Fethullah Gülen extends condolences over death of Turkish literary giant
Turkish writer Yaşar Kemal waves during a ceremony in İstanbul in this file photo. (Photo: AP, Emrah Gürel)
Date posted: March 6, 2015
Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has extended his condolences to the family and fans of Yaşar Kemal, one of Turkey’s greatest writers, whose works were translated into 40 languages.
Gülen said in a written statement on Tuesday that Kemal built his life and works based on a “love of the homeland” and lived a life longing for a country where all religious and ethnic groups — Turks, Kurds, Alevis, Sunnis — could coexist in peace. The Islamic scholar recognized the Turkish literary giant as someone who made important contributions to the country’s democratic culture in difficult times with his stance and speeches.
Kemal had been hospitalized in İstanbul since mid-January with respiratory and cardiac issues. His death on Feb. 28 was due to organ failure.
Kemal, who helped develop the “village novel,” was a champion for the Anatolian heartland and those who lived there, recounting the many struggles of rural villagers. He is known for his lyrical approach and focus on social justice.
Gülen expressed his condolences to Kemal’s wife, Ayşe Semiha Baban; his son, Raşit Gökçeli and other relatives, as well as to his many friends and fans.
It seems that US President Barack Obama and the rest of the world have not taken the Turkish president seriously on this matter. The Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV), the Swiss Dialogue Institute and the University of Geneva jointly organized a peace summit titled “Mobilizing Civil Society for Building Peace” at the UN Center in Geneva. The event attracted a great deal of attention, as evidenced by the participation of renowned individuals, including Hassan al-Benna’s grandson Tariq Ramadan; Ela Gandhi, the granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, whose statue stands in the garden of the UN Center; and Gunnar Johan Stalsett, from the Norwegian Nobel Committee. A total of 800 renowned figures from 50 countries participated in this gathering.
Symposium concludes: Hizmet movement contributes to world peace
Professors said that Hizmet is an anti-violence group that uses education and dialogue to achieve its goals. Dr. Amidu Olalekan Sanni, Lagos State University, Nigeria: “I think the Hizmet group has been very influential in terms of human development, basically in the area of education and health. The first Hizmet university is actually based in the Nigerian capital of Abuja.”
Minister Çelik supports Gülen’s call for Alevi-Sunni brotherhood
“I know Gülen is in a struggle for taking precautions beforehand, by telling the possible problems that may occur in the future,” Minister Çelik stated. He supported the call “Let the mosque and the cemevi be side by side,” by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.
Who is Fethullah Gulen? (by National Catholic Reporter)
By blaming Fethullah Gulen and the Gulen movement for the coup attempt, Mr. Erdogan’s authoritarian tendencies have only increased as witnessed by the tens of thousands arrested and detained, and the radical curtailing of free speech. It now appears that in Mr. Erdogan’s hands Turkey’s future and that of the Middle East will be less democratic, less stable and more tumultuous than ever.
The Turkish “Great Teacher” – Fethullah Gülen and his Amazing Social Reforms
The Anatolia Cultural & Dialog Centre in Hong Kong (ACDC) invited and hosted two delegations from HKU – Centre for Buddhist Studies Alumni Association (CBSAA) during July and August this summer. The ACDC is a non-governmental Turkish cultural organization that promotes cultural & interfaith dialogue exchange to promote understanding between different communities. The Buddhist groups […]
New York Times interviews Mr. Gulen
John L. Esposito, a Georgetown University professor who has studied Mr. Gulen, said that if he were to compare Mr. Gulen to another public figure it would be the Dalai Lama.
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