A Turkish charitable agency “Kimse Yok Mu” has sent aid packages, including food items, to strife torn Kosovo region in Balkans. Many Muslims in Albanian majority areas who suffered in long drawn ethnic conflict in the region are still needy and deserving and often international agencies have been offering help to them.
August 5, 2012
GYV gathers politicians, diplomats at iftar dinner in Turkish capital
Many distinguished figures, including Cabinet members, politicians, diplomats, businessmen and journalists, came together at an iftar (fast-breaking dinner) table on Thursday night in an event held by the Ankara branch of the Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV) at Ankara's Congresium hall.
August 4, 2012
Australian Catholic University Fethullah Gulen International Scholarship
August 3, 2012
Kimse Yok Mu gathers ‘sister families’ at iftar
Zeynep Kırşan, Cihan Acar
Kimse Yok Mu, a Turkish charity, has brought philanthropists, families of martyrs and families in need together for an iftar.
Kimse Yok Mu, a Turkish charity, has brought philanthropists, families of martyrs and families in need together for an iftar.
Bank Asya campaign to support 1,000 students
Turkey's leading Islamic participation bank, Bank Asya, has announced that it will provide a monthly stipend to 1,000 students as part of its corporate social responsibility.
August 2, 2012
Kimse Yok Mu officials hand out aid with flashlights in rain
Mehmet Yaman
Despite the heavy rain, Kimse Yok Mu, a Turkish charity, continued distributing aid packages throughout the night with the aid of flashlights to Rohingya Muslims who have taken shelter in the Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh from the ongoing violence in their home country, Myanmar.
Despite the heavy rain, Kimse Yok Mu, a Turkish charity, continued distributing aid packages throughout the night with the aid of flashlights to Rohingya Muslims who have taken shelter in the Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh from the ongoing violence in their home country, Myanmar.
Turkey extends helping hand to Rohingya Muslims
Through the activities of various NGOs, philanthropists and the Turkish state, Turkey is continuing to send aid to the aggrieved in Myanmar’s Arakan province, where a massacre of Rohingya Muslims is being carried out by extremists.
August 1, 2012
Understanding Structure and Hierarchy in the Gülen Movement – 2
Martin Taylor
In my previous blog post, in an effort to understand and explain how the Gülen Movement (also called Hizmet) operates without a top-down organizational structure, I looked at Gore Inc, a privately owned high-tech company producing over a thousand products and an annual turnover of $2.5 billion with over 9,000 employees and factories in more than 30 countries. Gore Inc operates as a flat lattice organization without any organizational charts, without a hierarchy of managers and fixed lines of communications between them, without a chain of command and pre-assigned lines of authority and without bosses or titles. So I asked this straightforward question: if this huge, extremely successful international high-tech company can run its business on the basis of a flat lattice structure, then surely it should come as no surprise that a non-profit social movement could also do its work, and do it equally successfully, on the same basis – that is, without a central, hierarchical organization.
In my previous blog post, in an effort to understand and explain how the Gülen Movement (also called Hizmet) operates without a top-down organizational structure, I looked at Gore Inc, a privately owned high-tech company producing over a thousand products and an annual turnover of $2.5 billion with over 9,000 employees and factories in more than 30 countries. Gore Inc operates as a flat lattice organization without any organizational charts, without a hierarchy of managers and fixed lines of communications between them, without a chain of command and pre-assigned lines of authority and without bosses or titles. So I asked this straightforward question: if this huge, extremely successful international high-tech company can run its business on the basis of a flat lattice structure, then surely it should come as no surprise that a non-profit social movement could also do its work, and do it equally successfully, on the same basis – that is, without a central, hierarchical organization.
July 31, 2012
Gülen Donates $10k for Rohingya Aid
Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has donated US $10,000 to support Rohingya Muslims who have become embroiled in sectarian violence since early June, reports Today’s Zaman. The cash was earned from the sale of his books and audio recordings and will be distributed through leading Turkish charity Kimse Yok Mu (Is Anybody There) to refugees in Bangladesh’s Cox Bazar over the border from Burma’s western Arakan State. Communal violence is grinding on despite the Naypyidaw government declaring a state of emergency with Muslim Rohingyas increasingly being targeted in attacks that have included killings, rape and physical abuse, claims Amnesty International.
Published on The Irrawaddy News Magazine, 31 July 2012, Tuesday
Related Articles:
Published on The Irrawaddy News Magazine, 31 July 2012, Tuesday
Related Articles:
Fethullah Gülen makes donation to needy Myanmar Muslims
Turkish Islamic scholar and intellectual Fethullah Gülen has donated $10,000 to support Myanmar Muslims who have long faced discrimination in the Asian country and have been targeted in killings by local Buddhists.
Academics from UK Impressed with Dialogue Efforts in Turkey
Academics from Britain visited Turkey for the “Debates on Multiculturalism 2” meeting, were also present at the Journalists and Writers Foundation (JWF) to receive a presentation on dialogue efforts carried out by the foundation.
July 30, 2012
Six Days in Turkey... The Many Lessons
Ike Abonyi
Courtesy of a Turkey-based non-governmental organisation, Ufuk Foundation, select journalists from Nigeria visited Turkey recently during which they glimpsed the country’s secular and liberal life.
On July 8, 2012, six senior journalists based in Abuja, Nigeria left the country for Turkey. The desire to visit the country stemmed from various reasons: it is one of the few countries that belong to two continents and one of the countries that is an Islamic nation yet operates as if its a secular state.
Courtesy of a Turkey-based non-governmental organisation, Ufuk Foundation, select journalists from Nigeria visited Turkey recently during which they glimpsed the country’s secular and liberal life.
On July 8, 2012, six senior journalists based in Abuja, Nigeria left the country for Turkey. The desire to visit the country stemmed from various reasons: it is one of the few countries that belong to two continents and one of the countries that is an Islamic nation yet operates as if its a secular state.
July 29, 2012
Opposition to the Gulen Movement: Who and why? (2)
fgulen.org
What was the “West Working Group” and why did it target the Gülen Movement?
The West Working Group was a group set up initially within the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK); it was subsequently abolished or modified into various tactical units. The West Working Group interfered with politics and governance and became a unit that planned anti-democratic schemes and putsch-like events. (Since the group was disbanded, its members have resurfaced in warfare units in the TSK that have continued to plot strategies for coup attempts.) The group claimed its name epitomized its adherence to Western values because Westernization is one of the fundamental principles of the Turkish Republic.
What was the “West Working Group” and why did it target the Gülen Movement?
The West Working Group was a group set up initially within the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK); it was subsequently abolished or modified into various tactical units. The West Working Group interfered with politics and governance and became a unit that planned anti-democratic schemes and putsch-like events. (Since the group was disbanded, its members have resurfaced in warfare units in the TSK that have continued to plot strategies for coup attempts.) The group claimed its name epitomized its adherence to Western values because Westernization is one of the fundamental principles of the Turkish Republic.
July 28, 2012
Businessmen, politicians, religious leaders come together at GYV iftar
Many distinguished figures, including Turkey's spiritual leaders, politicians, artists, diplomats, businessmen and journalists came together at the same iftar (fast-breaking dinner) table in Istanbul's Conrad Hotel on Wednesday night at an event held by the Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV).
July 27, 2012
Introducing the Gulen Movement: Prophet’s Path in the Twenty-first Century
Muzaffar K. Awan, MD. *
In the contemporary world, the relations between people of the world are becoming more cordial as territorial borders are becoming less important in a globalizing world. Also, the people around the world increasingly share some common universal values such as the importance of genuine democracy, economic justice, human rights, rule of law and freedom in a much more challenging way compared to the past. However, despite the existence of such hopeful developments, our present and early twenty-first century is not genuinely democratic. Our world as a whole still constitutes immature and disorderly global system of neoliberal politics, neoliberal capitalism, sovereign self-centric nation-states, and other forms of social and moral schism is rapidly surging forward, like an immense and stormy ocean, heading toward planetary disaster. We are facing the dead-end. Either we create a truly global democratic renaissance for the twenty-first century by founding a holistic global civilization or we undergo an utter loss – and the immense promise of our common human project may be lost forever on our failed spaceship earth. The choice remains ours still and we must summon the moral courage, genuine political and collective will for immediate action to set up an integrated global legal system and a holistic earthly civil society. [1]
In the contemporary world, the relations between people of the world are becoming more cordial as territorial borders are becoming less important in a globalizing world. Also, the people around the world increasingly share some common universal values such as the importance of genuine democracy, economic justice, human rights, rule of law and freedom in a much more challenging way compared to the past. However, despite the existence of such hopeful developments, our present and early twenty-first century is not genuinely democratic. Our world as a whole still constitutes immature and disorderly global system of neoliberal politics, neoliberal capitalism, sovereign self-centric nation-states, and other forms of social and moral schism is rapidly surging forward, like an immense and stormy ocean, heading toward planetary disaster. We are facing the dead-end. Either we create a truly global democratic renaissance for the twenty-first century by founding a holistic global civilization or we undergo an utter loss – and the immense promise of our common human project may be lost forever on our failed spaceship earth. The choice remains ours still and we must summon the moral courage, genuine political and collective will for immediate action to set up an integrated global legal system and a holistic earthly civil society. [1]
July 26, 2012
Opposition to the Gulen Movement: Who and why? (1)
fgulen.org
Why do some (in Turkey in particular) oppose the Gülen Movement?
For those who have exploited and usurped Turkey’s wealth and resources for years, the altruism of those raised among the Gülen Movement is a challenge to their way of thinking. They have found their logic upset. For they see that while they seek to siphon money and resources illegally from the state and people’s pockets, others have begun instead to construct alternate modes of behavior and generate alternative meanings. This offers a symbolic challenge to the more usual rationality of calculation, established bureaucratic routines, and means–end relationships. The challenge arises from the given-for-nothing nature of the “offering” and the directness of personal commitment. These two features demonstrate that sharing with others is not reducible to instrumental logic. In essence, the Gülen Movement reminds everyone of the limitations of a system’s power over people and events. It calls into question the System’s sway over us and invites us to assume greater responsibility for our choices and actions. In so doing, it becomes a vital component in the renewal of civil society and the reinforcement of social cohesion. For precisely those reasons there is counter-mobilization by vested interests.
Why do some (in Turkey in particular) oppose the Gülen Movement?
For those who have exploited and usurped Turkey’s wealth and resources for years, the altruism of those raised among the Gülen Movement is a challenge to their way of thinking. They have found their logic upset. For they see that while they seek to siphon money and resources illegally from the state and people’s pockets, others have begun instead to construct alternate modes of behavior and generate alternative meanings. This offers a symbolic challenge to the more usual rationality of calculation, established bureaucratic routines, and means–end relationships. The challenge arises from the given-for-nothing nature of the “offering” and the directness of personal commitment. These two features demonstrate that sharing with others is not reducible to instrumental logic. In essence, the Gülen Movement reminds everyone of the limitations of a system’s power over people and events. It calls into question the System’s sway over us and invites us to assume greater responsibility for our choices and actions. In so doing, it becomes a vital component in the renewal of civil society and the reinforcement of social cohesion. For precisely those reasons there is counter-mobilization by vested interests.
July 25, 2012
Gülen Movement and Politics (2)
fgulen.org
Does the Gülen Movement engage in political rhetoric or partisan politics?
The character of the services (that the participants are engaged in providing) keeps them away from the everyday and largely pointless partisan fights and rhetoric of political parties; participants do not divert or exhaust their energies in political skirmishes. The effectiveness of the Gülen Movement’s activities arises from its openness and receptiveness, and the efficiency of available forms of representation. This quality of the Gülen Movement contradicts the dominant understanding of social movements in the West, which sees movements as always contentious and conflictual.
Does the Gülen Movement engage in political rhetoric or partisan politics?
The character of the services (that the participants are engaged in providing) keeps them away from the everyday and largely pointless partisan fights and rhetoric of political parties; participants do not divert or exhaust their energies in political skirmishes. The effectiveness of the Gülen Movement’s activities arises from its openness and receptiveness, and the efficiency of available forms of representation. This quality of the Gülen Movement contradicts the dominant understanding of social movements in the West, which sees movements as always contentious and conflictual.
July 24, 2012
Gülen Movement and Politics (1)
fgulen.org
Is the Gülen Movement a political movement, action or actor?
No. A political movement presses for a different distribution of roles, rewards or resources in society and therefore clashes with the power which imposes rules within the structural organization of the state; a non-political movement strives for a more efficient functioning of the system or apparatus of society or, in fact, for that system’s more successful outcomes. It does not pass the established limits of the system or its written and unwritten rules, regulations and norms. The Gülen Movement fits the description of a non-political movement, so despite being a collective action or mobilization, it cannot be said to be a political movement.
Is the Gülen Movement a political movement, action or actor?
No. A political movement presses for a different distribution of roles, rewards or resources in society and therefore clashes with the power which imposes rules within the structural organization of the state; a non-political movement strives for a more efficient functioning of the system or apparatus of society or, in fact, for that system’s more successful outcomes. It does not pass the established limits of the system or its written and unwritten rules, regulations and norms. The Gülen Movement fits the description of a non-political movement, so despite being a collective action or mobilization, it cannot be said to be a political movement.
July 23, 2012
Gülen schools or Gülen-inspired schools?
fgulen.org
What kind of schools does Gülen advocate?
The schools inspired by Fethullah Gülen's educational understanding are not religious or Islamic.
Instead, they are secular private schools inspected by state authorities and sponsored by parents and entrepreneurs. They follow secular, state-prescribed curricula and internationally recognized programs.
What kind of schools does Gülen advocate?
The schools inspired by Fethullah Gülen's educational understanding are not religious or Islamic.
Instead, they are secular private schools inspected by state authorities and sponsored by parents and entrepreneurs. They follow secular, state-prescribed curricula and internationally recognized programs.
July 22, 2012
’60 Minutes’ segment on Gulen Movement highly speculative
Ahmed Rehab
By most objective standards, Fethullah Gulen is a hero of the modern age. While religious polarization has emerged as one of the most nagging problems our time, stumping educators and causing politicians to loose sleep, the Turkish Muslim scholar has inspired millions around the world to rise above petty ideological differences that only work to divide people and instead to embrace all human beings as God’s creation regardless of their faith, national identity, or ideological affiliation.
For Gulen, Jews, Christians, Muslims, atheists, secular nationalists and others have shed too much blood and exhausted too many centuries declaring each other enemies; Instead, he sees ignorance as the common enemy of all people.
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| Ahmed Rehab |
For Gulen, Jews, Christians, Muslims, atheists, secular nationalists and others have shed too much blood and exhausted too many centuries declaring each other enemies; Instead, he sees ignorance as the common enemy of all people.
July 21, 2012
Gabonese President: My country is very satisfied with Turkish school
Minhac Çelik
President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon has said his country is very satisfied with a school opened by Turkish volunteers there and called on volunteers to open more schools.
President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon has said his country is very satisfied with a school opened by Turkish volunteers there and called on volunteers to open more schools.
‘No indication Hizmet movement involved in politics’
During an interview, CHP leader Kılıçdaroğlu responded to a question about the alleged role of religious communities in Turkey.
July 20, 2012
Gülen Movement on Islam and secularism
fgulen.org
Do Fethullah Gülen and the Movement oppose secularism?
Not at all. As outlined earlier, Fethullah Gülen and the Journalists and Writers Foundation (JWF) have brought together on common ground secularists and anti-secularists, who had been artificially separated on this issue. Fethullah Gülen argues that secularism should not be an obstacle to religious devoutness, nor should devoutness constitute a danger to secularism. The JWF platforms help to bring these two groups in Turkish society into dialogue.
Do Fethullah Gülen and the Movement oppose secularism?
Not at all. As outlined earlier, Fethullah Gülen and the Journalists and Writers Foundation (JWF) have brought together on common ground secularists and anti-secularists, who had been artificially separated on this issue. Fethullah Gülen argues that secularism should not be an obstacle to religious devoutness, nor should devoutness constitute a danger to secularism. The JWF platforms help to bring these two groups in Turkish society into dialogue.
July 19, 2012
Photos of Fethullah Gülen's room published online
Photos of Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen's room were recently posted online on the religious website herkül.org, daily Hürriyet reported.
The photos show the bedroom of Gülen, which includes his bed and his study desk.
The photos show the bedroom of Gülen, which includes his bed and his study desk.
Kimse Yok Mu to distribute 90,000 food packages during Ramadan
The Kimse Yok Mu (Is Anybody There) charity foundation will be offering aid packages to 90,000 families in all the 81 provinces during the holy month of Ramadan.
July 18, 2012
A Sneaky Smear Network in the U.S.: Anti-Hizmet Bloggers Tied to Fear Inc.
Veli Keskin
A sneaky smear network against the Hizmet Movement, is run by people associated with the Fear Inc, a secretive and controversial extremist xenophobic sect. With several bloggers cooperating with a group of commentators, this sneaky smear network is substantially pervasive than most news networks. A lack of awareness about this situation persists despite it being addressed by a national think-tank study, a national paper column, also refutations by Fethullah Gulen and Hizmet Movement.
A sneaky smear network against the Hizmet Movement, is run by people associated with the Fear Inc, a secretive and controversial extremist xenophobic sect. With several bloggers cooperating with a group of commentators, this sneaky smear network is substantially pervasive than most news networks. A lack of awareness about this situation persists despite it being addressed by a national think-tank study, a national paper column, also refutations by Fethullah Gulen and Hizmet Movement.
July 17, 2012
The Gülen Movement: A Sufi-type Spirituality for Modern Societies
Thomas Michel
1. The need for a modern spirituality
The emergence in Europe and North America of interest in the thought of Turkish scholar Fethullah Gulen is a phenomenon that demands explanation. Several American universities, such as Rice and Georgetown, have held academic seminars to study the various aspects of his thought. In Europe, in the Netherlands, for example, at least four universities (Nijmegen, Tilburg, Erasmus in Rotterdam, and Amsterdam) have hosted seminars on “Forerunners for Peace,” which prominently feature the views of Gulen and his movement.
1. The need for a modern spirituality
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| Fethullah Gulen |
July 16, 2012
Is Fethullah Gülen a revolutionary; is he an Islamist?
fgulen.org
Is Fethullah Gülen a revolutionary?
Fethullah Gülen is non-political. He does not want to politicize Islamic values and is seen as a reformist thinker rather than a revolutionary. He seeks to address the spiritual needs of the people, to educate the masses, and to provide some stability in times of turmoil. It is wrong to accuse him of seeking political power.
Is Fethullah Gülen a revolutionary?
Fethullah Gülen is non-political. He does not want to politicize Islamic values and is seen as a reformist thinker rather than a revolutionary. He seeks to address the spiritual needs of the people, to educate the masses, and to provide some stability in times of turmoil. It is wrong to accuse him of seeking political power.
July 15, 2012
Fethullah Gülen’s understanding of democracy
fgulen.org
What is Fethullah Gülen’s understanding of democracy?
Fethullah Gülen directly criticizes Islamist political thought in his many books and articles and argues in favor of democracy and the modernization and consolidation of democratic institutions in order to build a society where individual rights are respected and protected. He carefully makes clear his position that some forms of democracy are preferable to others and is cautiously optimistic about its development:
What is Fethullah Gülen’s understanding of democracy?
Fethullah Gülen directly criticizes Islamist political thought in his many books and articles and argues in favor of democracy and the modernization and consolidation of democratic institutions in order to build a society where individual rights are respected and protected. He carefully makes clear his position that some forms of democracy are preferable to others and is cautiously optimistic about its development:
July 14, 2012
Kimse Yok Mu awarded Medal of Honor in Peru
The Congress of the Republic of Peru has awarded a Medal of Honor to the Kimse Yok Mu (Is Anybody There) aid foundation for extending a helping hand to the country in the aftermath of a powerful earthquake in 2007.
Abant Platforms' contribution to societal wellbeing
fgulen.org
What are the “Abant platforms” and what is their purpose?
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The Journalists and Writers Foundation (JWF) (established in 1994) set up a number of platforms – for example, the Literature, Dialogue Eurasia, Women’s and Abant platforms. In common parlance they are all often called the “Abant Platforms”, though they are more accurately the “JWF Platforms.”
What are the “Abant platforms” and what is their purpose?
July 13, 2012
A Case for Not Fearing Islamism
Robert Wright *
Everywhere in Turkey, it seems, are signs that the nation is getting more religious. There are more head scarves in Istanbul than there used to be, and you see them at universities, where they used to be banned. People even leave work for Friday prayers--and secular bosses who 20 years ago would have been indignant about this now stoically accept it. This is the new Turkey.
Everywhere in Turkey, it seems, are signs that the nation is getting more religious. There are more head scarves in Istanbul than there used to be, and you see them at universities, where they used to be banned. People even leave work for Friday prayers--and secular bosses who 20 years ago would have been indignant about this now stoically accept it. This is the new Turkey.
July 12, 2012
Fethullah Gülen and Gülen Movement on Global Issues and Serving Humanity
fgulen.org
What does Gülen believe to be the main problem in the world?
Fethullah Gülen believes that the main problem in the world is lack of knowledge, and related problems concerning the production and control of knowledge.
What does Gülen believe to be the main problem in the world?
Fethullah Gülen believes that the main problem in the world is lack of knowledge, and related problems concerning the production and control of knowledge.
July 11, 2012
Fethullah Gulen's relationship with the schools established worldwide
fgulen.org
What is Fethullah Gülen's relationship with the schools established in Turkey and abroad?
There is not a single school in the records of the National Education Ministry of Turkey or anywhere else in the world which is registered in the name of Fethullah Gülen; they are all registered in the names of foundations.
In Turkey, the Ministry of Education carries out the necessary checks in the schools and the hostels in partnership with local authorities. In other countries, the schools are all inspected and monitored by the relevant authorities.
What is Fethullah Gülen's relationship with the schools established in Turkey and abroad?
In Turkey, the Ministry of Education carries out the necessary checks in the schools and the hostels in partnership with local authorities. In other countries, the schools are all inspected and monitored by the relevant authorities.
Gülen Movement's interest in the media
fgulen.org
What is the reason for the Gülen Movement's interest in the media?
Fethullah Gülen was the first preacher in Turkey to have his lectures made available on audio and video cassettes to the general public in Turkey.
He encourages the use of mass media to inform people about matters of individual and collective concern.
What is the reason for the Gülen Movement's interest in the media?
Fethullah Gülen was the first preacher in Turkey to have his lectures made available on audio and video cassettes to the general public in Turkey.
He encourages the use of mass media to inform people about matters of individual and collective concern.
July 10, 2012
Getting it when you lose
Ekrem Dumanlı
Years ago, Zaman’s editorial board was having a regular brainstorming session in Ankara’s Kızılcahamam. As usual, we invited an influential political figure to one session of the meeting.
Years ago, Zaman’s editorial board was having a regular brainstorming session in Ankara’s Kızılcahamam. As usual, we invited an influential political figure to one session of the meeting.
Kimse Yok Mu poised to aid needy worldwide during Ramadan
With the month of Ramadan drawing closer, the Kimse Yok Mu (Is Anybody There) charity organization has completed its preparations to extend a helping hand to people in need around the world as well as in Turkey by distributing aid packages and organizing meals in large public squares.
July 9, 2012
How are the intercultural and interfaith activities of the Gülen Movement viewed in Turkey?
fgulen.org
The intercultural and interfaith activities of the Gülen Movement are generally seen in a very positive light and as being ‘closely related to Turkey's future’.
A prominent example of Gülen’s personal participation in intercultural affairs (and of the opposition to his work by the protectionist elite) was his meeting with Pope John Paul II. This meeting was seen as a major development. Turkish commentators who criticized Gülen for this meetings were themselves in turn publicly criticized for preferring to be ‘an isolationist–totalitarian regime.’
The intercultural and interfaith activities of the Gülen Movement are generally seen in a very positive light and as being ‘closely related to Turkey's future’.
July 8, 2012
International students volunteer in charity Kimse Yok Mu activity
90 students from 17 countries who traveled to Turkey as part of an EU project coordinated by Ankara’s Gazi University prepared aid packages at the facilities of the charitable organization Kimse Yok Mu (Is Anybody There?) on Thursday.
Has Yıldırım declared war on Gülen?
Cüneyt Özdemir
The above headline belonged to the article most read on Thursday. However, there was no such question within the news report [covering statements by Fenerbahçe Chairman Aziz Yıldırım in which he reportedly said he will fight against Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen] to which that headline belonged.
The above headline belonged to the article most read on Thursday. However, there was no such question within the news report [covering statements by Fenerbahçe Chairman Aziz Yıldırım in which he reportedly said he will fight against Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen] to which that headline belonged.
Journalists and Writers Foundation Pays a Tribute to Old Friends
Journalists and Writers Foundation (JWF) organized a tribute dinner in Istanbul for the old friends that contributed to the same cause, dialogue and mutual understanding, from the very beginning. Program, held in Mabeyn Resutaurant, Altunizade, began with a slight show composed of the photographs taken during the initial years of the foundation.
July 7, 2012
Experiences with Hizmet and the Followers of Fethullah Gülen
Leo D. Lefebure
Since the 1990s, I have been involved in a variety of dialogues with Muslims in the United States and around the world. When I moved to Georgetown University in the summer of 2005, I became acquainted with the members of the Rumi Forum in Washington, DC, which is affiliated with the international Islamic movement known as Hizmet, a Turkish word that means “Service.” Since the movement is inspired by the example and writings of Turkish Muslim leader Fethullah Gülen, outside observers often refer to this as “the Gülen movement.” At the time I moved to Washington, DC, the director of the Rumi Forum was Ali Yurtsever, a dynamic, friendly leader with a seemingly insatiable interest in interreligious dialogue and friendship.
Since the 1990s, I have been involved in a variety of dialogues with Muslims in the United States and around the world. When I moved to Georgetown University in the summer of 2005, I became acquainted with the members of the Rumi Forum in Washington, DC, which is affiliated with the international Islamic movement known as Hizmet, a Turkish word that means “Service.” Since the movement is inspired by the example and writings of Turkish Muslim leader Fethullah Gülen, outside observers often refer to this as “the Gülen movement.” At the time I moved to Washington, DC, the director of the Rumi Forum was Ali Yurtsever, a dynamic, friendly leader with a seemingly insatiable interest in interreligious dialogue and friendship.
July 6, 2012
Yıldırım denies being outraged at Gülen, refutes recent article
Fenerbahçe Chairman Aziz Yıldırım has refuted a recent news report that claimed Yıldırım was angry with Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen but spoke highly of the prime minister. Yıldırım said the report was written without his will or knowledge and that the claims about some people he reportedly praised or criticized are not true.
They will not be able to make football an arena for enmity
Hüseyin Gülerce
Centers and circles of power that fail to understand or accept the transition from guardianship to democracy, from old Turkey to new Turkey -- in other words, the great transformation -- are now trying new methods of stalling the process. There are signs they want to make football an arena for assault, aggression or enmity.
Centers and circles of power that fail to understand or accept the transition from guardianship to democracy, from old Turkey to new Turkey -- in other words, the great transformation -- are now trying new methods of stalling the process. There are signs they want to make football an arena for assault, aggression or enmity.
July 5, 2012
Kurdish problem, PKK, AKP, Hizmet
İhsan Yılmaz
The Kurdish problem in Turkey has many domestic and international dimensions. It is, of course, impossible to touch upon all of these in a column. Thus, I will look at only a few of these aspects.
The Kurdish problem in Turkey has many domestic and international dimensions. It is, of course, impossible to touch upon all of these in a column. Thus, I will look at only a few of these aspects.
July 4, 2012
Fethullah Gulen and Gulen Movement: A Brief Introduction
Kashif Khasan Khan *
We often talk about revivalism in education system so as to change the direction of our young generation, who seems to have forgotten the very fundamentals. Undoubtedly, our leaders have played a vital role and contributed a lot to it, but we can’t live up to that forever; we need some continuous changes as we witness changes in every aspect of our life in every few span of hours. Those who want to contribute to society or want some reforms have to get concerned with the education system.
We often talk about revivalism in education system so as to change the direction of our young generation, who seems to have forgotten the very fundamentals. Undoubtedly, our leaders have played a vital role and contributed a lot to it, but we can’t live up to that forever; we need some continuous changes as we witness changes in every aspect of our life in every few span of hours. Those who want to contribute to society or want some reforms have to get concerned with the education system.
July 3, 2012
The sociology of the International Turkish Olympiads
Ramazan Gözen *
The 10th International Turkish Olympiads were held in 41 Turkish cities between May 30 and June 14.
Among the activities were singing Turkish songs, reciting poems and performing folk dances. With the participation of 1,500 young people from 135 countries, the events took place in 35 football stadiums and on 65 stages. Thus the activities acquainted Turkish society with different cultures from all over the world.
Among the activities were singing Turkish songs, reciting poems and performing folk dances. With the participation of 1,500 young people from 135 countries, the events took place in 35 football stadiums and on 65 stages. Thus the activities acquainted Turkish society with different cultures from all over the world.
July 2, 2012
Anthropologist: Turkish Muslimhood replacing Islamism
Yonca Poyraz Doğan
According to Jenny White, an anthropologist specializing in Turkey, Turkey's national identity has been in a process of redefinition, and during this process the notion of Muslimhood has replaced Islamism.
“Muslimhood implies a different understanding of personhood. If you are a pious Muslim and you enter politics, the assumption is that you become an Islamist. But the theologians behind the Muslimhood model ask: ‘Why should that be so? Do Christian politicians become Christianists when they enter politics?'” she told Today's Zaman for Monday Talk.
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| Jenny White (Photo: Today's Zaman) |
“Muslimhood implies a different understanding of personhood. If you are a pious Muslim and you enter politics, the assumption is that you become an Islamist. But the theologians behind the Muslimhood model ask: ‘Why should that be so? Do Christian politicians become Christianists when they enter politics?'” she told Today's Zaman for Monday Talk.
July 1, 2012
Love and Truth in Democratic Societies: Fethullah Gülen and Pope Benedict XVI on Social Questions
Thomas Michel
On June 29, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI issued a new encyclical letter entitled Caritas in Veritate, that is, Love in Truth or "Truth-filled Love." This letter was directed to Christians and to all those who are interested in facing seriously questions regarding democracy, justice, and development in our modern world. The influential Muslim scholar Fethullah Gulen, whose thought we are studying in this Congress, has also written extensively on many of these topics. In keeping with the Congress theme of "East and West Encounters," I will try to bring together the views of these two religious leaders in a type of "dialogue of ideas."
June 30, 2012
Harrington: Gulen movement will contribute to the American values
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| Aydogan Vatandas (L) and James Harrington |
June 29, 2012
Sudanese deputy minister hails Turkish relief efforts
Ayten Çiftçi
Sudanese Health and Social Insurance Deputy Minister Khadija Abu El-Gassim Haj Hamed has praised Turkish contributions and efforts to build infrastructure and stability in the Eastern African country, which has been hit hard by intra-state conflicts and strife in the last decade.
Sudanese Health and Social Insurance Deputy Minister Khadija Abu El-Gassim Haj Hamed has praised Turkish contributions and efforts to build infrastructure and stability in the Eastern African country, which has been hit hard by intra-state conflicts and strife in the last decade.
Kimse Yok Mu fights malaria in Somali capital
Mehmet Ali Poyraz
Turkish humanitarian aid organization Kimse Yok Mu has launched an anti-malaria campaign in Somalia for the start of the rainy season.
Kimse Yok Mu workers have started a larvacide campaign in the area, to the great appreciation of the locals.
Kimse Yok Mu workers have started a larvacide campaign in the area, to the great appreciation of the locals.
June 28, 2012
Fethullah Gülen says military chief's tears for slain soldiers sign of humanity
Commenting on a recent debate in the Turkish media over Chief of General Staff Gen. Necdet Özel's weeping during a funeral ceremony for eight soldiers killed by the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), well-respected Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has said the general's tears are nothing other than a sign of humanity, strongly criticizing journalists who have accused Özel of weakness.
Moldova said “Yes” for “Art of Living Together”
Dr. Feridun Tüfekçi
Academy of Sciences of Moldova, Institute of European Integration and Political Science and Dialogue Eurasia Platform held a competition of written works titled “Art of Living Together”.
Academy of Sciences of Moldova, Institute of European Integration and Political Science and Dialogue Eurasia Platform held a competition of written works titled “Art of Living Together”.
June 27, 2012
Fethullah Gülen on Islam-Democracy Relationship/Compatibility
Tauseef Ahmad Parray *
This article explores the Islam-democracy debate in the thought and writings of one of the prominent living Muslim intellectuals of Turkey, Fethullah Gülen. Born in 1941, Gülen, addresses the hotly debated issues that have gained prominence as they become highly intensified in the post 9/11 world.
Fethullah Gülen (b. 1941, Erzurum, Eastern Turkey) is a Turkish Muslim scholar, thinker, author, poet, preacher, opinion leader, peace advocate and educational activist who has articulated his views for last three decades. He presently lives in Pennsylvania, USA, where he has lived since 1998.
Fethullah Gülen (b. 1941, Erzurum, Eastern Turkey) is a Turkish Muslim scholar, thinker, author, poet, preacher, opinion leader, peace advocate and educational activist who has articulated his views for last three decades. He presently lives in Pennsylvania, USA, where he has lived since 1998.
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