‘A very good representative of the best in Islam, Hizmet contributes to the non-Muslim world’s understanding of Islam’


Date posted: February 7, 2015

Ret. Rabbi Allen Maller is a graduate of UCLA and the Hebrew Union College. He was the spiritual leader of Temple Akiba for 39 years, and nowis President of the National Jewish Hospitality Committee. Maller has taught at Gratz College in Philadelphia, Hebrew Union College, University of Judaism, and Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

“Today, we’re in a world where everybody is interacting, and Hizmet seems to me to be a very good representative of the best in Islam, in terms of being open, feeling a responsibility to the world, and the pluralism that is evidenced in the Koran, which tells us to respect all the prophets and all the people of the book.”

“Unfortunately, there has been, especially in the last ten, twenty years or so, and after, in this country, the United States, after the World Trade Center attacks, people who take advantage of Islamophobia. That you should be afraid somehow; the Muslims are going to take over, gonna introduce Sharia law, and everybody’s gonna have to wear a veil, or other ridiculous things, … And Hizmet provides a model for people to see, not just in this country, but all over—the United States, Canada, and Europe, Asia—that that’s not true Islam. True Islam is really a religion that supports pluralism …”

“I remember reading something that Gülen wrote some time ago, where he speaks about an orchestra, where people play different instruments … Each one plays according to his instrument. But there’s one conductor, and there’s one composer. So, each of us has our one prophet who brought us the Book. And, of course, the composer we know is all, the same One. … And that’s the richness of the symphony … And if we understand that, that I think would help to alleviate a lot of the tensions, the suspicions, the hostilities that exist between people.”


*Produced by Spectra Media exclusively for Irmak TV, Atlas of Thoughts (Fikir Atlasi) connects the scholars, politicians, jurists, religious figures, journalists, and academics reflecting on Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gulen and the Hizmet Movement with the audience. Each episode features a person from a different segment of the society with diverse experiences regarding the Hizmet activities and its volunteers. If you are interested to hear about the Hizmet and Mr. Gulen from these people’s perspectives, do not miss this show!

Source: Spectra Media , April 16, 2014


Related News

GYV summit highlights link between education, sustainable development

GYV President Mustafa Yeşil, in his opening remarks to the UN high-level meeting, said sustainable development can only be achieved through a good education program. Yeşil said Turkish schools inspired by Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen that have been opened in many countries around the world have achieved the level of success they have enjoyed due to sectoral support.

Junior Coalition Partner Demands Explanation Why Bulgarian Govt Turned over Abdullah Buyuk to Turkey

Right-wing Reformist Bloc, the junior partner in Bulgaria’s minority coalition cabinet, has demanded that Interior Minister Rumyana Bachvarova explain to Parliament why the government turned over Turkish businessman Abdullah Buyuk to Turkey last week. “The Reformist Bloc expresses disagreement with the violation of basic principles that guide the coalition; for us these are the rule […]

Fethullah Gülen’s legal journey

Bülent Korucu April 8, 2012, Sunday James C. Harrington has a brilliant career as a lawyer who has practiced for 40 years and as a professor who has taught law in universities for 25 years. But what is even more important is his sensitivity to and struggle for human rights. He is one of the […]

What is wrong with independent journalism?

Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç called on prosecutors to take legal action on Monday against the Taraf daily and journalist Mehmet Baransu, who revealed a controversial National Security Council (MGK) document last week, signed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in 2004, which detailed a planned crackdown on the Hizmet (Gülen) movement.

Now, speaking Turco-Tweetish is more challenging

Volunteers from the Hizmet movement are overseeing the campaign on Twitter to criticize the Turkish government by introducing followers to a trending topic with a new hashtag every day, and since the Hizmet movement has active members in more than 150 countries, their actions on Twitter have exploded.

Fethullah Gulen Criticizes Gaza Flotilla

Fethullah Gülen, a controversial and reclusive U.S. resident who is considered Turkey’s most influential religious leader, criticized a Turkish-led flotilla for trying to deliver aid without Israel’s consent.

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

Afghan Turkish Schools have brought 75 medals to Afghanistan

Is the March 30 referendum in danger?

‘Living Together’ under capital punishment

Turkish aid organization opens school in Somalia

Gülen makes application to top court over slanderous report

Turkish Gov’t Systematically Violated 12 Fundamental Rights During Emergency Rule

Expert’s opinion: Turkey’s Demanding Extradition Of Fethullah Gülen Is Frivolous Grandstanding

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News