Gülen calls for peaceful coexistence, warns about deceit and oppression

Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen. (Photo: Cihan)
Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen. (Photo: Cihan)


Date posted: June 10, 2013

Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has called for living together in peace, echoing similar remarks issued by President Abdullah Gül last week against the background of two-week-long anti-government protests in Turkey.

“For the love of God, let’s live for a while in a [spirit] of brotherhood,” Gülen said, borrowing a theme from a popular song sung by children participating in the Turkish Olympiad.

“As they said in the Turkish Olympiad, ‘A new world, a new world, together a new world,'” Gülen stated and rejected totalitarian, oppressive, dictatorial and authoritarian systems.

While meeting with a group of Turkish Olympiad participants at the Çankaya presidential palace, President Gül praised the event as contributing to peace, brotherhood and friendship.

The president also said: “For peace to exist in the world, different languages, religions, beliefs and cultures need to respect each other, recognize one another and live in serenity and peace with each other. If that does not happen, then efforts to oppress one another become the source of much suffering and conflict.”

In earlier remarks, Gülen criticized the police handling of recent protests, saying that the initial protesters who gathered in Taksim’s Gezi Park for a sit-in to prevent construction workers from destroying trees could be seen as rightfully demanding the preservation of the ecosystem and green spaces. He called their initial demands “logical” but condemned the subsequent violence of extremist groups.

Gülen also noted that indifference and the inability to comprehend events could cause another problem on the other side and urged the government not to underestimate the protests.

In remarks posted on the herkul.org website, Gülen also warned on Sunday of a sinister campaign by hypocrites targeting Muslims, saying that hypocrites are more dangerous than unbelievers.

“It is difficult to deal with a hypocrite,” he said, stressing that a hypocrite pretends to be a believer when in fact s/he is in disbelief. He said taqiyye (hiding one’s true intentions) is commonly used by hypocrites to shield their dangerous campaigns to destroy Islam.

He said taqiyye has no place in Islam, despite the fact that some have tried to make it one of the essentials of the Muslim religion. The Shiite ideology propagated by Iranian clerics sees taqiyye as a lawful practice but the Sunni jurisprudence dismisses it as baseless.

Recalling Prophet Muhammad‘s reported words, “Whoever cheats us is not one of us,” Gülen underlined that Islam does not condone any deceit or cheating. He asked that Muslims should be vigilant for people who use deceit to hide their evil intentions.

Source: Today’s Zaman, 10 June, 2013


Related News

Ministry dismisses honorary consuls, allegedly for ‘Hizmet’ affiliation

The Turkish Foreign Ministry did not renew honorary consuls’ certificates due to their affiliation with the Hizmet movement, Turkish media reported.

Africa pledges further cooperation with Turkey based on mutual respect

A long-lasting partnership with Turkey that has become more visible in the African continent during the last decade is welcomed by all, since Turkish businesspeople and civil society are perceived as having been respectful of the people of Africa during the implementation of their initiatives in the continent.

Importance of Hizmet’s 11-article declaration

As expected, the 11-article declaration by the Journalists and Writers Foundation, of which Fethullah Gülen serves as honorary chair, has attracted attention. The follow-up debates show that this has been remarkably positive and appropriate to prevent disorder.

Kyrgyz President Atambayev: Ankara should not threaten us with coup

If someone wants to help Kyrgyzstan, this help should be unconditional, the President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev said. “If you set some conditions; then, please, do not help us at all. We are not dictated anything… Do not tell us what we should do. We do not need such aid; then, take it away,” the president added.

Islam’s need for enlightenment

As a matter of fact, many groups, communities, institutions, organizations and even countries around the world not only define themselves as Muslim but also claim that they represent the “true Islam.”

Another AK Party deputy, Muhammed Çetin, resigns in protest

Çetin reportedly asked AK Party deputies Volkan Bozkır and Ali Aşlık about their shoebox numbers. His joke prompted other deputies to tell the incident to the party administration, which outraged with the joke and referred Çetin to the disciplinary committee with request of expulsion.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Fethullah Gülen’s legal journey

UK Clears Gulenists Of Turkey’s ‘Coup’ Accusations

Fethullah Gulen in 2 minutes

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Gülen says paying price for not supporting Erdoğan’s desire for presidential system

Yet another conspiracy against the Gülen movement?

Can resurrecting the caliphate solve Muslims’ problems?

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News