Article3-Papa, The Philosopher

                Two weeks ago, the foundations of 3. bridge on Bosporus were laid by Abdullah Gül, Tayyip Erdoğan and other politicians. Abdullah Gül said that the name of the bridge would be Yavuz Sultan Selim, an Ottoman sultan who killed many Alevi Muslims. This decision caused many objections in society because giving the bridge such a name was thought to be an insult for Alevi Muslims. This is the latest thing that has made Alevi Muslims angry. For centuries, Alevi Muslims suffered from being Alevi; they got beaten, killed and forced to be Sunni. All these things happened because they are different from the rest of the society. Like Alevi Muslims; Jewish people in Germany, Kurd people in Turkland and many other people suffered only because they are different. Leo Buscaglia, an Italian writer, wrote “Papa, The Philosopher” to draw attention to the hardships of being different. He tells a memory of his which he experienced in junior high school. It was the first time he had encountered what being different means. After the incident, he went to home and locked himself in bathroom. His father calmed him down and told him that people like them always came across with such incidents and it would not be the last time for him. Buscaglia did not want to be Italian and wanted to be anything else but his father told him that there was nothing to be ashamed but a lot to be proud of being Italian. Buscaglia tells everything happened just as his father said; his Jewish, black and Mexican friends also experienced such insults and incidents. I agree with writer and his father because this is an international phenomenon; it happens everywhere in the world. In Turkland, Kurds, Alevi Muslims and other foreign people come across with such incidents. They experienced and will experience such incidents. Being different or minority is difficult for people. However, as Buscaglia’s father said everybody, every race or every religion has something to be proud of. I am proud of being a Turk and Muslim. There is something I do not agree with Buscaglia’s father. It is that he does not do anything toward the unpleasant event his son experienced. I would have done everything I could to take revenge. I would show them the superiority of my culture and make them be ashamed. As conclusion, I agree with the writer; different people always suffer.