New Book – No Return from Democracy: A Survey of Interviews with Fethullah Gulen
Date posted: August 8, 2017
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. Many of his avant-garde ideas did not only earn him one of the largest and most influential faith-inspired social movements of recent history, but also many foes, especially from the Turkish ruling elite, placing him in the center of many social and political developments in Turkey. Despite the enormous defamation from some political groups in Turkey, Gülen is recognized in the world as a devout Muslim cleric, whose thoughts and life style are deeply rooted in the Islamic faith, but who also believes Islam is not in conflict with the progressive values of the modern world. 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.
Turks in America condemn unlawful government action during the corruption probe
The statement read that the language of hatred, violations of the law, intervention in the political process and the defamation of different segments of Turkish society “not only harm the Turkish democracy and Turkey, but also the international image and prestige of the country.”
German view of Hizmet Movement (2)
Seufert writes the Hizmet movement has arrived in Germany 30 years late, homed in on schooling and education rather than mosques; and that, currently, the number of schools and education centers has reached 24 and 300 respectively. “Gulen Movement is not a threat in Europe. If it was to pose any form of threat, it would be to its members who submit to authoritarian bodies. Yet, there has been no example of anyone forced to stay within the body against his/her will.”
Being the conscience of a nation
Fethullah Gulen’s brother Hasbi Gulen, who passed away last October, wanted to visit his older brother in America in late 2000. He shares his intention with a friend before applying for a visa.
His friend told him that he needed to prove financial ability to support himself in the US to obtain a visa. Hasbi Gulen needed to show car and home titles, tax returns, and any other assets he had. When his friend asked “which one of these documents do you have?” Fethullah Gulen’s brother replied “nothing but my birth certificate.”
Prime Minister Erdogan’s Revenge
Mr. Erdogan has disparaged his political adversaries as traitors, terrorists and an alliance of evil. In his postelection speech, he repeatedly mentioned Pennsylvania and suggested the government would take aim at Mr. Gulen’s supporters, possibly with mass arrests.
Can the EU be blamed for Erdoğan’s authoritarianism?
It may be speculated that the EU’s resistance to Turkey’s European integration has to a certain extent played a role in Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s slide into authoritarianism. If the EU had consistently backed its accession process, Ankara may have consolidated democracy and rule of law, so that such a concentration of power could have been avoided.
Why Gülen movement teachings attractive to followers?
The Gülen Movement arose among pious men and women who wanted a modern interpretation of religion. In the dynamics of the transformation of the movement, the social milieu also played an important role. The movement became a spiritual refuge for those who searched for an interpretation where Islam was in harmony with modernity. The followers of the Gülen Movement do not describe themselves as a political movement.
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