Is Turkey a Muslim country? I would describe it as a country in which the majority religion is Islam, just as England is a country in which the majority religion is Christianity. Of both, we could describe them as countries in which people of a particular religious denomination exist in significant numbers. Like England, Turkey is a country in which the dominant religion informs much of its cultural landscape and customs. The notion that these are religious countries, though, is questionable.

The commentariat keeping on telling us that Britain is not broken — “we’re in a state of transition, not collapse,” as Robert Colvile would have it in the Sunday Times. But I can tell you that it is indeed broken, it’s just that those in the know are keeping a lid on it, with gagging orders unofficially in place.

In life, I have learnt that whatever wrong we do will come back on us. If we mock another for their appearance, in due course we will be given that appearance. If we accuse another of certain actions, one day we will end up doing all we accused them of. That’s why it’s best to restrain the tongue and the hands, lest we be the source of our own demise.

I honestly don’t understand this modern trend of spending tens of thousands of pounds on a wedding.

I enjoyed reading an article in the Independent about the so-called scam wedding make-up industry. The gripe of brides seems to be the extortionate fees these artists charge for a woman’s big day.

Always fascinating that in my wife’s extended family, it’s the women who find faith, while the men actively and vehemently oppose it. I suppose they must have greater strength and fortitude than their brothers. Such strength can never be underestimated in a family like theirs.

To the question, “How do Muslims treat women?” you will not get a definitive answer, because it all depends on the individual, their personal circumstances, their family culture and the environment in which they exist.

Here I am sitting, just reflecting on dreams I once had, and how it all came to be. Maybe I forgot those dreams, setting them aside for many years, but everything was nevertheless set in motion. Despite myself, I was granted a companion who shared those ambitions and would help me realise all I once yearned for. Dreams don’t come to fruition overnight; often you have to wait years, but one day all that you once desired you will hold in your hands. These the lessons of life.

I think many of us religious types, especially those raised in very religious homes, don’t understand that most people don’t do religion at all. And that cuts across all communities, even those outwardly perceived to be very religious.

Let’s be frank: ours is a history of extremism. But pause: the we I am using now is not in reference to my adopted religious identity. This is the we of nationhood. I am talking about the extremism of the British in our political actions interfacing with other nations and peoples.

I do believe career progression is all about confidence, and very little about your actual skillset. Of course, if you don’t have the skills at all, you’ll be quickly found out, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy to get rid of you.