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Turkey: Tears Over the Old Glory
With happiness, the
Turkish people welcome Ramadan. In fact, this great people still
proving steadfastness and love for this great religion that
encompasses all aspects of life.
"Ramadan has
come, light the minarets and feel joy." This is what occurs at
the advent of Ramadan in Turkey from the Maghrib prayer till the
early hours in the morning. The Chief of the Authority of Religious
Affairs in Turkey says: "We have about 77 thousand mosques in
Turkey, for we cannot live without mosques or minarets."
Taraweeh, reciting the
Holy Qur'an and making Religious Book Fair in the Olo
Jami`(Turkey's Greatest Mosque) in Ankara and Sultan Ahmad Mosque
in Istanbul are among the signs of welcoming the month.
After Traweeh is
finished, candy is distributed to children who participated in
prayer as a way of encouraging them to repeat the deed.
In ordinary days, the
local radio and TV known as TRT1-TV broadcasts a religious program
of a quarter of an hour. In Ramadan, two religious programs are
broadcast before Iftar and Suhoor in addition to many TV serials in
various times of the day as a way of celebrating the blessed month.
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