Gülen not only my hero, also a model for other religions


Date posted: November 23, 2010

Hatice Avcı, Brussels

A leading American minister has said all religions need an adherent like Fethullah Gülen, a Turkish-Islamic scholar whose teachings focusing on interfaith dialogue have been widely lauded around the world.

“He is not only my hero for what he has done for the Muslim societies but also [offers] a model for all other religions,” said Dirk Ficca, executive director of the Chicago-based Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions, an international NGO aiming to cultivate better understanding between the world’s religious and spiritual communities by highlighting the similarities while also acknowledging the differences between them.

In an interview with Today’s Zaman in Brussels this past week, Ficca commended the activities of the faith-based movement named after Gülen, who has authored more than 50 books, most of which have been translated into English, French, Russian and Arabic. Gülen is also known for the hundreds of sermons he delivered so far in which he stresses the significance of strengthened communication between people of different religions and cultures. “I have a deep admiration for him. I have read a couple of his works and also have observed the movement he has inspired. This sociable and kind man has become an inspiration for Turkish Muslims and others around the world for shaping Islam’s highest values and blessings,” Ficca noted, adding that Gülen “encouraged Muslims to treat everyone as their Muslim neighbors or brothers,” something, Ficca also said, “all religions should do.”

Businessmen, schoolteachers and academics inspired by Gülen’s teachings — mostly known as Education Volunteers in Turkey — have opened hundreds of educational institutions of all sizes, from kindergartens to universities, in over 100 countries so far. Each year, select students from those institutions come together in Turkey for a traditional Turkish Olympics. Last year, participants from 120 countries around the world took part in the annual cultural and linguistic contest. “Wherever I go, I see a Gülen movement organization,” Ficca said, expressing his appreciation of the initiative’s coverage.

Also lauding the movement’s decentralized and completely non-hierarchic structure, which is completely based on volunteerism, Ficca said the Gülen movement is different in that it is a movement completely between people, whereas institutions serve functional and practical purposes rather than holding a managerial power and authority. “I think that the people should feel that they are in the service of a much bigger thing [than institutions],” the minister explained. For Ficca, the Gülen movement with its said traits is also a model for the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions.

During the interview, Ficca commented on how interfaith dialogue should be understood. He said their council promotes the individuality and uniqueness of all religions and their coming together around a table to communicate with each other under the council’s roof. He further explained that an agreement or consensus in approach to a certain matter is not a requirement to conclude a meeting. Stressing that they would like to receive all participants as they are, with all their differences, Ficca said sometimes the organization’s aim is presented as the uniting of all religions but that “nothing could be farther from reality.” “Dialogue is about mutual understanding whether we agree or disagree,” he added.

Every five years, the council organizes an international gathering of the “parliament” at a different city. Since the early ‘90s, the event has been held in Chicago, Cape Town, Barcelona and most recently in Melbourne last year with a wide participation of representatives from religious and spiritual traditions around the world. The next meeting will be held in 2014, and the candidate cities to host the gathering are Guadalajara and Dallas as well as Brussels.

 

Source: Today's Zaman , 22 November 2010


Related News

Why do they lie about Fethullah Gülen?

There are two major allegations that are currently employed in the United States by Gülen opponents in order to discredit and cause fear mongering about him: One that the charter schools opened in various states by Turkish-Americans are connected to Gülen, and that they are spreading “Islamic fundamentalism.

Gülen says abusive language to cover up sins is hypocrisy

Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has strongly criticized abusive language and remarks within pro-government circles insulting members of the Hizmet movement, saying this kind of behavior is hypocritical and is being employed to cover up their own sins.

Erdoğan’s claims about Gülen stun US Ambassador Ricciardone

Ambassador Ricciardone, who can understand Turkish very well, cannot believe his eyes after reading the text about what Prime Minister Erdoğan had said during an ATV network interview about his conversation with Obama on Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.

Extradite Gülen? Really?

Enter the current coup plot. Erdogan literally has blamed every obstacle, fanciful plot, and malfeasance upon the elderly cleric. He fingered him in last Friday’s attempted coup even before the smoke settled. Increasingly, it seems the Obama administration might actually take the Turkish president seriously.

“The Broken Jug” now in the languages of the world

The Broken Jug sermons which are broadcast on the Internet every Monday will, from now on, not be limited to only the Turkish language. The website fgulen.com, which broadcasts the sermons of Fethullah Gulen, has just recently launched another innovation. From this point on, the “Broken Jug” articles are going to be able to be […]

Turkish Schools and Fethullah Gulen

HÜSEYİN GÜLERCE Historian Ilber Ortayli made an excellent evaluation of Turkish schools abroad, at the First International University Education Congress, held in Fatih University last week. According to Mr. Ortayli, Turkey, a country where foreign schools rushed into a hundred years ago, has now reversed the tide. This is a historic achievement showing the greatness […]

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

Prime Minister Erdogan’s Revenge

Samanyolu schools to sue 3 government officials over unlawful search warrant

Two Turkish TV producers detained as operation against media starts

Hizmet movement in the spotlight at MESA 2012

Ivory Coast authorities call on Kimse Yok Mu for more aid

Tunisia was able to make constitution because of concessions of all parties

Hizmet, forming a party and capturing the state!

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News