By Amina Sadaf
Translated and edited from Uyghur Times Uyghur Edition
The hall of the Science and Culture Foundation in the Sefaköy district of Istanbul, where many Uyghurs live in Turkiye, is occasionally reserved for activities for Uyghur women. In the past month, activities of different women’s groups on various topics took place there.
The event is to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the “Mothers with book addiction” group organized by Ms. Nefise, who has, for many years, been teaching in the field of education, including meaningful inputs by the ladies in the group about the importance of reading and its effects on the psyche, and brainstorming about the comprehensive quality of women, as well as rewarding mothers who read a lot of books.
All in all, it is considered a significant event. The “Book Moms” group is a group that guides mothers to read books continuously and challenges the group members to read at least twenty pages in their daily life. Also, once every two months, the group holds live gatherings to exchange ideas about the books they have read and conduct brainstorming activities with prizes.
On January 3, they organized the “Women’s Voice” program for the first time. About 40-50 women from all parts of Istanbul participated in this event based on the political education of women. There was a discussion about the ways of independence and the position and role of women in the construction of an independent state.
The “Cultural Meeting” program held on January 21 under the name “Eastern Turkistan Silk Road Culture and Aid Society” also had a rich and informative program, including six mother-daughter pairs competing in 5 stages based on Uyghur family culture and were evaluated by judges.
The “Cultural Meeting” program aims to teach Uyghur culture to girls who have grown up abroad and improve the comprehensive cultural qualities of mothers. The program is one of the most colorful programs there are. Our correspondent in Istanbul, Amina Sadaf, said that such programs are essential in enriching the spiritual life of women in Istanbul. It is an effort to bring color and meaning to her frazzled, mentally damaged, and haunted life.