Fethullah Gulen: ISIL Actions, Disgrace to Faith


Date posted: September 20, 2014

Turkish scholar Fethullah Gulen has sent out a strongly worded statement, against the barbarity of the ISIL militant group.

“As a practicing Muslim, I strongly condemn the brutal atrocities of the ISIL terrorist group. Their actions are a disgrace to the faith they proclaim and are crimes against humanity.”-Fethullah Gulen

This is not the first time the renowned thinker has criticized the group that uses religion as a guise to mask its motivations. To that Fethullah Gulen’s reply is:

“Religion provides a foundation upon which to establish peace, human rights, freedoms and the rule of law. Any interpretations to the contrary, including the abuse of religion to fuel conflicts, are simply wrong and deceitful.”

Fethullah Gulen, who has inspired the grass roots Hizmet, or service movement, has been an outspoken critic of all groups like ISIL.

ISIL has been accused of horrible acts of torture against minorities in Iraq. And Fethullah Gulen has come out strongly against any form of persecution.

Gulen, who espouses inter-cultural faith and dialogue as essential tenets of his philosophy has offered condolences to the victims of ISIL’s violence- the families of James Foley, Steven Sotloff and others.

Fethullah Gulen’s message has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, La Times in the US.

Source: Ebru News , September 17, 2014


Related News

A Comparative Approach to Islam and Democracy

Religion, particularly Islam, has become one of the most difficult subject areas to tackle in recent years. Contemporary culture, whether approached from the perspective of anthropology or theology, psychology or psychoanalysis, evaluates religion with empirical methods. On the one hand, religion is an inwardly experienced and felt phenomenon, one mostly related to life’s permanent aspects.

Fethullah Gülen and the Hizmet Movement by Ori Soltes, Georgetown University

Ori Z. Soltes talks in this video about Fethullah Gülen from sufi perspective. Ori Z. Soltes is Goldman Professorial Lecturer at Georgetown Univeristy where he teaches theology, philosophy and art history at the department of theology and he is former Director and Curator of the B’nai B’rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., where he curated over 80 exhibitions.

Understanding of Muslims in US is limited, says scholar

“Part of what we are doing involves interfaith work,” says Turk, and he brings up the role of the Pacifica Institute in California that does similar work in accordance with the teachings of Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen. “The same values are taught by Gülen,” Turk says, and adds that students from the Gülen-inspired Hizmet movement attend Bayan Claremont as well. “We are educating the next generation of Islamic scholars and community leaders,” Turk says.

Fethullah Gülen on Acts of Terrorism – in light of Paris and Beirut

Gülen’s position on violent extremism is based on a comprehensive, thorough and robust understanding and reading of the spirit and teachings of Islam’s primary sources, the Qur’an and Sunna – the same foundations on which its core teachings are based.

SP’s Kamalak says MGK, not Hizmet movement, should discuss Kurdish issue

Felicity Party (SP) leader Mustafa Kamalak, commenting on a proclamation made by the National Security Council (MGK) on Wednesday, has said that instead of labeling the Hizmet movement as a “threat to national security,” the MGK should consider the government’s Kurdish policy which is leading to a “division of the country.”

Erdogan Delivers Ultimatum: Washington Has to Choose Between Gulen and Turkey

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the United States must make a choice between Ankara and a movement led by US-based dissident Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. Ankara has accused Gulen and his followers of playing a key role in the July 15 attempted coup, which claimed lives of over 240 people.

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

Erdoğan now targets foreign countries for granting asylum to critics

Book Review: Faith, Theology and Service in Peacebuilding

Turkish schools in Austria select finalists for Int’l Turkish Olympiads

Bolu municipality builds road inside Hizmet affiliated Fatih College’s garden

Remarks by Congressman Mike Honda (Representing California) at IFLC Washington DC

The Erdoğan-Gülen encounter and democracy

Fear Grows in Turkey as Crackdown on Gulen Followers Continues

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News