Every visitor to Turkey is aware of the fact that they are travelling into a mostly Islamic country. But once in Bodrum, it’s easy to forget about the difference in religion. Is there anyone who actually cares about the muezzin’s call to prayer five times a day? Where are the women who cover their heads, arms and legs in shame? Where are the Muslims who refuse alcohol? Does anyone stop working on Fridays, the holy day for Muslims? Do the young (and not so young) guys flirting with foreign girls bother if they’re married? Are there any Koran-abiding Muslims worrying about the scanty clothing of local and foreign tourists?

Before my first visit to Turkey eighteen years ago I asked my Turkish boyfriend whether I had to wear a scarf or any special clothes. He laughed, assuring me that I would find the Istanbul and Izmir women dressed more fashionably than their European counterparts. He was right, and I realised that my ideas of Turkey had been formed by prejudices regarding the Islamic religion in general. Once I started to live in Turkey, I found that daily life is indeed influenced by many traditions related to religion – pretty similar to the Christian hemisphere – without most of the people being overtly religious. Fasting at least some days during the month of Ramadan, offering children and guests sweets for the ‘Şeker Bayramı’, (the festival at the end of Ramadan), having their sons circumcised or sacrificing a lamb in memory of Abraham’s sacrifice at the ‘Kurban Bayramı’ – these are traditions that many people stick to.
In Turkey - at least in  this part of the country - religion seems to be a private issue rather than a community event.
In order to give our readers an idea about Muslim life in the pulsating holiday resort of Bodrum, I have asked one of Bodrum’s respected local elders– a typical Muslim if you like – to talk to me about his religion.

You are a Muslim, you believe in Allah. How does your conviction influence your day-to-day life?
You know that there are the Five Pillars of Islam, according to which every Muslim has to arrange his life.
1. Shahadah or Declaration of Faith: By saying this phrase the believer declares his allegiance to God.
2. Praying five times a day.
3. Fasting from dawn until sunset during the month of Ramadan
4. Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca
5. Zakat, the rule of annual charity
For me, obeying to these rules is mandatory.
Do you have to go to the mosque each time you pray?
No, a Muslim can pray wherever he is. I try to go to the mosque at least once a day.
Have you been to Mecca?
Yes, thirteen years ago. It was an incredible experience. I never felt so close to Allah.
      Do the women in your family cover their heads?
No, they don’t. About 30 years ago, before Bodrum became a tourist place, it was considered bad manners for women to leave the house without their head being covered. But times have changed since, everything is liberal now. I don’t blame my wife for not sticking to that rule. In the end, belief is here (gestures to his heart), not in what you wear.
Do you ever drink alcohol?
I used to drink a lot when I was young. One day I decided I had to stop. Now I don’t touch alcohol.
Is religion for you a private issue, just between yourself and Allah, or do you share your convictions, do you discuss religious matters with other believers, have you tried to educate your children to become good Muslims?
For me, these issues are the personal responsibility of each believer towards Allah. But of course religious matters quite often crop up in discussions with my wife or friends. If people in around me behave badly or are on the wrong track, I feel it’s my duty as a Muslim to set them straight. As for my children, of course I would like them to be good Muslims. But my duty was to teach them the basics of their religion and to make them feel they belong to the Muslim faith. I have done my duty, and now the choice is theirs.
What do you think about the relationship between politics and religion?
I think they should be kept entirely separate.
Since the 11th September 2001, Islam has become synonymous with violence and terror for many Westerners. How is it possible that a religion preaching peace can be abused to such violent ends?
I myself, and all the Muslims I know, violently condemn terrorists that act in the name of Islam. They have completely misunderstood the principles of our religion. I’m not only talking about human lives, a real Muslim even cares about an ant on the ground and will not do it any harm.
What do you think peaceful Muslims can do in order to change the image of their religion?
That’s a very difficult question. Actually, the mufti (highest religious authority of a region) preaches on this subject almost every Friday and tells us that we must not accept that these misled fanatics use our religion for their purposes.
  How does it feel to be a Muslim in a place like Bodrum, a ‘centre of sin’?
  Believe me – it’s very hard!  Wherever I look, I see things that sadden me. I have to accept my fate, because Allah has chosen this for me, but I can’t help getting angry when I see people walking half-naked in the middle of the town. I’m not talking about foreigners, because I accept that they have different customs, but the Anatolian people coming to Bodrum and doing all kinds of things they could never do at home, I find that quite appalling...
Well – at the end of the day, this is everybody’s personal decision, and I am sure I’ve taken the right decision for myself.
Thank you very much.