U.S. critics of Gulen claim that an extreme Islamic fundamentalist lies beneath his public statements and that he is someone who wants to bring Sharia law to both Turkey and the U.S. In Turkey, though, his enemies portray him as a Zionist puppet of the CIA and Israel.
In Istanbul, a modern bridge spans the Bosporus between Asia and Europe. Symbolically, the bridge reaching between the cultures of Turkey and the West, now extends also between Anatolian Muslims and Christians and Northern Illinois Conference United Methodists. At the invitation of the Niagara Foundation in Chicago, Bishop Hee-Soo Jung led a delegation of Northern […]
Charley Honey | The Grand Rapids Press | Saturday, July 30, 2011 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. […]
It was quite a wonderful adventure with a great group of people. Thank you to Levent and his assistant, Mevlut, along with the IDC for the invitation and for the whole experience. If only the understanding we reached as just one tiny group could really grow and multiply! Just a fervent wish.
Bishop Arthur J. Serratelli Beyond the borders of Turkey, the city of Konya is well-known. Located just south of Ankara, it is Turkey’s most religiously conservative city. On the trip I made this summer with the Interfaith Dialog Center, all of us, Catholics, Protestants and Muslims, were excited to visit this center of Sufi mysticism. […]
Bishop Arthur J. Serratelli In the sixth century, the Byzantine Emperor Justinian ordered a new church to be built in his capital of Constantinople. It was dedicated to Holy Wisdom and bore the name Hagia Sophia. When the construction was completed, Justinian is said to have exclaimed, “Solomon, I have outdone thee!” For nearly a thousand […]
María de Lourdes Ruiz Scaperlanda, Special Correspondent Perhaps curiosity first put the idea in their minds. Or perhaps it was simply the opportunity for exotic travel. But Freddie and Carrie Komar promptly realized that this was no ordinary tour. “When I started, this was just a trip to Turkey. But now,” Carrie paused and smiled, […]