Family friend: “Hanım Hemşince. Kocası İngiliz.”
Stranger: “Gerçekten mi?”
“Tabii. O müslüman.”
“Gerçekten? Evlilik yoluyla?”
This is where my wife always interjects, raising her voice.
“Hayır! Onunla tanıştığımda zaten Müslümandı. Üniversitede oldu.”
“Onunla nasıl tanıştınız?”
“Ortak arkadaşlar vasıtasıyla tanıştık. Üç yıl sonra!”
I nearly know this conversation off by heart by now, it recurs so frequently.
I really ought to become an active participant, but I enjoy listening to my beloved’s defence of our faith.
Sometimes it messes with people’s heads. Sometimes it plants a smile on their face. Everyone has their own way of responding.
Here, the quiet man in their midst, challenging assumptions and deeply held convictions without even opening his mouth.
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