İbrahim Taşdemir stands out among fellow imams. At the historic İsa Bey mosque in the western Turkish province of Izmir, Taşdemir seeks to disseminate the messages of Islam and connect them with the “language of love.” His stacks of notes about Islam and his basic knowledge of 25 languages, from Hebrew and English to Portuguese, are enough to pick up the interest of tourists visiting the place of worship located near Ephesus, the most popular destination for tourists to the Selçuk district of Izmir.
Appointed to the mosque seven years ago, Taşdemir quickly set up a routine for visitors from diverse religions and races in a vast array of languages. His hospitality starts with a bowl of candies and cologne he hands out to visitors, a fixture of the Turkish embrace of guests. Asking each visitor which country he or she is from, he speaks a few sentences to strike up a conversation before handing out his “notes” about Islam. The notes contain excerpts from the Prophet Muhammad’s hadith and verses from the Quran about Islam’s view of other religions. He then guides them to a stand containing Qurans in 20 languages, gifting them the holy book of his religion.
For those willing to learn more, Taşdemir guides them to a fountain in the courtyard of the mosque, where he teaches them the basics of ablution, a ritual required for each Muslim before performing daily prayers. Taşdemir says his work “pays off” when he receives letters from tourists praising his work, once they return to their countries.
“I want to show them how beautiful Islam is,” Taşdemir told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Monday. “I speak a little English and some Dutch. I noticed how people are pleased when you speak to them in their own language. They are surprised to see an imam speaking their language. When I see them warming up, I give them these notes,” he says. He says some write him back after they exchange addresses and some even converted to Islam. He added that he delivered some 26,000 Qurans so far to tourists.
Albin Saelens, a Belgian tourist, says he liked the enthusiasm of imam and said he would definitely read the Quran he gave him. Lucas Kowalski, a Polish tourist, said he was happy to learn about the ablution.
