CAP's Islamophobia Report raises some new questions

Aydoğan Vatandaş *

A study(**) on Islamophobia in the US, released by the Washington-based Center for American Progress (CAP) on Friday, highlights how a small group of donors fund misinformation experts who promote Islamophobic sentiments and how their misinformation spreads through the media and grassroots organizers like Eagle Forum.

The research was also reported that these misinformation experts are also manufacturing a smear campaign against the Gülen movement, inspired by the teachings of Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, in the US.

Nazarbayev hails Turkish schools in his country

Today's Zaman

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has praised Turkish schools operating in his country, saying these schools have been making a significant contribution to the development of the Central Asian country.

The Gülen Movement and human rights values in the Muslim world

Özcan Keleş *

Fethullah Gulen

Fethullah Gülen is many things at once and it is this combination of characteristics, abilities and qualifications, some of which have hitherto seemed mutually exclusive, that marks him out from the rest and has provided him with a transformative edge.

Fethullah Gülen calls for ‘bridges of peace' in Eid al-Fitr remarks

Sezai Kalaycı

Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, currently residing in the US, has issued a call for peace and dialogue, warning that failure to address enmities through dialogue could lead to a large-scale devastation for humanity.

Teachers of Wisdom, Knowledge of God, and Dialogue

Enes Ergene

In Gülen's thought, the teacher is crucially important because he or she prepares the individual and society for the future. Traditionally, teachers were the holy carriers of the Muslim community. They toiled under social and human burden of all types, and thus, their power and social respect were both part of their social identity. The corruption of the educational system affected teachers first. As they lost their quality and social influence, the quality of all people descended with them. Here, the manner of action that defines Gülen seeks to honor the teaching profession and to facilitate the reappearance of the teacher on the stage of history. Gülen's vision is bold and broad in its scope; his vision of the teacher is of someone defined by a healthy balance between material and spiritual yearnings, and of someone who has a sacrificing and sincere identity. For Gülen, such a teacher has never been so necessary in any period in history.

Turkish aid ship, volunteer doctors depart for Somalia

Kimse Yok Mu

The "Humanitarianism Is Not Dead" ship departed for Somalia

KYM officials, donators, and volunteers saw the "Humanitarianism Is Not Dead" ship, which held 3,700 tons of aid, off from Mersin port on August 23nd.

Fethullah Gülen: A Vision of Transcendent Education

Charles Nelson *

Abstract

Focusing on the acquisition of knowledge considered to be essential to future careers, schools rarely consider ethics and values as part of the curriculum. This lack, coupled with a materialistic perspective toward educational outcomes, has contributed to the sense of a moral crisis in the U.S. and in its schools. In response to this crisis, a character education movement has attempted to instill virtue into U.S. students. Similarly, another education movement has arisen, that of Fethullah Gülen. This movement has founded hundreds of schools around the world, seeking to integrate science and spirituality in an attempt to raise a "Golden Generation" of individuals who will usher in a world of peace and harmony. Working toward this goal, Gülen-inspired teachers prefer to teach ethics by example rather than by lecture in order not to create conflict between themselves and community expectations. In a culture of individualism and Wall Street and political scandals, however, it is not clear whether U.S. students in general would be inspired sufficiently by moral exemplars alone to inquire into the reasons for their behavior, much less to be transformed into a "Golden Generation." Consequently, this paper explores educational research findings and the writings of Fethullah Gülen, concluding that in a U.S. setting, at least, Gülen-inspired educators should consider incorporating practices of moral reasoning, intention, and self-determined action in their schools.