Beyond Headlines: A Day That Changed Our Understanding of Freedom - By: Fouzia Usman

[Part 4 of Journeys with Purpose: Turkey Dairy - Originally experienced in July 2023, reflecting back in January 2024]

From Restaurant Visits to Real Connection

There's an Uyghur restaurant near our home that we frequent. We love their food and always appreciate hearing stories from the owner. But nothing prepared me for the profound experience of spending extended time with the Uyghur community in Istanbul.

I've read articles, watched documentaries, and followed news about the Uyghur struggle for years. But reading or watching is fundamentally different from hearing stories directly from those who have lived through them. SubhanAllah! The difference is like reading about the ocean versus standing in its waves.

When Hospitality Hides Heartache

We visited their community center in Istanbul, where they welcomed us with remarkable warmth. I was struck by their beautiful hospitality—the traditional seating arrangement, the carefully chosen wall decor, the ornate sitting mats. They shared their stories and served us delicious traditional food.

But even after we left, their accounts lingered in my mind. I found myself unable to continue our vacation peacefully. There had to be something more meaningful I could do than simply purchasing a few items from their store or making a one-time donation.

Freedom: A Word With New Meaning

The stories of Uyghur women particularly shook me to my core. Growing up in India, my teachers often spoke about "Freedom" and how fortunate we were to live without British interference. I never gave the word much deep thought.

But after speaking with these women, I realized the true weight of the word "FREEDOM."

Years ago, when I studied under Sh. Abdullah Hakeem Quick and joined his "Andalucian Tours" to Spain, I heard how Muslims were forced to forget their roots. That was history—events from almost 1,000 years ago. What's happening to Uyghurs NOW is arguably more severe than what happened to Muslims in Spain, yet it receives far less attention.

The question consumed me: What could I do? How could I help them in a meaningful way?

Beyond Charity: Teaching to Fish

I've always believed in the wisdom of the proverb: "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime."

With this principle in mind, I developed a proposal for the Uyghur community—an idea that could provide sustainable support rather than temporary relief.

The concept was simple but potentially impactful: The Uyghur Workshop—a cultural immersion experience for Muslim tourists visiting Istanbul. Every year, thousands of Muslim families choose Istanbul as their vacation destination. Among them are many who would happily support the Uyghur community if given a meaningful way to do so.

The workshop would offer families a full day of:

• Hearing firsthand stories from Uyghur community members
• Learning to prepare traditional Uyghur dishes
• Sharing meals with Uyghur families
• Learning philography (a unique form of calligraphy in Uyghur culture)
• Enjoying Uyghur tea traditions
• Building connections that would extend beyond their visit

Alhamdulilah, they embraced the idea enthusiastically. It would allow them to share their stories more widely while also providing economic support for their community.

When Missed Flights Become Divine Appointments

As our trip drew to a close, something unexpected happened—we missed our flight and couldn't secure another one for five days. Initially, I was upset. This meant missing work, taking additional days off, and incurring extra expenses.

I didn't understand the wisdom behind this setback. But after a day of processing my frustration, I embraced the situation and reframed my perspective: When life throws you lemons, make lemonade.

I called the Uyghur sister and explained that we had a few extra days in Istanbul. Could we, perhaps, do a sample workshop with her community? This would allow us to test the concept and gather materials to promote it.

Alhamdulilah, what followed became one of the most meaningful days of our entire journey.

The Workshop Day: From Concept to Reality

We arrived prepared with cameras to document the experience. The day unfolded beautifully—we listened to more detailed stories, cooked traditional dishes together, learned how they make homemade noodles from scratch, shared meals, laughed, and sometimes cried together.

The cooking experience was fascinating. Watching skilled hands transform simple ingredients into traditional dishes, learning techniques passed down through generations, and then enjoying the fruits of our collective labor—this was cultural exchange at its most authentic.

After lunch, we moved to philography class, where they taught us their beautiful art form. The intricate patterns and meaningful symbols reflect a rich cultural heritage that survives despite attempts to erase it.

A Young Voice That Will Stay With Me

A 15-year-old Uyghur girl who helped us throughout the day expressed such joy at the workshop idea. I recorded a conversation with her before we left, and her words still resonate with me months later.

She spoke with some shyness as she's still practicing her English. Born in Turkey, she's never visited East Turkistan—neither have her parents since they fled. Yet she carries all their stories as if they were her own memories.

When I offered some words of encouragement about preserving their culture and sharing their stories, her response touched me deeply: "Sister Fouzia, I am going to frame your words and put them in our center as they are so inspiring. And we need that reminder every day."

From Headlines to Human Connection

As we departed, I reflected on how differently I now understood the Uyghur situation. Before, it was a tragic news story—important but distant. Now, it had names, faces, recipes, art, and the voice of a 15-year-old girl who had never seen her homeland but carried its pain and hope.

My children, too, were transformed by this experience. They now speak of "our Uyghur friends" rather than "the Uyghur crisis." When news about the region appears, they pay attention in a way they never did before.

This is the difference between reading headlines and breaking bread together—between knowing about suffering and knowing those who suffer.

What began as a vacation detour became perhaps the most important part of our journey. The missed flight that initially frustrated me revealed itself as a divine appointment—a chance to turn an idea into action and to deepen connections that I pray will benefit this community for years to come.

In my final post of this series, I'll share how these profound humanitarian experiences transformed our perspective as we walked the historic paths of Istanbul where prophecy was fulfilled. Standing where Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari (RA) is buried, tracing the footsteps of the 21-year-old Sultan Mehmet II who conquered Constantinople, and witnessing how the words of our Prophet ﷺ manifested through centuries of faith and determination—all of this took on deeper meaning after connecting with today's struggle and resilience. Stay tuned for "When Prophecy Becomes Tangible: Walking Where History Was Made.