The most surprising things I learnt about myself on a pilgrimage to Istanbul
This programme was made before Covid restrictions.
Pilgrimage on BBC iPlayer features seven famous faces taking to the open road, trekking across Europe to the historic city of Istanbul. Journalist Adrian Chiles, a converted Catholic; former politician Edwina Currie, a lapsed Jew; Olympian Fatima Whitbread, a practicing Christian; broadcaster Mim Shaikh and television presenter Amar Latif, both Muslims; and two confirmed atheist’s, comedian Dom Joly and actor Pauline McLynn take part. The celebrities will start in Belgrade, travelling through Bulgaria and the Balkans, before crossing into Turkey with the goal of reaching Istanbul and the magnificent Suleymaniye Mosque.
The experience gave the unlikely group the opportunity to consider, discuss and debate what their faith, or lack of, means to them. Mim Shaikh describes his travels.
Religion is such a contested subject. Everybody has their own beliefs and opinions. I would say I was partially religious before this trip. However, this Pilgrimage to Istanbul helped cement my identity as a Muslim. Before the trip, I had a lot of ideas running through my mind about who I am. Questioning a sense of identity, my belonging in the world, and what resonated truthfully for me. Going on this journey made me realise how much my religion means to me. I have been brought up in a family environment where my religion meant more to me than it might do to other people. Because I experienced this upbringing, religion offered me a sense of belonging, of connected consciousness with people who may think the same. In these households, the principle religion was Islam. Had it been Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Catholicism or Christianity, I believe I would still be religious and would have practiced the religion that household observed.
When we traveled through Belgrade, we moved from monasteries and churches, to temples and mosques. Throughout the journey, I was asking questions of other people’s religions - what it meant to them and what I shared with those people. I connected with people who believed in any religion, as I understood their belief system and what it meant to them, because it meant the same to me.
We kept walking past cemeteries on our travels and it made me think about where I want to be buried when I die. I felt weird thinking about that because I know it’s not going to happen for a long time (I hope) however, the thought had never crossed my mind before. The place that came to mind was the Ahmadiyya Muslim Cemetery in South London - the same place I visit on a regular basis when I want to catch some blessings from my late Grandmother. That's where I would like to be buried. I didn’t know that before, and that’s something I learnt whilst going on this journey.
There was one moment on the trip that I won’t ever eradicate from my psyche; reaching the Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul. Before this we had been talking to priests and nuns and visiting religious places of worship where I didn’t feel like I belonged. When we reached the Mosque, I felt this overwhelming sense of emotion. Call it joy, happiness, fulfilment or whatever adjective best describes the experience. But for me it was just an indicator that it resonated, it felt right, it connected with me not just on a mental level but on a spiritual and emotional level. I quickly went to pray, and wanted to say thank you God for allowing me to live the life that I live. I learnt that prayer to me is not just speaking to a God/Allah/a Higher Power and asking them to make your life better, but to also praise/worship/pray in moments of heightened satisfaction.
My grandmother would always tell me stories about my Grandfather and how he used to pray so hard that he cried. That story always stuck with me as I was curious about what emotion he felt, and now I’ve experienced a sense of this on the Pilgrimage. I also learnt that no matter what your belief system is, no matter which God you pray to, whether you believe in God or not, have a chosen religion or not, there’s more that unites us on our journey in this life than separates us. We now find ourselves in such unsettling times, with the Coronavirus pandemic sweeping the world. I just hope the increased sense of faith that I gained throughout this pilgrimage will see me though these difficult times.
Pilgrimage: The Road To Istanbul starts Friday, 9pm on BBC Two.
