In 1997, uneasy with the presence of a conservative party -- the Welfare Party (RP) -- in government, the General Staff forced the party to step down. The event has since come to be known as the “postmodern coup.” The RP was later closed down.
June 4, 2011
Birand: General Staff ordered broadcasting of anti-Fethullah Gülen recordings
Today's Zaman
Journalist Mehmet Ali Birand has claimed that the General Staff ordered the broadcasting of anti-Fethullah Gülen audio recordings by some TV stations in the run up to the Feb. 28, 1997 unarmed military intervention.
In 1997, uneasy with the presence of a conservative party -- the Welfare Party (RP) -- in government, the General Staff forced the party to step down. The event has since come to be known as the “postmodern coup.” The RP was later closed down.
In 1997, uneasy with the presence of a conservative party -- the Welfare Party (RP) -- in government, the General Staff forced the party to step down. The event has since come to be known as the “postmodern coup.” The RP was later closed down.
June 3, 2011
A Universal Islamic Phenomenon in Turkish Religious Practice: the Gülen Case
Maimul Ahsan Khan*
Fethullah Gülen started his professional career as a traditional imam, trained and certificated by the governmental authorities in Ankara. His innovative ideas of educational and social reform have made him a household name in modern Turkey and increasingly around the world for several decades now. In 2008 he was recognized as the most influential intellectual in the world in a prestigious survey by Foreign Policy journal.
Gülen and those inspired by him have presented a new kind of Islamic intellectualism and altruism coupled with a deeper sense of activism and spirituality that has been missing from many contemporary Muslim movements of the twentieth century. The failure of many politically oriented Muslim movements around the world finds no reflection in the preaching and writing style of Gülen. The revival of other religious groups or non-Islamic religious traditions has not discouraged Gülen in any way from shaping his own ideals of spreading value-based education and people-oriented spirituality and cultural activities.
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| Fethullah Gulen |
Gülen and those inspired by him have presented a new kind of Islamic intellectualism and altruism coupled with a deeper sense of activism and spirituality that has been missing from many contemporary Muslim movements of the twentieth century. The failure of many politically oriented Muslim movements around the world finds no reflection in the preaching and writing style of Gülen. The revival of other religious groups or non-Islamic religious traditions has not discouraged Gülen in any way from shaping his own ideals of spreading value-based education and people-oriented spirituality and cultural activities.
June 2, 2011
Reconciling Democracy and Islam
Muzaffar K Awan, M.D.
‘Allamah Iqbal’s (b. 1877 d. 1938) and Fethullah Gülen’s (b.1938) ideas about democracy in the Islamic context are very similar. ‘Allamah Iqbal had indeed made a proposal of spiritual democracy to the ummah in his “Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam” in his 6th lecture in 1930. We find that many Islamic scholars of today have accepted the idea of democracy and Islam being compatible. Iqbal indeed did not like the idea of importing the Western democratic system and transplanting it as such in the Islamic world because of its extreme secular stance. He still suggested in his writings that there was no alternative to democracy in the Muslim World. Iqbal observed that if the foundations of democracy were to rest upon spiritual and moral values, it would be the best political system for the world. He wrote in the “The New Era” July 28th, 1917 issue: “Democracy was born in Europe from economic renaissance that took place in most of its societies. But democracy in the Islamic context is not to be developed from the idea of economic advancement alone; it is also a spiritual principle that comes from the fact that every individual is a source of power whose potentialities are to be developed through virtue and character.”
June 1, 2011
Religion and Politics in Turkey: To Talk or Not to Talk
Oliver Johnson*
In 1933, after the Great Depression, Franklin Delano Roosevelt set on enacting a broad, far-reaching and eventually hugely successful set of economic policies that came to be known as the New Deal. The New Deal entailed, among others, measures to create jobs for the less advantaged and vastly improve the social security network. Monsignor John Ryan recognized in the New Deal the potential to help the vast majority of the American Catholics, most of which fresh immigrants from impoverished regions of Europe, to escape poverty and improve their social and economic standing.
In 1933, after the Great Depression, Franklin Delano Roosevelt set on enacting a broad, far-reaching and eventually hugely successful set of economic policies that came to be known as the New Deal. The New Deal entailed, among others, measures to create jobs for the less advantaged and vastly improve the social security network. Monsignor John Ryan recognized in the New Deal the potential to help the vast majority of the American Catholics, most of which fresh immigrants from impoverished regions of Europe, to escape poverty and improve their social and economic standing.
May 31, 2011
Turkish team for International Science Olympics chosen
Today's Zaman
Turkey's team for the International Science Olympics has been finalized and will consist of 23 students, the highest number of whom are from the Ankara Private Samanyolu College.
Turkey's team for the International Science Olympics has been finalized and will consist of 23 students, the highest number of whom are from the Ankara Private Samanyolu College.
Poll: Public believes MHP sex tape quake work of ‘external forces'
Today's Zaman
The release of sex tapes involving some members of the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has been coordinated by dark or external forces that are trying to reshape the administration of the opposition party ahead of or after the June 12 general elections, according to the findings of a newly released opinion poll.
The poll was conducted by the MetroPOLL Strategic and Social Research Center.
The release of sex tapes involving some members of the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has been coordinated by dark or external forces that are trying to reshape the administration of the opposition party ahead of or after the June 12 general elections, according to the findings of a newly released opinion poll.
The poll was conducted by the MetroPOLL Strategic and Social Research Center.
May 30, 2011
Zambian President opens Turkish school, commends quality of education
Times of Zambia
President Rupiah Banda has advised the Ministry of Education to pay serious attention to privately-run schools that are low on quality, efficiency, purpose and focus.
Mr Banda said yesterday that when parents pay considerable sums of money they should be able to reap significant harvests of good character formation in their children.
Speaking when he officially opened Horizon Primary and High School in Lusaka's Kabulonga area, Mr Banda said for some schools, poor character among children was still a challenge.
Mr Banda said yesterday that when parents pay considerable sums of money they should be able to reap significant harvests of good character formation in their children.
Speaking when he officially opened Horizon Primary and High School in Lusaka's Kabulonga area, Mr Banda said for some schools, poor character among children was still a challenge.
May 29, 2011
What is Islam's Gulen movement?
Edward Stourton
Turkey's Gulen movement, which promotes service to the common good, may have grown into the world's biggest Muslim network. Is it the modern face of Islam, or are there more sinister undercurrents?
From Kenya to Kazakhstan, a new Islamic network is attracting millions of followers - and billions of dollars.
Inspired by a little-known Turkish imam, the Gulen movement is linked to more than 1,000 schools in 130 countries as well as think tanks, newspapers, TV and radio stations, universities - and even a bank.
Turkey's Gulen movement, which promotes service to the common good, may have grown into the world's biggest Muslim network. Is it the modern face of Islam, or are there more sinister undercurrents?
From Kenya to Kazakhstan, a new Islamic network is attracting millions of followers - and billions of dollars.
Inspired by a little-known Turkish imam, the Gulen movement is linked to more than 1,000 schools in 130 countries as well as think tanks, newspapers, TV and radio stations, universities - and even a bank.
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