Saturday, August 03, 2013

Ramadan's final week prompts reflections from Istanbul


"This reminds me of a fusion of the Fourth of July in Washington, D.C., and a carnival," I thought as I looked out at the thousands of families and groups of friends spreading picnic blankets on the grass and unpacking carefully prepared packages of dinner. Others possessively claimed a limited supply of picnic tables.

Regardless of whether people actually kept the fast that day, the pressure of being seen in public conformed everyone into one patient crowd -- waiting to eat until the evening call to prayer sounded. Read more

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