Co-authored by Merve Kirikkanat

I am Muslim. I am proud of that to say…
We unfortunately live in an unfair world. Any kind of injustice, discrimination or authorization… such as social injustice, class injustice, a lack of equal opportunities in education, business and social mobility …
No religion endorses or promotes evil deeds. I can hardly say Muslims are the only victims of injustice in the world. In certain regions, Buddhists, Hindus, and even Christians and disciples of other faiths are victimized to the same extent as Muslims in certain regions, are they not? So why are Muslims and Islam — and not other religions or cultures, with some exceptions — associated with terrorism and violence?
The Western media are prejudiced. They are utterly unfair and not objective. They are biased, Islamophobic. I have no objection to this description, and our media, too, deserve the same description
But I must note that as long as the Muslim world does not define ISIL, Boko Haram and others like them as terrorists, it has no right to complain about Islam’s image in the Western media. On the other hand, we have the unfortunate experience of seeing Muslims.
It shouldn’t be difficult for Muslims to condemn terrorist acts and
murders and keep our distance from such murders. Muslims, not
Western non-Muslims, are obliged to safeguard and promote Islam and its image
As a result, as a Muslim I would like to say,
“If your window facing the world is dirty, you will see my flowers as mud…”

Co-authored by Merve Kirikkanat

I will not tell you about this coffee which is prepared by how …What is the
recipe? What is the history of Turkish coffee?
I will talk about its unique thing for Turks. Drinking coffee is a unique pleasure for Turks.
I remember when I was a child I had learnt that how to make, and why it is not effortless. Because this coffee is not just coffee. It has many meanings for Turkish Culture
For instance, “A cup of Turkish coffee will be remembered for 40 years.” It
means if we have a cup of Turkish coffee together once in our life, we build
friendship for 40 years. Can you imagine that we have countless Turkish
coffee, we build for forever…
If you have suitor in your home, you offer Turkish coffee for him and his
family. For example if you like him, you put salt in his cup for testing him, if he
really likes you, he endures this bizarre taste..
“Sleep cannot be without blanket, Turkish coffee without foam”
Turkish coffee is like poem.
We are always serving with water. It is usually served with a glass of cold water
to cleanse the palate to make way for the delightful taste. In old days, it had
not been to ask to visitor that you are hungry or not. That is why They had
offered Turkish coffee with water to visitor for testing. If visitor get water before
coffee, it means I am hungry and than meal was prepared by hosts.
Turkish coffee is drunk slowly; the drinker sips so as not to disturb the settling grounds in the bottom of the cup.
Turkish coffee is a drink for real coffee lovers itself. It is drunk almost
exclusively by adults and is never drunk at breakfast or with regular meals, but
after a good meal. It is something to be shared with close friends who have
time to sit, relax, and enjoy life’s finer offerings. Turks have, therefore, made
the brewing and drinking of coffee a fine art.
Shortly, “Heart wants neither coffee nor coffeehouse, it wants friendship; coffee is excuse.”