GYV contributes to correct perception of Islam

Hüseyin Hurmalı (Photo: Today's Zaman)
Hüseyin Hurmalı (Photo: Today's Zaman)


Date posted: November 17, 2015

Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV) Vice President Hüseyin Hurmalı told the Zaman daily on Sunday that the GYV, of which prominent Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen is the honorary president, serves an important global mission to help people understand Islam at a time when it is increasingly associated with radical Islamist organizations such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and al-Qaeda.

“People are in search of those with whom to talk about Islam, with whom to do business,” Hurmalı said.

Turkish scholar Gülen and the worldwide network of volunteers inspired by his teachings known as the Gülen movement are known for their efforts to promote tolerance, peace and interfaith dialogue. The İstanbul-based GYV is also a part of the Gülen movement, which has faced a government-led witch hunt since two sweeping graft probes went public at the end of 2013.

The GYV is the only Turkish nongovernmental journalism organization that enjoys general consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and serves as a respected interlocutor on behalf of Muslims around the world.

Underlining the GYV’s role in promoting peace and tolerance in the world, Hurmalı said: “There are thousands of people who have set out to build peace. Because one needs to address everybody when the issue is peace, they also look for Muslim representatives to talk to.” Hurmalı also said that by being part of UN activities, the GYV takes on the responsibility of representing Islam, telling the daily, “Each manifesto prepared [with the cooperation of the GYV] serves in a sense to reach the right sources about Muslims rather than prejudices about them.”

Following two corruption investigations implicating senior government figures that came to light in December 2013, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have tried to dismiss charges of corruption, describing the probes as a coup plot against the government. Erdoğan launched a smear campaign against the movement, accusing it of being behind the probes without offering any evidence.

In a UN peace conference organized by the GYV in Geneva last year, those present emphasized that global challenges against peace should not lead to apathy and reiterated the need for commitment against all kinds of extremism. The GYV’s aim at the conference, at which issues relating to media, religious freedoms and education were discussed, was to provide a remedy to a global problem, the GYV vice president said.

In a message sent to the conference, which was organized with the cooperation of the Switzerland-based Dialog Institut and the University of Geneva, Gülen emphasized the importance of investing in human capital, saying that “building peace means building peace-loving men.”

One of the areas in which the GYV is most active as part of its UN activities is the problems faced by women. Noting that the GYV follows the example of the importance Gülen attaches to providing education for girls, Hurmalı told Zaman: “Our foundation has the mission of building a discourse focusing on empowering women, the education of girls and reducing violence against women. We believe that people would not be impressed by what we do even if we held meetings every day on the issue unless we do as we preach.”

The GYV is also active in issues related to development. Representatives of more than 60 countries attended a panel discussion on Sept. 30 organized by the GYV at the UN headquarters in New York.

The panel was titled “Development Agenda: Contributions of Private Sector and Civil Society” and sponsored by the Peace Islands Institute (PII) and the African Union.

Source: Today's Zaman , November 16, 2015


Related News

New Book – No Return from Democracy: A Survey of Interviews with Fethullah Gulen

It was rare, if not impossible, to find in ’80s and ’90s a Muslim cleric who spoke in favor of democracy, integration with the Western world, and universal human values. Fethullah Gülen was one of those. This book collates Gülen’s ahead-of-his-time comments on some of the debated issues as he phrased in interviews in the past few decades.

Saylorsburg cleric sends statement to Muslim-Catholic conference

A press release prepared by the Alliance for Shared Values says Saylorsburg resident Fethullah Gulen, the prominent Muslim cleric, has urged people of all faiths to come together to address global conflict at the first-ever US Muslim-Catholic Dialogue Conference, which seeks to promote interfaith dialogue and mutual respect worldwide.

Gulen Slams Turkey Crackdown Before Erdogan Demands Extradition

The exiled cleric accused by Turkey of orchestrating last year’s attempted coup charged President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with seeking to silence critics, as the Turkish leader prepared to push for the preacher’s extradition in a White House meeting with Donald Trump.

Gülen offers condolences for slain İstanbul resident shot at protest

Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has offered condolences for Uğur Kurt, a 34-year-old who was waiting to attend a funeral outside a cemevi, an Alevi house of worship, was hit by a stray bullet allegedly from a police weapon and died in hospital on Thursday night.

Gulen: Oppression will end as politicians will leave office one day but this movement will continue to exist

The pressure and the oppression in Turkey have forced Hizmet Movement participants to scatter throughout the world, which means it is time for the Movement to integrate with the world and play its role as the common value of humanity.

Gülen endorses reform package, appealing for ‘yes’ on Sept. 12 referendum

Well-respected Turkish intellectual and scholar Fethullah Gülen has said the constitutional reform package to be voted on Sept. 12 contains crucial amendments. Underlining that everyone, including Turkish citizens living abroad, should say “yes” in the referendum, Gülen said, “I wish we had a chance to raise the dead ones from their graves and urge them to cast ‘yes’ votes in the referendum,” as he highlighted the importance of voting in favor of the changes.

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 Gulen: I am not hiding and not on the run

Dialogue advocacy group ‘disturbed’ by Erdoğan’s harassment of Hizmet

Erdogan: The Sultan of an illusionary Ottoman Empire

Alevi associations react against halt of mosque-cemevi project

Erdogan Gov’t aims to abolish global charity Kimse Yok Mu

Erdogan presses Kyrgyzstan for action against Gulen group

The Persecution of the Hizmet (Gülen) Movement in Turkey: A Chronicle

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News