A diverse community of friends barbecued adana, a type of lamb shish kebab, Saturday at Highland Park. Muslim and non-Muslim Turks, Americans and students of other nationalities all joined at the cookout hosted by the Turkish American Student Association.
“The organization introduces Turks who are new to the country to the community and introduces them to others who have moved here from Turkey,” said club president Suat Namli, a third-year graduate student.
Roasting lamb on wooden spits is not purely recreational. The tradition comes from the ancient Turkish customary sacrifice of an animal, commemorating the celebration of the prophets Abraham and Ishmael.
According to the Muslim religion, Allah told Abraham to sacrifice his son, Ishmael. Before Abraham completed the sacrifice, Allah stopped him and gave him a lamb to sacrifice instead. Abraham’s faith saved Ishmael, who is the traditional founder of the religion of Islam.
Customarily, a wealthy Turkish family donates a third of the sacrifice to the poor for charity, another third to friends and neighbors and keeps the final third for the family.
Muslims and non-Muslims gather as a group to celebrate this “Thanksgiving-like” feast.
Dilek Suslu, a graduate student in the Research and Counseling Department, said the feast expresses their thankfulness to Allah for everything they have.
“I am thankful that I am part of the Baton Rouge community,” Suslu said. “Instead of having a small Turkish community in Baton Rouge, it is important to become part of this community.”
Suslu said the celebration is just one way the Association contributes to the community. The Association helps Turkish families who recently have moved to Baton Rouge organize their new lives.
The Association has a network of members who share furniture and clothing and help new families shop for groceries.
“A family with four children who recently moved here needed a bed, and my brother, who is single, donated a king-sized bed to them,” Suslu said. “We all understand how they are feeling and the effects of the culture shock.”
Suslu, a mother of two girls, said her original impression of Baton Rouge was not favorable. Suslu came to Baton Rouge from the city of Istanbul, Turkey, five years ago, when her husband began working on his Ph. D. at LSU.
“It was hard coming from such a large city similar to New York City,” Suslu said. “Also, we came in August to Louisiana, and the climate was really hard to bear.”
For the first year in Baton Rouge, Suslu stayed at home with her children and could not attend meetings for the Association and meet other Turkish Americans in the community. Members of the Association assisted her family as they assist other newcomers.
Now planning to teach a Turkish language class at LSU, Suslu has adapted to living in a smaller city and enjoys the “college town” atmosphere.
“Living in a city with a small Turkish population has helped me improve my English,” Suslu said. “After the initial culture shock, I feel that I have easily adapted to the community.”
Suslu also has noticed students’ interest in the Turkish community.
“Non-Turkish students with Turkish friends are interested in taking the language class and learning more about our culture,” Suslu said.