The Formation of a Nation

The First President of Indonesia proclamate the independence of Indonesia in 17 August 1945

Nation is an ethnic community which has a language, culture, religion, history and territory.

 We all know that in the last 2 centuries there are a lot of new nations are created, and largely these nations are created after suffering the wars, especially after the first world war and the second world war, only after the second world war between 1945-1990 around 100 new countries has been created. If we look carefully in the year 1960 and 1991; only in 1960 there are 18 countries which have gained their independence, and most of those countries are African countries. In the same way, in 1991 there are about 16 new countries established their self-government and become an independent country. However, in this time most of the countries are from soviet and Balkans countries. In a consequence, we can imply that there must be something important happened in both 1960 and 1991 which lead to the independence of 34 countries in the same year. Moreover, in the last 7 year there are 2 more countries gained their independence; Kosovo in 2008, and South Sudan in 2011. And there are a lot of potential that in the upcoming year there will be some new countries more as a result of recent occurrences such as; Arab Spring and ISIS crisis in Syria and Iraq also a Kurdish crisis in Iraq and Turkey.

            In fact, not all the countries in the world are created in the last 2 centuries, there are some countries which were created for 10 centuries ago, such as France, Austria and Hungaria. There are also some countries which was created around 600 years before the common era (BCE) such as Japan and China. Those old countries normally were a kingdom or a dynasty which can still protect themselves and survive until today. However, most of the countries exist today were created in the last 2 centuries, and most of those countries where a single big nation and some of those countries are from some small state and come together become a nation. The country which were a big state is; the Middle East and the North African countries, they were all in one nation under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. And one of the country which were created from several small states is Indonesia. There were several Islamic and Buddhist Kingdom in Indonesia before, but, after the Dutch colonized their archipelago they pulled together against the Dutch until in 1945 the gained their Independence and become a single country. Even though Indonesia is created from several smaller states, the reality is today’s European and Non-Islamic countries are also created from several smaller states, and this fact contradicts with the Middle East and Islamic countries, they were a single big nation or empire which later it divided into several new countries. Or in the other word, Non-Islamic states being one single country, however one Islamic Empire are divided into several countries.

            After observing the examples above, I can imply that there are two factors that contribute to the formation of a nation; the first factor is the problem in the country such as economical problem and unequal justice within the country. While the other factor is colonialism, being ruled by another nation, they deserve to make their own government, this kind of factors are leading most African and Asian countries gained their independence.

To illustrate the first factor we can have the Ottoman Empire as an example, Ottoman Empire was a single big country which ruled whole middle east and north africa, and inevitable it was a powerful country, however, even though they were a powerful country, they have a lot of problem inside the country from ethnical problem, economical problem, especially after they joint the first world war, it became very hard for the caliph to control all those area, and also plus the international power who always provoke the small states to build their own government and gain their independence from the central government, the creation of new small nations has become inevitable, and by this process the new countries are created.

The second factor was, colonialism and the deserve to create their own government. To illustrate this factor we can see to most of African, Latin American and South Asian countries, the country like England, France, Portugese, Spain and Netherland were invade their land, and make the local people live under their order, not only that, these colonizer countries were employing the local people unfairly and took their natural resources for their own interest. And all these factors lead the local people to go against the colonizer and build their own government, because there are no one desire to being ruled in their own land. In this way the new small countries are created.

In short, there are two kinds of formation of a nation in the recent years, the formation of several small nation from one big nation (disunity) and the other one is the formation of a nation from several mini-states or tribes (unity). And there are two main factor of the creation of a nation; the first is the factor which is came from inside the country such as economical problem and unequal justice within the country, while the other factor is came from colonialism.

                                                                                       Altunizade, 17 November 2014
                                                                                                Muhammad Haykal

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The Muslim Martin Luther?

Fethullah Gulen in his Pennsylvania home. (Courtesy Reuters)

In a video posted on his Web site last December, the Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gulen called on God to curse Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Gulen, who has lived in exile in the United States since 1999, declared in a sermon broadcast on Turkish television, “Those who don’t see the thief but go after those trying to catch the thief: may God bring fire to their houses, ruin their homes, break their unities.” This went far beyond the normally secular bounds of political debate in Turkey.

But to fixate on Gulen’s lack of political polish is to miss the point. Gulen and Erdogan have been described in the West as political rivals, but there has always been more at stake in their clash than earthly affairs. Whereas Erdogan may frequently indulge in Islamist political rhetoric, it is Gulen that has tried to make actual contributions as an Islamic intellectual and develop a genuinely modern school of Islam that reconciles the religion with liberal democracy, scientific rationalism, ecumenism, and free enterprise. Regardless of who wins the battle for Turkey’s political future, it is vital that Gulen’s religious legacy be preserved.

EGALITARIAN ENLIGHTENMENT

Erdogan has repeatedly portrayed Gulen, and his religious movement, known as Hizmet (which translates to Service), as part of a political conspiracy, calling it a “parallel state” responsible for initiating a series of corruption investigations against his administration. These accusations are impossible to substantiate. Hizmet has no formal membership, no headquarters, and no hierarchy, which makes it impossible to know whether Gulenists are overrepresented in law enforcement and the judiciary, let alone orchestrating a putsch. There are many civic organizations in Turkey that are explicitly linked to Gulen, but, in keeping with Gulen’s teachings, they neither endorse nor reject any political party.

Gulen’s theology went hand-in-hand with Turkey’s capitalist revolution. The country’s new entrepreneurs were pious Muslims who drew on Gulen’s teaching to justify their embrace of free enterprise, strong democratic institutions, and dialogue and commerce with other faiths.

Although Gulen has always assumed that pious Muslims would be drawn to politics, he has long warned against allowing religion to be used as a tool to pursue political power. In this sense, Gulen has followed in the footsteps of Said Nursi, a great Turkish scholar of Sufism, who inspired an Islamic revival in the late Ottoman period and under Ataturk’s republic. Nursi’s 6,000-page commentary on the Koran, Risale-i Nur (Epistles of Light), argued that true spiritual knowledge was accessible to all Muslims without the guidance of a “master.” Nursi considered materialism an enemy of Islam, but he also advocated modern science instruction in Muslim schools.

Gulen has endorsed this same basic approach. Born in eastern Turkey in 1941, he grew up studying the Koran. He began to manage a mosque as well as a study center in the city of Izmir in the 1960s. Pushing beyond Nursi’s concept of strengthening religious conscience, or inner discipline, Gulen emphasized the importance of public service as a way for believers to glorify God while repressing selfish impulses.

These teachings were in sharp contrast to the political pronouncements of Islamist groups, like the Muslim Brotherhood, that gained ground in the Middle East in the mid-twentieth century. Where the Brotherhood considered it a religious obligation to control the state and to make Islamic law the basis of jurisprudence, Gulen argued that religion suffered from politicization. Where the Brotherhood implies that jihad is necessarily an armed struggle, Gulen emphasized that jihad is a moral and spiritual struggle.

In 1970, Gulen was arrested by a newly installed military government, and his license to preach was revoked. But his private talks to small groups — in mosques, theatres, coffee shops, and schools — were taped and distributed. Gulen leveraged his growing fame to establish a series of student hostels, or “lighthouses,” that offered private prep courses for university entrance exams. In 1979, personal friends of Gulen set up a publishing business so that he could provide his growing number of students with study materials. Yamanlar College in Izmir, the first Gulen-inspired private high school, followed in 1982. By 1983, he had a wide national following.

Today, Gulen sympathizers run more than 1,500 schools and universities in 120 countries, including Afghanistan, Austria, Bosnia, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Sudan, and the United States. (In Texas alone, Gulen affiliates manage 26 public charter schools.) The Gulen movement provides countless scholarships for the poor to attend their schools, which mostly emphasize science and math. By contributing as volunteers, or financiers, to the movement’s education network, supporters also engage in a form of sanctified charity.

His commitment to education as the main solution to problems plaguing most Muslim societies is the most concrete expression of Gulen’s religious teachings. Drawing on Islam’s sacred texts — the Koran, hadith (words of the Prophet), and Sira (biography of the Prophet) — as well as Turkish and Ottoman cultural tradition, Gulen has developed a distinct form of Islamic theology that puts social engagement, not political engagement, at its center.

The Utah-based political scientist Hakan Yavuz, author of Toward an Islamic Enlightenment: The Gulen Movement, sees four defining characteristics in Gulen’s project. First, Gulen emphasizes that a believer’s piety can be measured by his practical actions, specifically, the degree to which the person improves the human condition. Second, Gulen argues that Islam must be an ecumenical religion. Muslims, he believes, are obliged to seek consensus in their communities and should value social participation and dialogue with other groups. (Gulen’s movement has placed a particular emphasis on interfaith dialogue, especially with Christians and Jews.)

Third, Gulen teaches the inviolability of individual rights. Religious engagement, he maintains, must be voluntary, which is one reason that Gulen’s followers are usually referred to as “volunteers” and their total numbers are never officially counted. Finally, the Gulen movement endorses critical thinking as a foundation for knowledge that glorifies God, rather than as something that contradicts revelation. Science, Gulen teaches, is a vehicle for Muslims to honor their religious duty to improve the economic condition of their societies.

To the extent that Gulen has had anything to say about politics, it has almost always been in the service of promoting democracy and cultural tolerance. Asked by The New York Times about his attitude toward the Turkish government, Gulen responded, “I always believe in being on the side of the rule of law, and I also believe in the importance of sharing good ideas with the officials of the state that are going to promise a future for the country. Accordingly, irrespective of whoever is in charge, I try to be respectful of those state officials, keep a reasonable level of closeness and keep a positive attitude toward them.” He has also emphasized the importance of maintaining a healthy civil society outside the control of the state. Private schools, private enterprise, volunteerism — these were the institutions that Turkey required if it hoped to maintain its traditionally inclusive culture.

Gulen’s theology went hand-in-hand with Turkey’s capitalist revolution, which was sparked by economic deregulation in the 1980s. The country’s new entrepreneurs were pious Muslims who drew on Gulen’s teaching to justify their embrace of free enterprise, strong democratic institutions, and dialogue and commerce with other faiths and ethnic groups. Gulen, in turn, urged this new capitalist class to work hard and succeed — not for personal gain but to enhance the spiritual well-being of society. The prophet Muhammad was also a merchant, he reminded them.

Gulen has shown that he will refuse to be intimidated, but it is still an open question whether his movement can withstand the AKP’s relentless campaign against it.

MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE

It should come as no surprise that the Gulen movement saw a potential ally in Erdogan’s AKP party. In 2002, under the AKP flag, Erdogan spoke out in favor of greater religious and economic freedoms. Like the AKP, the Gulenist movement had identified the military and the old secular economic elite as impediments to those freedoms. Although the Gulenists never offered an explicit endorsement, it seemed keen to work with the AKP. After Erdogan won, the AKP (as well as Justice Department officials said to be affiliated with the Gulenists) supported a series of court cases that landed hundreds of military officers and businessmen in jail. (Although there were many flaws in the trials’ methods, blame falls mainly on the shoulders of the AKP, which had sole authority to direct the proceedings.)

But the alliance did not last. The AKP and the Gulenists have fundamentally different understandings of Turkish identity and how it relates to Islam. The AKP has its roots in Turkey’s National View ideology, which was originally advanced by former Turkish Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan in his manifesto Millî Görüş (National View), published in 1969. Erbakan argued that Turkey should turn away from the West and forge a political, economic, and military union with Muslim countries. According to this view, national strength, especially as expressed in conflict with the West, is a bigger priority than healthy democratic institutions. Erbakan is still a clear source of inspiration for the AKP in general, and for Erdogan in particular. When Erbakan died, in 2011, Erdogan cut short a trip to Europe in order to rush back for his funeral, attended by hundreds of thousands in Istanbul. Germany’s most influential Turkish Islamist organization is a Millî Görüş community that Erdogan has encouraged to resist Western assimilation, in accordance with Erbakan’s teachings.

Predictably, Hizmet and the AKP have clashed over Erdogan’s bellicose foreign policy and undemocratic domestic maneuvers. When a Turkish NGO attempted to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza and was confronted by the Israeli navy (resulting in nine deaths), Erdogan responded by accusing Israel of terrorism and genocide. Gulen responded to Erdogan’s belligerence, by calling it not “fruitful,” and adding that he sought Israeli permission anytime his charities wanted to help the people of Gaza.

Another point of contention has been Turkey’s relationship with the European Union. As a strong proponent of closer ties with Europe, the Gulenist movement has been frustrated by Erdogan’s refusal to pursue more serious accession talks with the EU. Occasionally, Erdogan has pursued policies — such as legislation restricting Internet access and reducing the independence of prosecutors — that seem designed to antagonize EU officials. Gulenists have also been concerned by Erdogan’s support for Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood.

Free speech has always been a critical issue for the Gulenist movement, so it has also spoken out against Erdogan’s persecution of journalists and his broader disdain for democratic dialogue. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Turkey has incarcerated more journalists over the past two years than any other country in the world. (Close on Turkey’s heels: Iran and China.) Gulen sympathizer Alp Aslandogan, president of the New York–based Alliance for Shared Values, a nonprofit umbrella group for Hizmet-affiliated groups, recounted the “intimidation, inspections, and fines” that now confront publishers. “Media group owners face threats to their businesses. Never in Turkish history has a single person or party achieved this level of media subservience.”

Erdogan’s response to last summer’s Gezi Park protests must have been particularly troubing for the Gulenists. In some sense, the diverse group of protesters, who originally gathered to demonstrate against the demolition of an Istanbul park, were the model of the sort of engaged pluralistic civil society that the Gulenists champion. Erdogan decided to order police to disperse the protests with force, which resulted in days of violent confrontation. Gulen placed the blame on Erdogan for not listening to the protesters’ demands in the first place. That seems to have convinced Erdogan to declare war directly on the Gulenist movement. In September, Erdogan announced that the government planned to close all private schools helping students to prepare for university exams: the Gulenist movement runs about 20 percent of such schools in Turkey and they represent a vital source of income, as well as one of the main ways in which Gulen’s ideas are introduced to the public.

Erdogan and the AKP have taken to describing Gulen’s movement as a power-hungry conspiracy. But there is little evidence of a concerted Gulenist push for power. The movement has stayed true to its teachings by devoting massive resources and attention to running schools, charity organizations, and media entities, in Turkey and abroad. Gulenists have not made a concerted push to infiltrate the AKP, or to seat their own members in parliament. Gulenists have regularly denounced the AKP’s corruption as a violation of Islamic ethics and Hizmet principles. There is no reason not to take those criticisms at face value.

Gulen has shown that he will refuse to be intimidated, but it is still an open question whether his movement can withstand the AKP’s relentless campaign against it. Erdogan is clearly intent on marginalizing the Gulenist movement, even at the expense of the rule of law in Turkey. This week, President Abdullah Gul signed a law allowing government agencies, without a court order, to block access to any Web site. Last week, parliament passed a bill giving the executive branch complete control over the judiciary, allowing the government to nominate and fire prosecutors at will.

Turkey would clearly be harmed if Gulenist teachings on tolerance and individual rights were successfully quieted. But the loss for Islamic culture would be an even greater tragedy.

Source: Muhammad Haykal, Foreign Affairs

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Family Support is The Most Significant Factor in People Success

Have you ever defined the meaning of success? And what is your definition of success? Most people believe that success is something which we can do by ourselves without any support. Moreover, the majority of people accept that successful people are known for their reputation, great job or wealth. However, successful people are not only having a good position in their job or rich in money. Otherwise, it is also about having happiness in their life. Owing to the fact that the people who are rich in gold, but poor in happiness doesn’t mean that they are successful people; furthermore, life with a great career but lacks relations with another, hardly calls that a success. Hence, what is the real success and what is the most crucial factor that make us successful? Many people argue that success must depend on variety of essential elements. Support of society such as school and environment are the factors on people success. However, most of people believe that family support is the most significant factor on people success on account of the fact that family is the first learning place and it is an economic and emotional supports for individuals.

As family is the first learning place of an individual in this world, so it is one of the most vital support that make people successful (Edward, 2013). Large number of people point out that family is the smallest group of social life and also it is the first group of people who teach you about the crucial fundamentals of life. For example, they teach you the norm and value of life and teach you what is right and wrong. Moreover, family is an institution that has a function in teaching personalities of children since they were born. Also, family always instructs children and gives guidance about personal values and social behavior to their children. In addition, family has a significant effect on family members. For instance, family is first institution that build quality of life for family members to have better education and social lives. Also, family has a function to determine status of family members such as nationality, religion and belief. Furthermore, support of family can help people to develop positive interpersonal relationships (Edward, 2013). For example, value, attitude, belief, faith and even culture that children were taught and cultivated by family could provide children to have a positive perspective in social life. Besides, it provides an environment that encourages learning both at home and school.

 From another perspective, support of family provides us with economical provision and emotional support. According to Canavan, Dolan & Pinkerton (2000), many people believe that economic support and emotional support are the common function in today’s families and these functions lead to children’s success. To begin with, family is the basic foundation of society's economic institutions. The economic functions of a family are important for children’s success. Economic support from parents expands children’s opportunities in educational and social lives. For instance, family provides children’s education such as tuition and material of learning and also family supports foods, clothes and medicine to family members because it is an important factor and essential provision for life and subsistence. Furthermore, emotional support of family is one of the most significant factors that persuade people to achieve their goals. Love and warmth in family can build family members to be happy and close to each other. Besides, love of parents towards children is also important because it could motivate children to become more courageous and also it helps inspire children to work hard in performance that they want to do in the future. In addition, many people claim that family support may be able to help reduce stresses and increase protective security in children’s life (Canavan, Dolan & Pinkerton, 2000). For example, when children have experienced emotional breakdown, they might ask for advice to solve their problems from their family and also they can create mutual understanding.

However, opponents of this idea argue that lack of social support is the problem that family faces nowadays. For this reason, the role of family toward their children decreased slowly. As evidence of this, social environment is one of the most significant factor that bring up people successful characteristic and also it is one fundamental aspect influencing people’s success. To start with, most of people argue that school provides many opportunities of education system to children and also support of school can encourage students and children through activities and social experiences (Canavan, Dolan & Pinkerton, 2000). Moreover, a lot of people believe that teacher resemble a second parent because a teacher has influenced in children’s learning. As a result of the fact that children begin studying in the age around five and approximately graduate on the age of twenty five years old. Thus, in this the period of education, a teacher have the effects on the children’s lives in terms of their idea, attitude and apprehension. Furthermore, a friend is one of the most crucial support which makes people successful. Numerous people debate that friend resembles a mirror of ourselves that reflects our true identity. However, the argument that social support such as school, teacher and even friend makes people more successful might not be true completely. Owing to the fact that support of schools or governments don’t have sufficient money, housing, material of learning and another provision to support all students. Moreover, love and affection cannot receive from the support of society. For example, when people have experienced emotional breakdown, they want a spirit and comprehension from their family. Thus, encouragement of family is not enough for people. In addition, most of experts claim that although the treatment and education need to be supported by the government. However, it’s not enough, it needs to be taken care by the family. As a consequently, especially family environment, and also these parents might have sufficient financial support, and also they can encourage and motivate their children in the right way. Besides, being closeness and intimacy of family are the support that make people more successful not a support of society.

In conclusion, as it has been agreed, support of family is the most significant factor on people’ success. As family is the first institution for people’s learning and also it is an economic and emotional support for individuals. Moreover, love and affection from family and also inspiration from family can persuade people to be successful in their lives; besides, people achieve their goals and succeed in their life because family is the significant factor who plays a fundamental role on people’s success. Their family’s support will bring up their successful characteristic, which will help them to be success. Therefore, in order to be successful, family is the first learning place in people lives and it is an economic and an emotional support. So, it is not surprised and we cannot reject that the fundamentals of success is due to the support of family.

Confirmed by Original Writer: Songchai Wongyeemoh - Thailand

Reference

Edward L. Schor, MD, FAAP (2013). The importance of family (Caring for Your School-Age Child: Ages 5 to 12).

http://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-dynamics/pages/The-Importance-of-Family.aspx.

Canavan J., Dolan P. & Pinkerton J., (2000). 'Family support'. In: (ed.), Family Support: Direction from Diversity. 1st ed. London, GBR: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. pp. (13-34).

http://site.ebrary.com/lib/sehir/docDetail.action?docID=10015189&p00=family%20support

Canavan J., Dolan P. & Pinkerton J., (2000). 'Developing Reciprocal Support Among Families, Communities, and Schools (171), Importance of school (2)'. In: (ed.), Family Support: Direction from Diversity. 1st ed. London, GBR: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. pp. (171-194, 21).

http://site.ebrary.com/lib/sehir/docDetail.action?docID=10015189&p00=family%20support

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Istanbul Palaces in Pre-Ottoman Era

                Byzantium, Constantinople and Istanbul, these names are addressed to the same place which now we call it as Istanbul. According to the latest excavation during the building of the Marmaray Tunnel in 2008, the history of Istanbul has begun from 6700 BC, that’s where they found numerous the remains of sinking ships belong to the earliest human settlement of the metropolis. In 700 BC, when the Greek Colonists led by King Byzas arrived in the city, they nailed down there because of the strategic location along the Bosphorus Strait, and late King Byzas named the city as Byzantium.

                Succeeding its progression by the Greeks, Byzantium became an important part of the Roman Empire in the 300s, Inevitably makes the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great attempted the construction project to reconstruct the entire city. His aspiration was to create and fill the city of Byzantium with monuments, grand buildings and palaces as same as exists in Rome, which was recognized with its extraordinary luxurious buildings at that time. Eventually, in 330s the Great Constantine declared the city of Byzantium as the Capital city of the entire Eastern Roman Empire and renamed it Constantinople.

Map of Constantinople in Byzantine Period

                The History of Palaces in Constantinople begins with the Great Palace in the year of 330, it was built by the Emperor Constantine I following the annunciation of the Capital City of the Eastern Roman Empire. Furthermore, the palace is located in the region of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia according to nowadays’ condition. The utilization of the palace was as Imperial Administration and has been engaged for over 800 years, unfortunately only a few remnants and shards of the palace have survived until today.

The view of The Great Palace where the Sultan Ahmet Mosque and Ayasofya (Mosque) stand now

                Another important palace is the Palace of Blakhernai, in spite of not being the biggest palace in the city, Blakhernai Palace was preferred and thus transformed into the official palace because of the location was near to the hunting grounds (which was one of the most popular entertainment of that time) also it was safer than the Great Palace. Additionally, Blakhernai Palace, located beside the Golden Horn in the western north of Constantinople as well as being adjacent to the city walls. Therefore, it is more protected than the Great Palace. During the First Crusade the Emperor of Byzantine between 1081 - 1118 Alexios I Komnenos received the commanders in this palace and he also added many buildings and expand the castle in order to fit the amount of the invitee.

Blakhernai Palace divided into a few parts; church, prison and palace itself, and one of them is the Anemas Dungeons. Anemas Dungeons are a prison. On the other hand, this is not an ordinary prison, merely it is a sort of high ranking state prison in the metropolis. The name of Anemas is taken from the first person to be imprisoned there, he was a  Byzantine general who rose against Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. In the Byzantine period and after the Latin occupation Anemas Prison was used as a prison, but there is no information how it was used after the Ottoman conquest in 1453. The other one is Tekfur Palace, Tekfur Palace is the sole part of Blakhernai Palace which still survive today (not including the prison). The name of Tekfur derived from Arabic, the term tekfur was used in the early Ottoman period for the Byzantine Emperors and feudal lords.

Bakırköy 

                The last palace will be mentioned is; Palace of Hebdomon, located in Bakırköy. Which was the most important settlement outside the City of Constantinople. Hebdomon is Byzantines, which means ‘’seventh’’, and in Latin it was called Septimum which also means ‘’seventh’’. The factor why they put the name is because the location of the Hebdomon Palace is in the seventh mile leading the way to Rome from Milion column, which was recognized for being the starting point of all imperial routes. According to Asuman Denker and the other writers in their book Byzantine Palace in Istanbul ‘’In the beginning Hebdomon was a simple fishing village, but it later gained in importance with the development of the Byzantine Empire and became a popular resort for the nobility’’. Hebdomon Palace is not a single place, it has two other different palaces the first one is Magnura or Eudomon Palace and the other one is Jukundianae or Secundianae Palace.

 

                The Palace of Magnura or Eudomon Palace, has no certain data about who was arranged to built up the palace, ‘’either by Emperor Constantine I or by his son Constantine II’’ (2011). Moreover, the design of the palace was to accommodate ambassadors and other important customers and guests visiting the town as well as for being used as a summertime home.

                The Palace of Jukundianae or Secundianae is the second palace complex situated in Hebdomon. Unlike the Magnura Palace the founder of Jukundianae Palace is recognizable, he is Theodosius II. It said that it is more accurate to call it Jukundianae than Secundianae, as it means ‘’entertainment’’ or ‘’pleasure’’. Unfortunately, in the 6th century as a result of an earthquake, it was demolished, following the demolition, the Emperor Justinian beside restoring the palace, also built some churches, public baths and other public buildings in the vicinity of the palace (2011). And today, owing to the fact that it's impossible to see the original location of the palace, a few architrave blocks, the columns and the column capitals belong to the palace are available for public at the Istanbul Archeological Museum. 

                                                                                                                              Muhammad Haykal

Bibliography:

1.       Denker, Asuman, Gülbahar Baran Çelik, and Gülcan Kongaz. İstanbul’daki Bizans Saraylar Byzantine Palaces in Istanbul. Istanbul: Istanbul Arkeoloji Müzeleri, 2011. Print.

2.       http://geography.about.com/od/specificplacesofinterest/a/istanbul.htm Web. 21/May.2014.

3.       http://placesinistanbul.com/in-info-istanbul-the-prison-of-anemas.htm?placeID=129&lan=EN Web. 21/May/2014.

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Eyup, desa islami di Istanbul

Eyup adalah salah satu daerah yang terletak di kota Istanbul, persisnya beberapa kilometer ke arah barat dari sisi luar benteng Konstantinopel. Daerah tersebut adalah salah satu daerah yang suasana islaminya terasa masih sangat kental, salah satu penyebabnya adalah terdapatnya Eyup Sultan Camii (Masjid Sultan Eyup) tempat dimana terdapat kuburan Abu Ayyub Al-Anshari, salah satu sahabat Nabi Muhammad SAW yang konon rumah sahabat tersebut adalah tempat tinggalnya Nabi SAW ketika beliau sampai di Madinah.

Menurut sejarah, sampainya Abu Ayyub Al-Anshari ke Istanbul berawal dari masa kekhalifahan Usman bin Affan, pada saat itu beliau memerintahkan Muawiyah bin Abu Sufyan untuk mengepung Konstantinopel, kebetulan Abu Ayyub Al-Anshari juga mendengar tentang kabar ini, lalu beliau pun bergegas untuk berangkat perang yang mana beliau akhirnya syahid disana, sebelum wafat beliau sempat berwasiat untuk dimakamkan di titik terjauh yang bisa dicapai oleh kaum muslimin. Dan para sahabatnya berhasil menyelinap dan memakamkan beliau persis beberapa kilometer didepan tembok benteng Konstantinopel, lalu pada saat ke khalifahan Sultan Muhammad Al-Fatih di bangunlah sebuah masjid yang bernama Eyup Sultan Camii di samping kuburan Abu Ayyub Al-Anshari di wilayah Golden Horn, Istanbul.

Suasana senja di halaman Eyup Sultan Camii kali ini tidak jauh berbeda seperti daerah lainnya di Turki, dimana menara-menara masjid tampak menjulang tinggi diantara pepohonan terlihat berwarna oranye akibat pantulan lembut dari cahaya matahari dan disekitar pekarangan masjid tampak terlihat anak-anak bercengkerama ria bersama keluarganya, terlihat juga beberapa remaja yang masbuk diatas sajadah, jama’ah shalat di sini memang selalu penuh, tak terkecuali shalat subuhnya, sehingga pengurus masjid harus menyediakan sajadah di halaman luar bagi jama’ah yang terlambat.

Halaman di bagian barat dari Eyup Sultan Camii ini, dipenuhi oleh pertokoan-pertokoan kecil yang membuat halaman masjid lebih ramai, bangunan-bangunan tersebut sengaja didesain khusus mengikuti arsitektur masjid yang klasik, sehingga pemandangan disekitar masjid tampak lebih hidup dan lebih indah. Hal yang membuat saya kagum adalah keadaan masjid yang tetap terjaga tenang, sehingga para pengunjungnya merasa betah untuk berlama-lama disana. Salah satu penyebabnya adalah tidak adanya jalan raya disekitar masjid tersebut dan halaman masjid digunakan khusus untuk pejalan kaki saja. Kendaraan umum seperti mobil dan bis dilarang untuk mendekati area tersebut. Hal inilah membuat suasana ketenangan di sekitar masjid terjaga.

Sisi lain yang menarik dari Masjid Eyup Sultan ini adalah pertokoan yang ada di sekitarnya, suasana islami masjid dilengkapi oleh pertokoan yang menyediakan buku-buku, souvenir-souvenir islami sampai pelengkapan haji dan umroh juga tersedia disana. Desa Eyup adalah salah satu tempat favorit di Istanbul untuk mendapatkan buku-buku islami, dan banyak juga mahasiswa Indonesia singgah kesana untuk membeli kenang-kenangan sebelum dibawa ke tanah air.

                                                                                                                                 Muhammad Haykal

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Wealthy Nations’ Role in The End of Poverty

            “Who go to sleep and he is full when his neighbour is hungry is not with us.”(1)

       Poverty is one of realities in the world and it is a dangerous one. Because of it, many people suffer from a lot of issues like malnutrition, starvation and other hunger-related diseases. According to Andre and Velasquez (1992), every single day, 40,000 children die because of starvation.(2) It is known that this hunger is related to poverty. So how can they recover from poverty ruining them? Certainly, they can get over this circumstance if their humane sibling help them. By the way, do they have to help them? I think they have this obligation. There are two prime causes showing why wealthy nations have an obligation to aid poorer countries: it is their moral responsibility and they can save poor governments from rich residents by helping them.

      The first cause, which indicates why rich countries have an obligation to help poorer ones, is that aiding poor people is moral responsibility for all people. There are some studies about this responsibility. Most researchers argue that this obligation exists because they can prevent some harmful effects of poverty. As Andre and Velasquez (1992) present, agonizing and passing away because of hunger is detrimental and aid from wealthy nations can restrain this situation even if it is little.(3) Therefore, due to the fact that they can alter some miseries, wealthy nations have a responsibility to help poorer nations. Additionally, people must help each other in any case owing to the fact that human is the most honourable creature. Only people can appreciate each other and just a human can help another one. Hence, even if there is no another cause to help poor people, rich people have an obligation to aid them on account of their humanity. As a result, wealthy people have to aid poorer ones because it is their moral obligation.         Furthermore, help from rich states is very significant for poor governments. The poor governments are under pressing of native men who are rich and hold the market. Because of the fact that the men monopolize financial factors such as trade and market, they can start any businesses, which they want at will without thinking whether these jobs are harmful for people. However, governments can neither prevent their damages nor start a new business that is not detrimental for people. They can do nothing because they do not have a sufficient financial and political power. Also, Thomas (2012) puts forward that numerous governments crucially rely on the politic backing of people who anticipate particular interests from government, like government works, agreements, or chances for revenue generation by the way of sale of effect or arrival to government ownership.(4) Consequently, if wealthy countries aid poor governments, they can set up new harmless businesses. Then, they reinforce their authority so they can prevent many harmful jobs and get through poverty thanks to aid and donation from rich nations.         On the other hand, some researchers claim that wealthy nations have no obligation to help poorer ones. They allege that these charities do not go where they should arrive. Andre and Velasquez (1992) say that repressive governments put account these donations to subsidise their armies or invest in some projects, which are beneficial for rich residents.(5) Also, they (1992) allege that 80% of food aid transmitted to Somalia between 1978 and 1984 was used by the army and other governmental institutions.(6) They are right about what happened in Somalia. However, this can not be interpreted to mean that same things will be occur all the time. If we think so, we can not help anyone we don’t know exactly because he/she can not be real needy. Additionally, rich people can directly donate to poor people through some relief organizations like IHH without relation to governments. It is a vital point to intend to help poorer ones. Who want to aid poor people can find a way somehow. In brief, even if Somalian or another government can use aid where they want, wealthy people who want to help poor nations can directly aid anywise.        Consequently, aiding poor nations is an obligation for wealthy ones. Without any doubt, it is moral responsibility to help poor people. Also, aiding poor countries allows their governments to provide better living conditions for local public. If you do not trust these governments, you can donate to people directly thanks to some relief organizations. Owing to these causes, wealthy nations have a responsibility to help poorer ones.

References:(1) Parlıyan, Abdullah (2014), Translation of Riyad-us-Saliheen, 117.(2, 3, 5, 6) Andre, Claire and Velasquez, Manuel (1992), World Hunger: A Moral Response, Pre-Faculty Writing Booklet, 183-188.(4) Thomas, M.A. (2012), Rich Donors, Poor Countries, Policy Review, 41-53.

Confirmed by original writer: Ali Can Kanoglu - Turkey

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Why woman considered worse bosses

Boss is a familiar word for all of us, because everyone had a boss in this life. It doesn’t matter if  they are a man or woman. Although it doesn’t seem as a problem, people usually think which is better between male bosses or female bosses. However the reality that occurs in these days is, a lot of bosses usually tend to be a male, because leaders are thought to be masculine. And also public generally believe that a leader is better a man than a woman. Therefore, woman are considered to be a worse boss than man. there are two factors why female are considered to be a worse boss than male; the first one is when woman take on male characteristic, and the second one is women’s lack of ability to recognize new opportunities.

First of all, why female are considered to be a worse boss is because they try to take on male characteristic. Well, generally people think that a leader is someone who is dominant, confident and competitive. And all of these characters are more shows a men than a women. Woman usually tend to be calm and nice person unlike a man. Consequently a lot of female boss try to adapt male characteristic to themselves. Unfortunately, this effort doesn’t give a positive effect, it just make the things become worse. So, if you are a female boss, be aware to not taking male characteristic. Because, According to Duttge (2010) the woman who doing the exact same thing to a man are not likely to be recruited.

The other reason why female are considered to be a worse boss is female don’t have a lot of envisioning ability which is required to recognize new opportunities and trends in the environment.  Futhermore, in Forbes Magazine (2010) Duttge, W. state that when Harvard Bussiness Review compare the eight skills which include envisioning, energizing, designing and aligning, rewarding, feedback, team building, outside orientation, tenacity and emotional intelligence, female leaders were rated higher in most dimension, but they are not higher than men in envisioning ability, because they’re lack of envisioning. So, because of the fact that leaders should have the ability to recognize new opportunities. Woman is not a best choice to be a leader.

In brief, we acknowledge that women are considered to be worse bosses than men. There are a lot of reason for this. Two of them are; women’s lack of envisioning ability which can increase their sensibility to knowing the new opportunities. And the other reason is, women’ adoption of male characteristics which will make the people blame woman themselves. 

                                                                                                                                                                                 Muhammad Haykal
                                                                                                                                                       

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Ya Tahammül Ya Sefer (10 Sene Sonra kendimce tahmini)

Ya Tahammül Ya Sefer kitabı bugün ki belki birçoğumuzun hayatı anlatan bir kitap’tır. Herkesin şuur mutlaka olacaktır, ama o şuur olduğunu bilmek için nerede yaşadığını, nerede okuduğunu ve kimlerle arkadaşlık yaptığını bilmek zorundayız. Şuur, hayatımızdaki belki en önemli şeylerden bir tanesidir, çünkü hayatımız şuurla devam etmektedir, aynı zamanla hayatımız da şuurumuza dayanmaktadır. Şuurumuz nasıl olursa hayatımız da öyle olacaktır. Ortam, bir insanın şuurunu şeklendirir hatta tamamen değiştirir. Her şuurlu bir insan yada her şuurlu bir müslüman, hayatında bir dava için yaşayacaklardır, davalarını gerçekleştirmek için şuurlarını korumaları gerekiyordur o yüzden bunu okuyoruz.

Ya Tahammül Ya Sefer kitabındaki anlatılan şeyleri, şuurlarını birbirine benzeyen birkaç arkadaşların bir araya toplandıkları ve arasındaki samimi sohbetleriyle beraber edinmiş oldukları şuuru, ülkesi için, ülkesinin gelecekteki istikbali için dava ve rüyaları, ve o davanın hayatlarıyla beraber silinip gitmiş olanları, ve hala dava ve ideallerine sadık kalan bir tek kişinin ve bunların nasıl olduklarının hikayesini anlatan bir kitaptır. Kısacası, Ya Tahammül Ya Sefer kitabı, tam başlığı gibi anlatan bir hikayedir, bana göre bu başlığın anlamı da; ya davanın üzerinde sabırla durup kalacaksın, yada davandan kaçıp gideceksin, ve hepsi bunları da vakitle otomatik olarak bize gösterilecektir.

Bu hikaye 10 sene sonra yazılmış olsaydı, bence çok şeyler değişmiş olacaktı, işte onların hikayesi.

10 seneler geçmiş...

Asım ve Fethanet de artık iyice yaşlanmaya başlamış, onun oğlu ilhan da artık bir kadınla evlenip 2 çocuğu olmuştur. İstanbul’daki ünlü bir üniversitenin rektörü olmuş aynı zamanda büyük bir şirketin başkanı olumuştur ve davayı devam ettirmek için ülkedeki veya dünyadaki bulunan zülüm altında insanları ve müslümanları, felaket yerlerdeki ve yoksul adamlara hem müslüman olanları hem de gayri-müslimlere yardım etmek’tır, ve zaten hepsi bunlar, çocukluğundan beri istemişti. Yani o zamanda babasının zengin ailesinden dolayı arkadaşları kendisine yaptığı kötülükleri ondan sonra veysel’in de kendisine yardım ettiğini hep yanında olduğunu hatırlayıp şimdi de başkalarda aynı olayları yaşamasını istememiş, bu yüden onun davanın amacı ve yolu insanı ve müslümanı yardım etmek’tir, ve bunları arkadaşlarından hiç kimse bilmemiş hatta Veysel bile bilmemiş, aynı zamanda da veysel’e haber verememiş bu hakkında lakin, Veysel’e haber vermediği halde Veysel’ın hakkında bir şey bilmemiş demek değildi, üstelik Veysel’i yakından haberlerden takip ediyormuş.

Başka yönden Kerim da artık dava ile uğraşmaktadır, Murat Bey’in çoktan ona verdiği dernek anahtarını değerlendirmeyi becermiş artık. Dernek tam Murat Bey’ın istediği gibi, üniversiteli çocuklarla dolmuştur. Keşke Murat Bey bir görde de. O dernek’te hem hoca olsydı hemde orada başkan olsaydı, ama ne ise nasip böyle imiş. Kerim usta diğer yandan derneği yürütüyordu diğer yandan da bir tane kitabevi açmıştı hatta şehrin en ucuz kitabevi olarak tanınmıştı, zaten kitabeviyi açmak niyeti parayı kazanmak için değil, öğrencileri kitabı yakından tanışmak için idi, onları okuyup çalışsınlar diye açtı kitabeviyi bundan birkaç yıl önce (10 sene geçtirdik yaa) Veysel’in Bakan olduğunu haberi alınca çok sevinmişti artık davasını devam edeceğinden emin idi.

Veysel ise artık büyük bir adam olmuştu. Ankara’daki Milli Eğitim Bakanlığında bakan olarak çalışıyormuş. Bakan olmasına rağmen veysel hala davasının peşindedir aynen ilhan gibi. Bir gün ilhan, üniversitenin mezun törenini konuşması için Milli Eğitim Bakanlığına davetiye göndermiştir. Ve bu tören de veysel eski arkadaşı ilhan’la karşılaşmasını sebeb olmuştur, ve ardından da yani hemen o akşam ilhanın evinde muhabbetlerini devam etmişlerdir, o akşam çok uzun sohbet yapmışlar, ortada kalan davayı toparlamak için konşmuşlar. O arada Veysel İlhanl’a Murat Bey’ın birakmış olduğu derneğin hal hatırını sormuştu ve derneğin artık çalıştığını duyunca çok sevinmişti.

Veysel artık ülkesini önemli adamlardan bir tanesi olmuş. Bunun için davayı devam etmesinin gerektiğini farkındaydı ama karşıya gelen sıkıntılar da hiç bitmiyordu. Bugünkü eğitim hakkında bir problem olduğunu biliyordu ama bunları nasıl çözeceğine yönelik bir çözüm bulamıyordu. Başbakanın hedef 2023 diye adlandırdığı hedefleri nasıl yapacağını düşünüyordu. Kendi-kendine düşündü ki, eğitim sisteminde problem vardı. Her öğrenci YGS,ÖSS gibi sınavlara katılıp başarması mümkün değil, herkesin farklı-faklı yeteneği vardır. Yani nasıl ki balıklar ağacı tırmanmaz, maymunlar tırmanır. Aksi takdirde de maymun denizde yüzemez balıklar yüzer. O yüzden önceki Başbakan R.T.Erğdoğan’nın yapmış oldukları HEDEF 2023 projenin maddelerinden de, okulun bir zeka sisteme değil yani şimdiye kadar yaptığımız gibi değil. Ancak Howard Gardner’ın icat ettiği ‘Çoklu Zeka’(Multiple Intelligence) yöntemine göre yapılmasıdır. Şimdiki başbakanımız da bu görevi artık Veysel’e vermişti, Veysel de her zorluklara rağmen yardımcalıyla beraber bunların çıkış yolunu bulmaya çalışıyordu....

Sonunda yaşlılar zaten yaşlanmışlar, ortada hikayedeki adamlardan sadece İlhan, Kerim ve Veysel kaldı, bunların her biri de kendi dava ve ideallerine kendi yollarıyla sadık kalmaya çalışıyorlardır. Kime insanların yardımında, kime dernek’te çalışmakla, kime de hükümette kalıp halka hizmet etmekle yani önemli olan tamamen sadık kalamazsak bile sadık kalmaya çalışmalıyız. Sıkıntılar, tabii ki karşımıza gelecektir. Zaten sıkıntı olmadan büyük adam büyük olmazdı küçük kalırdı. Veysel’in hikayesi bitmezse bile geri kalanı kendimizce kurulabilir.

                Çamlıca, 26.01.2014

Muhammad Haykal

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POSITIVE THINKING AND THE ENVIRONMENT ARE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FACTORS ON PEOPLE SUCCESS

Do you remember who you learnt mathematic from? From whom did you learnt an alphabet that made you know how to read now? No one is born knowing all these. People know things because there has been somebody who taught them about it. People usually do not realize that they learn something because there was somebody who inspired and who facilitated their learning. People can achieve their goals and become successful because of the surroundings which ease their way to achieve their goals and success. And those surroundings are people psychosis which inferred to be self-confidence and the environment around the person which will bring people mentality up to success.

               

The first significant factor leading people to success is positive thinking. To start with, it is impossible for one person to be success without any struggle. Conversely, people have to make some struggles by overcoming the obstacles and the problems that they face. Therefore, positive thinking  which is coming from people’s mind, is the most important requirement for people to be succesful. It makes people believe in themselves that they can achieve whatever they want. Because, when people desire to be success they tend to believe in themselves and always working for it. So, this means people are forced to struggle in order to actualize their believes and dreams. Hence, in one of his articles, Tracy argues that one of the spirits leading to success is to believe and think positively about yourself (2012). Thus, believe and positive thinking is the most important step for people’s success. Apart from the belief, people also should have a desire to be successful, for this they have to believe that they are able to reach what they desire for. Without any belief, it is impossible for people to achieve their goals. Positive people know that they have to improve their skills in order to be successful, and the only way to improve their skill is by doing the action repeatedly or make their activities as their habits (Tracy,B 2012). Beside, these people who think positively, are not afraid to fail. Thus even if they fail, they do not give up and most importantly, do not feel discourage to try again. Thus, in order to be successful, people should absolutely think positively and they should not be discouraged by failer but try to repeat the action until the achieved. Just as one said that ‘We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, ..., is not an act, but a habit’ (Brainyquote, 2001). The interpretation of the quote is; the more people striving on one thing, the more expert they will be on it.

                Social environment is another fundamental aspect influencing people’s success. It starts from the smallest group of social life which is family. Family has a big capacity effecting people’s life, in terms of success or failure. Because discipline is highly demanded for success, and discipline itself is not innate but taught by family. Moreover, there are numerous statements agreeing that family is very important, and that people who came from a harmonious family has a bigger advantage to be success than people who don’t (Mormon, 2012). For example; Thomas Alfa Edison the inventor of lamp. He finally invent the lapms after hundreds of experiments, he invented the lamps not only by himself, otherwise there is an appropriate environment supporting him, and it includes the family and all the people who was beside him at that time. Moreover, Albert Einstein  claimed that ‘The environment is everything that isn't me’ (Brainyquote, 2001). It can be inferred that success comes not only from people themselves, but also there must be an environment which would encourage and support people to achieve their goal.

                However oppenents argue that gene is the most important matter leading to success than positive thinking and the environment. They believe in genetic predisposition because evidence shows that successful parents have successful children. Hence, they believe this on account of the inherited intelligence. Conversely, they claimed that if their parents are not successful people, chlidren also will not be successful in life (Levy,A 2013). It may be true that some successful parents have successful children. However, the argument that genes make people more successful might not be true. The intelligence of children due to intelligent parents might come not from the genes, but from the fact that intelligent parents are aware of the importance of the environment, especially family environment, and thus these parents might sufficiently support, encourage and motivate their children in the right way. Thus, not genes, but the environment is the cause for the child’s intelligence, and consequently, for the childs succeed in life. Besides, if parents don’t care sufficiently about child’s condition, it is impossible for the child to be successful even if his parents are intelligent. Therefore, not the genes, but the environment plays a crucial role to build people’s characteristic required for success.

In conclusion, as it has been argued, positive thinking and the environment plays a fundamental role on people’s success, because when people keep themselves think positively they can work and struggle on their dream more and also if they face some obstacles they would be more powerful to overcome it, on account of their beliefs in themselves. And normally, they would become these stong people because of their environment. Their environment is those who bring up their successful characteristic, which will help them to be success. Therefore, in order to be success, people have to set an appropriate environment for themselves and they have to think positively in themselves.

                                                                                                                       Camlica, 14-January-2014
                                                                                                                      Muhammad Haykal

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Sistem Serba Cepat

Dalam satu dekade terakhir, Negara Turki memang telah berbenah dengan sangat cepat, dari negara yang tidak diperhitungkan, menjadi  salah satu negara yang paling diperhitungkan di dunia sekarang ini, itu semua terbukti dengan pembenahan sistem-sistem administrasi yang menjadi lebih praktis dan cepat. Dan ini semualah yang saya rasakan beberapa hari yang lalu, ketika hendak membuat kartu transportasi dalam kota, yang tidak memakan waktu lebih dari lima menit.

Pada awalnya saya berangkat dari Camlica ke daerah Altunizade (salah satu nama kecamatan di kota Istanbul), hanya untuk mengurus kartu transportasi yang kebanyakan penduduk istanbul gunakan untuk berpergian didalam kota Istanbul. Karena Istanbul merupakan kota besar layaknya Jakarta kalau di Indonesia, pemerintah Istanbul mengadakan sistem transportasi umum seperti Busway, Waterbus, Metro dan Tram, untuk mengendalikan transportasi dalam kota dan untuk mengurangi jumlah gridlock yang terjadi di jalanan Istanbul.

Ketika sampai di Kantor pengurusan transportasi setempat, betapa terkejutnya saya dan setengah tidak percaya kalau itu adalah sebuah kantor, karena kalau dilihat dari depan bangunannya, terlihat persis seperti kedai-kedai kaki lima yang banyak terdapat di Banda Aceh. Dan juga terlihat beberapa orang sedang mengantri berusaha mengurus urusannya masing-masing.

Setalah sekitar lima menit mengantri, baru datang giliran saya dan saya katakan kepada pengurus yang kelihatan sedang bekerja di depan komputernya itu, kalau saya adalah mahasiswa baru di Istanbul dan hendak mengurus kartu transportasi. Lalu dia meminta Kartu Siswa saya beserta fotonya, dan tidak kurang dari satu menit menunggu, dia langsung memberikan kartu transportasi yang bentuknya persis seperti kartu ATM, dan dikartu tersebut juga tertera nama dan foto pemilik kartu.

Itulah pengalaman saya di Istanbul ketika hendak mengurus kartu transportasi, saya merasa sangat terkejut dengan praktisnya sistem yang sudah berlaku di Turki, mudah-mudahan dalam waktu dekat, negeri kita Indonesia juga mampu menerapkan sistem administrasi yang praktis sehingga dapat memudahkan rakyat seluruhnya, baik yang miskin dan juga yang kaya, Amin.

                                                                                                                                  Muhammad Haykal

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