That a certain magic pervades the Middle East is undeniable. Behind this magic lies a multitude of socio-political issues - chief among them the impact of gradual modernisation on Islamic social identities. While the compatibility of Islam with modernity is the subject of frequent debate, some societies seem to transcend the issue of a "lack of compatibility" by adopting a western way of life whilst simultaneously remaining true to their identities. One such country is Turkey, where I saw political liberalism and religious conservatism peacefully coexist. The reconciliation of cultural opposites I witnessed there increased my fascination with the unique historical and religious traits that make the Middle East the political hotspot we know today.

I have always held an affinity for public debate and have thus been a member of the European Youth Parliament (EYP) Finland since 2014. Participating in national and international sessions gave me the opportunity to work on topics such as the refugee crisis, illegal immigration and youth involvement in peacebuilding and conflict prevention. My EYP experience made me acutely aware of religion's impact on the instability of the middle east and made me eager to further my knowledge about the decline of established Islam.

Having had an international upbringing, my outlook is not tied to a single country. This has proved useful during the past couple of months which I have spent volunteering with the Red Cross, working with refugee children. These children are all from war struck countries are nearly all Muslims. Regardless of the complications they were faced with they never doubted their faith. It struck me then that a strong faith on its own is not a cause of chaos and that future generations can be molded into accepting diversity whilst remaining true to their own cultures and identities.

I was immersed in Turkish culture at my summer job. This pushed me to learn the Turkish language, the history of the country, as well as its politics. This was an enlightening experience. The profound shadow of its history as the heartland of numerous empires, as well as religious factors, all make Turkey the place it is today, a crossroad between western and Arab culture. This can be seen in women's dressing. The streets of any Turkish city, are filled with women clad both in short skirts with their hair out, and women in burqas, all living in peace with each others degree of modesty. This harmony, whilst not ubiquitous and fragile, rekindles hope in the reconciliation of western democratic views and Islam. Furthermore, studying subjects such as Religion and Philosophy taught me reflection and reconfigured my perception of the world. Debates about the complexities of God and creation as well as morals have played a major role in motivating me to study middle eastern studies. These debates have helped me realize that faith is not solely believing that God is creator, but is equally a cultural phenomenon and a way of life.

I have always been an academically strong student. Unfortunately, during my final academic year, I began to suffer from painful back problems, which had a significant negative impact on my academic success. At this time, I had already applied to the University of Amsterdam in January and started my studies in Political Science there in September 2017. As time passed, I became increasingly aware that I did not enjoy the focus the program had on European politics, which made me realise that I want to specialise in the middle eastern region. I therefore decided to return to Finland to work and acquire the funds to pay for my education in the UK. Studying in the UK has always been my aspiration due to its multicultural student body and world-class education.

My passion for Turkey's current political situation, literary traditions in middle eastern literature and religious oppositions are only a few of the many topics I aspire to understand with the help of this degree.