Nesil Caliskan has been elected the new Member of Parliament for Barking. The Labour politician won with a healthy majority, beating her nearest rival by more than 11,000 votes. Her East London seat of Barking has been a Labour stronghold for the past three decades. Its former MP Margaret Hodge, 79, had held the seat […]
This Tuesday, 19 May, is the holiest night of the year in the Islamic calendar and occurs during the last ten days of Ramazan. Known in Turkish as Kadir Gecesi and in English as the Night of Power, this is the night when the first verses of the Holy Kuran were revealed to the Prophet […]
If you are curious about history or Cyprus, the Cezire Association is organising a fascinating afternoon of talks about the ancestors of present-day Turkish Cypriots. Four speakers will present different aspects of Turkish and Islamic influence on the island before the Ottoman conquest of 1570-71. The panel comprises Dr Gökçe Yükselen Abdurrazak Peler, the Vice […]
Halla Barakat was many things to many people. Many of you might recognise her as a pretty face that has been appearing in your social media news feeds in recent days, but maybe you haven’t stopped to read what all the fuss is about. For those of you who have, you would know that […]
“What is this protest about?” I asked a group of young men sitting on the sidelines of a mass rally on the southern side of Nicosia’s Ledra Palace crossing. They took one look at me, all of them with the same unwelcoming frowns, before raising their hands to indicate that they would not speak […]
Those familiar with the British Turkish Cypriot community may well wonder how such a question could even arise. After all, Turkish Cypriots are highly secular and the younger generations well integrated into British society. So well integrated, that most know very little about their Islamic roots. It’s a topic actor and playwright Cosh Omar explored […]
