Date posted: June 22, 2013
Honorary James Baker said:
Problems of the world would be easy to address if, on the global level, we develop ways of sharing respect for each other’s religious perspectives. It is in this manner, the Gülen Institute and those who promote shared vision of interfaith dialogue provide truly invaluable leadership.
Hon. James Baker, 61st US Secretary of State
Tags: Hizmet (Gulen) movement | USA |

Extraditing dissident Islamist cleric Fethullah Gulen to Turkey would be a betrayal of American values and should be permanently off the table. President Trump says that handing over Gulen to Turkey is not under consideration “at this point.” But that’s not good enough.

A group focused on spreading peace shared its mission with some community leaders Thursday night in Albemarle County. The Rumi Forum held its Annual Peace and Dialogue Dinner at the Doubletree Hotel. Senator Creigh Deeds was the keynote speaker. He addressed issues from sequestration to the importance of discussing cultural differences. The Rumi Forum president says he […]

Questions to challenge the primary and unjustified premise: What judicial (or other) process determined that these corruption investigations were a coup attempt against the government? What proof or evidence do you have to support this most serious claim? What disciplinary process did you undertake to determine that the people that were purged were members and culprits of this ‘coup’? In the absence of evidence and disciplinary process how did you determine these people’s association with Hizmet? When is government corruption not a judicial coup? How can you have the right to unilaterally determine the intent and purpose of these ongoing judicial investigations when your government is implicated in them? If your government can purge over 7,000 police officers (and thereby affect and prevent these investigations) without evidence, due process or disciplinary procedure, do you not set a precedent for every future potentially corrupt government to follow?

A number of politicians from New Zealand attended an iftar dinner organized by a foundation of Gülen movement sympathizers in the country, despite Turkish embassy’s written warnings against the event.

Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer joined the Turkish Cultural Center and Embrace Relief in a relief effort to provide aid to the underserved and those struck by disaster. 1,500 pounds of meat were donated to the Mount Olivet Baptist Church in Manhattan.

On the first day of the 30th Abant Platform meeting on Friday on the Alevis issue in Turkey, Alevi and Sunni intellectuals and opinion leaders agreed that the problems date back to centuries ago and are more complicated than they seem. The event, titled “Searching for peace and a future together,” brought together representatives of various Alevi communities as well as Alevi and Sunni pundits, journalists and academics in an effort to have a comprehensive debate on one of the lingering problems of Turkish society.
