Tolerance and Dialogue in Fethullah Gülen’s Writings (2)

Yetkin Yildirim* and Madeline Maxwell**

Fethullah Gülen’s Writings on Tolerance and Dialogue

(Cont’d from part 1)

Tolerance, Dialogue and Coexistence

There is a reason why Fethullah Gülen dedicates so much of his writings on tolerance and dialogue to citing their precedence in Islam and history.
By showing his audience the tradition of tolerance and dialogue in Islam, Gülen effectively discredits misrepresentations of Islam as a “violent” religion. Non-Muslims may be ignorant of the presence of these moral values in Islam, especially when they are confronted with media depictions of terrorist attacks. It is important to note, however, that ignorance of the peaceful values of Islam may run both ways. Non-Muslims may fall victim to misinformation and misrepresentation of Muslims and the religion of Islam, but uneducated Muslims, too, may be ignorant of the Islamic commands for practicing tolerance and dialogue. It is these Muslims, ignorant of the call for peace in Islam, who may be vulnerable to misguidance for political ends. Therefore, Gülen’s discussion of the precedence of tolerance and dialogue in Islam also serves to encourage Muslims and non-Muslims to promote and practice these values around the world.

Likewise, by citing examples of the achievement of peace through the practice of tolerance and dialogue in social history, Gülen may provide hope and encouragement for modern communities and nations to follow this positive model of history for the sake of peaceful coexistence. By asking his audience to build bridges among cultures and faiths, he advocates tolerance and dialogue for all peoples and religions of the world. For example, he states:

[B]ehaving like [a true hero of tolerance] does not mean restricting tolerance to a small circle. On the contrary, we intend to endeavor for dialogue and tolerance to embrace all people in waves from the smallest circle to the broadest. …For this reason, it appears to be inescapable that no matter whether being Muslim, Christian, Jew, Buddhist or atheist, all peoples will establish relations with one another and try and find a basis for dialogue and understanding. But before anything else the continuation of this process depends on agreement and reconciliation with people who share the same principles and thoughts (Gülen, 2004a, p. 82).

…It is crucial for Gülen to include all people and nations in dialogue for the consequences of not doing so could be catastrophic. Gülen speaks of separatism as an obstacle for dialogue, and therefore, as an obstacle for understanding and peace. He writes, “Be so tolerant that your heart becomes wide like the ocean. Offer a hand to those in trouble, and be concerned about everyone” (Gülen 2005, 75). Gülen offers the following description as a way to conduct tolerance and dialogue with differing groups:

A believer should melt even the hardest meteors cast at him/her in his/her breast just as the earth’s atmosphere does for our protection, and beginning with his/her closest circle, he/she should radiate to everyone the light of love, affection and dialogue that constantly comes from faith (Gülen, 2004, p. 44).

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Tolerance, Democracy and Education

….It is no wonder then that Gülen speaks so fervently of the importance of dialogue for building democracy. On the relationship between respecting others’ opinions and maintaining democracy, Gülen states: “Democracy is a system of freedoms. However, because we have to live together with our different positions and views, our freedom is limited where that of another begins (Gülen, 2000, p. 151).” Gülen focuses much attention on the role of education in the promotion of dialogue (Agai, 2003, p.54).

In encouraging his audience to strive for peaceful coexistence, Gülen discusses the importance of practicing tolerance for building democracy. Gülen’s discussion of the relationship between tolerance and democracy coincides with his appeal to his audience to support positive models of education for spreading the universal values of tolerance and dialogue around the world.

Gülen remarks that tolerance is an extension of a true social democracy, and that the best way to promote the concept of tolerance is through centers of education. Of tolerance and democracy, Gülen states: “Whereas, since tolerance is a broad dimension of democracy, in regard to democratic rights and freedoms, everyone should be evaluated in the same scales and everyone should have a share of tolerance (Gülen, 2004a, p. 42).” Furthermore, Gülen states: “[I]n a place where there is no tolerance, it is not possible to talk about a healthy media, scholarly thought, or pertinent cultural activities either” (Gülen, 2004, p. 35-6). Gülen states: “We believe that forgiveness and tolerance will heal most of our wounds, if only this celestial instrument will be in the hands of those who understand its language” (Gülen, 2004, p. 29). And for Gülen, the language of tolerance is best taught through centers of education: “[S]ociologists, journalists, artists, statesmen, politicians and soldiers—who have examined the activities of education…have emphasized that these activities will make an important contribution to regional and world peace” (Gülen, 2004a, p. 100).
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*Texas Pavement Preservation Center Research Assistant Professor, University of Texas
**Professor of Communication Studies, University of Texas

Excerpted from the authors’ paper “Tolerance and Dialogue in Fethullah Gülen’s Writings” presented at the conference "Islam in the Contemporary World: The Fethullah Gülen Movement in Thought and Practice", Rice University Boniuk Center for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance, 12-13 November, 2005, Houston

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• Tolerance in the Theology and Thought of Fethullah Gülen
• The Concepts of Tolerance and Dialogue within the Context of Gülen’s Thought