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Issue 103 (January - February 2015)

Issue 103 (January - February 2015)

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Editorial: Islam and Extremism

The Fountain | Issue 103 (January - February 2015)

I felt exhausted trying to write yet another message of shame when the kidnapper in Sydney was reported to have asked for an ISIL flag. "How many more times am I supposed to discredit such violence?" my inner voice cried. I looked at that act of violence and thought, "this is not my Islam!" I was u…

Faithfulness

M. Fethullah Gulen | Issue 103 (January - February 2015)

Faithfulness and fidelity are the hallmarks of societies that are committed to living and working together for a higher good. Fidelity or faithfulness is a rose that grows within the friendly, warm climate of amiability. To be able to encounter it in an atmosphere of enmity is extremely rare…

The Revolving Universe

Nuri Balta | Issue 103 (January - February 2015)

What is velocity, one of the major concepts we learn in physics? What place does it occupy in our lives? Where is mankind in the universe in terms of velocity? Why is it important to understand velocity? In order to find answers to these questions, let's consider ourselves sitting at home after a…

What Is Missing in Science Education?

Seth Mette | Issue 103 (January - February 2015)

Nowadays, despite the increasing amount of knowledge and the means to access it, younger generations are less and less passionate about the sciences and math. For many of them, mathematics is mainly a job for a computer or calculator, rather than a human effort to decipher the language in which the…

Nuclear Radiation and Misfits of the Standard Model: Neutrinos

Cihan Kara | Issue 103 (January - February 2015)

It would seem nowadays as though the general public's knowledge of nuclear radiation is derived less from science and more from science fiction. The beginning of the 20th century brought the atomic age, which in turn brought about considerable anxiety over nuclear radiation. There are a lot of popu…

The Prophet of Islam and His Universal Message

Dr. Zeki Saritoprak | Issue 103 (January - February 2015)

Theologically speaking, the universality of Muhammad's (peace and blessings be upon him) message comes from the concept of one God who is the God of all, not only of Muslims. God describes Himself in the first chapter of the Qur'an, which is recited by all Muslims during their five daily prayers, t…

Bediuzzaman Said Nursi and Skepticism

M. Tarik Ozgur | Issue 103 (January - February 2015)

What is Skepticism? Skepticism, loosely defined, is the idea that one can never be certain about any piece of knowledge one may possess at any given moment. Fundamental skepticism makes the seemingly absurd claim that one can't even be sure if one is awake at this very moment, as there is no way to…

I Do Not Kill Flies!

Muhammed Emin | Issue 103 (January - February 2015)

The flies are surely "acrobatic flight masters." They can detect the necessary angle of lift-off depending on the strength and direction of the wind through the receptive molecules (receptors) they have. They can lift off vertically immediately after this calculation is made, and can reach speeds o…

Standing against Radicalism: The Example of Abu Hanifa

Muhit Mert | Issue 103 (January - February 2015)

Radicalism is a destructive force that threatens bonds within a society. It violates social order, for those who adopt radicalism assume their views as the norm and dictate that all must follow their lifestyle. Radicalism has a potential to reveal itself even more violently when aligned with some r…

The Grand Mosque of Paris

Rafiq Ebrahim | Issue 103 (January - February 2015)

In these days, when tensions - expressed or unexpressed - are running high between Muslim and Jewish communities, The Grand Mosque of Paris comes as a breath of fresh air. It has the potential to heal the wounds in our hearts from this disease of hatred. It is this feeling and its subsequent action…

When Concrete Meets Steel

Ahmet D. Bahadir | Issue 103 (January - February 2015)

A secure residence is one of the basic human necessities. The need for housing has been satisfied via various structures in conjunction with science and technology. The first durable building material used was stone. However, transportation of stone and other heavy materials was a problem. This sit…

Orphan Care Adoption and Kafala

Emily Secen | Issue 103 (January - February 2015)

The need for orphans to receive adequate and comprehensive care is universal; it is present in every culture and religious group. It is a need that could threaten every child, though we pray that our own children never find themselves in such a situation. As parents, what does one want for one's ch…

This Worldly Life

M. Fethullah Gulen | Issue 103 (January - February 2015)

How beautiful, is this worldly life But not a soul shall remain We all come into this world Only to leave it one day I can see that everything around me Rises then fades away Life is just a passing moment Nothing is meant to stay This worldly life has an end And it's then real life begins A world…

Freedom (Hurriya)

M. Fethullah Gulen | Issue 103 (January - February 2015)

The realization of every lawful desire without hindrance, freedom from any pressure, confinement, or subservience, the right to elect, to be elected, and to enjoy certain basic rights in political life - these are some of the definitions of "freedom," which has become one of the most widely discuss…

Occupying Our Human Rights

June Dayle Jelm | Issue 103 (January - February 2015)

Four of the world's greatest religions – Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, and Judaism – open their stories of man and the world by acknowledging that humanity is flawed. That each of us is flawed, in our own person, is indeed an uncomfortable bit of self-knowledge. Yet, sages and prophets, in every e…

Renewable Energy via Fuel Cells

Bahar Cetin | Issue 103 (January - February 2015)

For decades, converting primary energy sources into useful forms of energy has been of great interest to governments, private businesses, and academic institutions. These primary energy sources include non-renewable sources such as oil, natural gas, and coal, and renewable sources such as solar and…

Quantum Dots Tradition vs. Future!

Ali Oguz Er | Issue 103 (January - February 2015)

Nanotechnology has become one of the most intensely studied areas of research in material science over past few decades and is a rapidly growing field with potential applications ranging from electronics to cosmetics. There has been a tremendous effort to utilize some of its extraordinary opportuni…

Scent Transportation Emerging technologies may change the way we smell - yes, smell - new modes of communication.

Bekir Karlik | Issue 103 (January - February 2015)

What would it be like if, while watching a cooking show, waves of tasty aroma wafting from our television made it possible for us to smell the food being cooked? What if while watching a show about shipping, with the touch of a button, we could smell the ocean? Would it be too over the top when we…

The Problem with Hate Speech: An Islamic Perspective

Daniel Hummel | Issue 103 (January - February 2015)

According to Webster's New World Dictionary, hate speech is, "speech not protected by the First Amendment, because it is intended to foster hatred against individuals or groups based on race, religion, gender, sexual preference, place of national origin, or other improper classification" (Hate spee…

The 99 Names Project

Andrew Kosorok | Issue 103 (January - February 2015)

Fourteen years ago, two dozen people changed, in the blink of an eye, how 300 million people view 1.37 billion other people. Of course, we are talking about the September 11th terrorist attacks which resulted in the deaths of 3,000 American civilians. After the attack, the media responded immediate…

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