Understanding Fethullah Gülen (2)

Ekrem Dumanlı

One of the reasons for the difficulty in understanding Fethullah Gülen is the term "community" itself. Unfortunately, the meaning attached to this word connotes a group of people closed to and isolated from the outside world.

Understanding Fethullah Gülen (1)

Ekrem Dumanlı

Some of the most reliable newspapers in the world published important articles about Fethullah Gülen last month [Jan. 2008]. For instance, the International Herald Tribune wrote that Gülen was "an inspiration for Muslims who feel at home in the modern world."

Cemevi next to mosque embraced by residents in Malatya

Since the groundbreaking ceremony of the first ever joint mosque-cemevi (Alevi place of worship) culture center was held in Ankara on Sept. 8, there has been an ongoing debate on the presence of joint religious centers, with Cihan news agency reporting on Monday of a site in Malatya's Doğanyol district that has a mosque and a cemevi standing side by side that is embraced by the residents.

Fresh momentum in Turkey-Pakistan ties

Abdullah Bozkurt

Business-savvy Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was elected only four months ago in a landslide general election victory, may be the best hope to make up for what has been lacking between Turkey and Pakistan, two close friends and allies in a tough neighborhood.

Turkey builds village in Pakistan in honor of Iqbal

A housing complex built by a Turkish aid foundation will be named after Mohammed Iqbal, the spiritual founder of Pakistan who led a nationwide campaign to help Turkey during World War I.

The mosque-cemevi project and the settlement process

In Muş, where I was during the final days of August for the anniversary of the Battle of Manzigert, I had the chance to speak with citizens from both Manzigert and Ağrı about the terror problem and the solution process aimed at Turkish-Kurdish peace. Last Sunday, I was in the neighborhood of Tuzluçayır in Ankara's Mamak district to watch the groundbreaking ceremony for the cami (mosque)-cemevi (house of worship for Alevis) project. While there, I headed over to listen in person to the complaints of protesters opposing this particular project.

The Alevism test

Ekrem Dumanli

The issue of Alevism is a tough and challenging test for everyone. No one can escape this test, including Alevis, Sunnis, leftists, rightists, secularists, anti-secularists, the supporters of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), the proponents of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), etc. This is because it is not restricted to the demands of one specific faith community.

Altruism as a motivating force in Fethullah Gülen’s educational philosophy

Fethullah Gülen’s motivational efforts started initially with teachers and potential sponsors. He went to great lengths to motivate college students to choose education as their profession. He saw altruism as the key to convincing business owners and entrepreneurs of the feasibility of sponsoring educational projects.

Turkish volunteer doctors build bridges between Tanzania and Turkey

Turkish doctors went to Tanzania to give voluntary medical services. The members of the Horizon Medical Doctors Society, including 7 professors and 40 medical staff, first visited Darussalam, the biggest city in Tanzania.

Congratulations to Fethullah Gulen and Izzettin Dogan

Taha Akyol

The foundation of a social and cultural center comprising a mosque and cemevi in the same complex has been laid in Mamak district of Ankara.

CHP Adana deputy lends support to mosque-cemevi project

Yet another figure from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Adana deputy Turgay Develi, has expressed his support for the first joint mosque-cemevi (Alevi house of worship) project launched in Ankara last week.

Turkey-China seek new gateway for business at Tuskon meet

Turkish and Chinese businessmen expressed that both sides are seeking to expand their trade ties at the Turkey-China Investment Forum on Thursday.

Before Oprah: Scholar’s Philanthropic Work Has Huge Impact on Africa

Lachin Hatemi

Centuries of colonization, slavery and diseases ravaged the sub-Saharan Africa. The entire continent was left with a desperate need for an educated and skilled workforce, which can transform the economy and improve the daily lives of Africans. Education is the key to such a transformation and ending poverty in Africa. What are we doing to educate the African youth?

JWF shared its experiences on interfaith cooperation at UN

Here you can find the full speech of Mr. Hüseyin Hurmalı (Secretary General of Journalists and Writers Foundation's Abant Platform) at United Nations High Level Meeting in the Culture of Peace: “The role of interfaith cooperation in promoting a global Culture of Peace"

Lawyer: Claims about Gülen followers among ‘jihadist group' baseless defamation

The lawyer of Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has strongly dismissed claims by a French publication that followers of Gülen are among members of an alleged jihadist formation encouraged by Turkey to fight a political offshoot of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Syria as baseless slanders.

CM inaugurates housing units for flood affectees

Islamabad—A Turkish NGO, Kimse Yok Mu Solidarity and Aid Association headquartered at Istanbul, has built housing units to accommodate 296 flood-affected families in Punjab. It is a grand brotherly gesture from the Turkish people towards alleviating the housing difficulties of the flood affectees of Pakistan.

EU lends support to mosque-cemevi project

The European Union, which has been closely following the rights of Alevis in Turkey for years, has lent its support to a mosque-cemevi project to be built in Ankara.

Fethullah Gulen, the man rushing to put out the fire

Salih Can

“On condition that the national honor is not disrespected, no effort should be spared to establish peace among groups under threat of split within as Alevi-Sunni, Kurd-Turk and Laz-Circassian” Fethullah Gulen

Former CHP Chairman Baykal supports joint mosque-cemevi project

Deniz Baykal, the former leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP), has expressed his support and appreciation for the first joint mosque-cemevi project.“I see this progress as a starting point for the cemevi [Alevi house of worship] to become officially recognized by the state,” Baykal said to the press in İzmir.

Fethullah Gulen's Message on the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks

Fethullah Gülen

I would like to make it very clear that any terrorist activity, no matter by whom it is carried out or for what purpose, is the greatest blow to peace, democracy, and humanity. For this reason, no one—and certainly no Muslim—can approve of any terrorist activity. Terror has no place in a quest to achieve independence or salvation. It takes the lives of innocent people.

People Of All Faiths Come Together For The Library’s Muslim Journeys

Ben Burdick

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” —Rumi

Five new mosque-cemevi projects on the way

There are plans to launch joint mosque-cemevi (Alevi house of worship) projects in five other Turkish provinces in addition to the recently launched project in the Turkish capital city of Ankara, the Radikal daily reported on Tuesday.

Will Alevis and Sunnis be able to hold religious ceremonies together?

Orhan Kemal Cengiz

I was very excited when I first heard about the cami (mosque)-cemevi project that will see Alevis and Sunnis share a worship complex, having their sermons in separate buildings but sharing a yard and using the same entrance and exit.

A cami and cemevi together

A groundbreaking ceremony for the first cultural complex in Turkey that will have both a cami (mosque) and a cemevi (Alevi place of worship) was held in Ankara on Sunday with the participation of Labor Minister Faruk Çelik, Alevi CEM Foundation President İzzettin Doğan, Republican People's Party (CHP) Ankara deputy Sinan Aygün and a number of Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputies as well as other Alevi and Sunni community leaders and members of the public.

Cami and cemevi

Mümtazer Türköne

In fact, both cami and cemevi have the same meaning. Both are of Arabic origin. Cami (mosque) means place of union and cemevi (an Alevi place of worship) means house of union.

Because the differences between Sunnism and Alevism are in the nuances, it is difficult to follow the current debates that surround them.

Joint mosque-cemevi project will contribute to peace in Turkey

Protests against a joint mosque-cemevi (Alevi house of worship) complex project are meaningless because the project will help alleviate tensions between Alevis and Sunnis in Turkey, Alevi community leaders said on Monday.

Clones of Nuh Mete Yuksel?

Bülent Korucu

The archive came for rescue just when I was thinking to myself “I recall what have been recently written against Hizmet from somewhere.” The people who are attracted to Fethullah Gulen’s teachings and trying to do a service have always faced similar accusations in every period of time.

Groundbreaking ceremony for joint mosque-cemevi project held in Ankara

The groundbreaking ceremony of the first ever joint mosque-cemevi (Alevi place of worship) cultural center was held in Ankara on Sunday with the participation of Labor Minister Faruk Çelik, President of Alevi CEM Foundation İzzettin Doğan, CHP Ankara deputy Sinan Aygün, a number of AK Party deputies as well as other Alevi and Sunni community leaders and members of the public.

Fethullah Gulen’s and Spinoza’s Ideas on Tolerance and Dialogue

Kate Kirk* Gurkan Celik**


Dialogue and Tolerance: Spinoza and Gülen

…In his writings and speeches, Fethullah Gülen highlights the tension between Islamophobia and the reality of Muslims in the West that needs to be addressed in order to make sustainable peaceful coexistence possible. Gülen’s ‘alliance of civilizations’—as opposed to the ‘clash of civilizations’—offers a perspective from which this peaceful coexistence is possible. Gülen’s perspective shows that through dialogue groups can come to see that they share common virtues and ideas not simply incompatible differences (Ünal & Williams 2000; Carroll 2007). Gülen, a contemporary theologian, clearly comes from an Islamic perspective: the Qur’an, the Sunnah, ijtihad (independent reasoning, see Yilmaz 2003), and Islamic piety are his reference points, just as reason was the basis of Spinoza’s philosophy. He like Spinoza tries to conceptualize modern peaceful coexistence by conjoining tolerance and dialogue.

Turkish charity sends aid supplies to Syrian refugees in Iraqi Kurdistan

A truck filled with aid packages sent by Turkish charity Kimse Yok Mu (Is Anybody There) arrived at the Kawrgosk refugee camp in northern Iraq on Thursday, and its contents were distributed to Syrian refugees who have fled ongoing fighting amongst various factions in Syria.

Why so merciless on yourself?

Ali Ünal

There has been no prophet who didn’t face lies or slanders about himself. All of them would be exposed to slanders and -God forbid a million times- accused of lying, self-seeking, fabricating the Qur’an -the revealed word of God- or being taught, insanity, sorcery, being taken over by genies (djinns), just reciting poetry or having a “genie-granted” eloquence in other words and many more misdeeds that they wouldn’t have the slightest bit of.

Cemevi project causes no concern of assimilation for Alevis or Sunnis

Head of the Alevi CEM Foundation İzzettin Doğan said on Friday that the first joint mosque and cemevi (Alevi place of worship) project will not lead to any assimilation of Alevis or Sunnis.

Gülen’s ideal: Building bridges between Islam and the West

Helen R. Ebaugh

A major focus of Mr. Gülen’s teaching is the need to create bridges between the Muslim world and the West, along with the importance of synthesizing scientific and technological advances in contemporary Muslim society. He believes that just Turks played a pivotal religious and cultural role under the Ottomans for centuries, Turkey is now poised to lead the Muslim world into the twentieth and twenty first centuries with emphasis on tolerance, dialog, science and education. While Mr. Gülen believes that there is only one authentic Islam based on the Qur’an and traditions of the Prophet, he recognizes the different historical, cultural and social interpretations of Islam in the modern world.

Alevi, Sunni businessmen will finance joint prayer complex

The first joint mosque-cemevi (Alevi house of worship) project in Turkey will be financed by businessmen from both parties, the head of the Hacı Bektaş Veli Culture, Education, Health and Research Foundation, Kemal Kaya, said on Thursday.

Mosque and cemevi in the same complex

Last year deputies from the Republican People's Party (CHP) demanded the opening of a cemevi on the grounds of Parliament, and that demand created much controversy.

Gülen warns Hizmet movement against possible plots

Renowned Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has warned members of Hizmet, a social movement which is known for its cultural and educational activities across the world, against possible plots aiming to portray the movement as a criminal network by placing some illegal materials at houses and institutions affiliated with the movement.

GYV President meets Minister of Gender Equality and Family of the Republic of Korea

President of the Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV) Mustafa Yeşil traveled to South Korea to receive the Manhae Peace Prize on behalf of GYV Honorary President Fethullah Gülen. While in Seoul, Yeşil also paid an official visit to the Minister of Gender Equality and Family of the Republic of Korea Yoon-Sun Cho who offered Yeşil her congratulations and noted she was glad that a prominent figure from Turkey has been awarded this significant prize.

Gulen Movement and Culture of Devotion (*)

Sociologically, every community makes up their own language, their own style. Did this movement make up its own language and style?

Fountain Magazine wins APEX Award for publication excellence

The Fountain Magazine has received an Award of Excellence in publication in the 25th APEX Awards. APEX awards are based on excellence in graphic design, editorial content and the ability to achieve overall communications excellence. The Fountain was granted the award in an intense competition of some 2,400 entries in 2013.

Senior AK Party officials on alleged rift w/ the Gulen Movement

Speaking about claims of a rift between the government and Fethullah Gülen's Hizmet (Service) Movement, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's chief adviser, Yalçın Akdoğan said the AK Party does not conflict with any such community. “The AK Party does politics for the sake of service and the Gülen Movement calls itself Service. We produce service in the political field and they are exerting efforts to produce service in the socio-cultural field. I don't believe there is a conflict between these two great structures,” he said.

Fethullah Gulen: "This Movement is Independent"

This is a part of an interview with Fethullah Gulen by Mehmet Gundem of Milliyet Daily in January 2005.

“Peaceful Coexistence” – Workshop Organized Jointly by KADIP and Korean Religious Leaders

Intercultural Dialogue Platform (KADIP), whose vision is to set up bridges between different cultures and faiths, welcomed religious leaders from Korea in Istanbul.

Mosque, cemevi to be built in same complex

Cem Foundation President İzzettin Doğan

In an effort to strengthen the bonds between the Alevi and Sunni communities in Turkey, a mosque and a cemevi -- an Alevi house of worship -- will be built in the same complex in Ankara, the head of the Alevi CEM Foundation, Professor İzzettin Doğan, said on Saturday. The construction will start on Sept. 8.

Fethullah Gulen: "Neither Now, Nor in the Future Should Our Friends Have Any Ambition for Government"

This is a part of an interview with Fethullah Gulen by Mehmet Gundem of Milliyet Daily in January 2005.

Kimse Yok Mu heals the wounds of flood victims in Sudan

Having arrived in Sudan’s capital city, Hartum, where the recent flood wrecked thousands of residences, Kimse Yok Mu Foundation (KYM) volunteers delivered a total of 300 tents along with food and clothing aid to the local families in need. In addition, 200 children of the orphanage to be renovated by KYM were also provided clothing aid, as a part of the relief efforts.

Thai Minister asks Turkish investors to invest more in education in Thailand

Winners at various International Science Olympiads from Turkish schools in Thailand paid a visit to Science and Technology Minister Peerapan Palusuk. The minister asked Turkish entrepreneurs to invest more in education sector in his country.

Embracing the World: Fethullah Gülen’s Thought and Its Relationship to Jalaluddin Rumi and Others

Ori Z. Soltes*

There is a range of distinct connections that may be found between Rumi in his time and Gülen in his time—our time. Fundamentally, the former one spoke and taught and wrote and while the latter speaks and teaches and writes of issues that reach beyond themselves, because they are not time-bound.

Water well for 10 thousand Pakistani with the money from cattle milk

A philanthropist woman from Kocaeli (a province in northwest Turkey), Siyade Yilmaz, has financed a water well, in memory of her father, at the service of 10 thousand in Daraban town of Tehsil Kulachi in Dera Ismail Khan District in Pakistan.

German media responsive to the claims but not the refutations

Mahmut Çebi

Originating in Turkey, the Hizmet movement has grown in popularity as it has become more visible with its activities. Naturally enough, so have the criticisms and claims in parallel with it. Given the criticisms of the movement, we can safely conclude that there is not a second movement on earth which is directed so diametrically opposite claims as is the Hizmet movement.

Deputy PM says image of gov't-Hizmet fight ugly

Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç on Monday said the image of a fight between his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government and Hizmet movement is very ugly, adding that the government has never wanted to reach such a point.

Is Hizmet making a feint at Turkish Government?

Akif Beki

Journalists and Writers Foundation gave a bulk response to the rumors regarding Hizmet-Government dispute. I did not sense an attempt of making a feint at the government in the text, if we don’t count a few unnecessary sentences.

South Korean religious leaders in İstanbul for interfaith dialogue

A group of South Korean religious leaders visited the Intercultural Dialogue Platform (KADİP) in İstanbul on Saturday to discuss interfaith matters and share ideas about Fethullah Gülen, a well-respected Turkish intellectual and scholar who was recently awarded the Manhae Peace Prize for his contribution to world peace.

Medical professionals sponsor water wells in Africa

A group of medical professionals led by the local Environment and Culture Foundation in Kahramanmaras (a province in Turkey) has contributed to water well campaign by Kimse Yok Mu Foundation. Having seen the movie “Selam”, which was in theaters about five months ago, the medical professionals wouldn’t remain indifferent to the challenges the Dark Continent’s people face for a drop of water. From then onwards, the group has mobilized to contribute to water well campaign and recently delivered the 3 thousand dollars they’ve raised to the local Kimse Yok Mu chapter officials.

Is the Gülen Movement a Threat to the Turkish Government?

Hakan Yeşilova*

The Turkish press has been dominantly occupied with the coup and violence in Egypt and Syria, and one more issue that has erupted, as if out of no where, is a so-called rift between the government and the Gülen Movement (GM), an influential faith-inspired educational movement. The story goes that some influential circles within the ruling party, or supporting it, believe the GM was behind the Gezi Park protests which caused serious problems for the government.

Newlyweds donate $40K wedding jewelries to Tanzania

An Usak (an Aegean province in Turkey) businessman living in Tanzania, Ubeyd Yesil, and his new bride donated their 40 thousand dollar worth wedding jewelries to the university dorm and water wells to be established in Tanzania.