Asli Sancar, Author of Ottoman Women signing her books at IDC, NJ.

RSVP: Call us at 973-353-9333 or email us at infoidc@idcnj.org to secure your place. We have limited seats. 

IDC: 545 Interstate Place Carlstadt, NJ 07072
973-353-9333
http://www.idcnj.org/

Organized by

Pittsbburgh Dialogue Foundation (www.pghdialogue.org)
                            &
YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh (www.ywcapgh.org)
 
Date: June 8 2008, Sunday
Time: 4pm - 6pm
Venue: YWCA of Greater Pittburgh
305 Wood Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Phone: (412) 391-5100 

8.00 pm

Book Signing

ATFA, Virginia
1776 Old Meadow Rd., 
McLean, VA 22102
703-356-4511

www.ATFA.us

LA Convention Center
Los Angeles, CALIFORNIA

www.bookexpoamerica.com

Turkish Cultural Center
560 Lexington Avenue 16. Floor 
New York, NY 10022
212-696-1060

www.turkishculturalcenter.com

Istanbul Center
Atlanta, GA

http://www.istanbulcenter.org/

http://www.pacificainstitute.org

Los Angeles, CA

Both Eastern and Western accounts of Turkish society during that time made much of the harem, with Orientalist writers describing Turkish women as exotic, indolent, and depraved, while some Europeans usually described them as noble and elegant.

Then, with the advent of the first women’s movement in the West, the harem began to be criticized as an institution that trapped women and enforced their submission to men.

All of these ideas were refuted by Montagu, Pardoe, and Garnett, who argued that Ottoman women were perhaps the freest in the world; this book backs up that claim with historical research showing that women frequently prevailed in cases against their husbands and other male relatives in the Ottoman courts.

Ebrunews / Book Review

For More Information: http://en.fgulen.com/

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fethullah_G%C3%BClen

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDN9kDrE_aw

-Robert Hunt, Southern Methodist University

-Dr. Bernadette Andrea, University of Texas at San Antonio

-Scott C. Alexander, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Islamic Studies
Director, Catholic-Muslim Studies, Catholic Theological Union

This review is from: The Qur’an with Annotated Interpretation in Modern English (Hardcover)
After reading many translations (including most respected valuable works of Yusuf Ali and Muhammad Asad) this one stands out in many respects.

First of all it is very easy to understand. In a language we use everyday..

Has very informative and detailed explanations of the verses.

At the end of the book there is a very informative Appendix, which itself is like a seperate book, on various hot topics on Islam.. Like -Women in Islam, - Islam and war, -predestiny, - Resurection… etc

A nice glossary of Islamic terms at the end

It is from a mainstream Suni perspective.

Informative drawings and pictures..

Perfect cover and paper quality (mine is hardcover version)

Basicly,
…if you are looking for a clear and simple translation
…if you want to go beyond the bare translation and search into the details
…if you dont have time to read big volumes of Tafseer (commentaries.

for the Muslim and Non-Muslim alike, this is the best translation you can get..

This review is from: The Qur’an with Annotated Interpretation in Modern English (Hardcover)
After reading many translations (including most respected valuable works of Yusuf Ali and Muhammad Asad) this one stands out in many respects.

First of all it is very easy to understand. In a language we use everyday..

Has very informative and detailed explanations of the verses.

At the end of the book there is a very informative Appendix, which itself is like a seperate book, on various hot topics on Islam.. Like -Women in Islam, - Islam and war, -predestiny, - Resurection… etc

A nice glossary of Islamic terms at the end

It is from a mainstream Suni perspective.

Informative drawings and pictures..

Perfect cover and paper quality (mine is hardcover version)

Basicly,
…if you are looking for a clear and simple translation
…if you want to go beyond the bare translation and search into the details
…if you dont have time to read big volumes of Tafseer (commentaries.

for the Muslim and Non-Muslim alike, this is the best translation you can get..

This review is from: The Qur’an with Annotated Interpretation in Modern English (Hardcover)
After reading many translations (including most respected valuable works of Yusuf Ali and Muhammad Asad) this one stands out in many respects.

First of all it is very easy to understand. In a language we use everyday..

Has very informative and detailed explanations of the verses.

At the end of the book there is a very informative Appendix, which itself is like a seperate book, on various hot topics on Islam.. Like -Women in Islam, - Islam and war, -predestiny, - Resurection… etc

A nice glossary of Islamic terms at the end

It is from a mainstream Suni perspective.

Informative drawings and pictures..

Perfect cover and paper quality (mine is hardcover version)

Basicly,
…if you are looking for a clear and simple translation
…if you want to go beyond the bare translation and search into the details
…if you dont have time to read big volumes of Tafseer (commentaries.

for the Muslim and Non-Muslim alike, this is the best translation you can get..

In 2006, Ali Ünal’s English translation of the Quran was released. Entitled The Qur’an with Annotated Interpretation in Modern English, the work also included extensive annotations by the translator.

Ali Ünal’s published books as author and editor include Islam Addresses Contemporary Issues, Islamic Perspectives on Science: Knowledge and Responsibility, The Resurrection and the Afterlife, and Islam and Humanity at the Crossroads.

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_%C3%9Cnal

This publication presents Rumi in a collection of articles with contributions from social scienctists, academics, psychologists, artists, and philosophers from an unparalelled geographic range; it is now the opportune moment in this period of conflictual relations between different worldviews to communicate more of Rumi’s thought as it represents common ground for dialogue and mutual understanding.

Whirling Dervishes Tour East Coast
…
The Whirling Dervishes of Rumi from Konya, Turkey, just completed a tour (Oct. 19-26) of six East Coast cities in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, with more than 4,300 in total attendance. At the events, New Jersey-based publisher The Light sold 1,500 copies of its titles on the Sufi poet Rumi, including Rumi and His Sufi Path of Love (May). The 13th century poet, jurist and philosopher has been called “the bestselling poet in America,” with titles from many publishers remaining perennially popular.

by Lynn Garrett, Religion BookLine — Publishers Weekly, 10/31/2007

Delivered in a distinctly western style, the book presents ideas which are surprisingly accessible and it assumes no prior knowledge of Arabic or Islam. It should appeal to Muslims of all ages—especially youth—who want to discover or develop their faith. The book should also prove helpful to Muslims wishing to explain their religion to non-Muslim friends, co-workers and neighbours. Beyond this, it is recommended reading for spiritual “seekers” who may be wondering what it is, exactly, that Islam has to offer. At this time in history where the need for interfaith tolerance has never been greater, Bridge to Light really does provide a bridge of understanding.

A friend of mine recalls being only marginally religious before embracing Islam—yet remembering to thank God for each glass of water. It wasn’t something her family taught her to do— it was just something she thought she should do, as she felt the flickering light of Islam, submission to One God, inside her. For me, that overwhelming sense of thankfulness always came with the warmth of the sun. Yet I don’t recall ever being grateful to God directly—it was more like a feeling of appreciation for a Greater Power. I was so occluded for so many years, it seems, about the role of God in my life. For decades, I lived like the lost people the Qur’an describes: “In distraction, they will wander through the land.” ( 5:26 ) Why didn’t I heed the signs better, or earlier? Why did it take me 40 years to realize, and honour, the fact that I owe absolutely everything to God?

As a child, I loved to retreat to my room early at night, just to think about God and pray. It was my little secret, and my cocoon of safety in a home filled with struggles which would take me decades to understand. I loved the Catholic sisters who taught me through elementary school. I was only a day student but I dreamt of being a boarder—hiding in closets after dismissal—just so I could live in a place filled with God, and go to the chapel in my pyjamas in the middle of the night. I treasured my first Bible, which they gave me: “Judge not lest ye be judged.” Those were words to live by. When I was in Grade 4 or 5, the sisters decided to give up their habits for lay clothing, and I remember my father commenting on which ones looked sexy and which ones might as well have stayed covered up because there was “nothing good to see.” My own feeling at the time was that some of what was special about them—and about my own life—was gone forever.

When I was three or four years old, my mother took me to visit a monastery, to chat with a family friend training to be a monk. I recall clearly the clacking of my little black shoes along the huge, stark expanse of glistening floors, and the feeling of peace, and safety, just like the feeling at mass. I always loved the smell of churches—the old, polished wood and the residue of frankincense—and as soon as I was old enough, I took myself to weekly services, usually alone. I used to daydream that I lived in the little back rooms behind the altar, and I never had to exit the doors into the real world.

I spent hours in reflection every day, usually too serious for my family, and I wrote poems about rocks and trees while I walked to school each day. It was enough to cause my poor mother to announce more than once, “You will never be happy in this life.” One day, tired of one too many comments that I should be calling friends instead of just sitting there, I remember turning on her much too harshly, and speaking with a certainty I didn’t know I had: “How do you know that I won’t become one of the great thinkers, or one of the great philosophers of our time? Have you ever thought that not everyone wants to grow up to have this very ordinary kind of life, just doing what everyone else does? Have you ever considered that all of the people who change the world were children once? I like to think . That’s what I like to do.” I couldn’t have been more than 10 or 11.

As I grew older, I shunned the joie-de-vivre lifestyle of my French-Canadian family more and more, and I began to withdraw. I started refusing to play guitar and sing for school plays, or for my father’s business friends, telling him I wouldn’t be a doll on display for men anymore. And at the age of 15, tired of dating already (begun at 12), I remember tearfully asking my mother when I could just get this business over with and get married. When my family consumed copious amounts of alcohol, I chose to drink less, sometimes abstaining for up to two years at a time, spawning waves of comments that I wasn’t much fun. For years, I chose to be vegetarian rather than eat pork every day, and I relentlessly lectured my parents on the cruelty of immersing lobsters—their favourite—in hot water. I didn’t care where the best sales were, or which salons gave the best haircuts, and I wore pale cotton clothes when the family wore flashy synthetics. At dinnertime, I relentlessly questioned virtually everything about politics and the emerging media.

At parties, I wanted to listen to Cat Stevens, my favourite, talk, and think quietly about the meaning of life, when my friends were into Jim Morrison and augmenting their use of psychedelics and condoms. Increasingly, I found myself fractured from everyone and everything. My poetry became bleak and despairing, and even my parents began to detach themselves from me. My father predicted that I would “never find a husband dressed like that”— meaning like a hippie instead of a Barbie. And my mother threw vague curses that she hoped, one day, my daughter would give me as much grief as I was giving her.

From then, I continued to be, by all accounts, a sort of malcontent: an overachiever academically, and social enough to attract the bad boys—but not as popular as the girls who gave it all away. All in all, it seems I left a trail of dust behind me and I was not missed much when I left home at 17 to attend university. So when I fell into drugs, unstable relationships, and other self-destructive behaviours, I actually seemed to fit in better on visits back home. My tumble towards oblivion accelerated, and despite continuing academic excellence, which secured me three university accreditations, with highest honours, I became one of the most pessimistic individuals anywhere. I stopped going to church, and I began to openly challenge the concept of the Trinity, the ethics of consuming the “flesh and blood” of Jesus, and the gaudiness of Catholic churches. Falling ever faster, I relied on superstition, astrology and what seemed like psychic ability to guide me. Men scrambled for my attention in bars only until I opened my mouth and began questioning their purpose in life and their relative value in the universe. I tried to make friends among those whose beliefs seemed more meaningful than mine—embracing Native spiritualism and Judaism through friendships and social networks. Yet I refused to attach myself to anyone or anything permanently.

By the time I reached the age of 25, I had already been pulled away from death four times I knew of for certain—from drowning, acute depression, an attack at knifepoint, and a major accident. Through all these times, I had felt angels at my side, protecting me. So I somehow managed to change my lifestyle almost overnight by seeking refuge in the home of practising Buddhists who had become friends. I remained there long enough to regain my perspective and my health—about six months. Then, I journeyed alone for weeks, from Quaker to Navajo country, and from one ocean to another, until I settled far away from everything in my past, ripped hundreds of poems to shreds, and became a blank slate.

At that point, I chose a first husband deliberately on the basis of two key criteria: he had to abstain from drugs and alcohol completely, and he, too, had to be looking for the meaning of life. He and I never found God in our marriage, though, either separately or alone—as failed plans, bankruptcies, and interpersonal discord became our overwhelming distraction. Yet God was everywhere—and His compassion and mercy were woven through every day of poverty. Each time I was down to my last five-dollar bill, it seemed that the children won a food coupon in a draw at school, or someone dropped by with leftovers. Some of the items we found at yard sales and second-hand stores were so uncanny as to beckon me to reflect. Friends joked that if they needed something, they could just tell me, because everything I needed or wanted, I received. And, inevitably, when I was just at the point of despair, someone would drop by unannounced and invite me and my children for tea, or the sunset would be particularly beautiful that night. I felt like I was always being held aloft, like a feather in a soft breeze. I remembered the story of Jesus (Peace Be Upon Him) feeding the crowd with only a few loaves and fishes, and it gave me comfort and a sense of connection. Here I was I was living a parable, after all, but I somehow still could not get myself to the point of thanking God for it: “God is full of bounty for mankind, but most are ungrateful.” (2:243) Instead, I looked to a vague sense of karma, trying to understand how it was that my needs always seem to materialize in the physical universe. I just never quite got it that it was simple indeed: God was watching, and listening, and showing me mercy: “Put your trust in God, for enough is God as a disposer of affairs.” (33:3)

Ironically, it was during those years that I had to pawn my Cat Stevens records. I remember that day well, because the young man at the record store seemed educated and wanted to talk, despite my obvious poverty and babies in tow. We chatted about how consumerism eats away time by fuelling a false need to work and earn more than what is required, and how most people have no idea what life is really about. For just a moment, he looked at me as if he recognized something important, and I couldn’t quite tell if he was happy because he thought he’d found a fellow spirit or reactionary. But as quickly as the look came, it went from his eyes. Another person seeing light as a flicker, I guess. The trail of my life was littered with them.

So I carried on as a mother, teacher, community member, and so on. Pagan friends celebrated their daughters’ first menses—but I never joined them. I asked for the worship schedule at the local temple at least a half-dozen times, but I never attended. I browsed numerous books on Shamanism at the book store, but I never bought them. I did buy a deck of New-Age Tarot cards, but I felt ashamed to use them unless I had too much to drink. As I closed in on 40, I spoke to friends daily about the search for understanding, and how I could feel it so close, yet could not quite touch it. I even took my “inner child’ to a psychiatrist for three weeks. When he suggested that pharmaceuticals might unlock the mysteries of my soul, I quit treatment then and there, believing the key to my soul was faith. After all, I could feel God around every corner—and the overwhelming sensation was one of magnanimous benevolence, like “Cat Stevens” once so aptly described:

I’ve sat upon the setting sun, But never, never, never, never,
I never wanted water once. No, never, never, never.

(From “The Wind,” Teaser and the Firecat , October 1971)

And yet, I still I could not manage to understand God’s message exactly. Faith, ever closer, kept eluding me—even when it came right up to my door. A practising Muslim joined the class I was teaching at the university, and this man eventually became my husband. Yet even after we were married, I watched with rather detached interest for over six months while he prayed and fasted, and I did not. Conversion was neither required nor expected. I remember being curious about the beautiful book he was reading so much, with its lovely letters and embossed pages—it was the closest I had ever been to the Holy Qur’an, in all those years of wandering. But it was in two languages I couldn’t understand. Then, loitering in the university bookstore one day after teaching, I found an inexpensive paperback Qur’an in English in the aisle near the checkout, and thought it might be a good idea to discover what he seemed so interested in.

From the start, I found the Holy Qur’an remarkable, as “Cat Stevens” had, for everything I read about seemed to become a part of my daily life—and everything in my daily life suddenly seemed to be the subject of the verses I would randomly choose to read. Within days of opening the book for the first time, I started a process of remembering—like a dam opening forth, one bit at a time—and all those moments of God’s grace and guidance in my past seemed to start running together in my mind. Suddenly, I was five again, in my room alone, talking and listening to God, like the best secret of all. Only this time, I was holding on strongly to the feeling, and I was filled with certainty and awe:

“Whether you believe in it [The Holy Qur’an] or not, those who had knowledge beforehand, when it is recited to them, fall down on their faces in humble prostration, in tears, and recognize it as the fulfilment of a promise.” (17:107)

And so, I too became hooked on the Qur’an—the only book which can make me cry easily, even now. For I had spent much of my life wandering in futility, in a life which is really only as long as “an hour of a day.” ( 10:45 ) I cried for my loss, my arrogance, and my blindness—and I cried for the generosity of my rescue, and for the beauty of this holy book: “God has made the Qur’an a light to guide such of God’s servants as God wills.” (42:52)

In truth, I feel as though my whole life prior to finding the Qur’an has been a near-death experience. I took the life I was given as a gift and I did everything to please myself in the short term—and virtually nothing to show my gratitude to God. Only accidentally was I ever deserving of mercy, for while I did have a strong conscience, I didn’t choose my behaviours or my values based on God’s instructions—only on a vague intuition, a kind of feeling of what was right. Tragically, I never once really tried to understand that God had planted these feelings in me, to be refined, developed, and applied towards worship in all its forms—devotion, righteousness, prayer, compassion, and charity—and in the knowledge of God itself. And then, though I had done so little to deserve mercy, God lifted the veil.

Ultimately, we have nothing except what God gives us, and through each act of mercy, God is really beckoning each and every one of us to the light. It isn’t enough for any of us just to touch the light a little, and then lose it, as I did for so many years, and as so many of us do, in fact:

Did it take long to find me? I asked the faithful light.
Did it take long to find me?

(Cat Stevens, “Moonshadow,” Teaser and the Firecat , October, 1971)

So like Yusuf Islam, I guess, I have a kind of time capsule, too—but mine is inside my heart. Everything God has touched—and God has touched everything—has left an imprint there which I have always been able to feel, even when I have not been able to hear it or see it. It’s an odd parallel that “Cat Stevens” was in the shadows of my most troubled days, articulating the questions and pleas that filled my youth as I slid ever faster off the edge—and Yusuf Islam is on the strong, blessed shore of Islam now, as I am, too. Maybe, just maybe, when we are on a quiet path, we can hear the soft footsteps of someone just a little ahead of us on the same path. And just how it is that God connects us all and leads us gently towards our awakening is the great mystery underlying all of reality : “God protects those who have faith, and leads them forth into light.” (2:257).

It has taken me decades to finally be able to live in a place filled with God—as I had wanted to do when I was very small—for that place is inside myself. And I regularly bring myself to prayer in the middle of the night, in my pyjamas, as I had always wanted. God’s promise is so simple, and clear after all: “Remember me, and I will remember you.” (2:152). For He has already “written faith into the hearts of believers” (58:22). All we need to do is let our hearts remember what our hearts have always known, for to God “is the end of all journeys.” (2:285) ]]> http://www.tughrabooks.com/excerpt.html/feed/ http://www.tughrabooks.com/excerpt.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TughraBooks/~3/xNhEQDGC_Og/kathleen-st-onge.html http://www.tughrabooks.com/kathleen-st-onge.html#comments Sun, 23 Mar 2008 11:53:17 +0000 agi Author http://www.tughrabooks.com/kathleen-st-onge.html Kathleen St. Onge is a public school teacher and a convert to Islam. She speaks regularly on Islam and develops internet projects to promote faith-based living and religious tolerance. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.

For More Pages:

Search Inside

Sancar is a writer and lecturer on women’s issues. Born and raised in the US, she has lived in İstanbul for nearly a quarter of a century since her marriage to a Turk and has been studying the role of women in the Ottoman Empire for about 10 years. She is a frequent lecturer on the subject and has published two books and numerous articles about women and the family. Sancar is a practicing Muslim and often speaks publicly on her decision to wear the headscarf. Coming from such a unique perspective (an American Christian convert to Islam), the author is well-grounded to investigate the dichotomies of two cultures.

The basic thesis of the author, clearly stated in the introduction and repeated numerous times in varied ways throughout the book, is that women living in the Ottoman Empire were not the passive, oppressed, depraved and highly sexualized models painted by 19th century Western Orientalism. Indeed, few images are stronger in the eyes of Westerners relative to the Turks than the concept of the harem, with its evocations of the sultan and his lavish lifestyle at Topkapı, with hundreds of women slaves at his disposal for his personal entertainment and sexual pleasure. Indeed, the Western fantasy of the harem has been seen as the very archetype for Western appropriation of the Orient. Rather than rehash the salacious details of this institution that have been described in historical sources, critical interpretations and by Orientalist painters, the author prefers to de-emphasize this stereotype of the odalisque at the service of the “lustful Turk” and to present us with a portrait of an Ottoman woman as dignified and generous, and engaged in her feminine life at the highest level. Sancar endeavors throughout the book, via direct source citations, Western writings and legal documents, to break the mold of this enduring myth. She explains in a footnote that she has focused on sources dating from the late 19th century, as references from before this time are unfortunately rare. This research premise should have been more clearly stated in the text.

You will thus not find here stories of sexual depravity and ennui, but rather a portrait of a diverse group of women. However, this ambitious attempt to depict such a broad diversity is perhaps a bit problematic. Expansive generalizations for women living in an era that lasted over 600 years and in such a wide geographical and ethnic sphere (from İstanbul to Algiers to Budapest to Saudi Arabia) must thus be read as such, and not as a definitive snapshot of the mores of a group of women at one point in time and place. It would be unviable, for example, to attempt in a similar vein to write a book on the pre-modern era American woman, and compare Abigail Adams, a frontier woman, Scarlett O’Hara and Harriet Tubman all in one brushstroke. In addition, her conviction that the Ottoman woman was as complex and multi-dimensional as any other group of women again seems to be self-evident and could be said of any geographical sphere or historical era, be it the women of Ming China, Enlightenment France or Victorian England. Complexity is indeed the foundation of womanhood.

Excerpts from firsthand witnesses

In order to directly jump into the debate and to appeal to the Western reader, Sancar starts her book with an introduction to the Ottoman women as seen by Western eyes: their physical appearance, refinement, cleanliness, devoutness, hospitality and generosity, modesty, freedom, love of nature and social status. She quotes the often-cited accounts of such famous female travelers as Lady Mary Montagu, Julia Pardoe and Lucy Garnett, all of whom traveled or lived in Ottoman territories during the 18 and 19th centuries. The droves of Western (usually British) female visitors to the harems in the 19th century were often struck by the nobility and generosity of the women they met, far from the prevalent depraved and indolent images gleaned from male sources and Orientalist paintings. It is the hope of Sancar that these unbiased descriptions of harem life will overturn what she considers the tiresome image of the Turkish woman as one trapped and enslaved to men. Sancar offers up the often-quoted passage by Lady Mary that states that “Turkish women were perhaps the freest in the world,” as well as Mary’s debunking of the myth of the handkerchief, an item which the sultan supposedly would drop in front of the lady of his choice. A large portion of the text is composed of extended quotes from these letters and journals of Western women who saw and reported the Ottoman culture firsthand. These enjoyable excerpts provide a rich grouping of fascinating material and offer a window into a former era and a very private realm. It would have been better, however, to include more Ottoman women quoted as direct sources.

After this cross-cultural turn, Sancar presents the concept of the harem as both a physical area in the home or in public as well as a social space and discusses the various roles the Ottoman woman played as wife, mother and mother-in-law. She is strongest when describing the activities in the daily life of their world: childbirth, celebration of religious holidays and outings and other social activities, offering up a goldmine of information as rich as the sultan’s treasury.

She then devotes an entire chapter to the Ottoman woman as slave in the realms of private and royal harems, presenting an honest and detailed picture of the hierarchy of women in the Imperial Harem as wives, concubines, queen mothers, philanthropic patrons, princesses and the various slaves that tended to them in turn. This picture is further illustrated with anecdotes of some of the most famous Ottoman women of the harem, such as Hürrem Sultan and Dürrüşehvar Sultan.

The most groundbreaking discussion involves her presentation of historical research showing that women frequently prevailed in cases against their husbands and other male relatives in the Ottoman courts. This eye-opening chapter presents the legal status of Ottoman women as seen through court records and traces their rights as concerns the issues of marriage, dowry, support, divorce, remarriage, polygamy, spousal abuse, child custody, inheritance and property rights. It can be seen from them that the Ottoman woman had a stronger and more vocal role and legal rights than was previously thought and were far in advance of their European sisters.

A final chapter is dedicated to speculation concerning the spiritual life of Ottoman women and to what extent they achieved a balance between their inner metaphysical quests with their daily lives. It is this section that is perhaps the weakest of the book, as it reads as the personal viewpoint of the author rather than a scientific analysis. It also seems as if the author is interested in presenting the lives of women in Ottoman society as a role model for how women ought to live today. She describes the Ottoman woman as “a fighter, a staunch and courageous defender of her God-given rights” (p. 7), a curious echo of some front-page quotes in the Turkish press today regarding the defense of the headscarf.

That said, the author has written a book that is well-organized and enjoyable to read. Her writing style is direct and approachable, and the chapter content flows logically. The fact that she writes in her native English avoids the problem of the clumsy translations often encountered in such texts.

Above all, this is a stunning book to behold and is a gorgeous publication that speaks highly of its publishing house, The Light, which is committed to producing high-quality publications that contribute to a better understanding of the issues of religion, science and the promotion of information on the Islamic faith and lifestyle to a Western public. This luxurious trade paperback book is designed in the almost square format of a small magazine (eight-and-five-eighths-inches-wide by nine-and-three-eighths-inches-high), with end flaps that mimic a hardcover dust jacket. No expense was spared in this book, with thick, glossy paper used to beautifully set off the illustrations, elegant varied typefaces, layout and colors changing on each page shimmering with watermarked backgrounds. The book is lavishly illustrated with artwork: high-quality reproductions of paintings, archival photographs, interiors, textiles and other daily objects (such as tea cups, musical instruments, prayer beads and kerchiefs). It is appreciated that the author chose to illustrate the book with many Turkish paintings, rather than the stereotypes of the Western canon. Few can resist the charming and delightful scenes of Osman Hamdi Bey, a leading 19th century artist, that grace many of the pages. All these illustrations serve well to depict the beauty and refinement of the lives of Ottoman women.

Also appreciated are the detailed references included with the text. Sancar consistently documented her sources and quotes with over 200 footnotes. The book provides complete details for all the artwork and cover illustrations and includes a concise index and a one-page glossary of Turkish terms that appear in the text. Another valued aspect is a comprehensive four-page bibliography, covering a wide range of sources and topics relative to her chapters. Unfortunately, there are several egregious omissions on her bibliography. Reina Lewis’ “Rethinking Orientalism: Women, Travel and the Ottoman Harem” and “Intimate Outsiders” by Mary Roberts are not included, which is a shame, since both authors did much to challenge the well-entrenched stereotypes concerning the identity of the Ottoman woman as the passive odalisque, and to explore the dialogue between East and West, just as Sancar has set out to do.

In conclusion, readers both familiar and unfamiliar with Ottoman customs will have their horizons broadened in this interpretation of Ottoman history and sexual-social relations in the East and West. Sancar, coming from her unique vantage point, presents arguments that are multi-faceted and that make connections for all to understand. In an extended period of history defined by war, absolute rulers, cultural change, religious upheaval and intercultural conflict, Sancar shows how the Ottoman woman managed to serve as a focus and inspiration for society. Sancar must be complimented for her exploration of the difficult topics of seclusion, slavery, the veil and polygamy, which continue to be in the forefront of the discourse today and which often hinder communication between the East and West as concerns the concepts of the interpretation of feminism in the 21st century. This book, suitable for all publics, presents an engaging and appealing image of women, idealistic perhaps, but one that shows respect and love to its subject, and hope for the future of a diversified and democratic Turkey. Sancar is an Osmanlı kadını, indeed.

“Ottoman Women: Myth and Reality”
by Aslı Sancar
The Light Publications, 2007 $29.95
ISBN 9781597841153
——————————————————————————–
* Katharine Branning is a librarian with the French Institute Alliance Francaise, New York.

Original:
http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=136867

We were in Book Expo America with booth #759:
Los Angeles Convention Center, LA, CA 
Exhibition Dates: May 29 to June 1, 2008

For More Information:

http://www.bookexpoamerica.com/

Asli Sancar will be signing her new book at the Light Publishing booth (see booth 205 at Map)
Click for more info about Los Angeles Times, Festival of Books
Day: April 26th, 2007 Saturday
April 27th, 2007 Sunday
Time: 12.00 - 2.00 pm
Place: Booth 205 at LA Times, Festival of Books

For more information:
 
http://www.latimes.com/extras/festivalofbooks/

English translations of encouraging passages from the Holy Qur’an—reflecting on the Oneness of God, God’s benevolence, the origins of life, and the essential virtues of human conduct—are presented in this inspirational collection.

Kathleen St. Onge is the author of Bridge of Light: Spiritual Wayfaring Towards Islam.

Shahada (Sharelle) Abdul Haqq is an illustrator and the founder of the Huntsville Islamic Academy. She lives in Huntsville, Alabama.

Reading level: Ages 9-12

Delving deeper into the soul of Islam and the definition of spirituality, this third volume examines the mainstream path that seekers are expected to follow in order to learn the fundamental concepts of Sufism and the essentials of the Islamic faith. Concepts central to Sufism, such as unity and multiplicity, silence, privacy and company, and sainthood, are thoroughly discussed.

M. Fethullah Gülen is a writer, a poet, and a public speaker on issues related to Islam.

When she was twelve years old, Maryam Kabeer Faye was given a painted scroll of an ancient wanderer, upon which were inscribed the words: Seek and The Truth Shall Make You Free. This message galvanized her soul and determined the course of her life. Following the call, she set out on the journey, internally and then externally, and was guided around the world many times, from one remarkable being to the next, everywhere collecting messages and clues.

Born in a Jewish family, she was led to live in India and Nepal, and in monasteries in Europe, and then guided to embrace Islam at the hands of an ancient Sufi Master a few minutes away from the tomb of the Prophet Abraham. She then was guided to study intensively with Sufi Masters around the world.  Her journey to the holy places and people of the earth, led her finally to Africa and the deep truth that all lives are totally interconnected and united with our own. This profound realization dispelled the great myth that the creations of the One Most Loving Creator can be separated by any racial, national, or cultural distinctions.

This book is a significant and revealing social commentary, also dispelling many other myths and stereotypes such as the proposition, often fostered by the media, that women are inevitably oppressed in Islam. On the contrary, it is by entering into the heart of Islam that the author was liberated, elevated,  empowered, and guided to realize the true purpose of her existence.

Maryam Kabeer Faye is a speaker and writer on Islam, sufism, and spirituality. She lives in Philadelphia where she owns a home that is a refuge for spiritual travelers, and she herself travels extensively throughout the world on the mission of building bridges of light, knowledge, and understanding.
 

Based on the teaching of the Qur’an and the good examples set by the Prophet Muhammad, this collection of protocol describes exactly how Muslims must conduct themselves in certain situations—such as greeting family and friends, eating, and visiting the sick—and why proper conduct is such an important pillar of the Islamic faith.
Musa Kazim Gülçür is a lecturer at the Academy Foundation in Istanbul. He is the author of Character Education for Young Children and Adolescents.

Addressing the sociological, cultural, and religious aspects of the Gülen movement, this insider’s look also explores the failure experienced by many other Islamic movements that attempted to combine traditional values with the modern world. The influence Fethullah Gülen has had on secularist Turkey is also examined.
Mehmet Enes Ergene is a writer who regularly addresses topics such as Islamic jurisprudence, Sufism, and the Gülen movement.

Osman Kaplan is the author of several children’s books, including the Idioms Through Fables series and the Math Stories series. He is the publishing director at Mustu Publishing. Öznur Kalender has illustrated more than 50 children’s books.

Osman Kaplan is the author of several children’s books, including the Idioms Through Fables series and the Math Stories series. He is the publishing director at Mustu Publishing. Öznur Kalender has illustrated more than 50 children’s books.

What prompted you to work on a book on Ottoman women? What was the underlying reason for such a project?

After moving to Turkey from the US, I read and heard very divergent views about Ottoman women over the years. Some of these views were quite positive; but others, the Orientalist view in particular, portrayed Ottoman women with what we can call an erotic stereotype. In the early 1990s I read a book on the harem based on this erotic stereotype. I did not find this image convincing, but, on the other hand, I did not have any evidence to the contrary. Since I had already been writing magazine articles on women and the family, I decided to research the subject of Ottoman women and learn the reality of the matter for myself.

Interestingly enough, I found a great deal more on the subject than I had anticipated. Previously, for example, I had never heard or read about Ottoman women’s involvement in the courts. I was not aware that they were active in taking their complaints of injustice to the kadı (judge), even if this meant taking their husbands or other male family members to court.

Similarly, I learned that the imperial harem was a much more diverse and complex institution than I had formerly thought it to be. On the one hand, it was, of course, the home of the Ottoman sultan and his family. But beyond that, it was a training and educational institution for young slave girls who would eventually be married to men from the Ottoman military and bureaucratic elite, many of whom had been trained and educated in the male quarters of the royal palace as well.

How long did you work on your book?

Actually, this book sort of naturally evolved over the years. During the UN Year of the Family [1994] I was invited to speak on Ottoman woman and family in a panel discussion, and this speech was printed in brochure form. A number of years later I was asked to expand the brochure to book form, which was published in 1999 under the title “Osmanlı Toplumda Kadın ve Aile.” Subsequently I realized that although there are a number of academic works on this subject in English, there are very few popular works except for those that present the sensationalist, erotic view of Ottoman women. I think that most Westerners probably have very little accurate information about Ottoman women. That realization led me to further expand the book into the current coffee-table book form in English.

Why do you say in your book that you were guided by the accounts of such female travelers as Lady Montague, Julia Pardoe and Lucy Garnett?

Lady Montague, Julia Pardoe and Lucy Garnett all made a sincere attempt to break away from describing Ottoman women strictly according to the Orientalist erotic stereotype as most European men had done earlier. Pardoe and Garnett were fairly objective observers of Ottoman life. Lady Montague was also more objective than her predecessors, but she did not hesitate to bend the truth when it suited her purposes, as I mention in my book. Of course, it is natural for all foreigners to have a certain amount of cultural bias, but these women and other Europeans like D’Ohsson and Ferriman can be considered fairly objective eyewitnesses to Ottoman life.

You said the subject of Ottoman women has fascinated Western readers for centuries. Could the reason be the fact that Ottomans were extremely private people and did not want to divulge their private lives to foreigners?

The Ottomans were extremely private people, and that probably helped to perpetuate the myth of the harem, but it was not the cause of it. The basis for the harem myth lies in the early translated works of the Orientalists like the tales in the book “Thousand and One Nights.” These tales contained stories about erotic and depraved Oriental women. Sensational topics always fascinate some people. The fact that Ottoman women lived in harems and that polygamy was legally permissible seemed exotic customs to most Westerners. Associating these customs with Oriental tales was enough to brand Ottoman women as erotic and Ottoman men as lustful. Westerners as a whole did not question these stereotypes until some European women began to enter Ottoman harems and attempted to correct these images. The erotic stereotypes, however, made such a powerful impression on the minds of Westerners that they have persisted over the centuries.

Your book states that Orientalist writers describe Turkish women as exotic, indolent and depraved, while some Europeans usually describe them as noble and elegant. Is the difference between Orientalist and other European points of view really so sharp?

The image of Ottoman women presented by some Orientalist scholars was, of course, an extreme image that emphasized and exaggerated the physical nature of women. It reduced them to exotic sex objects. Victorian women, on the other hand, domesticated Ottoman women in their writing and portrayed them in their roles as wives and mothers. Of course, both images are incomplete. I think that one of the important factors that enabled Ottoman women to become balanced individuals was that both Ottoman men and women recognized the spiritual as well as physical nature of women. That is the basic reason why Ottoman men wanted to honor and protect women in the harem and why Ottoman women were willing to be secluded there. In regard to Ottoman women being described as noble and elegant, I think that was an accurate description, particularly of the elite.

What is your personal opinion about harem life? Did it restrict or protect women?

There is a saying in English: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I think that is true in regard to how we perceive reality as well. In other words, the same reality can be either positive or negative depending on the perspective it is viewed from. The harem could be a source of happiness or suffering, depending on how one perceives it. Ottoman women obviously were happy with harem life. They felt they were being honored as women by being protected from the coarseness of public life. Many European women, on the other hand, saw the harem as restrictive and tried to liberate Ottoman women from harem life.

What do pictures, photographs and engravings in the book reflect? The aesthetics of harem life?

The illustrations in the book do reflect the aesthetics of harem life. Ottomans beautified everything in their surroundings. Items such as clothing, bed linens, towels, covers and prayer rugs were all skillfully embroidered with floral motifs. Kitchen utensils like water ewers, copper bowls, pots and metal trays were always engraved with delicate designs. Even the location of the houses often allowed for a beautiful view of sea and nature. Gardens and orchards enhanced many Ottoman homes, but more than that, I wanted the book illustrations to reflect the spirit of Ottoman harem life. There was a great deal of refinement and consideration of others in Ottoman human relations, which lent beauty to Ottoman life.

Europeans and Americans are becoming more and more interested in Ottoman and Turkish women. What do you think about this development? What could the reason be?

There is an increase of interest regarding Ottoman women within Western academic circles. I think it stems in part from the pioneering work in this field by scholars like Richard Jennings who made studies of Ottoman court records in Kayseri and Cyprus. Halil İnalcık and his students were also instrumental in an awakened interest in Ottoman studies in general. Until recent decades Ottoman culture has basically been a “hidden treasure.” Its art, music, literature and customs are not yet well known in the West. Hopefully the more this treasure is revealed, the greater the interest in it will become because Ottoman culture has a great deal to offer to the rest of mankind.

What are the most significant differences between Ottoman and European women in the social field?

One of the most significant differences between Ottoman and European women was in the area of legal rights. For centuries Ottoman women had individual legal agency, that is, they could own property, sue for divorce (under limited conditions), become guardians of their children in case of the father’s death and sue others and be sued by others in court. European women, on the other hand, were considered to be the chattel of their husbands and they did not have individual legal agency. It was not until the latter part of the 19th century that married women began to gain individual legal rights in Europe. For example, married women were not granted property rights in Britain until 1882, whereas Ottoman women always had the right to own property.

In one of your previous interviews you said: “Today Western women focus on equality between men and women. But one of the most important notions in the Ottoman Empire was justice.” Can you comment on your remarks?

Equality and justice are essentially separate concepts and have led to very different approaches in regard to human rights. In the West women have basically struggled to gain equality with men. Ottoman society, however, recognized that men and women were equal as human beings, but they also recognized differences between the natures of men and women. The seclusion of women in harems is the clearest indication of this. The harem was seen as the most suitable sphere for women to develop and exercise their feminine and motherly natures. Also the rights and responsibilities of women were similar to men’s in some cases, but different in others. There was no effort on the part of either men or women to gain strict equality between the sexes, but men, women and the kadıs as a whole were extremely careful in regard to everyone getting their rights. This pertained not only to human rights, but the rights of all creatures. For example, it was illegal to load a beast of burden with more than it could carry. If someone dared to do so, he was punished by having to carry the load on his own back. According to research by Heim Gerber of 17th and 18th century Ottoman court records, the courts were careful in preventing the stronger party from oppressing the weaker party. In cases between men and women, for example, women won 77 percent of the cases under study. Non-Muslims won 80 pecent of cases against Muslims. In general, it can be said that there was a serious effort to maintain justice in Ottoman society.

Original:
http://www.sundayszaman.com/sunday/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=2836

Gracefully chronicling one Western woman’s attraction to the universal charm of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, this inspirational memoir chronicles why and how Brodbeck journeyed from the exciting world of modern dance in New York City to Istanbul, where she lovingly embraced Islam.

Rabia Christine Brodbeck is a former ballerina.

Offering a perspective of the world as an arena of assessment and testing, this masterfully illuminating investigation explores the struggle between man and his archenemy, Satan. The book claims that success in life is based on knowing one’s enemies and developing strategies. Discussing the attributes of Satan and his methods of approach, this study references Satan’s most obvious trait—his declaration of war on humankind—and notes that his deception, whispers, trickery, and diabolical plots can only be effective when human beings display weakness. The only traditional prevention is to lead a pious life without leaving any gaps for the attacks of Satan and his aids, but this examination presents another prescription for protection from Satan’s evil—becoming spiritually equipped by attaining inner and outer unity and attaining cohesion between one’s heart and actions.
Mehmet Yavuz Seker is an Islamic theologian. He frequently speaks and writes on Islam and interfaith dialogue.

Exploring the birth period of Islam, this biography focuses on one of the most prominent and respected Muslim women in history, Khadija, the wife of the Prophet Muhammad. Addressing both her devotion and her leadership roles in Mecca, this book shines light on a figure who is an inspiration to women, both Muslim and non-Muslim alike.

Written by an expert on both languages spoken by Rumi—Turkish and Persian—this is an authoritative but accessible introduction to this important 13th-century historian and mystic poet. Concentrating on the social and cultural environment in which Rumi lived and produced his influential works, the book describes the war-torn lives of the people in Asia Minor at the time and makes the point that few figures in history have made an appeal for peace so enlightened that it traveled down the centuries. A selection of passages from Rumi’s works explains his core philosophy in his own words.
Cihan Okuyucu is a professor, the head of the department of Turkish literature at Fatih University, and the author of 13 books on Ottoman and Sufi literature. He is also a former cataloging expert on handwritten manuscripts from the Ottoman era at the famous Suleymaniye Library in Istanbul.

Mehmet Kalyoncu is a journalist and international analyst.

Guided by the accounts of such female travelers as Lady Montagu, Julia Pardoe, and Lucy Garnett, all of whom lived in Ottoman lands for significant periods of time, this beautifully illustrated book explores—and hopes to overturn—the 19th-century stereotypes of Ottoman women. Both Eastern and Western accounts of Turkish society during that time made much of the harem, with Orientalist writers describing Turkish women as exotic, indolent, and depraved, while some Europeans usually described them as noble and elegant. Then, with the advent of the first women’s movement in the West, the harem began to be criticized as an institution that trapped women and enforced their submission to men. All of these ideas were refuted by Montagu, Pardoe, and Garnett, who argued that Ottoman women were perhaps the freest in the world; this book backs up that claim with historical research showing that women frequently prevailed in cases against their husbands and other male relatives in the Ottoman courts.

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y_iHac1kOI

Whirling Dervishes Tour East Coast
…
The Whirling Dervishes of Rumi from Konya, Turkey, just completed a tour (Oct. 19-26) of six East Coast cities in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, with more than 4,300 in total attendance. At the events, New Jersey-based publisher The Light sold 1,500 copies of its titles on the Sufi poet Rumi, including Rumi and His Sufi Path of Love (May). The 13th century poet, jurist and philosopher has been called “the bestselling poet in America,” with titles from many publishers remaining perennially popular.

by Lynn Garrett, Religion BookLine — Publishers Weekly, 10/31/2007

Delivered in a distinctly western style, the book presents ideas which are surprisingly accessible and it assumes no prior knowledge of Arabic or Islam. It should appeal to Muslims of all ages—especially youth—who want to discover or develop their faith. The book should also prove helpful to Muslims wishing to explain their religion to non-Muslim friends, co-workers and neighbours. Beyond this, it is recommended reading for spiritual “seekers” who may be wondering what it is, exactly, that Islam has to offer. At this time in history where the need for interfaith tolerance has never been greater, Bridge to Light really does provide a bridge of understanding.

Bridge to Light Cover

Elegant calligraphy and colorful illuminations bring to life one of the most frequently recited prayers recited by Muslims.

Hakan Yesilova is a senior editor at Kaynak Publishing Group in Istanbul.

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This commentary focuses on how to save and strengthen one’s religious beliefs when confronted with the current prevailing philosophy of materialism.

Bediuzzaman Said Nursi is one of the most influential scholars of Islam in modern Turkey.

Discussing some of the extraordinary incidents that support Muhammad’s prophethood, this study follows his divine mission of calling people to Islam.

Bediuzzaman Said Nursi is one of the most influential scholars of Islam in modern Turkey.

Supporting the idea of one omnipresent deity, these selections from the Risale-i Nur focus on the unity and existence of God as evidenced by the universe.

Bediuzzaman Said Nursi is one of the most influential scholars of Islam in modern Turkey.

The Qu’ran

The Fountain