Hagop Arzumanian's Prayer Rug and "Gülen's" Watch

Zaman

Hagop Arzumanian, a former soccer referee, is an Istanbul born Armenian. Arzumanian who spent his childhood in Kurtulus, Istanbul and emigrated to Argentina in 1948, came to his hometown for Turkish Language Olympiads after 63 years of longing.

The Gülen Movement and the Wakf Tradition in Anatolian Culture

Taptuk Emre Erkoç

In a previous post ⁽¹⁾ on this site, recent literature on the economic aspect of the Gülen Movement was presented for readers interested in following up this theme from a variety of approaches and perspectives. As indicated in that post, from here on we will look more closely at the concepts that underpin the Gülen Movement’s financial structure. We begin with the wakf tradition in Anatolian culture and how it has shaped and motivated financial contributions to the Movement.

The Key Factors behind the Success of Gülen-Inspired Schools

Ahmet Orhan Polat *

ABSTRACT

Fethullah Gulen

Fethullah Gülen is an innovative Islamic scholar and educator who encouraged education as the path to building a peaceful future. In light of Gülen’s philosophy, the fruits of this educational investment are seen around the globe as these schools distinguish themselves in acquiring academic excellence and moral values in home and host countries. The Gülen-inspired schools, both in their originating country Turkey and abroad, have attracted the attention of scholars due to their continuous academic accomplishments and emphasis on universal ethical values. The provision of quality educational service is evident not only in less developed countries, but also in advanced economies which have an internationally comparable advantage in supplying high standards of education.

Predictable Irrationality of Hizmetophobia: Islamophobia in the Case of Hizmet Movement

Aristotle defines human beings as rational animals, emphasizing reason as a characteristic of human nature. Two thousand years later Descartes rejected the traditional notion of humans as "rational animals," suggesting instead that they are nothing more than "thinking things"1. Today both seem to be challenged further, especially when we consider decision-making and judging others. Using many interesting case studies, Dan Ariely demonstrates in his bestseller that when the issue at hand is somewhat complicated, where even the complexity is as little as an additional choice in a survey form, we humans make rather irrational decisions without thinking. The story does not end there, no matter how silly our initial decisions were, those become anchors for us, and we make a habit of repeating them in the long-term -- hence the title of Ariely's book, Predictably Irrational.2

Trip to Turkey leaves a lasting impression

Charley Honey

The meal was incredible: savory lentil soup, two kinds of bread and salad, stuffed peppers, a scrumptious chicken casserole and a tasty pudding called muhallebi, followed by black tea in dainty glass cups.

When you eat like this, you know you’re in Turkey.

Yobe's Peculiar Boarding Primary Schools

Kabir Matazu

Senator Mamman Ali, the late Governor of Yobe State, had the grand vision of turning around the educational fortunes of the state. Our reporter investigates his dream and the state of schools today.

International Salahaddin Turkish School opens branch in Cairo

Anadolu Agency

One of Egypt's most prestigious schools, the International Salahaddin Turkish School in Cairo, has opened a branch in Beni Suef city after a huge demand.

The more we learn, the more we are the same

Amanda McGill *

Turkey. A cradle of civilization and religion. On a recent trip with the Niagara Foundation’s Nebraska Chapter, I walked the streets of St. John, Trojan warriors and sultans. History was everywhere I looked.

But Turkey is not just about the past. Some 60 percent of the Turkish population is under the age of 35, making it a young nation with minds ready to learn and lead in the 21st century.