Hasan Atak
I like his writing on hazn.com
Deutschtürken: the term for German Turks.
He’s never lived here.
Grew up in Germany.
His grandfather moved there as part of the Anwerbeabkommen - as a Gastarbeiter.
His parents moved there when young.
Now he’s 3rd generation which is said to be the generation that first feels native.
Lives in a neighborhood where you don’t even need to know German because there are so many Turkish people.
His dad is sufi and so is Hasan.
We talked mostly about sufism.
The Quran changing tone partway through, so a Muslim could interpret intended meanings different ways.
There are three words for “heart” so depending on which word someone uses can have religious versus literal versus spiritual meaning.
Now living in Zurich, wants to focus on neuromodulation next.
He did the hajj off-season and said Saudi Arabia did an amazing job making it really friendly and easy for example his mother who needs a wheelchair, they hired the best people management.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Abita Parveen are both Sufi singers.
Rumi claimed by Turks and other nations.
Sufism thriving in Albania.
Quran says Allah is closer than your juggular.
But a Muslim man said “I am god” as his interpretation of this, and was hanged.
Hasan lived in Anaheim for 9 months when he was 23 years old, as a college year abroad, and found it fascinating that such a culture of freedom restricted drinking under age 21, or required the brown bag to carry alcohol from one place to another.
He’s 180cm and said American girls focus a lot on height.