President Obama sends message to Gulen-inspired international cultural festival


Date posted: April 28, 2016

HizmetNews.Com, April 28, 2016

US President Obama sends a message to Gulen-inspired “The International Festival of Language and Culture” that took place in Washington DC at the DAR Constitution Hall, Washington DC’s largest Concert Hall on April, 2018, 2016. The hall that has a seating capacity of 3700 witnessed a historic evening as 125 young people from some 25 countries represented their countries with music and dance performances.

This festival, according to its website, is the largest and most prominent organization for promoting world languages and cultures and is dedicated to cultivate and educate the youth and create a platform to share their cultural heritage with their peers around the world. President Obama in his message said, “… festivals like this one allow us to bear witness to the ways hope and beauty stem from songs of inclusion.” Mr. Obama’s message was read by his special representative. Below is full text of his message.

THE WHITE HOUSE

Washington

The rich cultures and unique histories of our global society are brought to life through mesmerizing dance and captivating performance. In demonstrating the traditions that make your heritages special, festivals like this one allow us to bear witness to the ways hope and beauty stem from songs of inclusion. Your efforts to unite young people from across the globe reflect the power our common humanity has to transcend what sets us apart.

As you come together to celebrate the cultural mosaic that is our world and forge bonds of friendship, I wish you all the best.

https://twitter.com/intFLC/status/725824840188440576

Tags: | | | | |


Related News

In Conversation with Fethullah Gülen (Interview in Asharq Al-Awsat-I)

While it is a movement inspired by faith, this [Hizmet movement] community of volunteers develops and delivers reasonable and universally acceptable projects which are in full compliance with humanitarian values and which aim to promote individual freedoms, human rights and peaceful coexistence for all people regardless of their faith.

Former US envoys to Ankara say Erdoğan doing great harm to democracy

“Whatever his achievements over the past decade, Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is destroying his country’s parlous democracy. That is a profound problem for Turks and Turkey’s Western allies. Staying silent, out of fear that speaking out would harm some short-term interests, risks Turkey’s longer-term stability.”

Reflections on my first trip to TÜRKIYE

Last week I had the pleasure of accompanying a group of Jewish community leaders on a Niagara Foundation sponsored trip to Türkiye (Turkey). Our mission: to provide the group with windows into the Jewish experience in Turkey. One of the trip participants would describe this as, “not a Jewish trip to Turkey but a group of Jewish people traveling to Turkey.”

American pastor jailed over Gülen links asks Trump to fight for his release

An American pastor who has been jailed on bogus terrorism charges in Turkey for more than five months has asked US President Donald Trump to help secure his release. Pastor Brunson has no known ties to terrorist groups, and the Turkish government has not produced any evidence to show that he does.

Peace Islands Institute hosts iftar in NY

The event, organized by the Peace Islands Institute (PII), the New York Interfaith Center and Columbia University’s religious studies department, hosted former US Vice President Al Gore’s daughter Karenna Gore and prominent Indonesian religious figure Imam Shamsi Ali.

Teachers, parents oppose Pak-Turk Schools takeover

A group calling itself the Pak-Turk International Schools and Colleges Parent-Teacher Association expressed concern on Saturday over reports that the government was going to hand over the school management to “a political entity”. Speaking at a press conference at the Raiwind Road campus, they said they would oppose such a move.

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

Fethullah Gülen: Erdogan is a Narcissist Dictator, His Main Enemy is Himself

Fethullah Gulen on a Global Scale

Turkish prosecutor demands detention of 21 women, leaving 10 infants unattended

Eid-al-Adha – Neighborhood Generosity

As I researched the Gulen schools in Germany, I experienced beyond what I had expected

“Peace and Sustainable Development: A Two-Way Relationship” Panel

Debunking Erdoğan’s smear campaign against Gülen

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News