than three-fourths of the known species, have been performing this duty of decomposing and recycling perfectly for millions of years. “If it were not for this cleaning, sweeping and careful tending, in one year a hundred thousand animal species would have been choked on the face of the earth,” Bediuzzaman Said Nursi notes [10]. For instance, the number of eggs laid by the progeny of a single housefly in five months exceeds five trillion. In other words, the progeny of a housefly weighing about 1 percent of 1 gram can produce an army of houseflies weighing 80,000 tons [11]. If only dead bodies of houseflies were not cleaned, it would be impossible to live on Earth. Vultures as cleaners Vultures are another group of animals that fulfill the duty of cleaning. It was calculated that a single vulture provides waste removal services worth about $11,600 during its lifetime. As the number of vultures declined in Asia, the population of wild dogs increased by 5.5 million, and cases of rabies skyrocketed; some 47,000 people died [12]. Cleaning factories in our bodies The human body, too, features a never-ceasing process of cleaning, purification, and repair. Every breath we take, or every pulse of our heart, is part of this biological and chemical cleaning process. White blood cells go after bacteria and purify the blood like a predator stalking its prey [13]. Our tears contain antimicrobial molecules that can directly kill several pathogenic organisms [14]. Macrophages patrolling under our skin are like garbage trucks that collect damaged cells and bacteria [15]. All these systems and many similar ones in our bodies are astonishing manifestations of infinite wisdom and consciousness. Freeing the mind from doubts or polishing the heart with the light of belief are among spiritual manifestations of this principle of cleanliness in humans. 2023 | JULY | AUG 19 Ferris wheel in Pripyat, an abandoned city in Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine “The universe is a vast, constantly working factory and the globe of the earth a hostel and guesthouse which is continually filled and emptied. Generally, factories, hostels and guesthouses which are thus used become much dirtied and soiled with filth, debris and rubbish, and putrid matter accumulates in all parts of them. They cannot be occupied unless they are kept with care and cleaned and swept; human beings are overwhelmed by the dirt. The factory of the universe and guesthouse of the earth, however, are totally pure, clean and spotless, and completely unsoiled, untainted and fresh; there is nothing unnecessary, nothing without benefit, not a random piece of dirt to be found. Even if there is apparently, it is quickly thrown into a transformation machine and cleaned”[16]. References The fungi feeding on radiation at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, the worms collecting poisonous heavy metals, and the bacteria decomposing the oil leaking into the sea are some of the examples of nature’s janitors. 1. European Space Agency (ESA), 2017, “Dealing with space debris”, youtu.be/eYVsVRgiS0w 2. Laura Parker, “Here is how much plastic trash is littering the Earth”, National Geographic, 2018, www.nationalgeographic. com/science/article/plastic-produced-recycling-waste-oceantrash-debris-environment 3. Sky News, “Stars Hoover Up Cosmic Dust To Clean Universe”, 2016, news.sky.com/story/stars-hoover-up-cosmic-dust-to-cle an-universe-10333797 4. “NASA’s Mission Juno. Why study Jupiter?” www.missionjuno. swri.edu/origin?show=hs_origin_story_jupiters-influence 5. “The Probability of Collisions with Earth”, www2.jpl.nasa.gov/ sl9/back2.html 6. “Atmosphere’s self-cleaning capacity surprisingly stable.” Scien ceDaily, National Oceanic and Atmos pheric Admin istration, www.sciencedaily.com/releases /2011/01/110106145434.htm 7. S. Borenstein, “As People Stay Home, Earth Turns Wilder and Cleaner”, APNews, 2020. apnews.com/article/environment-ma-state-wire-united-states-ilstate-wire-az-state-wire-726ff63bb43bdca65e41625b1e223040 8. “Water,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water 9. “Bacterial World”, Museum of Natural History, University of Oxford, 2018, www.oum.ox.ac.uk/bacterialworld/ 10. Nursi, ibid. 11. “Housefly,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Housefly. 12. J. Law, “Why We Need Birds (far more than they need us)”, 2019, www.birdlife.org/news/2019/01/04/why-we-need-birds-farmore-than-they-need-us/ 13. David Rogers, “Neutrophil Chasing Staphylococcus Aureus”, Vanderbilt University, www.youtube.com/watch?v= HToFR GVNap8&ab_channel=Cleu 14. A. M. McDermott, “Antimicrobial Compounds in Tears. Experi mental eye research,” 2013, 117, 53–61. doi.org/10.1016/j. exer.2013.07.014 15. Kimberly Repp. “Ouch - Body Defense and Repair”. ASU - Ask A Biologist. 21 February, 2015. https://askabiologist.asu.edu/ explore/when-body-attacked 16. Bediüzzaman Said Nursi, Flashes, 30th Flash, trans. Şükran Vahide, Istanbul: Sözler Neşriyat A.Ş., 2009. 20 THE FOUNTAIN JULY | AUG 2023 HUMANITIES by Zainab Anyadike Ensuring a Peaceful Future One Child at a Time 2023 | JULY | AUG |21 Even when children are not actively involved in conflicts, there is the possibility that they might, due to violent influences during their developmental years, be pre-disposed to conflict. T he constant threat to children by conflict and violence globally has led to the formulation of policies and rules to govern and protect children from unnecessary, deliberate, and direct exposure to violence and conflict. Children are beings of social construct, shaped by the environment they find themselves in. They are molded, and their minds instructed, by everyday realities which, during contemporary times, are frighteningly violent. Children, formerly regarded as symbols of peace and innocence, are now often seen as weapons for war and illustrations for conflict. This shift leads to skepticism over the future of sustainable peace. Even when children are not actively involved in conflicts, there is the possibility that they might, due to violent influences during their developmental years, be pre-disposed to conflict. It is with this possibility that this article concerns itself. Subliminal influences or messages are the ones that affect our minds without us being aware of it. Studies abound on both sides of the spectrum as to whether subliminal influences or messages actually work and to what extent they are effective at affecting behavior or personal development. This is an attempt at exploring the concept of subliminal influences as pertains to conflict and violence in relation to children. It then highlights the peace building potentials of children and the importance thereof, with the possibility of harnessing the potentials of the children maximally, for sustainable peace. 22 | JULY | AUG | 2023 The area of subliminal influences is one of interest to researchers, especially with regards to advertising, and has prompted debates over the years as to whether subliminal perceptions or persuasions exist or work. Subliminal influences The term subliminal is derived from the Latin words sub (below) and limen (threshold). The threshold, in this case, is the threshold of conscious awareness; the level at which things can be perceived or understood through the senses. Therefore, a subliminal influence could be defined as something that affects the way a person responds to certain stimulus. This “something,” though it operates below our conscious “threshold,” might lead us to act, think, or feel a certain way or affect our mind without our being aware of its effects. 2023 | JULY | AUG | 23 The area of subliminal influences is one of interest to researchers, especially with regards to advertising, and has prompted debates over the years as to whether subliminal perceptions or persuasions exist or work. A 1985 study to assess the effectiveness of subliminal influences in advertising and popular music concluded that they were not effective. Studies, such as that conducted by Theus, K. T. (1994), concluded that subliminal messages actually do affect people. Interestingly, studies that were based upon visual stimuli tended to agree more that there was an effect than those based on audio stimuli (music in particular). It was also suggested that children are more susceptible to being affected by subliminal influences than adults. This paper aligns with the school of thought that believes that subliminal messaging exists and can significantly influence human motivation and behavior. The theory is that people can be emotionally and behaviorally affected by visual or vocal stimuli whose presence they do not report. The question then is, how does this theory affect children in particular? Subliminal influences in children “The subliminal aspects of everything that happens to us may seem to play very little part in our daily lives. But they are the almost invisible roots of our conscious thoughts.” Carl Jung From 0 to 15 years old, children are reported to be of an impressionable age—an age where they learn or unlearn, as the case may be, behaviors and values that shape who they will turn out to be as adults. For researchers such as Massey (1965), as put forward by Herron, R. (2010), this is also called the “imprint period.” Between ages 0 and 7, the mind is like a sponge and unconsciously absorbs everything around it with no conscious filters. Between 7 and 14, children develop “heroes.” That is, other adults they look up to apart from their parents, and they consciously begin to emulate or model themselves after their heroes. Thus, Herron is saying that children are very impressionable at the ages identified above. He states that many behaviors are learned behaviors through body language. It is important to note at this point that it has been suggested—and understandably so— that children are less able to identify subliminal messages for what they are. Ironically, this fact also means that they can be more effectively affected by them. Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) suggested that children in Europe are bombarded with subliminal digital messages regarding (and almost glamorizing) unhealthy foods. These messages often appear seemingly unnoticeable on screens when children play video games or watch television. A 2004 study asserted that “…too many children are watching too much television and the shows that they are watching (even if they are cartoons) have become violent and addictive.” It further asserted that while the violence in cartoons seems downplayed mainly because the characters are not real, some of the scenes may subliminally cause long term damage as the children might start to see the use of violence as acceptable (Choma, S. G et al). Given that this study was conducted in 2004, two decades since then it has become even more challenging for children to know any better for it is not only TV they are exposed to such subliminal messages. Through the media, body language, and everyday reality, the minds of youth are inundated with imagery of violence, conflict, and war. They are subliminally exposed to fighting, suffering, and death. This is not to say these activities are unreal, but the problem is the fact that continuous exposure to this kind of imagery leaves children desensitized and unsympathetic to these realities. Television shows of pain and suffering are often some of the most watched. This is worrisome, as many youth might begin to believe that violence is a normal way of addressing conflict, and that pain and hurt can be funny. They may begin to develop the notion that conflict is funny, and, unless it happens to them, it is none of their business. Often, this happens through subliminal influence. Children as potential peace builders It goes without saying that children are potential peace builders. Indeed, if one were to accept the notion that they are not, what future could we have? Children are not merely hapless victims of conflict. To begin with, if children do not begin to participate in peace building, their needs will be ignored during any peace building exercise. Also, children that lack any form of peace education, may eventually become obstacles to sustainable peace. Children with deliberately devised peace education would be armed to think critically, identify positive role models, and manage conflict without resorting to violence. Children are often found to be resilient. They devise ways of staying safe during conflict. It is important that 24 | JULY | AUG | 2023 these children are involved in discussions about peace building. Children may raise awareness for peace; promote social values necessary for peace; and mend bridges and repair damaged social relationships. They can do this by: * organizing youth meetings where they can share about how to live together and survive; * preparing advocacy material on children’s rights and peace; * promoting conflict transformation and dialogue as well as supporting peer advice, counselling, education, and support; * encouraging all children to get an education including those that might have been actively involved in conflict; * speaking against discrimination, violence, corruption, and other vices in both school settings and within the community; and * promoting youth participation in school and local governance. Although children have actively participated in peace building with some levels of success in Uganda, Nepal, Guatemala, and BosniaHerzegovina, there is still a lot to be done. Their 2023 AUG| 25 2022 || JULY JAN ||FEB successes are limited by factors such as societal perceptions of the role of a child; prejudices, which they often “learn” from people of influence; discrimination on the basis of class, gender, etc.; and education. Many of these factors could be affected by subliminal influences. Just as the mind might have been “poisoned with violence” through subliminal messaging and influence, it can be reconstructed and reshaped toward peacebuilding. Subliminal influences and the capacity of children as peace builders Values and beliefs are the core of our thoughts and behaviors. They form the driving force behind what we do, and why we do them. The older generation is therefore obligated to impart the right values, including the ethics of “humanism, tolerance, diversity, democracy and critical thinking,” to the next and much younger generation (Degesys, 2008). Because most behaviors are learned, they can equally be unlearned and replaced with behaviors associated with non-violence and peace building. Degesys remarks that as education systems can sustain conflict within schools, they can also liberate it. Just as racism, sexism and xenophobia (concepts that are sometimes more primordial in nature than we think), can be subliminally learned through certain curriculums, the same power structures can be unlearned and replaced through transformative learning, which encourages students to engage and participate (in peace building) as conscientious citizens using transformative methods necessary to change their attitudes towards conflict. The family (immediate and extended) is the first circle of influence and needs to begin to understand how to better train children to deal with current issues—and especially conflict. Parenting styles need to be adjusted to accommodate changes in our present reality. Children’s mindsets need to be re-engineered. Just as the mind might have been “poisoned with violence” through subliminal messaging and influence, it can be reconstructed and reshaped toward peacebuilding. Children need to learn how to handle their emotions and learn social arts and graces as well as personal responsibility. Schools and other educational institutions form the second circle of influence. It is imperative for an increase in peace education resources targeting the 0-13 age bracket in schools. The younger youth receive a peace education, the better, because what they learn at this stage 26 | JULY | AUG | 2023 The concept of peace building is wider than the idea of state building and reconstruction. It is a core component of the conflict resolution process. will be very difficult to unlearn as they grow. Therefore, they should be taught the positives rather than have them absorb the negatives. Just as people are taught to walk, they can be taught to be peacemakers and peace builders. Most of the education children get today is targeted at incidents that occur after conflict—that is, post conflict education. We need to teach them how to avoid conflict. Conclusion and recommendations The concept of peace building is wider than the idea of state building and reconstruction. It is a core component of the conflict resolution process. Because it is part of a process, we take it for granted that it should be the first stage of the process and not the last. Peaceful habits and education need to be mainstreamed into our minds and our lives— and especially into children’s development from as early an age as possible. Peace education needs to be part of the educational curricula at every level, not just secondary and above. Nursery and primary schools need to adopt peace education, too. Teaching peace building is everybody’s business. Specifically, in terms of subliminal influences, there is need for parents, and indeed the authorities, to pay attention to the content in children shows and other children-targeted media. As mentioned above, subliminal messages are sometimes tucked away innocently within seemingly harmless content. If children are continuously exposed to such content, it will have dangerous consequences for global peace and security. There is also the need to thoroughly screen school curricula to flag any content that has the potential to subliminally influence children to respond with violence, prejudice, or other negative stimuli. More importantly, teachers should be trained on how to ensure that they do not project any personal biases or prejudice unto the children in their care. References Anyadike, Z. and Ikelionwu, N. (2019) Nigeria’s Peace Initiatives: Chapter 13: Subliminal Influence and Nigerian Children: Implications for Sustainable Peace. 2019. Bornstein, R. F. (1989). “Subliminal Techniques as Propaganda Tools: Review and Critique. Journal of Mind & Behaviour, Vol. 10(3), 231-262. Degesys, A. (2008) Transformative pedagogy in conflict resolution as an alternative route to peacebuilding – roads less explored, in T. Woodhouse, ed., Peacebuilding and Security in the 21st Century. Evanston, II: Rotary Centers for International Studies. Egermann, H. et. al (2006). “Is There an Effect of Subliminal Messages in Music on Choice Behaviour?” Journal of Articles in Support of Null Hypothesis, Vol.4(2) Fiernstein, C., et al (2010): Children participation in armed conflict and post-conflict peacebuilding in B. Percy-Smith and N. Thomas (2010): A handbook of children and young people’s participation perspectives from theory and practice. Oxford: Routledge. Herron, R. (2010). “Proactive Parenting: Through Conscious Communication.” Xlibris Publishing Company. Kaplan, E. (2005) “Child Soldiers Around the World” Council on Foreign Relations. Available at www.cfr.org/ backgrounder/child-soldiers-around-world. Assessed May 14 2019. Ramsbotham, O., Woodhouse, T., Miall, H. (2011): Contemporary Conflict Resolution – The prevention, management and transformation of deadly conflicts. Theus, K. T. (1994). “Subliminal Advertising and the Psychology of Processing Unconscious Stimuli: A Review of Research.” Psychology & Marketing, Vol.11 (3), 271-290; UNICEF: https://www.unicef-irc.org/article/1059-fromvictims-to-peacebuilders-children-andyouth-in-the-digital-age.html> www.study.com – Subliminal Influence: Definition and Over view. www.visualmeditation.com – Subliminal Messages: How They Work and How They Affect Us. www.psychologytoday.com – Hidden Persuaders: The Psychology of Subliminal Perception. https://www,unicef-irc.org/article/1059: From victims to peacebuilders. The 1990 African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. 2000. Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict Security Council Resolution 1460. THE FOUNTAIN 27 JULY | AUG 2023 RELIGION by Selcuk Camci 28 | JULY | AUG | 2023 S cientific positivism assumes history and social events to follow a straight line. In this view, divine revelation and the virtuous life it prescribes are not factored in, for human intellect is accepted as the only source of knowledge. Political, psychological, and sociological factors are seen as the only factors shaping history. After the Second World War, however, some started questioning this approach, especially as postmodernity started to dominate the public space. Many Muslim intellectuals have also been under the influence of these developments, while many of them have tried to interpret historical events not only through what was recorded, but more so with “wisdom.” Bediuzzaman Said Nursi (d. 1960) was one those. In this article, we will explore Nursi’s wisdom-based commentary about some events that took place among the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). 2023 | JULY | AUG | 29 Nursi does not jump into quick conclusions based on thousands of narrations. He rather focuses more on the main inferences from these narrations and tries to reach a wisdom-based commentary. *** Several conflicts and battles that brought Companions of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, against one another, are some of the most confusing and heartbreaking events in Islamic history. These conflicts resulted in Muslims splitting into camps that continue until today. Upon being asked about the nature of the battles starting in the time of Ali ibn Abi Talib, Nursi does not immediately jump into an analysis of thousands of authentic, weak, and fabricated narrations (15th Letter). He focuses more on the main inferences from all these narrations and analyzes ideas about the emergence of the Battle of the Camel, Siffin, and Karbala. According to Nursi, the Battle of the Camel between Ali ibn Abi Talib and Talha ibn Ubaydullah, Zubayr ibn Awwam, and Aisha Bint Abu Bakr, was a struggle between “absolute justice” and “relative justice.” When this debate in search of justice was carried on to the field of politics, conflict became inevitable. It is important to note that this demand for justice by the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) (sahabah) is evidence to the great progress and sensitivity they achieved in human rights at that time. For a fair judgment, it is also necessary to know about the previous lives of these Companions. While Nursi emphasizes that Ali was right, he refrains from historical details, such as Aisha being in Mecca at that time and not experiencing the atmosphere in Medina, or that she had met and agreed with Imam Ali before the Battle of the Camel. Moreover, Nursi describes other reasons cited by historians as nothing more than “excuses,” i.e., not real reasons. 30 | JULY | AUG | 2023 Nursi theorizes that ​​the struggle of Husayn ibn Ali against the Umayyads, which was the beginning of a great break in history, was the “fighting for religion against nationality.” In all his works, Nursi usually tries to address possible questions that may occupy people’s minds. He does the same in this matter (15th Letter) and also explains why Ali was relatively unsuccessful compared to previous caliphs. His explanations here show that he moves beyond historical details pertaining to the particulars of those events and that he focuses more on universal interpretations and lessons that can be learned through them. We understand from Nursi’s explanations that, alongside visible political actors, there are key figures in history who shape the developments with their thoughts and ideas. Ali was a key figure in history from many angles: he was the Prophet’s son-in-law and being cousin at the same time. He stood at the rare, critical place where perfect representation of both religion and politics was embodied in his person. Throughout his time as the caliph, he demonstrated that in the politicsreligion relationship, religion is primary and takes higher priority. Politics feed on ideology. Politics is a carrier. If politics lacks value, it turns into brute force and vanity. Indeed, throughout history, great people from Ali’s lineage have succeeded in keeping the middle path in the relationship between religion and politics, thanks to the lessons they learned from this painful event in history. Nursi says that as a result of this incident, Ali and his family gained “a spiritual reign much higher than those of political actors.” Nursi sees Ali’s confrontation with Muawiya ibn Abu Sufyan at Siffin as the battle of the “caliphate” against the “sultanate.” In other words, during his reign, Ali was following the groundbreaking principles of Islam on human rights and while doing so he took into consideration the Hereafter, for that is where justice will be served in absolute sense. Muawiya, on the other hand, thought that if he could set up the sultanate system, which would pass from father to son, there would be no fights for the throne, and therefore Muslims would be at peace and no blood would be spilled. The difference in their respective approaches to politics was while Ali was in favor of strict adherence to original ruling (azimah), Muawiya preferred an easier option permissible under certain circumstances (ruhsah). Nursi theorizes that ​​the struggle of Husayn ibn Ali against the Umayyads, which was the beginning of a great break in history, was the “fighting for religion against nationality.” According to Nursi, the Umayyads kept Arab nationalism as a basis for their ideology and prioritized nationalism instead of relying on Islamic bonds. This was damaging in two ways, especially considering the fact that Islam was rapidly expanding to other nations during their reign: First, this policy damaged relationships with other nations. Second, favoritism emerged because of nationalism, and this resulted in a loss of justice. This was completely against the spirit of Islam which has cut through the racism of the Age of Ignorance (Jahiliyyah); in Islam there is no difference between a noble Qurayshi and an Abyssinian slave (See, Muslim, Imara 53-54; Abu Dawud, Adab 111; Ibn Majah, Fitan 7; Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, al-Musnad 2:488). Therefore, Imam Husayn fought for the freedom given to people by religious bonds in the face of the nationalism he saw in Yazid. He fought rightly in his case and eventually died a martyr. At this point, Nursi raises some questions, which make sense in a context that values divine revelation: If Husayn was on the right side, why did he fail? Why did the divine Destiny and Compassion allow him to be subjected to such a tragic end? Why were Husayn and his family treated so harshly? The first part of Nursi’s explanations includes socio-psychological analyses. The second part contains interesting metaphysical analyses from the point of view of destiny. According to Nursi, the idea of revenge against the Arab nation, not because of the close followers of Imam Husayn but because of the wounded national prides of other nations that joined him, damaged the pure and bright careers of Husayn and his followers and caused their defeat. The wisdom behind this disastrous end, from the perspective of destiny, is that Hasan 2023 | JULY | AUG 31 and Husayn became candidates for a spiritual sultanate as they are the grandsons of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The perfect harmony of politics with religion in this world is unattainable. This disastrous end showed the ugliness of politics to all the descendants of the Prophet (pbuh). Thus, instead of being ordinary governors, they became the friends of God (awliya). Nursi also reflects on the problem of evil. According to him, there must be a meaningful explanation to the brutal murder of Imam Husayn and his family who were unable to defend themselves. In civilizations in which divine revelation is upheld, human free will is evaluated together with God’s will. The human is free, but this freedom is within the broad universal will of God. As a rule, God is on the side of the righteous. If the opposite happens, there must be another logical answer. Here, Nursi seeks the answer to this problem. Nursi says that there were four reasons that caused merciless cruelty during the Umayyad reign. 1) Ruthless politics which adopts, “Persons can be sacrificed for the government’s security and the continuation of public order,” as a principle. 2) Cruel racism or nationality – and the Umayyad reign was based on nationality – which adopts the cruel principle of “Everything can be sacrificed for the good of the race or nation.” 3) The historical rivalry between Umayyads and Hashemites continued with some individuals like Yazid, the son of Muawiya, who treated them with merciless cruelty. 4) The Umayyads viewed the people of other nations as slaves, even if they became Muslims. The fact that these non-Arab people joined the side of Husayn hoping to avenge their wounded national pride provoked the Umayyad’s racial urges, which led to the infamous massacre. Nursi adds that these four reasons are apparent reasons a