Door to Door

I recently posted about wanting to learn Turkish. Ideally I'd like to master German, Greek, and Turkish (and eventually dabble in Italian, Arabic, Thai, Japanese, and Hungarian). So I've spent some time researching various means of acquiring the language. So far there is the quick-speed method that the CIA uses, the lessons published by a Turkish linguistics school (TTSL), and the Rosetta Stone curriculum. All of the above cost money, which doesn't work so well for me. Also, there aren't any advertising Turkish linguists in the area.

This evening I went on one of my drives around the area; specifically the outer limits of the city. I took a side road that branched from Rutherford that I'd never used before just to see if it connected to another familiar road or something. So there I am, trucking along at a very legal speed, when I spot a familiar arrangement of star and crescent. It was the Turkish flag! On the side of a strip-mall store-front! And fairly well lit!

I turned around and pulled into the somewhat vacant lot. There was a hair salon, a small church, a donation center and a few dark windows that must have closed before I pulled in — way before I pulled in. The words brandished over the Turkish flag told me that it was Muhamad's Mosque. I wasn't really surprised that it was a mosque, I actually expected it to be a haven for Turkish immigrants of one kind or another. The lights were on and there were obviously people occupying themselves with something inside so I decided to try my luck. I went up to the door and knocked.

Two gentlemen quizzically welcomed me in. There were crude posters of various (what I assumed to be) religios events from the life of Muhamed and Mary. The place was smaller; it was obviously built for another purpose. The arrangements of curtains and screens further partitioned the room into bite-sized pockets of space. The prevelent odor was clay with a hint of dieing linoleum. There were folding chairs everywhere filled mainly with men and the occasional burqa.

"Can we help you?" the first man asked while looking askance at his partner, aparently looking for answers himself. I told him how I was interested in learning Turkish and how I saw the flag out front and that I thought I might 'inquire within' (as it were) and asked if he knew if anyone would be willing to give lessons.
"No," said the one with the answers. I was somewhat disappointed that they lacked any foreign accent.
"So, there are no Turks that attend here?" I probed again.
"No, it's the flag for the Nation of Islam" The first gentleman gave me directions to the public library. I attempted small talk, but it only seemed to disturb them. A few new faces glanced at me from their folding chairs.

I pulled out and followed their directions until I was out of sight. Then I went to a wireless spot and looked up the turkish flag. Moon on the left, star on the right. I looked up the Nation of Islam. Moon on the right, star on the left. Also, the National history included a small biography of Malcom X (which partially explained why everyone there was black). After a little more research I came to realize that I had stumbled upon a rather rare sect of muslims. A firend of mine told me that I was basically like a black man at a KKK meeting.

I wonder if they have posters of Mary at KKK meetings.