March 3, 2011

A Communitarian Imperative: Fethullah Gülen’s Model of Modern Turkey

Mark Scheel

The inspiration for the Gulen movement, Fethullah Gulen
Fethullah Gulen
The inspiration for the [Gülen] movement, M. Fethullah Gülen is often referred to as the “Mahatma Gandhi of Turkey” and “the modern Rumi.” Fethullah Gülen is a teacher, Islamic scholar, thinker, prolific writer and poet of broad and significant influence. The topics of his speeches and writings range beyond religious matters to include education, science, history, economics and social justice. His efforts in world interfaith dialogue and interfaith education have been groundbreaking and monumental. Gülen has observed, “There are so many things we have in common to emphasize.”3 A unique aspect of the movement inspired by his teachings is that it is self-sustaining and self-proliferating, not dependent upon the charisma of its founder but rather upon the efficacy of his vision.