“Turkey, with the great assistance of Fethullah Gülen‎ has been a model”


Date posted: January 31, 2015

Dr. Patrick Drinan is the Professor of Political Science at the University of San Diego. He completed his doctorate at the University of Virginia. Dr. Drinan served as the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of San Diego from 1989–2007. He has also served as a consultant on academic integrity at the university level.

“I think Gülen‎ has certainly done the kind of outreach in terms of cultural dialog—and the outreach is not only to academics like myself, it’s been to local political leaders, people from the religious communities, and the like—and that kind of outreach, in terms of building understanding, I think is one of his greatest accomplishments.”

“I think, Muslims having dialog with non-Muslims is very, very important, although I know it’s very difficult to do. Religious commitments can be very, very strong, and listening to the voices of other religions is not something that comes easy to any religious movement.”

“I think it’ll take two or three generations of openness and sustained kind of listening and cultural interaction for that connection between Muslims and non-Muslims to really flourish.

But, what I think is that the Gulen Movement, has established a fine base, and the fact that there is perhaps some conflict and debate about the wisdom of doing it, or some of the techniques that are used, I think is very, very healthy.”

*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 15, 2014

Tags: | | | |


Related News

Can the EU be blamed for Erdoğan’s authoritarianism?

It may be speculated that the EU’s resistance to Turkey’s European integration has to a certain extent played a role in Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s slide into authoritarianism. If the EU had consistently backed its accession process, Ankara may have consolidated democracy and rule of law, so that such a concentration of power could have been avoided.

Gulen: Issuance of arrest warrant changes nothing about my views

The issuance of an arrest warrant from a Turkish court changes nothing about my status or my views. I have repeatedly condemned the coup attempt in Turkey and denied any knowledge or involvement. It is well-documented the Turkish court system is without judicial independence, so this warrant is yet another example of President Erdogan’s drive authoritarianism and away from democracy.

Hizmet movement to address Armenian issue

Orhan Miroğlu it seems the Hizmet movement is the only Turkish civilian movement, which would positively contribute to the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations in the US, where the Armenian diaspora is considerably strong. The Armenian and Kurdish issues serve as a test for not only new Turkish politics, which aim to shape Turkey’s future, but […]

Al-Azhar has examined and approved all the works of Mr. Gulen

Egypt’s Al-Azhar University, one of the most respected Islamic Sciences centers in the world, and the Islamic Research Association, has examined the works of Gulen found no contradiction to the school of Sunni Islam. Beyond these works, in some universities, especially Al Azhar, many master’s and doctoral theses on the subject of Hizmet and Mr. Gulen have been published.

A Different Kind of Coup? Why You Should Care About A “Reclusive” Turkish Imam in Pennsylvania

We should consider not only what people say about Fethullah Gülen, but what he says himself. Decades of speeches and publications make this possible and reveal certain attributes. For example, Gülen advocates a form of Sufi humanism. He seeks collaborative relationships across religious, cultural, and national borders. He is concerned about the poor and marginalized around the world.

Journalist Dumanlı says slanders against Hizmet reminiscent of Feb. 28 era

Zaman daily Editor-in-Chief Dumanlı has described slanderous remarks used by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and some members of the Justice and Development Party government against the Hizmet movement as highly reminiscent of insults directed at the country’s conservative-minded citizens during the Feb. 28, 1997 “postmodern coup” period.

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

TUSKON: Twitter ban a disappointment in information age

“Noah’s Pudding Approach” to Address Immigration Problem

Love and Tolerance Conference, Abuja

Criticism rains down on gov’t for insisting on closing prep schools

Second alleged disappearance in a week: Philosophy teacher goes missing

Message of tolerance, peace expressed at GYV’s fast-breaking dinner

Children from all over the world embarked on Turkish voyage

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News